Follow-up Convertible rear window: Was: How to glue smooth vinyl to lexan, or to small steel washers, for a short time.
A follow-up.
1) First about the gluing to the vinyl. I finally noticed that behind the 7/8" vinyl border that ran around the glass rear convertible window was black cloth. Vinyl on one side, cloth on the other. And I finally realized that the vinyl was not the cloth's border, but was the adhesive used to hold the glass window to the cloth. -- It's applied hot. That's why everyone say you can't repair it when the glass separates from the cloth, (Although maybe you can with VHB tape by 3M. Very High Bond. Worked for me for two years, with some extra fabric taped in. In fact the fabric to fabric bond is still good and the fabric to glass bond was still good in most of the 24 inches until the glass broke.Anyhow, Nestork and others gave great suggestions but none would work with cloth. The linoleum tape, for holding down vinyl linoleum, I had was 10 years old, but still pretty sticky. Very thin, stuck to the polycarbonate's film but not the cloth.
1') Went back to the store and bought 1/8" instead of the 3/16" I had. Trimmed it to size in little time. Still beautiful weather.2) I thought I could work my way around more than 3/4's of the circumference with one hand under the glass and vinyl to help the awl poke through the vinyl and then hold the washer on when I crimped the pop rivet. Couldn't do that beyond the first rivet, which I put in almost guessing where it should go. Bottom right corner.
3) Went to do bottom left corner. Decided I had to have a helper. Ex-girlfriend, now friend, wouldnt' do it because all of a sudden a year ago she's not thrifty anymore and expect me not to be either. Thinks I should buy a NEW car that will last me till I die. I tell her I don't plan to die for 25 more years. What car can be counted on to last that long? Plus as Click or Clack said, "I don't know if the earth revolves around the sun or the other way around, but I know that no one does well by buying a new car."4) Recruited a 26-year old friend who only had two hours that day. We put i the bottom left rivet. I didnt' pay enough attention to the horizontal lines on the film and the "glass" wasn't horizontal, but when I tried lowering the top, the lower end of the glass was the part that got caught on the front of the well. I knew it would be very hard to fit.
5) Trimmed off another 1/4 inch. Didn't help much. He can stay another half hour.6) Change to back-up plan. He goes home. I look on the phone for clear plastic vinyl (PVC) Find 12 gauge at a friend's who is an uphosterer, and 20 gauge at Jo-Ann Fabrics. Top shop might have 40 or 60, but not the ones close by.
7) Only need a yard, buy two so I'll be ready next time. $9 a yard, marked down to 5 for Veteran's Day.8) Upholstery friend gives me very thick white thread less likey to rip through vinyl, and lends me big curved needle, 2 or 3" diameter, bigger than anything for sale in fabric store. (tells me I'm going to have a hard time. Same thing he said 2 years ago when the window was separating only at the top) Hard to use in place. End up using my straight needle most of the time and going inside the car for every stitch out, back outside to push it in.
9 Sew 3 1/2 sides. Stiches show where I started, despite my thinking I had them out of sight.10) Out of 10, I rate the job a 2 or 3. Can't get higher than 4 or 5 since I didn't use the lexan. And even this job not so good.
To avoid tension on the vinyl, didn't pull tight. Now there's a valley at the bottom of the window, and the water might flow under the vinyl into the lower boot. Couldn't figure out what caulk to use, didn't remember where the caulking gun was, and couldn't really caulk because there are waves in the viny where the distance between stitcihes in t he vinyl window is more than in the cloth. So the window might leak**.
I know the window is strong enough to support the rain, but maybe not the snow. If there's a foot over night window will rip out.
**Next day, yesterday, decided to water-sort-of-proof the trunk. Pul down coroplast sheets so wet carpet doesn't make other things wet. Bought waterproof box by Rubbermaid. Same size and shape that I bought 25 years ago and is still in great condition. 10 gallon size. 7 dollars . There's more than enough room, I may be a second one. I still have the original, but it's full of car things I don't really need. Spare sneakers, reflective triangles.....Still, I tried and I'm happy.