T-Top Shattered

[Tom87IROC]

Got to work today and went to the trunk to pull out the T-Tops and I discovered the top one was shattered in the pouch. I do not have a clue how this happened. The car is almost 25 years old and I have owned it for 21 of those. What is the best thing to do to get this fixed? Junk Yard, eBay? Can the glass from a replacement roof be transferred over to the hardware of the original roof? I want to keep the keys the same if possible and keep things as original as I can. What have other people done when this happened?

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[km9v]

Try your local junk yard first. It's not difficult to swap the lock.

[aggieguy13]

where do you live? cuz i just recently totaled my 01 w/ t-tops. and its at a junkyard around here somwhere.

[aggieguy13]

retract that statement, just saw your year. sorry mem

[ws6transam]

1987 through 1992 should be the same T-top. The hardware does change a bit in the early third-gens(at least 1982-1984 anyway), specifically the latch pin diameter.

[aggieguy13]

i know, but wasnt paying attention to forum header. my wrecked one is 01

[ws6transam]

Originally Posted by aggieguy13

i know, but wasnt paying attention to forum header. my wrecked one is 01

Heh, Neither was I!

[Tom87IROC]

Thanks for the input. Found out my neighbor 2 doors away works for a local auto salvage. He is running one down for me. I was expecting to get it over the past weekend, but so far I have not received it yet.

WS6, good to know about the diameter of the latch pin and what years had them. I showed my neighbor the pin size for reference, I called it pencil size as opposed to a thicker diameter. I believe the thicker one is on those 82 to 84 cars. From what I have been reading, there may be a difference with the 91-92 year roofs as well. I am hoping to find one from 85 to 89.

[LilRedRagtop]

Originally Posted by Tom87IROC

Found out my neighbor 2 doors away works for a local auto salvage. He is running one down for me. I was expecting to get it over the past weekend, but so far I have not received it yet.

you might also try tgo.org in the classifieds section. I lost a ttop once on my 97 Camaro and went to a 4th gen forum, where I immediately found a set for sale. All i did when I received them was take the old locking hardware out of the old ttops and reinstall them in to the new ttops. Goodluck!

[Tom87IROC]

Update and question. My neighbor came through today with not one but both t-tops from his auto salvage place. They are a little rough but the glass is good. Anyone transfer all the hardware from one T-Top to another? Is the glass all the same and the hardware is what makes it specific to either side? I'll check the forum to see if anyone has transferred hardware before. I'm sure this has happened to someone else.

[Stevolwevol]

I had one fly off when I was going down the highway. I saw what was left of it tumbling in my mirror. I was very glad nobody was behind me when it cut loose. One of my relatives was messing around with the inside latch, and didn't bother to latch it back down. I keep them locked now!! I rounded one up from a local junk yard, and just started taking the mechanism apart, and I reassembled it. I can't explain how I did it, but you can figure it out as you go. It's not too difficult. All the glass t tops are interchangable by the way.

[quickchicken]

i have an extra set on hand for that "just in case" moment.

stevo, not all are interchangeable. the early 3g's use a hook style and then they changed to a small pin dia somewhere around 85 and i think they stepped up the pin in 87 or 88. in 90 or 91 they had the lexan version that GM ended up putting under warranty due to spiderwebbing and warpage and those that got replaces were swapped out for glass versions.

[Stevolwevol]

OK, I thought the glass part was interchangeable.

[quickchicken]

its been a while but the clip that holds the lock can be pulled and swapped to another top.