Difference in T-top glass

[dwbarnes]

For the past few months I have been on the hunt for a set of T-top door glass for my ’85. A big thanks to STL79Coupe for tipping me off to a ‘87 T-top that was being parted out! Since the door glass is the same for all ’81-’88 T-tops I bought both door assemblies. The bottoms of the doors are rusted out, so I wont be using the door shells. I have a pair of rust free hardtop doors that I plan to cut the window frame off of, then I will add the stiffening braces and glass from the ’87 donor doors.

When we were making the deal on the doors, the owner asked if I wanted the T-top glass as well. I didn’t really need them, but I went ahead a bought them anyway. I thought they looked a little different than my ’85 T-top glass when I was buying them. I was under the impression that T-top glass was the same for all years. When I got home I confirmed that they are in fact different. I thought I would share the difference on ’87-’88 T-top glass compared to the ’81-’86 T-top glass, just in case someone was curious.

Here is the ’81-’86 glass installed on my ’85. Notice how the contour of the window trim is carried though on the frame of the T-top glass.



Here is the ’87-’88 glass installed on my ’85. The frame of this glass is smooth and doesn’t match the trim of the ’81-’86.



Physically, both pieces of glass are same size and will interchange. Also, the trim around the latch handle on the inside is the same.


Hope this helps anyone that is on the hunt for T-top glass.

[Mustang-junky]

Not a horrible mismatch if it's all someone could find.

Jess

[JTurbo]

Interesting comparison - thanks for posting pics.

[bwguardian]

Thanks for sharing this. I don't have a dog in this hunt...but is it possible that bottom trim on the 85 units could be removed and added to the newer units?

[dwbarnes]

Thanks for sharing this. I don't have a dog in this hunt...but is it possible that bottom trim on the 85 units could be removed and added to the newer units?

Well.... yes and no.

The end cap of the glass that holds the latch mechanism is an aluminum extrusion. The shape of the trim is part of the extrusion on the '81-'86 glass. That being said, you cannot remove the trim on the '81-'86 glass and add it to the '87-'88 glass.

However, the extrusion has channel in it that the glass fits into with an adhesive. If you could separate the extrusion from the glass, without breaking the glass, then you could swap out the extrusions.

Not sure it would be worth the trouble of swapping the extrusions, unless you were in a desperate situation and couldn't find a suitable replacement.

[homer302]

Thanks for sharing this. I don't have a dog in this hunt...but is it possible that bottom trim on the 85 units could be removed and added to the newer units?

I have both sets as well. 99.9% of people would never know the difference but the pictures do show what there is. If you REALLY want to get technical, there are actually more versions than just these two plus there are mirrored and smoked glass versions. At any rate, Somebody assembled the glass to the trim but I don't believe it is realistic to expect to be able to separate them and put them back without damaging anything. I mean, one piece is metal and the other glass so they were manufactured by someone and put together but it really looks like a one-time deal.

[85foxbody]

Thanks dwbarnes very helpful,i am looking to pick up a set to have tinted did not know the difference.

[dwbarnes]

I have both sets as well. 99.9% of people would never know the difference but the pictures do show what there is. If you REALLY want to get technical, there are actually more versions than just these two plus there are mirrored and smoked glass versions. At any rate, Somebody assembled the glass to the trim but I don't believe it is realistic to expect to be able to separate them and put them back without damaging anything. I mean, one piece is metal and the other glass so they were manufactured by someone and put together but it really looks like a one-time deal.

Well now you have my curiosity... what are the other two versions? Were the smoked and mirrored glass specific to a trim level or year? I have both a mirrored set and a smoked set for the '81-'86, just haven't decided which set I want to run yet.

[dwbarnes]

Thanks dwbarnes very helpful,i am looking to pick up a set to have tinted did not know the difference.

No problem! Thats why I did the quick write-up!

[wraithracing]

The subtle differences you show in the T-top glass has to do with the difference in window trim between the 4Eyed cars and the Aero cars.

The aero cars window trim for both the roof rail and the rear quarter glass is more of a arch or smooth curve where the 4Eyed cars have sharper angles to the trim. Thanks for sharing the pictures.

[bluebolt]

Referencing this for later for when I try to figure out what my 3 sets of T-Tops are for! Yes I know this is a 3 year old post.