Yes! I thought about glueing them in just like modern cars have, but then you'd need to cut them out next time and destroy the (expensive) seals. I also like to keep things original, so decided to use the sticky putty stuff But the construction is not very well thought through, so is very prone to leaking. The rear shelf fabric is just too close to the outside of the car and the windowseals etc are not watertight enough. So I'll probably have to do this same job again in 2040 or something. ;-)
I did not drive it yet, because of the salt on the roads. The rattle only appears at certain revs, so I cannot test it in my garage. But I really hope it is gone of course
Harry, and if not it could be the same like on my car, what almost drove me nuts. Your description and from where it came reminds me of my own issue. Sounds exactly the same. Rattle in the region below the rear shelf/side window. Only at certain revs. In my case it was a A/C hose rubbing on the body in that region. A little bit of playing around with he fittings angle on the compressor completely eliminated it. Problem was, coming up with the idea of investigating the A/C. Took months. Best Regards Martin
I'll let you guys know of course. Winter has left our part of the world it seems and the rain will wash away the salt this week. So after that, I can finally drive the car again! Looking forward to that.
Hey guys, I agree with Martin. Earlier I attributed the rattle sound to the fuel line connectors but now I think it's the AC line connectors. Regardless, there is a lot going on in that corner that can make a sound. In the AC thread, Presstite was mentioned as the material used to insulate the AC lines. I'm not sure what the temp rating is for that material but it might be something to consider for that area. -F
This was an interesting thread to read. Thanks all for the input. I am contemplating this task as well. So what was the final verdict on rear quarter glass. Do they have to come out, or not? 85 GTS. Also, Did anybody talk about removing the headliner on the targa? How hard is that to do? Many thanks. Sent from my SM-G965U using FerrariChat.com mobile app
On my 85 GTS, the rear quarters had to be removed to get access to rivets that must be drilled and replaced.
I would remove the glass for this job. You can probably pull out the rear shelves without removing the glass, but putting them back will be very difficult/impossible.
There's a lot of conflicting info in this thread, and likely because Ferrari did different things at different times. But to be clear, removing and replacing the shelf in my car would have been impossible without quarter window removal. More than one shelf piece is riveted to the body from the outside, and the window trim completely covers the rivets. Dealing with the windows was the least time-consuming part of the restoration, btw.
Yes there are differences in models (GTB vs GTS of course) and maybe even years. What type of 308/328 are you talking about? (EDIT: I see an 85 GTS, so that is different from a GTB) My car is a 1982 308 GTB QV. Removing the sidewindows is not an easy job on a GTB. For a GTS it should be much easier. On my GTB QV the shelf-pieces where not riveted, they are only held in place by the sidewindowseals that are on top of the shelve-sides and by the nuts that have to be removed from the engine-compartment. If you remove the nuts, you can wiggle/pull the shelves out of the car. But if you want to put them back (and why wouldn't you), you still have to remove the side window frames.
Yeah, the major difference is between GTB and GTS. There was not much (maybe not any) variation over the years, at least not between 308 QV and 328. The differences come when comparing GTB and GTS, The way the windows and shelf pieces are held in place are totally different between the two. -F
This is the product. Actually it's called 3M Strip-Calk. Image Unavailable, Please Login As I've said before, the application of the 3M putty is the most critical part of the job. Everything has to be wrapped in the putty, the glass before it goes into the rubber gasket, the rubber gasket before it goes into the metal sub-frame, and along the bottom of the gasket/sub-frame where it sit in the window sill. -F
One note on wrapping the glass in putty. The strips around the glass are thinner and the strips around the rubber gasket are a little thicker. The shop will have to play around with the right amount. I think most of the water comes in by going over the black metal trim along the window sill, down into the gully where the window assembly sits, goes under that and touches the fabric on the other side, where the fabric soaks up water like a sponge. So it's important that the window assembly and the window sill on the car have the right amount of putty. There should be a line of putty that runs along the fabric shelf on the inside, in addition to other locations. No gaps! -F
Hi Dominick, I know this post is extremely old but do you have the information of the shop that reupholstered the back panels for you? I also live in FL and need to do my 308 gtsi. Thanks! Matt
Matt Contact , Tim Stanford at 9547647824, he can connect you with Mike who did the rear shelf. Dominick
I've redone my rear shelf last year, in "marine vinyl" from a local store. It matches the OEM well enough, but the adhesive it starting to give a bit. As I may have to redo it again (great, cause it really was so much fun...), I'd be interested in learning more (source?) about this "German vinyl".
Thank you SO much for your fast reply Dominick. I will send you pictures of the finished work! All the best. Matt