Actually you bring up a good point...the big C and B pillars of todays cars are wide enough to support the Brooklyn Bridge. It is MUCH easier to see out of an older 50's or 60's era car.

Chris

Or a 1977-90 B-body. It isnt a huge problem on the Equinox but the illers are quite a bit thicker than on the B-bodies. In the 14 years I have been driving I have NEVER once came close to rolling a car and I have did some pretty out there things. Like I said, my only thing about a hardtop that I have to ask since I havent ever owned one is how well do they seal out water from a carwash or a very heavy rain? I hear horror stories about that. Still I would someday if the millions come in get a 1975-76 4-door Caprice hardtop.

>>"Like I said, my only thing about a hardtop that I have to ask since I havent ever owned one is how well do they seal out water from a carwash or a very heavy rain? "<<

Vintage cars are fine- they have rain gutters / slight overhangs and they were engineered correctly. Some cars, later on (can't recall which I'm thinking of - '70s) had more flush glass, and instead of the seal being on 'top' of the glass, it was more 'behind' it - I could see there possibly being problems with this later down the line. But I personally have never heard of hardtops leaking in a car wash as being a design problem - it would be more of a condition thing. GM always used to do a leak test as one of the final inspections (my '64 GP's paperwork lists this, handwritten, as 'OK').

I've been exposed to countless hardtops in the family and had the pleasure of driving them and washing them as well. I don't ever recall a leaking problem. I had an Oldsmobile sedan with pillars and it leaked from the top of the driver's door in car washes. So there you go.

Every hardtop I've ever owned (5 so far) has never ever EVER leaked from the weatherstripping between the front and back windows, but I think three out of the five have leaked through the rear window, which is incredibly common for GM's from the 60's and 70's; it's the reason they all get water in the trunks and get that trademark GM rear window rot at the bottom corners as they age. Seems to me like they over-compensated for potential leaks between the side windows and put garbage seals in the back.

>>"...I think three out of the five have leaked through the rear window, which is incredibly common for GM's from the 60's and 70's; it's the reason they all get water in the trunks and get that trademark GM rear window rot at the bottom corners as they age. "<<

This is primarily an A-Body scenario. Don't forget, the A-Bodies were de-engineered from the B-Bodies- some details fell thru the cracks. None of my 7 '60s GMs had this issue.

Hhaha... the green Monster's trunk leaked horribly through the rear window...

(the '71 Murder Cadillac)

Of course, now that car over 35 years old.... rubber out in the elements / atmosphere isn't guaranteed to last that long.

Of course, now that car over 35 years old.... rubber out in the elements / atmosphere isn't guaranteed to last that long.

All of my cars in question have lived similar lives; it seems to be hit or miss on rear window leakage, but the side windows seal every time. My '67 Eldorado and '71 Coupe DeVille were absolutely water-tight through all windows, but my '70 Sedan DeVille, '71 Sedan DeVille, and '67 Eldorado parts car have all leaked through the rear window, but still never any side leakage.