27 replies to this topic

[Boss VX]

Thought I would be clever when the motor went in for the new screen and genuine VXR surround by leaving the soft top on to avoid any damage to the hard top. The cable was tight between the new surround and roof seal on the soft top, but the hardtop is a nightmare.

There is simply no way it will fit with the OEM seal on the front of the hardtop. I have removed it and it fits but from the photo you can see it sits proud of the surround. With my old screen/srnd it fitted snugly and in line. The roof is in the correct place as you can see where the window meets its seal.



They have clearly bonded the screen lower down and at a more shallow angle.

What to do?

Leave as is - lets be honest it doesnt look too bad. But the hard top is perfectly resprayed and may rub on the surround/get shot blasted from on coming dirt. Also it may leak. I have only had light rain on it so far. I dont honestly think it will though.

Get some black vinyl fitted in the prod face? Sent off for some quotes/ides tonight from various vinyl companies. Would suit surround and protect. Cheap too.

Ring the company and demand they pay for the vinyl job?

Ring the company and demand they redo the whole lot?

F***king nightmare. Every time I get something done on this car its like I take 2 steps back

[mandarinvx]

Looks like you'll have to get them to redo it Tho to be honest it almost looks as though the actuallt screen frame had dropped

[Crazyfrog (Fab)]

F***king nightmare. Every time I get something done on this car its like I take 2 steps back

and this is when you learn the best jobs are done by yourself or with some good friends


ps doesn't look good unless you are prepared to live with it....i wouldn't but i am a pain

[Boss VX]

Anyone prepared to post a pic of a good fitting roof from a similar angle to use as ammo/comparison? How can the frame move? I guess someone hanging on it when getting in the car. Cant imagine this happening. Sounds v serious if this is the case and probably not fixable. Has anyone seen the screen and surround removed? Is it easy to get this wrong? I must say the front drainage channel has significantly reduced (where the roof slots in) compared to before it went in for the screen. This was noticable immediately when removing the soft top. hopefully this leans away from the frame having moved/been bent over the summer.

[mandarinvx]

I've watched a screen being replaced, and yes it is possible to position too far down Trouble is if yours were poitioned any further up it would be an even closer fit to the hard top, and much less likely to fit with the seal in place (could just be an optical illusion tho )

[vocky]

the gap between the top of the side window and windscreen surround is far too narrow, the screen has been fitted incorrectly, you need to have that corrected - which means the screen needs to be removed.

[Boss VX]

Absolute muppets - I'm just waiting for the " well if you had brought the hard top". I am not going to mention the well known company yet, not until they have a chance to react. Its a bloody 5hr round trip with 2 days off work required not to mention what could go wrong the next time.

[vocky]

it has nothing to do with not having the hard top on, the side window gap is wrong

[Ren]

I'm a windscreen fitter and from that photo I would say the screen is too low and also too far over to the passenger side slightly. Can't tell fully from that photo though. Can you take a better side on photo and one of the other side? preferably showing where the side window meets. I'll pm you my mob number if you want to call me.

[Boss VX]

Cheers Ren - heading out now armed with camera. Would still appreciate it if someone could take some pics of a perfect fitting OEM hardtop. So not looking fwd to the 5hr round trip, £30 fuel, 100s of boring motorway miles on car, £40 return train ticket and days off work! But needs sorting.

[JG]

hang on... /Runs downstairs

[VIX]

£40 return train ticket and days off work!

Why do you need to take days off work? I thought it was a 3-4 hour job to fit a new windscreen from scratch. Yours is fitted and presumably just needs adjustment?

[JG]

got some! erm now have to upload them

[Boss VX]

£40 return train ticket and days off work!

Why do you need to take days off work? I thought it was a 3-4 hour job to fit a new windscreen from scratch. Yours is fitted and presumably just needs adjustment?

They wanted it for a while as its a heated screen and needed wiring in but they also wanted the bonded seal to go off over night. Hopefully they can fix while I wait - good point. Dont think it can be adjusted however - its simply stuck in position.

