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convertible adjustment tips?


briandors

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My 95 Cutlass Supreme convertible's top seems adjusted fairly well, but I am always trying to learn and see if there isn't improvement I can make. :)

 

I noticed these points of adjustment:

 

1. the hooks on the top that latch unto the top of windshield pillar screw in and out. is it ideal to have these as tight as possible while still being able to latch the top? or as loose as possible such that the top doesn't leak?

 

2. when the top is going down, there are threaded "door stops" that i think are supposed to support the top's frame while folded. mine seem awfully low, i don't think the top hits them when folded down. do i make those come out further until the top rests on them?

 

3. there's some kind of bolt with a star-like pattern going around it, perhaps for adjustment ease, around the middle of the top, near where it hinges. how do i know how to adjust these?

 

4. i've noted that cables are an integral part of the assembly. any adjustment or lubrication required for those?

 

That's what I've noticed. Any general or specific suggestions about this topic are welcome! I want to make it as quiet, tight, and long-lasting as possible.

 

Brian

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The hooks on the header will adjust how tight the latches are that attach the top to the windshield. Unless you have proplems with your door glass hitting the top or the latches are too hard to use then I'd suggest not playing with them. As for the the bump stops you are correct they support the top in the down position, although they don't seem to much to that effect, and as far as I know there are no lubrication points for the cables. It is however a good idea to lubricate the joints on the top yearly with some silicone grease, you can just spray it on and wipe off the excess.

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Wish the top on my 95 Cutlass convertible lowered more than it does, the way some other makes of convertibles have tops that almost fold flush with the trunk. I've checked, it's a low as it can go, and about the same as the other Cutlass convertibles I've seen on this site.

 

I heard that the '90 - '95 Cutlass convertibles were prone to water leaks (this from one than one person). And a few weeks ago, someone on E-Bay was selling GM training tapes for fixing water leaks with the Cutlass tops. Part of the description is quoted below:

 

1992 to 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Convertible training video tapes. These tapes were part of a Service Alert training program for Olds techs that fixed waterleaks on Cutlass convertibles in the dealership...They show, in a quick way, what was required to replace the weatherstrips, along with measurements, and how to align the windows to keep the top from leaking.

 

Since these cars may have a propensity to leak, I'm with Whiteout, keep top mechanism joints lubed, keep the weatherstipping lubed with silicone, and don't tinker unless you have a problem to solve. Otherwise you may end up creating a problem you didn't have.

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I ask because I am having some minor problems. Maybe I'll look on EBay for that video.

 

One thing is, depending on what angle the car is parked at, I have a drip during rain coming from the top corner of the driver's side windshield. It seems to come out through the area where the latch-hook from the top goes in.

 

The other thing is, as the top has gotten older, the rear glass window seems to shake around more. Since I already have the top latched to the windshield header as tightly as possible, I am guessing this is just because the vinyl has stretched, and there may not be anything I can do about it.

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  • 17 years later...

I have just recently purchased a 95 Cutlass Supreme convertible but it did not have an owners manual, so how do I operate the convertible top I would like to lower it on nice days 

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