T-TOP part discontinued from GM, any recommendations?
06-24-2014, 02:55 PM
#43
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The t-tops on my 98 Z28 never had those little pieces of weatherstripping, yet never leaked. I actually had no idea that those pieces belonged there until I stumbled upon this thread lol
06-26-2014, 12:14 PM
#44
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08-14-2015, 06:00 PM
#46
Fyi for anyone looking part ending 51 is ACTUALLY the front seal and 50 is the rear. I ordered several 50s from various dealers and kept getting rear seals. Called the only dealer in the country that listed both which is in Washington state (I'm
in PA) and had them confirm the 51 is the bigger seal which is listed as rear but ends up being the front seal. I ordered all 3 that dealer had.
in PA) and had them confirm the 51 is the bigger seal which is listed as rear but ends up being the front seal. I ordered all 3 that dealer had.
08-15-2015, 04:37 PM
#47
I also couldnt find a replacement so I had to get crafty and use a thin sheet of rubber with marine grade sealant and it seems to have stopped the leak.
Why on earth did GM leave that gap there explicitly to be plugged with a rubber molding when everything around it is WELL sealed with fiberglass?
08-17-2015, 09:41 AM
#48
I think this illustrates the flaws in GM's computer systems an the lack of integration between their dealers. The parts are out there. Unfortunately, they are small and easily lost. I would not be surprised if there are several caches across the country of these things laying unmarked under shelving units (in dealer warehouses) serving as roach nests.
I'm not sure how they can tell the difference between the part numbers since the pieces are unmarked. If some Homer comes along and switches boxes/envelopes on a shelf - voila! - the part numbers have changed. Probably best to always visually verify at this point.
Unfortunately they are not appearance only. Atleast not the one on the front. The one on the rear "may" be. Mine broke and I found out because the first hard rain I literally had a waterfall cave in the front of my headliner and pour all over my rear view mirror, soak and destroy my headliner and poured down my center console.
You have a ton of dissimilar materials at the end of these things, so there is an expansion and contraction problem. At the front, you have metal and glass (close by) and at the rear you have metal and fiberglass. The structure around the windshield and at the back of the t-tops are really beefy and act like roll bars, so that center strip will bend and flex like a wet noodle (relatively) since its the soft spot between those two areas.
08-18-2015, 09:03 AM
#49
As SparkyJJO pointed out, these things aren't functional. The center trim (and these pieces) just separate the left and right T-Top gutters. If you had a leak, then you have another problem, or maybe you had a tear that was funneling water up and over the gutter?
You have a ton of dissimilar materials at the end of these things, so there is an expansion and contraction problem. At the front, you have metal and glass (close by) and at the rear you have metal and fiberglass. The structure around the windshield and at the back of the t-tops are really beefy and act like roll bars, so that center strip will bend and flex like a wet noodle (relatively) since its the soft spot between those two areas.
You have a ton of dissimilar materials at the end of these things, so there is an expansion and contraction problem. At the front, you have metal and glass (close by) and at the rear you have metal and fiberglass. The structure around the windshield and at the back of the t-tops are really beefy and act like roll bars, so that center strip will bend and flex like a wet noodle (relatively) since its the soft spot between those two areas.
08-18-2015, 10:57 AM
#50
Well, what I found out is without that piece there is a slot right between the windshield and body of the car large enough to fit a unwinded coat hanger directly to my center rear view mirror and without that piece it acts as a channel for water during hard rains. What else is supposed to be there to stop it from catching water?
08-25-2015, 10:43 AM
#51
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Ladies and gents, Tick Performance has these in stock the last time I checked, granted they are NOT cheap, $50 for front and rear pieces, if interested in looking go on Tick performance website and type in "GM T-top end cap seal kit" it says theyre for 98-02, don't know what the difference is if any from 93-97 models. Maybe if someone could get their hands on a set and could reproduce them, might be a good money maker.
Last edited by blue09rocket; 08-25-2015 at 10:51 AM.
08-25-2015, 09:41 PM
#52
Ladies and gents, Tick Performance has these in stock the last time I checked, granted they are NOT cheap, $50 for front and rear pieces, if interested in looking go on Tick performance website and type in "GM T-top end cap seal kit" it says theyre for 98-02, don't know what the difference is if any from 93-97 models. Maybe if someone could get their hands on a set and could reproduce them, might be a good money maker.
Otherwise thanks for the info
08-26-2015, 10:32 AM
#53
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Another option, GM still carries the actual T-Top bar. Brand new, and with both front and rear seals factory attached. Also has the mounting tape on the bottom of the bar.
How do I know, I just bought one. $123 shipped. Since my was old and ugly, I'm happy with the new part.
How do I know, I just bought one. $123 shipped. Since my was old and ugly, I'm happy with the new part.
12-02-2018, 05:11 PM
#56
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Ok, I can get these for less than $12 shipped to you.. I know that for one set it will cost about $15 depending on if they charge me tax... Does anyone want a set? I need some for myself and so do a few others so I figured I would buy a bunch and send them out from my house for a couple of bucks. They charge $10.50 just to ship two little pieces. The pieces cost about $2.10 depending on tax or ???fee. If we can get enough people to order them, We can probably get them for half that, even with me shipping them to you from my house.
12-02-2018, 06:48 PM
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Throwing it out there, I'd pay $100 for a set. I've sent a few of you people in this thread PM's. Let me know if you wanna make some cash, money isn't an issue really but don't be going crazy. I've never had these on my 1997 Camaro but I'm one OCD mutherfuc*er and I want those pieces if I can get them.
12-03-2018, 04:56 AM
#59
We have a 96 and it never had them. It doesn't leak either. Until I saw this thread I didn't know they existed. Not sure what they could possibly do. The T-Top seal is one piece that is part of the door seal. If its cut somewhere that's where its leaking. Or the piece that goes between them is leaking through the screw holes. Take off and reseal. If your worried about those gaps fill them in with a good black 100% silicone. This thread is very old.
