familyman333

I have a '99 GT Convertible that is not my daily driver and I avoid driving it in the rain. However, I have been out of town twice when a torrential rain hit. In both cases I ended up with significant water behind the back seat in the vinyl boot. One thing I have noticed is that the top around the exterior of the rear window is not sealed to the glass except along the bottom. In other words, the top and the sides are not sealed to the glass. Could that be where the water is getting in?

Camster

Welcome to the leak club.My 04 developed the same issue last summer.A search here will give some more info(and youtube as well,if memory serves).Mine is not leaking from around the window-it's lower,near the left corner,near the trim line.Supposedly,you should be able to find a 1/4"hole in the fabric(to which a patch can be applied) when the top is partially lowered,however mine looks fine,with no obvious wear,splits or holes.
I'd like to resolve my leak,so I'll keep an eye on this thread.I would prefer to keep the car in the garage because I want to,not because I need to.

Camster

delete

familyman333

Thanks for your reply. When it comes to the inner structure of convertible tops I am totally ignorant. I'll probably take it to a local upholstery shop to have them figure it out. But I am still curious about the rear window. On yours is the top sealed to the glass all the way around?

familyman333

Oh really? I did not know that. If a moderator sees this thread feel free to move it to the appropriate forum.

Camster

I think that I'm wrong about this.
There are threads here about the rear leak,as well as the mystery puddle behind the passenger seat.

Camster

Sidetrack from this thread to deal with "the puddle behind passenger seat leak."My issue was solved by removing the seat and adding sealant to all of the floor seams.Knowing that there had to be more to it,I've now researched it some more.
We tend to think of the drainage holes as holes,but they are actually slots,that aren't so reconizable as one might think..
Just ahead of the rear wheel is a structure,about where the wheel tub and rocker panel attach, that is 45 degrees to the car.At the bottom of it,is a horizontal slot which clogs.A coat hanger,etc will clear it.I found mine yesterday.Though the floor sealing solved my problem,when I poked the slot, a small amount of water did come out from rain the prior day.

millhouse961

If its a 99 its probably time to replace the top. Mine is a '00 and Ive got my new top here in a box waiting to be installed. Talked to a good friend that does custom car upholstery and he took one look and said it would be a waste of time to try to fix it. Robbins tops are the way to go, come with a lifetime guarantee. Got mine with the window for $330:
http://www.topsonline.com/model/Conv...And_Cobra.html

Granted you need to pay someone to install it, but a good interior guy can get it done in 8 hours. Or you can purchase the how to video and do it yourself if you are daring and have 3 days to burn

Camster

The top appears to be a two piece affair?-the top and the rear glass,which is bordered by some material?or a complete unit?.$330 sounds cheap for one with glass,defroster wires,etc.
My 04 leaks into that area behind the rear seat,but I can't find a break in any of the material.(The car is garaged,in nice shape.Not sun baked,or showing wear.)
I watched a youtube video where the fellow was replacing just the glass section,in a car that had recently had just the top material done..His was clearly very deteriorated.Just doing the glass portion appeared to be a job that would kill a day,dealing with staples,etc.
Nice car though it is,I'm tempted to turn the reins over to someone else.Even as a second car,I like something that can be used in any weather,without a second thought.

millhouse961

Window is a separate piece that is sewn into its own fabric. $330 that I paid was for the top AND the window with defroster; yes it was a deal, thats why I shared the link as it took me a while to find. And the guy that told me to go Robbins does all custom work for classic cars and he said he would ONLY use a robbins top, so I trust him.

As far as just replacing the back window, it will be a bitch. When you do the whole thing, the window gets hung first, then the top over that. to just do the window you will need to pull the top back and pull staples, which if you are going that far, just replace the whole thing.

Upholstery shop is gonna charge you 12-1500 and they wont let you buy the parts yourself. If you can find a guy, like maybe someone that works at the upholstery shop and wants side work, that will do it for $50-60/hr you will save a bunch of money