I recently bought a used OEM hardtop. Part of the window molding was missing, so I bought a new molding piece from the dealer and tried replacing it. As I was peeling off the original molding, I could tell the molding was installed on the rear window before it was bonded onto the hardtop. I really had to muscle the old molding off (should have been a red flag). In the end, I could not get the new piece of molding to sit back onto the rear window properly. All the window adhesive dried and conformed to the shape of the old molding. I couldn't fulling wedge the new molding piece back on around the dried window adhesive.

So now I'm driving around without a rear window molding and there's wind noise seeping through the rear window above 70mph. I'm not sure if I've compromised the rear window seal, or if it's due to not having the molding. I'm thinking I need to bring the hardtop to a windshield or body shop to have them remove the rear window, install the molding, then reinstall the rear window.

Anyone have this experience? Has anyone had an OEM hardtop window replaced or reinstalled before?