Driver side window not aligned well with top up - pointers appreciated!

[FastWgn]

We have a slight problem with the otherwise perfect Pagoda experience.
During a recent road trip (https://www.sl113.org/forums/index.php?topic=31798.0) we found that with the top up, the drivers side window does not align perfectly.
At the top it goes outside the seal of the top (see arrow in first picture)
At the rear of the window, there is a bit of space between glass and top (see red circle in second picture)
Compared to drivers side where it aligns perfectly (arrows in third picture), and there is no gap at the trailing edge of window (see green circle in fourth picture).
Thinking this may be a door alignment issue, I measured both door gaps and they are one mm off, so unlikely to be the issue (see pictures 5 and 6, which will be posted separately since you are only allowed 4 attachments per post).

Is this most likely a glass attachment in door (in the regulator) issue?
Is it a top adjustment issue?
Is it even possible to adjust the gaskets in the top separately?

Any initial hints or tips highly appreciated!

[FastWgn]

The two additional pictures of the door gaps.

[JamesL]

Not your door gaps.

It’s quite possible that the glass fits your hardtop properly. And any adjustment would be inside the door with the winder mechanism and grips.

There are numerous threads on this and it’s the result of the glass being unsupported/unframed.

But IIRC, the glass “should” be set/aligned to the hardtop so of course any difference in the alignment of the soft top and hard top will show up in the glass with the other top on.
You can re-align to fit the soft top but of course, come winter, you may have the opposite problem

[Jonny B]

The process is to align with the hard top on, as it has no real adjustments or give to it. Once the windows are set to that, you fiddle with the soft top to get it to fit to the windows.

One of the problems that can occur if you adjust to the soft top first is that when you put on the hard top, and you get into cooler weather or other situations where the door window has nowhere to flex and can shatter/break.

[JamesL]

Do a search on “window adjustment” and you’ll know you’re not alone.
The Tech. Manual is really good on this. However, that doesn’t mean you’ll fix it easily. Sometimes you get lucky. Sometimes you don’t
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/ChassisBody/Windows

[FastWgn]

Thank you all for very good info - yes I'm not alone.
Which is good news actually.

Did read the tech manual and seems like an OK job to tackle. Not hard as long as you be careful. But also not easy, and have to be careful - all parts are 50 years old after all....

I will likely (try to) adjust to the soft top since I doubt we will ever put the hard top on the car. But I understand the issues here.

Are there any adjustments you can do to the actual soft top gaskets or are you then adjusting the entire top?

[mrfatboy]

The only official adjustment that I know of is just the shims under the frame where the soft top bolts to the car in the compartment.

Unofficially, I have seen someone use shims between the chrome channels that hold the gaskets and the frame. However this is more of a last resort type of thing and really should not be done.

[FastWgn]

The only official adjustment that I know of is just the shims under the frame where the soft top bolts to the car in the compartment.

Unofficially, I have seen someone use shims between the chrome channels that hold the gaskets and the frame. However this is more of a last resort type of thing and really should not be done.

OK, feared that. The former is pretty advanced since I then need to remember that it affects the entire soft top.

The second part is an option, but I will start with trying to adjust the window.
Thnak you!

[mrfatboy]

As stated by jonB you would be much better off adjusting to the hard top first.

Take your time and good luck. It’s a process😀

[dpreston Virginia]

I had some window issues that were solved by re-attaching the window guides. Check to see if your guides have fallen off. The job isn't hard to re-attach the guides. If you mark the locations of all the screws that you remove you won't have to readjust your window. The technical manual has all the details.
Good Luck,
David
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/ChassisBody/Windows

[FastWgn]

I had some window issues that were solved by re-attaching the window guides. Check to see if your guides have fallen off. The job isn't hard to re-attach the guides. If you mark the locations of all the screws that you remove you won't have to readjust your window. The technical manual has all the details.
Good Luck,
David
https://www.sl113.org/wiki/ChassisBody/Windows

David - thank you - that is a good advise - I feel a fun weekend project coming on!     

[JamesL]

Surely, the owner of the car should do it

[Garry]

It is a slow and fiddling job but not actually difficult, you just need patience


https://www.sl113.org/wiki/ChassisBody/Windows

[RobSirg]

If the window guides were installed in slightly the wrong position by a previous owner - no amount of adjusting will fix your problem (as me how I know)...….you need to remove the glass and remove the guides and start again -  the Tech Manual will be your friend.

Rob

[FastWgn]

If the window guides were installed in slightly the wrong position by a previous owner - no amount of adjusting will fix your problem (as me how I know)...….you need to remove the glass and remove the guides and start again -  the Tech Manual will be your friend.

Rob

Rob - thanks.
And how do I know if that is the case?
Is it obvious once I get in there?

[mrfatboy]

This is one of the reasons why you adjust to the hard top first. It’s a fixed entity. It’s not going to move. The adjustment is all about the door window.

If you start with the soft top you have no guarantee that the soft top is in the correct position (most likely not) and no matter how you try it won’t be a perfect fit. If even you do somehow get it to fit with the soft top you might have had to adjust so far out of range you might cause other problems.

[RobSirg]

Correct.

Hardtop on first and then follow the adjustment guide in the Tech Manual. It can be incredibly tedious and frustrating - or you can get lucky early on.

If you feel you have tried every adjustment possible and you just can’t get there, then you have to suspect that perhaps the guide was attached to the glass in the incorrect position. ( which is what l realised on one of my cars).

The Tech manual describes where it should be installed on the glass, but you can’t see that with the window in place.

Rob

[FastWgn]

Correct.

Hardtop on first and then follow the adjustment guide in the Tech Manual. It can be incredibly tedious and frustrating - or you can get lucky early on.

If you feel you have tried every adjustment possible and you just can’t get there, then you have to suspect that perhaps the guide was attached to the glass in the incorrect position. ( which is what l realised on one of my cars).

The Tech manual describes where it should be installed on the glass, but you can’t see that with the window in place.

Rob

Thank you again - good hints!
In our case we are unlikely to ever use the hardtop, but I'll try that first to see if that is aligned correctly. If it's not - great - and I can adjust it. If it IS adjusted correctly, I have a different decision tree. Either try to fix soft top (which I'm a bit careful with) or adjust window to fit the soft top. Neither is the preferred (nor easy) path...

[RobSirg]

Yep  - you have a solid plan.

As others have suggested - if the glass is already aligned correctly to the Hardtop (which I doubt looking at the extent of misalignment) then you should have the Soft top adjusted to suit the glass.

I have been brave in the past and tackled a lot of jobs on my car but this is not a job that I would attempt myself. So I concur with the others that you should leave it to a pro.

Cheers