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YOUR RESEARCHHardtop paint protection
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Inspect 996 cabriolet
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Suggestion · Original poster
I've not had the pleasure of inspecting a 996 cabriolet with the hardtop affixed.
Leading evidence: 'Inspect 996 cabriolet' (no explicit attributable resolution; this is a reported action or suggestion). Across 1 matching discussions, The most frequently discussed action is 'Inspect 996 cabriolet' (1 discussions). For that action, 0 discussions report a resolution and 0 report an unsuccessful attempt. No action has an explicit, attributable resolution report under the current rules. These are forum reports and suggestions, not a confirmed diagnosis.
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6 eligible posts · 0 unverified posts · 1 discussions match the subject in their title or opening post.
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Should have a detachable hardtop coming in this weekend for my hardtop- delete '04. Question: what do you folks who have a detachable top do to protect the paint on the car's rear deck? Is protection necessary? I'm thinking about a strip of that 3M clear product normally put on front to guard against stone indignities. As an aside, there is available an aftermarket glue-on chrome strip for '02 to '05 T'birds, designed specifically for this purpose.
Not sure I understand the question. Mine came with the the top so I didn't do anything special. When the top is on the car there is rubber gasket which seals it. When the top is not it is covered sitting on the OEM stand in the garage. Maybe if you posted a picture it would help.
I'm concerned about the rear portion of the detachable hardtop; where that rubber gasket seals against the automobile's rear deck. I've had that '05 Thunderbird and a couple Corvettes with detachable hardtops. Each one suffered some paint damage from the top's gasket pressed to the paint and flexing some.
The gasket rides on the dark plastic lip on the rear cowl cover.
If you look at cabs with hard tops mounted the edge of the hardtop looks like it isn't all of the way down, it isn't. There is about a finger's width of clearance between the top and the paint on the cowl.
Some folks have adjusted the gap tight, over compressing the gasket, causing the metal of the top to hit and scrape the paint off the cowl. Don't make that mistake. The rear of the top looks a little like Darth Vader's helmet when it is on correctly.
Look closely you can see the gap in this pic.
