Discussion
Whilst on my way home to Plymouth today I was zooming along at about 100+ on the M4 when the top of the windscreen on my 3000 M started to part from the rubber seal. A gap of about 5-8mm opened up at the top before I slowed down. Pulled into the services at Bristol and popped the screen back in.
I had the windows wound up, and reading earlier threads, it sounds like this can occur due to the pressure differential.
What is a good way to prevent this from happening (apart from the obvious one of slowing down.....)?
As an aside my 3000M seems to return about 27MPG when driven between 70-90 on the motorway - better than I'd expected!
I had the windows wound up, and reading earlier threads, it sounds like this can occur due to the pressure differential.
What is a good way to prevent this from happening (apart from the obvious one of slowing down.....)?
As an aside my 3000M seems to return about 27MPG when driven between 70-90 on the motorway - better than I'd expected!
Hi - yes, my M did this as well - thin fibreglass on the roof I'm afraid. I used to get it at 70 mph+ which was very annoying especially in the wet because it used to dribble down the inside of the windscreen and behind the dash where all the electrics are. I tried for ages to properly seal the top of the screen but with no luck, until Davidy enlightened me to the real cause of the problem.
So to try and solve it, I've planned this "tension rod" idea. The bottom end can be easily bolted to the bulkhead at the horizontal lip where the bonnet settles (and by using small countersunk bolts, this means that they can sit invisibly under the foam strip).
The top end attaches to a plate which will need to be bonded to the inside of the roof. I've welded a stainless nut to the bottom end of the rod so it can turn freely in the plate, and then welded a nut to the plate at the top and partially threaded the rod. This can then allow you to turn the rod into the top nut and tighten the roof down without having to remove any of the interior. As an added extra, I've attached the rear view mirror to the rod as an experiment. This gives me the added bonus of being able to slide it up and down the rod on the threaded portion, but I have concerns as to whether it will vibrate a bit too much whilst driving to be useful.
The car is not back on the road yet, but I've made all the bits up and have trial fitted it to the body. Feel free to E-mail me if you want to know any more or see some pictures of it (fitted or not).
Slowing down in one of these cars is not an option!
So to try and solve it, I've planned this "tension rod" idea. The bottom end can be easily bolted to the bulkhead at the horizontal lip where the bonnet settles (and by using small countersunk bolts, this means that they can sit invisibly under the foam strip).
The top end attaches to a plate which will need to be bonded to the inside of the roof. I've welded a stainless nut to the bottom end of the rod so it can turn freely in the plate, and then welded a nut to the plate at the top and partially threaded the rod. This can then allow you to turn the rod into the top nut and tighten the roof down without having to remove any of the interior. As an added extra, I've attached the rear view mirror to the rod as an experiment. This gives me the added bonus of being able to slide it up and down the rod on the threaded portion, but I have concerns as to whether it will vibrate a bit too much whilst driving to be useful.
The car is not back on the road yet, but I've made all the bits up and have trial fitted it to the body. Feel free to E-mail me if you want to know any more or see some pictures of it (fitted or not).
Slowing down in one of these cars is not an option!
As mentioned by "19560" I have repaired/filled in the large sunroof (virtually the whole roof) that the previous owner had hacksawed out. My Taimar also has an additional piece of glass fibre bonded to the roof just above the windscreen seal for the full width of the top of the screen. This additional grp appears to be factory fitted and is also the mounting for the sunvisors. If you know somebody with a late taimar/3000m (mine is 1979)you should beable to feel the grp through the headlining. With this fitted I have never had a problem with leaks (in this area!).
I would place a former across the roof just above the windscreen seal and glassfibre over it to form a stiffening beam across the full width. A steel rod would only stop movement locally and may cause more problems for the roof and dash than they solve.
I would place a former across the roof just above the windscreen seal and glassfibre over it to form a stiffening beam across the full width. A steel rod would only stop movement locally and may cause more problems for the roof and dash than they solve.
My 3000m had a huge stress crack at the top of the screen area and Adrian Venn told me it was almost certainly where a windscreen fitter had used a screwdiver to lever the screen back in. Adrian claims that his special thicker rubbers are the thing, but my car isn't going yet so I can't comment
Gassing Station | TVR Classics | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff