I just had my rear window re-glued by a local top shop. He used a window glazing adhesive, and added a little bead that is outwardly visible but he says will improve the adhesion. You have to look for it to see it. We'll see how it holds up. BTW, he quoted $2200 for a new top excluding a new headliner. The top is 11 years old and showing wear so I'll probably replace in a couple of years.

 

Had my top replaced last spring for $1,800 with a lifetime warranty by a local shop.

 

Pictures, please. And the name and location of the shop. Thanks.

 

Stuart, I miss quoted the price and I apologize. The total came to just $2,000 not $1,800 I had remembered. Still they did a great job and turned it around in just a couple of days. I did a lot of research trying to find someone reputable in my area (extreme NE GA) and settled on Tim's Auto Upholstery in Gainesville. I also had them do the interior matching leather cover for my rear seat tonneau too. That is the satellite shop where the home shop is in Duluth.

They advised me to let the top sit in the sun for a day or so, to allow the fabric relax in to place, but this photo was taken before that so it looks much better now.

 

Looks great!

 

Finally getting around to posting pictures of my recent convertible top rear window fix. Got the Rhino glue - pretty good stuff, there. Got the Suck-N-Clamps. Reminds me of a line from the Wayne's World movie, "It sucks as it clamps" Good advice from both Stewart and kj07xk to leave the part of the glass that's still attached attached. I did, and it turned out to be the way to go. As you can see 3/4 of the window was pulled away, everything except for most of the top edge and a very small bit of a thread in the middle of the bottom.




So, I started from that thread in the middle of the bottom. Tape certainly helps you to not make a mess. I left the old glue on the window and used it as a guide to put the blue masking tape on. Just put the edge of the masking tape right up against the edge of the old glue. Perfect guide. Then with a razor scraper you can carefully scrape off the old glue, taking care not to cut the tape, leaving you a nice edge to glue up to. Everything about this job comes down to patience. Don't try to rush anything. Take your time. Be patient. Measure twice, glue once.
Here's a shot of the blue tape up against the old glue:



I opened the top partially, until the rear part came up about 6 inches or so, so I could get my hand under there and push up on the window glass. You'll need to support it with something or it will drop back down after a few minutes. I just used a wood block.



Also, there's an inside headliner that attaches to the top with that plastic, nubby kind of velcro stuff. You can see it in this picture. That was all pulled away from the top, and that's good. Leave it unattached and out of your way. Last thing you'll do is snap that back in place.



Here we go! First clamp in place. Like I said, there was a tiny bit in the center of the bottom still attached, and that seemed like the best place to start. I used the white masking tape on the fabric to keep from slopping glue on it. Also, a little piece of double-stick tape on the bottom of the Rhino glue stuck it to the window and make it a lot easier to handle, especially when you're trying to juggle the clamp, the window, the top, a beer...



Then, it's just a matter of working outward from there. I put a cardboard box in the car to hold up the glass. That worked pretty well to take the stress off the area where I was trying to get it to line up properly. Here's with 2 clamps -



And here's with 4 of the clamps in position.



I used popsicle sticks to spread out the clamping instead of the paint stirrer. I guess either one will work well. The shorter sticks let me work on a smaller area at a time. The big "C" clamp worked well, too, but you can only use it on the bottom edge where it's close enough for the clamp to reach. When you get to the outside edges of the window, space gets tight and you just have to do what you can, wait for the glue to set, then move on. While waiting, I started heading in the other direction...



With the middle pretty well set, I could re-position some clamps to the ends.




You can use the clamps either way, and sometimes using the butt end to hold the glued area works better, spreads out the clamping, and allows the other end to fit in the crowded space. Finishing up:



All in all, I'm like 95% happy with the job. I think I could have pulled the sides in a little tighter, because there's a bit of a loose area on each side. Trouble is, it was hard to do that without bunching up the edge somewhat, so I had to make sure that would lay down flat. If I had to do it again, I'd probably stop about half way through, let the glue set well, then close the top to see how it looked fully closed. That may avoid the problem. You can see it better on the second picture, it shows the red edge which I think is part of the rear window defogger.




All in all though, I'm happy with the job. Sure beats laying out 2 grand for a top. The upper right section wasn't done, and from all accounts it's just a matter of time before it lets go, so maybe when that happens I'll see what I can do to adjust the sides a little tighter. Thanks to everyone who provided insight and advice!

 

Well done, and thanks for all the pics and tips. Inspect the bottom edges frequently to make sure the bond is still good, because that's where water can infiltrate and cause damage to the rear fuse box.

 

Thanks for the info. My 2007 XK top came loose and after gluing the top all appeared to be okay. Drove it a couple of times and top held in place. A couple of weeks later I moved the car out of the garage and the car set in the driveway for several hours. When I got ready to move the car back into the garage, the glue had failed and the window was again sagging down. Obviously, the hot Texas sun is too much for the glue to hold. Think I'm giving up the glue bit and buying a new GAHH top. Spoke to a recommended custom detail shop and they will install for $550. My total price is to be $2400. ($1850 - top; $550 - labor)
Regards,

 

Sorry that the Rhino Glue repair didn't work for you. It's just a temporary fix because eventually every soft top gets replaced. You just weren't able to postpone the inevitable. You'll love your new top!

 

So it looks like my window is separating slightly on the right-hand side. I have ordered suck-n-clamps and rhino glue to get on it before it gets worse. Thanks in advance for the advice on this thread, especially Stuart!

 

Good luck with your repair. I suggest repairing only the small section that separated, and inspect the top daily for more separations. It will separate more; it's only a matter of time. It's easier to repair a small section at a time and you'll get a better, more uniform bond. Use a small knife to scrape the old, dry glue - you don't have to remove it, but roughening it up provides more surface area for better adhesion. Make sure you apply even pressure with the Suck-N-Clamps; otherwise the repair will have ripples. If you use too much glue, it dries clear and the excess can be removed with a razor blade scraper and some Windex or other glass cleaner. Just take your time. You won't have a concourse top, but its life should be extended for several years.

 

My window has now fully detached in some spots and you can stick your hand through the gap to the inside. I have ordered the Rhino Glue and the Suck n' Clamps, and anticipate doing this job in many smaller (4"?) sections. As I do not have a garage, I may need to do this in my office garage over the course of several days. My question is, how long does it take for the Rhino glue to dry/set up before I can drive the car again? It appears I can do the entire repair from outside the car with the top completely closed, which is a plus.

 

Thanks to all of the guys who have posted their CVT separation issues and to a pioneer in this effort "Stuart S." My time "In the barrel" will come too, I suppose.
Can we assume much of this separation of the window be attributed to sun and heat? Or, simply an aging process together with poor design?

 

So I am curious now. Mine has separated on the outside, and I plan on gluing that back down. But what about the inside, does that need gluing too?

 

Ya know, I've used Rhino Glue before for a bunch of 'stuff', but I've never in my entire life been more impressed with the absolute holding power of ANYTHING than I was with Loctite Landscape Adhesive. It remains 'semi' flexible, and will NOT come off ANYTHING.
If it comes to a point where I need to glue my window back in, I will most probably use it then.

 

Thanks Jimi727 - what was the name of the Sarasota Repair shop? I just had the same thing happen to me and I am in Sarasota frequently. I think I would prefer the less expensive fix - stitch and reglue option - rather than expensive aftermarket top or even more expensive replacement jaguar OEM top.
RalfBrookes@gmail.com
(239) 910-5464 (cell/text message)

 

I would like to pursue this option - what was name of the repair shop in Sarasota that did the stitch and reglue and did it work well and hold up over time?
RalfBrookes@gmail.com
text (239)910-5464

 

Trying a 'bump' on this thread (seems wonky since the last poster 'ralfbrookes' posted in it).

 

I know, right? I kept trying to reload it.