The shop was in St Petersburg, not Sarasota
I believe it was 'top of the Line Auto Interiors'
6767 Haines Rd N, St. Petersburg, FL 33702

Also , It didnt hold, if you see my last post or two, I am now looking at gluing it but I'm not sure I will be able to
As soon as I get time to attempt it

 

You CAN do it! It's really easy with the Suck 'N Clamps and Rhino Glue. Lots of posts here with tips and photos.

There's no harm in trying. You can't make it worse than it already is if you take your time, use masking tape, and do one small section at a time.

 

Stuart -

What are your thoughts on gluing the inside? is it necessary?

 

I am also curious about the inside. Does this area actually detach??

 

If your are thinking about the headliner, it is held in place by a variation of hook and loop.

 

So the window is only held in place by a bead of glue between the window and the canvas top?

 

I glued the outer edges of the outside glass to the underside edges of the top, just like it was originally made. I didn't see where anything came loose on the inside. But maybe I don't understand your question.

And yes, an adhesive between the glass and canvas top is what holds the glass in place. I suspect that the OEM process heat seals the glass and canvas top together with an adhesive under pressure. While we DIYers can't replicate that process, Rhino Glue and Suck N Clamps does a decent job.

 

110reef: I know what you're talking about with regards to the headliner - look at my post #186 https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0/#post1956882 especially pictures 1, 2, and 5. You can see it in those pictures. The inside headliner attaches to the top all around the window with a funky kind of nubby plastic velcro-like stuff. (That's the official technical term) Mine was pretty much all separated, but that's ok, that's what you want to get it out of your way while you do the repair. Then when it's all done and the glue is fully set, you just snap the headliner back in place and it's all good.

 

Any idea if this rhino glue stuff works on the peeling dash issue as well?

 

Thanks for the replies. I glued mine yesterday. It was only a little separated along the right side. We'll see how well it holds up!

 

You should expect the rest of the glass to eventually separate from the top, so check it every day. When mine did, I just reglued that newly separated section. Third time's a charm, as I have now completely reglued the entire glass. It's not perfect, but it's not bad and beats buying a new top.

 

Agreed on all counts.

 

How does it work as far as water penetration? Does the glue seal sufficiently?

 

Yes, it's waterproof if you apply a sufficient bead of Rhino Glue with no gaps, particularly along the bottom edge. Try and lift the edge and you'll see how tight it is. But just to be sure, give it the garden hose test. Wad up some paper towels against the inside of the top along the bottom edge under the glass and then spray the back window with a hose. If the paper gets wet, there's a gap in your repair.

 

Maybe I missed this, but how long can the top be left partially open before it needs to be manually closed and reset?

 

I'm working on this now. Seems to be going pretty smooth. I'm just letting each section cure for about 20 minutes before moving on. Once the last section is done I'll let it rest 1 hour without clamps before trying putting the top up.

​​​I also am repairing my rear defroster tab while I'm in there.

 

Also, maybe this is obvious, but when leaving the top in a partially open position, do NOT leave the car in ACC mode. Turn it off. Otherwise, the car will eventually think there is a top malfunction and you'll have to go through the manual reset procedure. If you turn it off, the top seemingly can stay that way indefinitely

 

I did my repair with the top closed. I thought about leaving the bottom open a bit to relieve any tension on the fabric, and decided that when closed the top the tension might pull the top away from the glass again.

I realize that others have been successful doing the repairs with the top partially open.

 

I think the main advantage of having the top partially open is being able to position the window from behind with one hand, but I agree. Once I closed the top some of what I had glued pulled away just slightly.

 

Today it is raining and I have concerns about whether the window is watertight since the glue is the only thing sealing it from the elements.