Cabrio Rollbar Question
 

Now that I've had my VW a few months, 1995 Cabrio, I can affirm I'm
still in love with it, and it's the best suited to me car I've ever
owned--new or used. Anyhow, now that the weather's dictated I travel
more with the top up than down, something got me curious:

The top of the rollbar has a thin layer of slick foam rubber stuck to
it. I can be entirely sure, but it seems as though if I were to peel
it away, there'd be nothing but black plastic underneath. The reason
I'm wondering what the hell it's actually there for is because it
"shimmys" against the interior headliner of the roof when it's up and
end up making a squeaky Styrofoam-coming-out-of-a-box sound...
PARTICUALRLY in "dry cool atmospheric conditions."

What purpose does it serve?

I'm not sure if you can tell very well from this picture, but here it
is.

http://www.intrex.net/jm/foamontop.jpg

--S. John

May be there to prevent top fabric wear. I would use silicone spray on all
the rubber window and door seals. You would be surprised how many noises
disappear.

"S John M-M" > wrote in message
...
>
> Now that I've had my VW a few months, 1995 Cabrio, I can affirm I'm
> still in love with it, and it's the best suited to me car I've ever
> owned--new or used. Anyhow, now that the weather's dictated I travel
> more with the top up than down, something got me curious:
>
> The top of the rollbar has a thin layer of slick foam rubber stuck to
> it. I can be entirely sure, but it seems as though if I were to peel
> it away, there'd be nothing but black plastic underneath. The reason
> I'm wondering what the hell it's actually there for is because it
> "shimmys" against the interior headliner of the roof when it's up and
> end up making a squeaky Styrofoam-coming-out-of-a-box sound...
> PARTICUALRLY in "dry cool atmospheric conditions."
>
> What purpose does it serve?
>
> I'm not sure if you can tell very well from this picture, but here it
> is.
>
> http://www.intrex.net/jm/foamontop.jpg
>
> --S. John
>

On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:41:17 -0500, "Woodchuck"
> wrote:

>May be there to prevent top fabric wear. I would use silicone spray on all
>the rubber window and door seals. You would be surprised how many noises
>disappear.

Silicone spray? I can kind of "envision" it, but before I go and
erroneously lubricate something improperly could you be more specific?
I'm getting the idea to get the spray and apply it to the moving parts
within the top assembly. You don't mean to spray the stuff on the
exterior of the black hard rubber arcs and buttresses that actually
meet the glass of the windows, do you? That sounds messy.

And really, there's surprisingly few sounds and squeaks-- 80% of it
REALLY IS the friction sound from that foam rubber jiggling against
the headliner. Not intolerable, just there, ya know?

--S. John

Or you can spray the silicone on a rag and then do the weather strips.

"S John M-M" > wrote in message
...
> On Wed, 10 Nov 2004 17:41:17 -0500, "Woodchuck"
> > wrote:
>
>>May be there to prevent top fabric wear. I would use silicone spray on all
>>the rubber window and door seals. You would be surprised how many noises
>>disappear.
>
> Silicone spray? I can kind of "envision" it, but before I go and
> erroneously lubricate something improperly could you be more specific?
> I'm getting the idea to get the spray and apply it to the moving parts
> within the top assembly. You don't mean to spray the stuff on the
> exterior of the black hard rubber arcs and buttresses that actually
> meet the glass of the windows, do you? That sounds messy.
>
> And really, there's surprisingly few sounds and squeaks-- 80% of it
> REALLY IS the friction sound from that foam rubber jiggling against
> the headliner. Not intolerable, just there, ya know?
>
> --S. John