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Z31 T-top seal Replacement

Is your T-top body seals starting to shrink and let water in your Z? If so here is how you safely remove and replace them.

Tools Needed

Tools Needed

  • #2 Phillips screwdriver
  • Flat head screwdriver
  • Needle nose pliers
  • 3M or Permatex Weatherstrip Adhesive

Parts

T-Top Seals

New Z31 T-top surround (body) seal pairs for 1984–1989 cars. They're sold separately for 2-seaters (2+0) and 2+2s, so order the one that matches your car.

Vintage Rubber – 300ZX T-Top Seals

T-Top Handle Bezels & Lock Buttons

While the tops are out, replace cracked or broken handle bezels and lock buttons. These original parts are no longer available from Nissan, so ZSPEC makes replicas matched to the original look, in black, blue, tan and red.

Removal

  1. First, remove your T-tops.
  2. Remove the A pillar trim. This will just pop off with clips.
  3. Remove the rubber trim that covers the edge of the headliner.
    To do this, remove the screw holding the coat hook:
    Coat Hook
    Next, remove the screw holding the front part of the trim at the A pillar:
    Front Trim
  4. Once this is removed you can start to remove the push pin fasteners at the bottom of the weather strip (three per end):
    Rear Push Pins
    On the front side by the door hinge, two of the push pins are hidden:
    Front Push Pins
    Here is the non-hidden push pin fastener:
    Hidden Push Pin
    Lift the flap in the weather strip and remove the hidden push pins.
  5. Now you can gently start to pull the weather stripping up the channel until you get to the corner where the strip turns to the body / t-top. There are screws here that hold it to the body.
    Front two screws:
    Front Screws
    Rear bottom two screws:
    Rear Bottom Screws
    Hidden rear screw under weather strip:
    Hidden Rear Screw
  6. Now carefully pull the weather strip as you pick at the adhesive to release the weather strip from the body.
  7. Once this is done, the weather strip should just pull off the drip edge.

Installation

Pro Tip: Seal Installation

Installation is reverse of removal other than Cleaning the old adhesive and adding new in the same areas. Make sure you let the adjustment screws lose until you have the seal fully installed Then you can set the gaps and tighten the adjusting screws.

Sources Used