Some photos for Ren:

[Boss VX]

And more

[Boss VX]

Last few

[noplex]

I am a car designer - The angle is wrong, If it was tilted forward it would raise the hieght and increase the gap (in side view) simultaneously. It only takes a small amount (few mm) to be out at the bottom and it will be compounded elsewhere. Also the part has a tolerence so each one will be different to each other in size. Suggest they redo it and take the hard top with you and fit to that (the soft top is flexible and can be stretched to fit.). They may well complain but its not right so stick to your guns when they try to get out of it (if they do).

[Ren]

Right, from looking at the pics I would suggest that the screen has slipped down and more so on the passenger side. It may also be slightly too far over on the passenger side but this could just be because that side has dropped more. I don't think the angle is wrong as it is bonded on to the metal frame built in to the chassis so this should be straight. The only way to get the angle wrong would be to put a thicker bond line along the top than the bottom of the screen and this shouldn't usually happen as the guns are normally electric and dispense an even amount.

Take a look at these pics from your post and look at the bottom of the trim where it goes under the body work, the drivers side is a lot higher.







When a screen is fitted it is normally taped in place while the bond dries. This is done by taping up the screen and on to the roof to stop it slipping down. If you had the soft top fitted I guess the tape let go and allowed the screen to slide down.

Which company was it? Pm if you don't want to post on here.

The glue we use cures from the outside in so has a grip on the glass within 6 minutes. You cannot drive the vehicle for an hour though as it won't be strong enough to stop the screen moving over bumps etc. They shouldn't have wanted the car in overnight unless they didn't know what they were doing and so wanted plenty of time to work on it. (This makes the fact that's it wrong even worse though as they haven't even rushed it)

My advice would be to let them know it is wrong and you will be bringing it back to them for removal and refitting. BUT ifpossible do not take it for at least a week as the bond will still be wet in the middle and will make a right mess when they are trying to remove it. Now this should clean up ok off most surfaces but sods law says it will drop on to carpet or suede etc and leave a horrible black mark.

The only problem with this is if your car lives outside as there is a 50/50 chance that there is now gaps in the bond which will let water in when it rains. If it does live outside take it as soon as possible.

Do you know if they removed the front clam? If not I would say it should take no longer than 2 hours to fit the screen the first time (and about the same again to remove and refit) and then an hour for the glue to cure before drying.

[182ian]

When a screen is fitted it is normally taped in place while the bond dries. This is done by taping up the screen and on to the roof to stop it slipping down. If you had the soft top fitted I guess the tape let go and allowed the screen to slide down.

Which company was it? Pm if you don't want to post on here.

The glue we use cures from the outside in so has a grip on the glass within 6 minutes. You cannot drive the vehicle for an hour though as it won't be strong enough to stop the screen moving over bumps etc. They shouldn't have wanted the car in overnight unless they didn't know what they were doing and so wanted plenty of time to work on it. (This makes the fact that's it wrong even worse though as they haven't even rushed it)

My advice would be to let them know it is wrong and you will be bringing it back to them for removal and refitting. BUT ifpossible do not take it for at least a week as the bond will still be wet in the middle and will make a right mess when they are trying to remove it. Now this should clean up ok off most surfaces but sods law says it will drop on to carpet or suede etc and leave a horrible black mark.

The only problem with this is if your car lives outside as there is a 50/50 chance that there is now gaps in the bond which will let water in when it rains. If it does live outside take it as soon as possible.

Do you know if they removed the front clam? If not I would say it should take no longer than 2 hours to fit the screen the first time (and about the same again to remove and refit) and then an hour for the glue to cure before drying.

I reckon most us probably know which company was used anyway, you must not forget that they do tend to remove the front clam to change the screen, also as it was a a heated screen it needs to be wired in. I would have thought that now the wiring is in place it should not take too long to change again.

I also have this screen and i guess fitted by the same company and have had no issues but i do not have a hardtop, i will say the soft top is a fraction tighter at the front than it was before though. I wonder if some of the issues could be in the black surround which they bond on afterwards?

[slindborg]

hmmmmm I can guess who it is, bit of a surprise they knobbed it up to be honest.... Not at all like the Spectrum inventor to do that