Always remember to latch your t tops!!!!
08-15-2009, 08:16 PM
#1
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Always remember to latch your t tops!!!! Yep, I'm a retard. My friend just got done installing his TH350 and he wanted to see how badly he would outlaunch me since I'm on street tires and he's got slicks and a transbrake now. Well anyway, I forgot to latch one of my t tops and this happened...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCDxAk8Kkxc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCDxAk8Kkxc
08-15-2009, 09:18 PM
#4
T-Tops? 
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
08-15-2009, 09:41 PM
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A friend lost one at about 100 mph or so. On my side. It'll make you speak in "tongue" because it does not sound right when it lifts. It didn't break, just took a while to find it in the grass. How it didn't break? IDK. Everybody should experience this.
08-15-2009, 09:41 PM
#7
T-Tops?
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
You must be as perfect as they get then!
Spoonraker, I wish your friend would of kept filming during the t-top demolish! Never seems to fail in a "OMG" moment when people film, they for some reason point the camera down when they freak out! that sux tho but atleast you got it on film to show.
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08-16-2009, 03:11 AM
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Yeah the cameraman failed miserably...
It definitely did not survive. It landed right in the middle of the opposite lane, glass shards covered both lanes for about 15 feet. At the end of the video you can actually see it laying in the street, but you can't really see how much glass there was. We spent a ton of time using tree branches as makeshift brooms to sweep all the glass off the street. Thank god my friend in the other lane wasn't behind me otherwise it could have come down right on top of him. Well...we were going so fast and it was in the air long enough that he would have to be multiple bus lengths behind me, but still...
As for how I forgot to latch it, I really don't know. I don't remember taking it off that day ever, and I don't even remember the last time I had them off before that. I can't imagine all the times I've been in and out of the car I wouldn't have noticed it was unlatched, I even wiped down the entire interior including the t tops a few days prior to this race.
What I think happened is I was actually joking around while waiting for the other camaro to arrive about "oh I should race with my t tops off it'll be nice and windy". I think maybe I jokingly started lifting it off or something and didn't even think about it. Obviously...if I knew it wasn't latched I would have latched it.
It was just a brain fart I guess. Lesson learned though, I'll sure as hell be careful about that in the future.
It definitely did not survive. It landed right in the middle of the opposite lane, glass shards covered both lanes for about 15 feet. At the end of the video you can actually see it laying in the street, but you can't really see how much glass there was. We spent a ton of time using tree branches as makeshift brooms to sweep all the glass off the street. Thank god my friend in the other lane wasn't behind me otherwise it could have come down right on top of him. Well...we were going so fast and it was in the air long enough that he would have to be multiple bus lengths behind me, but still...
As for how I forgot to latch it, I really don't know. I don't remember taking it off that day ever, and I don't even remember the last time I had them off before that. I can't imagine all the times I've been in and out of the car I wouldn't have noticed it was unlatched, I even wiped down the entire interior including the t tops a few days prior to this race.
What I think happened is I was actually joking around while waiting for the other camaro to arrive about "oh I should race with my t tops off it'll be nice and windy". I think maybe I jokingly started lifting it off or something and didn't even think about it. Obviously...if I knew it wasn't latched I would have latched it.
It was just a brain fart I guess. Lesson learned though, I'll sure as hell be careful about that in the future.
Last edited by spoonraker; 08-16-2009 at 03:23 AM.
08-16-2009, 08:44 AM
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I did the same thing a few months ago!
was doing exhaust work on my buddys lift. He told me to unlatch my t-tops because its common for them to crack if you dont when you lift up the car....
well when I was done, He asked to go for a ride in my car since he hasnt rode in it with the new cam....forgot to latch them.
Get out on the road. My window's were cracked about a inch. 1st gear fine, 2nd fine...top of 3rd around 120 THUMP. Both t-tops went flying off.....the one that hit the road was fine, one that hit the grass shattered...figure that out.
was doing exhaust work on my buddys lift. He told me to unlatch my t-tops because its common for them to crack if you dont when you lift up the car....
well when I was done, He asked to go for a ride in my car since he hasnt rode in it with the new cam....forgot to latch them.
Get out on the road. My window's were cracked about a inch. 1st gear fine, 2nd fine...top of 3rd around 120 THUMP. Both t-tops went flying off.....the one that hit the road was fine, one that hit the grass shattered...figure that out.
08-16-2009, 10:14 AM
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T-Tops?
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
How do you forget to latch a T-Top down? I've heard of people latching it but the mechanism not working thus losing their T-Top. I haven't heard of someone just completely forgetting to latch the T-Top down.
Step 1: Place T-Top on top of car in it's designated position.
Step 2: Latch T-Top down.
When I had T-Tops, I'd go a step further and pull UP on the T-Top after latching it to make sure it latched.
08-16-2009, 10:18 AM
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I have a buddy that it happened to twice, thanks to two different passengers. First time it broke and the second time we spent an hour walking the side of a road at night and found it intact in the ditch. Yeah I double check mine.
08-16-2009, 11:44 AM
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damn that sucks. one time one of mine was unlached and i was on the high way when it started to lift up but luckily i reached up and grabbed it and pulled down before the wind really took it.
08-16-2009, 12:46 PM
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This happened to me twice, but it was my idiotic fault. I to the "lift" technique after I put them on and latch them. I go a step further and make sure they're locked
08-16-2009, 03:56 PM
#18
That sucks. The change in direction of the ground is what owned you, created an updraft and took it straight off. Ouch. Save it though, so when you get a new one you can swap the lock cylinder.
I'm lucky I didn't lose mine. Drove across town out to a friend's house and back, then found my passenger top was still unlatched. Thankfully I had the windows up so it helped keep it from getting pulled off.
I'll bet after forgetting it once somehow you'll NEVER forget to latch it again, ever.
I'm lucky I didn't lose mine. Drove across town out to a friend's house and back, then found my passenger top was still unlatched. Thankfully I had the windows up so it helped keep it from getting pulled off.
I'll bet after forgetting it once somehow you'll NEVER forget to latch it again, ever.
08-16-2009, 07:29 PM
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GUILTY........ 
I have had one fly off and slide across the road. I felt like an *** having to turn around and walk out into the road to pick it up, but i was sure grateful that it was intact.
I have also had one pop up partly while on the freeway and snatched it and yanked down then was able to pull over and latch it, stupid brother
left it unlocked when he borrowed my car.
I have had one fly off and slide across the road. I felt like an *** having to turn around and walk out into the road to pick it up, but i was sure grateful that it was intact.
I have also had one pop up partly while on the freeway and snatched it and yanked down then was able to pull over and latch it, stupid brother
left it unlocked when he borrowed my car.