Topic: 66 Convertible Top Zipper and Curtain Details

[bryancobb]

The photographs are from an unrestored 1969 Shelby.
The drawings are from my 1966 Osborne Assembly Manuals.

Is there any evidence that on my 66, the original zipper should look like this?

Does someone have a better picture of first hand knowledge of just what those 2 vertical strips (highlighted yellow) looked like, at the left and right of the rear curtain.  They were a water dam that was sandwiched betewwn the top itself and the quarter pads.

[specialed]

Car photos look like my scj shelby black jade 13000 mi convertible!!!!!!

[bryancobb]

You are correct.  I grabbed the details from "Dead Nuts On" website.

[bryancobb]

Bump-Up for any other comments?

[CharlesTurner]

Here's a pic of an NOS rear window, dated 1/65, it is the Boltoflex (or something like that) version.

http://www.early-mustang.com/charles/NOS_window/4_10_09%20003.jpg

The rear quarter pads usually have a binding on the edge by the window.  Believe I have seen the reinforced plastic area that you're asking about though.

Here's some miscellaneous original convertible top pics for reference:
http://www.early-mustang.com/charles/Original_Convertible_Tops/

[msmith]

My 66 has the original Vinylite rear window. Here are some pics. Hope they help.

[bryancobb]

My 66 has the original Vinylite rear window. Here are some pics. Hope they help.

Thanks.  Could you please post a picture of ANYTHING BETWEEN the plastic curtain and the top itself?
I remember my 65 from 30 years ago having a STRIP of some kind that ran vertically near the opening
in the top for the rear clear plastic.

[msmith]

I don't see any strip between the rear window and the top in my car. The top is not original, even though the rear window is, so it's possible that something was deleted when the top was replaced by a previous owner. In any event, I took some pics for you. Hope they help in some way.

[bryancobb]

Thank you very much!

It's hard to tell because the parts are black, but does it resemble this?  I Think this strip was made onto the curtain.
It looks like the top-pads scoot right up against them.

[msmith]

Nothing on my curtain looks like that part highlighted in yellow. It is just a flat black rubber seal around the vinyl window material. I will try to get a better pic of mine for you to show the detail better.

[bryancobb]

Nothing on my curtain looks like that part highlighted in yellow. It is just a flat black rubber seal around the vinyl window material. I will try to get a better pic of mine for you to show the detail better.

The Ford Cartoons sometimes exaggerate the proportions.  On your pictures, there seems to be a black plastic or rubber "water dam" that keeps rain from blowing in between the top and the curtain.  Yours appears to have a flap that sticks toward the quarter panels. 

I would be real interested in a sketch of the "cross-section" of that extruded plastic or rubber strip.  I remember seeing and touching the strip on my 65 convertible back in the 1980's but I didn't pay a lot of attention to it.