Carl,
That's certainly a possibility. Never having worked on one of these, I'm guessing at whether the seals are the right ones. I had to cut out the side/front seal and what was in there didn't seem like it was a factory type seal. It was a very dense, thick rubber that seemed to me as though it would generate an excessive amount of friction on the sides when trying to slide the panel? The rear seal appears to be a manufactured unit but may not be original to the car? If I read the information correctly the car would have come with pot metal lift levers but this one has the brass levers. The information I found was a little vague as to whether the brass arms were a retrofit by an aftermarket vendor or a manufacturer modification midstream during production. So, I don't know how much is factory original and how much is repair work. It is obvious that it has been apart though because the corner pieces of the track are missing and one of the glides was missing as well. The sliding panel has slightly more curvature than the roof itself. I assume that is by design to assure a good seal in the center when closed. Nothing appears to be bent. But, as you say, the seal may not be correct for the application. I see that a seal kit is available from the Bird's Nest. I'll be ordering that and new headliners. Would like to find as many replacement parts as possible before tackling the full restoration. I need at least one of the adjustable track sliders, which was improperly installed and is now deformed slightly. It would probably be serviceable but should be replaced. Any ideas on where to locate those bit & pieces would be greatly appreciated.
John
That's certainly a possibility. Never having worked on one of these, I'm guessing at whether the seals are the right ones. I had to cut out the side/front seal and what was in there didn't seem like it was a factory type seal. It was a very dense, thick rubber that seemed to me as though it would generate an excessive amount of friction on the sides when trying to slide the panel? The rear seal appears to be a manufactured unit but may not be original to the car? If I read the information correctly the car would have come with pot metal lift levers but this one has the brass levers. The information I found was a little vague as to whether the brass arms were a retrofit by an aftermarket vendor or a manufacturer modification midstream during production. So, I don't know how much is factory original and how much is repair work. It is obvious that it has been apart though because the corner pieces of the track are missing and one of the glides was missing as well. The sliding panel has slightly more curvature than the roof itself. I assume that is by design to assure a good seal in the center when closed. Nothing appears to be bent. But, as you say, the seal may not be correct for the application. I see that a seal kit is available from the Bird's Nest. I'll be ordering that and new headliners. Would like to find as many replacement parts as possible before tackling the full restoration. I need at least one of the adjustable track sliders, which was improperly installed and is now deformed slightly. It would probably be serviceable but should be replaced. Any ideas on where to locate those bit & pieces would be greatly appreciated.
John
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