Hi guys! 👋

Welp...I was an idiot. We had a nice day and I put the top down, and did not put it up when I parked. By the time I left, it was night and the temp had dropped to 32F. When I put the top up, the canvas along the bottom detached from the glass. I have a 2004 Sebring Convertible. It's the touring platinum edition, if that is relevant.

So, I looked online and there are plenty of DIY videos of how to do it along with recommendations for the best adhesive to use, but I've never done anything like this before and I'd prefer to have it done professionally. The problem is, the places I've called tell me it's impossible and I must purchase a brand new top and pay a minimum of 2 grand for them to install it!

I called the small dealership I purchased it from because the owner has owned many convertibles. He has had this happen to him before and got it repaired, but sadly, the shop he used to do it closed down permanently because of covid.

I'm not sure why nobody will do this. Is it so extremely hard that it's not worth it? Are they trying to take advantage of my ignorance to make an extra buck? Furthermore, it's far more expensive because the glass has the defrosting lines across it (but no other special attributes, its not tinted or polarized or anything like that). I also asked if it was possible to use my original glass and attach it to a new top prior to installation, and they say this is not possible either.

If there's no other solution I'd be willing to try doing this myself, but I would prefer not to if I have a choice. I do pretty decent body work but have zero experience with anything like this.

I'm located near Pittsburgh PA and I'm willing to travel a few hours if I needed to...so if you have a shop recommendation I'd appreciate it. Otherwise, if any of you have tips for installing it myself, I'd greatly appreciate that too!

Thanks so much!

 

This was discussed in a thread here on the forum many years ago. You might be able to find that old thread by using the search function. I was able to re-glue mine using a clear adhesive caulk, I believe the product is still available under a different trade name. Try over at the Chrysler Sebring Convertible Club website. I suspect they have discussed the issue there. If you look on line for convertible tops you will probably find that you can buy the window separately from the top itself. The window comes glued to the canvas strip below it, but the installation of the assembly is probably best left to a professional. Forget the dealerships, they will just farm it out to a specialty shop.

If I remember rightly, this was the stuff I used, but it was more than 10 years ago: https://www.loctiteproducts.com/en/p...sivecaulk.html

You MUST clean the surfaces very well if you expect this stuff to work.

 

The lower valance separating from the glass was not the result of this one time top drop. The issue has been developing for a while and just now showed up.

Check out a custom interior shop or possible a marine shop as boats have lots of canvas. If they do not do the work they may be able to point you to someone that does. If you are in the Chicago area, Riggs Brothers is a good choice. I had them re-glue an '04 and an '06 for about $400. They did not offer a warranty on the work but there was never a problem. Had to leave it for 2 days though.

Please check out 'sebringclub.net' dedicated to chrysler sebring/200 convertibles. This issue has been dealt with frequently and there are suggestions for adhesives and how to approach the repair.

 

Thank you so much for your reply. I appreciate the detailed response. I've seen a lot of recommendations for adhesives (usually 3m window weld + primer) but I wanted to hear from people who have actually done this. Did the adhesive last the life of the top once you repaired it?

 

Thank you very much. I hadnt considered boat shops. So far my luck with the professional auto shops has been a bust, but I'll keep trying, and the convertible-focused forums might be a better place to find some guidance. I will check them out!

 

The repair lasted several years. I had to re-do part of it once. The car was babied in that it was garage-kept all year long, I would put the top down in spring and put it back up in the fall, so there wasn't a lot of exercise for the top, nor was it exposed to extreme weather very much. The repair was still holding up when I sold the car after owning it for over 13 years.