I Unzipped My Zipper Yesterday

[OLE PONY]

Made you look!

I was cleaning up my 73 Convert for a car show yesterday and squeezed into the back seat to clean the inside of the rear convertible top glass window. While I was cleaning it I remembered I had never unzipped the window since I had the new top installed in 2010, so I unzipped it and cleaned all the corners of the glass.

The zipper worked well and was easy to unzip, but when I tried to re-zip it I couldn't get the zipper started. Finally I decided to unlatch the top and put the top down about a quarter of the way, then it was easy to re-zip the window. Part of the problem could have been that the temperature was only about 50 and the vinyl was not stretching. No big deal, but I thought I would pass on this tip in case any other convert owners had the same problem.

 

[Don65Stang]

Great title Mike.

That used to happen all the time to me on the 65. One day I rubbed a bar of soap on both sides of the zipper and it solved that problem. Or it may have been candle wax...can't remember due to 15+ years ago when I did it. Whatever it was it worked great. Seems like it was soap though.

 

[OLE PONY]

Great title Mike.

That used to happen all the time to me on the 65. One day I rubbed a bar of soap on both sides of the zipper and it solved that problem. Or it may have been candle wax...can't remember due to 15+ years ago when I did it. Whatever it was it worked great. Seems like it was soap though.

The zipper was easy to zip once I got it started, I just could not stretch it quite enough to get the two pieces together to start zipping.

 

[luxstang]

That's pretty normal. If you try to zip it with the top fully closed it has too much tension and the zipper won't go in.

Opening it a little is the way to go.

 

[caspianwendell]

I was worried about the title but you would have gotten more attention if you unzipped HER zipper, and took care of some cracks. Wait...I hope this is in the VIP forum :angel:

 

[Austin Vert]

Hey Guys,

Can i jump in here and make a quick point in passing which may not have been raised in the forum so far. (Sorry if it has).I have recently installed a new Robbins roof for the vert, and was worried about to unzip or not when pulling the top down. My pro trimmer said yes to unzipping only.That did not add up to me, so i made further enquires.

My point is that i ended up consulting my '73 factory owner's manual for reference, and to my surprise, it clearly stated that the owner has THE OPTION TO UNZIP OR NOT WHEN PULLING THE TOP. YOU GET THE OPTION.

As most of the forum members don't unzip the top, including myself, why bother going to all the trouble of doing that when there is really no need.The main thing the manual states is keeping ALL OR ANY objects out of the back roof well area that the rear window lays down in, as that will cause the glass to break as it did in my case.

Greg

 

[luxstang]

Hey Guys,

Can i jump in here and make a quick point in passing which may not have been raised in the forum so far. (Sorry if it has).I have recently installed a new Robbins roof for the vert, and was worried about to unzip or not when pulling the top down. My pro trimmer said yes to unzipping only.That did not add up to me, so i made further enquires.

My point is that i ended up consulting my '73 factory owner's manual for reference, and to my surprise, it clearly stated that the owner has THE OPTION TO UNZIP OR NOT WHEN PULLING THE TOP. YOU GET THE OPTION.

As most of the forum members don't unzip the top, including myself, why bother going to all the trouble of doing that when there is really no need.The main thing the manual states is keeping ALL OR ANY objects out of the back roof well area that the rear window lays down in, as that will cause the glass to break as it did in my case.

Greg

Just a guess, but could it mean that it gives you the option to drive with the top up while the backlite is unzipped and lying in the "well"?

Because that's what I sometimes do when it gets too hot to sit in the sun for hours. So I cruise with all the windows down, inlcuding the backlite.

 

[Bill73Ragtop]

Driving on a hot sunny day with the windows down and back glass unzipped provides wonderful ventilation

 

[OLE PONY]

Hey Guys,

Can i jump in here and make a quick point in passing which may not have been raised in the forum so far. (Sorry if it has).I have recently installed a new Robbins roof for the vert, and was worried about to unzip or not when pulling the top down. My pro trimmer said yes to unzipping only.That did not add up to me, so i made further enquires.

My point is that i ended up consulting my '73 factory owner's manual for reference, and to my surprise, it clearly stated that the owner has THE OPTION TO UNZIP OR NOT WHEN PULLING THE TOP. YOU GET THE OPTION.

As most of the forum members don't unzip the top, including myself, why bother going to all the trouble of doing that when there is really no need.The main thing the manual states is keeping ALL OR ANY objects out of the back roof well area that the rear window lays down in, as that will cause the glass to break as it did in my case.

Greg

In addition, I'm always careful of what I put in the trunk under the well area, you don't want to jam anything in that area that will push up the well vinyl and possibly break the glass when the top goes down.

 

[Austin Vert]

Hi Mike (Lux),

To answer your queiry, the manual gives you the zip option when instructing the owner to raise or lower the top. It relates to this action specifically.

Greg

Mike,

How right you are. That's a very good important point as well.

Greg

 

[luxstang]

Hi Mike (Lux),

To answer your queiry, the manual gives you the zip option when instructing the owner to raise or lower the top. It relates to this action specifically.

Oh,

That's weird. Why would I want to push the button to open the top then climb in the back to unzip the glass then get back in front to open the top completely?!?

And the same thing in reverse?!?

Funny. :-/

 

[Austin Vert]

Hi Mike (Lux),

To answer your queiry, the manual gives you the zip option when instructing the owner to raise or lower the top. It relates to this action specifically.

Oh,

That's weird. Why would I want to push the button to open the top then climb in the back to unzip the glass then get back in front to open the top completely?!?

And the same thing in reverse?!?

Funny. :-/

Mike,

You are very correct in what you say there sir. Your logic is right, but the answer lies in the fact that the zipper was provided for two reasons.Firstly, Ford wants their customers to unzip and drop the glass backlite as an extra precaution to not breaking the glass panel. When you take this action, you are completely minimising risk of glass breakage.

Second, your idea of dropping the glass panel only and getting extra ventilation by doing that, speaks for itself.The fact remains that when you pull the top down or back up, you're not risking breaking glass by not undoing the zipper. The manual gives the customer that option, and of course, most owners logically do just that. (don't unzip)

Hope that all sounds clear.

Greg

 

[luxstang]

Yup, I got it.

Unzipping my zipper in situations where certain tops have been down has got me into trouble before, so I will leave this one alone.

 

[imusa76]

Yup, I got it.

Unzipping my zipper in situations where certain tops have been down has got me into trouble before, so I will leave this one alone.

lollerzrofl

 

[OLE PONY]

Yup, I got it.

Unzipping my zipper in situations where certain tops have been down has got me into trouble before, so I will leave this one alone.

:worthlesswithoutpics:

 

[caspianwendell]

Yup, I got it.

Unzipping my zipper in situations where certain tops have been down has got me into trouble before, so I will leave this one alone.

:worthlesswithoutpics:

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! I do not want to see pics of him unzipped. No offence of coarse but when you've seen one...

 

[Austin Vert]

If the zipper is giving you trouble, you could always try the Velcro Fly!

That would make it easier to enter and exit when you're pulling the top down!!!

Greg

 

[CZ-75]

In the imortal words of Morris Day: "Zip, snap....easy access, baby!"

 

[midlife]

And all of this time, I thought this was a family-friendly forum.:s