93 Roof Seal Kit???

Hello!

I recently found this site and I've learned a lot already. Last Saturday, I bought a 93 Si for our soon to be driving daughter. I've read that this year was prone to roof leaks. This car has a glass top and I'm not sure what happened to the original. The previous owner has quite a bit of silicone applied to the area around the roof. I stopped by the local Honda dealer this afternoon and found out they have a replacement seal kit for the roof and it sells for $527.00 + $360.00 to install. Yikes! Does anyone know of another source to get this kit outside of a Honda dealer? It appears the kit has seals on the windshield posts and door pillars - pretty much all around the roof.

As I read through the 22 some page service bulletin regarding this repair, there was mention of contacting the District Service Manager to see if Honda would do the repair work outside of the warranty. Anyone had luck with this option?

This 93 Si has 91K on it and the body and interior are in excellent condition. It's a great running/driving little car. I've not seen that many around. I'd like her to be able to keep this car for another 4-5 years but the roof leak is a concern.

I'll appreciate any thoughts or shared experiences related to this issue.

Thanks!

I don't believe you can get the kit outside of Honda. And it wasn't a recall, just a service bulletin so you'll probably have to pay for it. Not exactly a warm thought, but at least the leaks will be prevented and you'll have it installed properly with OEM parts. That's really what I'd suggest anyway. I was going to do the same with mine when I get the money. My car had the seal leak fix ('95+ were fixed), but the seals are getting old anyway so I just wanted to replace them with new ones.

If you have the glass top, you've got an Ameripol top. Hang on to it. They're getting tough to find these days and they were very limited to begin with.

And normal seal maintenance included the use of silicone grease (Honda sells it), so it's normal for it to be there. I lube my seals probably once or twice a month. I use Honda's silicone spray on the areas where the windows touch though. Still keeps the seals in good shape and doesn't smear when it dries. :)

Thanks for the info. I called Honda Customer Service today and found out that they will not cover the repair outside of the warranty. Not too surprising given the car is 11 years old. Calling around today I'm not finding anyone who carrys this replacement set of seals. I found a salvage yard that had some seals on a 95 but they said they would not be able to get them out without tearing them up. Looks like OEM is the only option to fix it right. In the meanwhile, I'll look into the silicone grease and spray.

I also heard today that this glass top is quite expensive and the company that made them, Ameripol, does not make them anymore.

Just finished detailing the car today and finished the job with a nice coat of wax. It looks great! I think I'm liking this car as much as my daughter :lol:

Yeah, Honda's about the only option we have to replace our seals nowadays. I don't mind spending the money, just need the money to spend. And it'll be done right.

And yes, Ameripol does not make these tops anymore and they were fairly expensive to begin with (a few hundred dollars or so I believe). Hang onto it or if you find another normal targa top to use in its place, sell the Ameripol to cover most of your seal cost.

The Del Sol's a great little car. I fell in love with 'em when I first saw them. :)

Yeah I'm 19 I've been driving around an automatic chevrolet lumina euro since I started driving. Just bought a 95' Del Sol S with 190k miles on it a month ago for 3000 with some minor interior and exterior damage. It's been in a minor accident and the front needs to be aligned. Also it had a crappy paint job, whoever fixed it did a shitty job.

I got an S to save on insurance, with my spotless driving record, it's only 1600 every 6 months for full coverage (which I have to have for a few months) and 800 for liability. I found an SI trunk lid with the OEM wing, rear disc brakes from a VTEC model, I plan on putting in either a B20B or H22A next summer, along with a good paint job. After all that it'll be more than a Vtec model, with the insurance of an S. Just hope I don't wreck it.

Your daughter I'm sure will love it, I wish my parents were that cool :) Oh if you're interested in selling that glass top gimme a pic maybe I can sell give you my top and some cash for it :)

Jorsher:

Just my personal opinion but if you are looking to do a motor swap I would swap in the B20 over the H22A. B-series swaps are a lot easier for Del Sol's than H-series swaps plus the B20 is non-VTEC so no extra VTEC wiring. You'd just need the B20 ECU and maybe the ECU harness among the other swap parts necessary.

**don't gasp too too hard at my being back**'

About the seals... one of the main factors that contributed to the downfall of the del Sol. By 95/96, people were hearing about the seals on the 93 models failing. People don't want a car that leaks, people stopped having as much interest. There's no "aftermarket" kit to fix them, save from a LOT of silicone glue and a LOT of patience. Check eBay religiously, as well as www.darksol.com ... sometimes you can come across people who have totalled sols and are willing to sell you the seals for about $350-$400. The weather seals are just another example of Sol selfishness... people who have them know that there's quite a list of people who want them, and also know they can charge whatever they feel like for it. :( Rat bastards, but oh well.

And Jorsh... B series and H series are SO last summer... there's this new thing called a K series I've been hearing about... might wanna look into that. ;)

Yes, I had an old Jeepster Commando that took on water every time it rained. Could have been a reason way they discontinued that model too. So right now, the Del Sol is sitting in the garage and my truck is sitting out in the driveway. Not sure how long this arrangement will last :smile:

She says the glass top stays with the car. Oh well.

I've been looking on Ebay for parts. Interesting collection. I did not know these Del Sol's could be modified to the Nth degree! A person could spend a lot of money on.... Thanks for the darksol.com link. I've since found others too. People that drive these cars sure seem to like them - with and without leaks!

So true about how people love sols... i feel in love with them when i first started getting into cars when i was 14... now im 17 and still have a lot to learn about them and i love every minute spent on finding out more info...

Amen about the love, and the MONEY... jeebus... I've had my current sol for a year and a half (almost exactly... purchased her on 1.26.03), and just broke the $10,000 mark yesterday...

Tell your daughter to enjoy the car, because they are fun and for most people a sol only blesses their garage once in a lifetime. The glass tops are SO fun, too. Good luck with the seals, and if your daughter starts getting that modifying bug that has bitten so many of us, send her this way and we'll help her out! :)

And Jorsh... B series and H series are SO last summer... there's this new thing called a K series I've been hearing about... might wanna look into that. ;)

Hehe but is it in my budget? :P

god damn targa top
if there is one thing i could change about the del sol would be thea targa

K-series swaps are still more expensive than the B-series since it's such a new swap, but the aftermarket is starting to make these things easier with newer products to help out. They probably already have motor mounts designed for the EG chassis for the swap. Just keep your eye out and read up. The K-series motors are lighter and more powerful than the B-series. H-series are still very strong, but the swap is infinitely more difficult than a B-series swap and costs a lot more.

Oh, and I've had my car for about a year and a half now and I've probably spent about $4,000 or so on it so far. Mostly just maintenance and some repairs when I first got it, but the wheels and tires ran me about $1,000 total. Give me the time and the money, and I'll spend more than Emily has. :D

I wouldn't part with my Del Sol for the world. :)