I'm getting a new top put on the z11 while its going through restoration - the guy doing the work wants to put in a glass back window because of durability - the origional is plastic. It's not going to be a perfect numbers matching restoration as I'm not using the origional block (I have it just not using it - 400 for more power). Which way would you go?

Use plastic. a glass window is smaller and probably has a silicone seam which wears and cracks over time. Also using the original weight vinyl will help keep your stack height correct. I lot of people think heavier is better, but then they have folding problems.

Use plastic. a glass window is smaller and probably has a silicone seam which wears and cracks over time. Also using the original weight vinyl will help keep your stack height correct. I lot of people think heavier is better, but then they have folding problems.
Ditto Kev's remarks...have heard the same from people that went with the glass...but it's your call, eh?

capt

Thanks for the input guys, I was thinking plastic too but didn't think about the folding problems with the folding problems. I'll go with plastic - the one I on it now has a zipper to take it down so air can flow through with the windows down when the top's up - is that a pretty standard set up now days on these? It was put on over 20 years ago.... :)

Plastic all the way, its a convertible, the top is supposed to be down 99.9% of the time. A friends car has a glass window, the seam alone would drive me nuts, and yes it looks like crap on the edges and center now. I also can attest to the heavy top. I went with a heavy top and it doesnt fold in worth _______! It also pulls hard on the trim rail the top cover hooks to. I will be going with a light top this year.

plastic.....................I like the original look....

What are the opinions on zippered windows ???

I had one on a Pontiac tempest and liked it, but it was more of a daily driver. The fact that on a Camaro, you have to release the tension on the top before unzipping, you might as well put the top down :D Also, the zipper can get caught in the top folds and pinch the vinyl. Me and a buddy installed a top on a pace car with a zipper. First time he put the top down, the zipper pinched a hole in his new top. :eek:

Greetings from Arizona
Odd ball here...I went glass.....no problems to date

Jay and Bj

I love my Glass window,but can understand others concerns.

I just had a new top with a zippered glass window installed. We'll see...

I am sure some readers will disagree with me on this, But you state you put in a 400 Engine for more power,, I had a Chevy 400 in my Street Rod, and found I had heating problems a lot of the time, was installed in a 48 Chevy Coupe Street Rod, that I drove all over the United States and into Canada for Canada Nationals in 1996...A mechanic told me the sylinder walls between the pistons is thinner and that is what causes them to over heat, I did run the 400 until it finally bugged out, then installed a Crate Motor 350/330 Vortec Motor and never had any more heating problems, just my personal experience, and I learned never to put another Chevy 400 in a vehilce again,,,,,,,Different Strokes for Different Folks...........................

I went with Plastic to keep the right look and feel to mine. Glass is a pain in the a.

I would just leave the top down all the time :)

Topic's been well-covered but here are my two cents. I replaced the top on my 68 convt probably 18 years ago and the plastic rear window is still nearly perfect. Previously I had a 1970 Ford XL convert with the glass rear window and I was always afraid it would break every time I lowered the top. No such worries with the plastic in the Camaro. Visibility is just fine even on rainy cold days. I have even occasionally had to scrape snow and frost from the rear window, and the plastic has held up flawlessly.