I recently had some long overdue work done on my stock 86 GN at a recommended classic car restoration shop. It's a T-top car with about 9300 miles. Basically what some would call a trailer queen. I had the front and rear bumper inserts replaced with NOS GM inserts and a new headline installed. I also had the original weather-stripping replaced with NOS GM t-top weather-stripping. Finally, I had the driverside and passenger side driprails replaced with NOS GM driprails. These are the driprails that run down the A-pillars and contain the blow-out clips.
After several weeks at the bodyshop(Don't even ask%^&*...should have only taken a few days), I finally got the call that the car was ready. When I picked the car up, I noticed that the front portion of the driver and passenger side window had a gap between the window and the newly installed weather-stripping at the top front portion of the window. I put the windows down and up several times but the problem still existed. I brought the car back and the bodyshop tried everything to realign the window using the various adjustable screws and bolts in the door. No matter what they did, the windows still had the gap, although the gap was not as big (It should be noted that when I originally brought the car to the bodyshop, the windows sealed perfectly on both sides of the car. The seals were basically just dried out). Finally, after they started making excuses (Car was bent, frame was bent, door was out of alignment, etc...I knew I was not going to get any where with them. So, I paid them out the nose, and brought the car home and parked it next to the 1988 Mont Carlo SS T-Top car I have. Then I noticed something. The blow-out clips on the Monte Carlo seemed to bend at a 15 - 20 degree angle. The blow-out clips on my GN were sticking straight out. There is NO bend in them. As such, it is not pulling the front top portion of the glass in on the seal. Hence the gap. If I push in on the top of the glass, the gap disappears. Unfortunately, I was not present at the bodyshop when the driprails and weather-stripping were replaced. As such, I am not sure if this involved removing and reinstalling the blow-out clips.
The questions I have are (1) Does the replacement of the driprails and weather-stripping involve removing the blow-out clips? (2) Do the GN blow-out clips have a bend in them or are they supposed to stick straight out? Unfortunately, I do not remember how they were when I brought the car to the Bodyshop. I have tried to look at pictures of some of the cars for sale online, but there are no good pictures close up of the positioning of the blowout clips. (2) Do the new (and impossible to find) driprails and new weather-stripping I had installed have to be removed to replace or fix the blowout clips? I hope not. I have tried to bend them down but they won’t budge and I am afraid to put any more pressure on them. I have gotten new blowout clips to install and am trying to find out how involved it will be to fix this issue. (I will not bring my GN any where near that bodyshop again). I feel like I was overcharged by people who may be able to work on vintage exotic cars but had no clue what they were doing with my GN. Go Figure. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
After several weeks at the bodyshop(Don't even ask%^&*...should have only taken a few days), I finally got the call that the car was ready. When I picked the car up, I noticed that the front portion of the driver and passenger side window had a gap between the window and the newly installed weather-stripping at the top front portion of the window. I put the windows down and up several times but the problem still existed. I brought the car back and the bodyshop tried everything to realign the window using the various adjustable screws and bolts in the door. No matter what they did, the windows still had the gap, although the gap was not as big (It should be noted that when I originally brought the car to the bodyshop, the windows sealed perfectly on both sides of the car. The seals were basically just dried out). Finally, after they started making excuses (Car was bent, frame was bent, door was out of alignment, etc...I knew I was not going to get any where with them. So, I paid them out the nose, and brought the car home and parked it next to the 1988 Mont Carlo SS T-Top car I have. Then I noticed something. The blow-out clips on the Monte Carlo seemed to bend at a 15 - 20 degree angle. The blow-out clips on my GN were sticking straight out. There is NO bend in them. As such, it is not pulling the front top portion of the glass in on the seal. Hence the gap. If I push in on the top of the glass, the gap disappears. Unfortunately, I was not present at the bodyshop when the driprails and weather-stripping were replaced. As such, I am not sure if this involved removing and reinstalling the blow-out clips.
The questions I have are (1) Does the replacement of the driprails and weather-stripping involve removing the blow-out clips? (2) Do the GN blow-out clips have a bend in them or are they supposed to stick straight out? Unfortunately, I do not remember how they were when I brought the car to the Bodyshop. I have tried to look at pictures of some of the cars for sale online, but there are no good pictures close up of the positioning of the blowout clips. (2) Do the new (and impossible to find) driprails and new weather-stripping I had installed have to be removed to replace or fix the blowout clips? I hope not. I have tried to bend them down but they won’t budge and I am afraid to put any more pressure on them. I have gotten new blowout clips to install and am trying to find out how involved it will be to fix this issue. (I will not bring my GN any where near that bodyshop again). I feel like I was overcharged by people who may be able to work on vintage exotic cars but had no clue what they were doing with my GN. Go Figure. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
