Has anyone tried using E6000 to seal the inside of the rear window to the top. The outside of mine seems just fine..but the inside is starting to become unattached along the bottom.

 

Did you try this glue and did it work? My rear window is starting to come loose and my top is still in great condition.

 

Yes I used the E6001 (it is E6001 not E6000 as I originally thought.) I had the top open partially to get easy access to the inside of the window. My '02 has a velcro strip to attach the top and bottom sides of the window to the glass. I was gluing the velcro stip to the glass window. I used wide tape to mask off the glass along the velcro strip line. The E6001 is not very runny but the mask did help. After the glue dried for a couple of hours, I took a knife to trip it along the tape line. I should have waited more than a couple of hours for the glue to dry. I attached the velcro together and closed the top after only a couple of hours. The stress of the fabric did cause the glue to come undone in a few spots. I need to go back and see if I can finish the job. So yes I would say try it, perhaps in one section to get a feel for how it works, then do the rest. Also let it dry as long as possible before you close the top. Let me know how you make out.

 

Same problem here. I'm considering removing the back glass, and having an upholstery shop sew in a vinyl back glass like the bmw z3. Beats paying for a new top, and should not put the stress on the seams that the glass does. Not sure yet, just a thought.

 

I contacted 2 shops here in Charleston SC that do interiors and convertible tops. They both said 'Replace the top". I told them that they can charge me to glue the window, but I absolutely wasn't going to replace the top. I have an appointment next week and will post results. They have super strength glue specifically designed for this issue, so i'm confident they can fix it.

 

We have the same problem, I'm not far from Charleston (about 2 hours) and was curious how this worked out for you ... the top is in great condition, and the window is quickly coming unglued likely from the southern SUN!

 

My wife's 2001 C70 has the same problem and I just read a post on www.volvo-forums.com about using two different adhesives to glue canvas to canvas and another to glue the canvas to the rear glass using Gorilla Glue and 3M Super Weatherstrip (Part #051135-08001 in yellow or black), respectively. Another post there mentioned using PlioBond from the local ACE hardware store on both glass-to-canvas and canvas-to-canvas bonds. I would be interested to hear and see how your repair turned out.

 

I also read the post on alternating adhesives and posted the following on Volvo-forums:

My car also has this issue....the top is in great condition but the the rear window is falling out. It is literally only attached @ the bottom. Every convertible top business wants to replace the top with prices ranging from $800-$1400, ALL say it can't be repaired. There is a 2" strip of material attached to the window, so i'm going to partly sew it to stabilize it, then glue the rest to seal it. I would appreciate any advice on the glue and/or adhesive. I've seen the previous posts and will do a couple of test "sticks" with those products. Pics to follow and projected cost is approx. $100.00.

The reason for stitching the top is due to follow up posts on various sites citing that the glue eventually fails after some time.

 

This picture kinda makes me ill. Only 6" of conv top is attached @ the bottom. I have a can of "OFF" insect repellent can propping the windon up...it is positioned on the rear headrest.




This flap runs completely around the window and instead of sewing a zipper onto it, Volvo decided to glue it to the canvas top. Stupid, stupid, stupid. They did decide to sew a zipper to the headliner, though it doesn't support the window.



I'm undecided: sew a zipper into the top/window flap or sew the flap directly to the top? Both would require gluing the top overhang to the window to prevent leaking. WTF Volvo engineers? Quit sniffing and utlizing glue to hold components together!! Both of my volvo's also have flapping door panels due to adhesion failure.

 

Well, so much for sewing in the zipper idea.

The window has a canvas tab running completely around and I was able to sew half a zipper on the top window tab, BUT the existing zipper (holding the liner in place) does not unzip. It is completely sewn in, which is useless, and makes it impossible to sew the 2nd part of the zipper to the top.

Since 3/4 of the window is unglued, and I don't wish to dremel off the existing glue to get the proper surface to re-glue, and just glueing it to the canvas top means it will probably come apart due to the incredible heat/humidity found in abundance in the south, I find it necessary to secure the glass to the top by mechanical means.

I am researching canvas snaps to attach to the convertible top and the flap attached to the window, doubled with glue. They make snaps/buttons all different sizes, colors and strengths. The cchoices are replacing a top for $1600 or spending a few $100.00 for supllies and effort....and I don't have the $$$ to blow.

Hopefully it will be done by the weekend and pics will be posted.

 

MoneypitC70, How did you make out.I was thinking about drilling some holes and using small stainless steel bolts evenly spaced to make it look ok.I don't know about drilling through the glass .What do you think?

 

Hey Joe, I absolutely would not suggest drilling through the glass. Either the glass will shatter from the drill or from the fuction of the top cycling up/down. If you want to attach the bolts through the top and the 1" flap attached to the window, go for it. The mechanical fasteners and some Gorilla glue (as mentioned before) should secure the canvas to canvas. Someone mentioned 3M Super Weatherstrip Adhesive for the canvas to glass.

I just completed the installation of Heavy duty snaps to the flap and some of the buttons (color black) to the top. I didn't finish so i'm not going to suggest this method yet until it proves effective. It should be completed this week and i'll post pics.

 

I was able to attempt the adhesive route this weekend and it worked EXTREMELY well for $60 and my time - 8 hours totaly probably.

I believe the key here is patience to:

Open the top to relieve some of the pressure from the top
Scrape all the glue off with a razor blade
MASK OFF THE TOP / WINDOW where you do not want glue!
Prop the glass in place, I used 2x4s stacked up since the top was still holding
Apply the 3M Primer to the Edge of the glass you want to glue
Apply and spread a small amount of 3M adhesive and spread evenly (I used a small popsicle stick)
Wait for the glue to setup and press the canvas into the glue
In areas where I had too much I spread it thinly away from the canvas to make scraping excess off easier
Let dry 2-4 hours / overnight and complete the inside
Remove the tape and cleanup excess.

I have pictures to post later.

 

Just fixed mine. It wasn't completely separated but was on its way. I sewed it with a sewing awl. Two person job,one outside the car and one inside.Took about a hour and a half.I'll have to see how it holds up.

 

What type of 3M adhesive did you use jroeiii?

 

jroeiii,

Has the repair held up? Where did you get the glue?

Thanks

 

Well, the gorilla glue held perfectly canvas to canvas so I'm not sure if my snaps made a difference. Unfortunately when I closed the convertible top the bottom of the window pulled away from the top!! Now I need to scrape the bottom and gorilla glue the entire bottom and sides. I'm not using the snaps here so I'll post the results. Frustrating as hell....

 

I do not want to dremel off the adhesive force to get the surface right to pick and stick to the top of the canvas, they are likely to evacuate because of the incredible heat and humidity found in abundance in the south I think it is necessary to ensure the glass up mechanically.

 

I've done this twice now, once with 3M adhesive and worked fine until it sat outside for 3 days in the blistering heat, glue let go on the outside bottom of the window.

So I cleaned / scraped and tried Gorilla Glue Epoxy. It sets up FAST so I was only able to do a small section at a time. This time it held until I washed the car and the bottom is already starting to let go.

The only thing I can think of it that I should have used large C clamps with shims to really hold the canvas to the window as it cured, in places it's solid as a rock and in others it let go pretty quickly.

Well said my friend ... Did you have any luck at the upholstery shop?

 

just bot my 2004 C70, 3 weeks in, Texas heat dropped the rear window loose...hows the Gorillla Glue Expoxy holding up?