Weatherstripping
 

Can anyone tell me if there are any secrets or tricks to remove and replace weatherstripping on the hard and soft tops? Should I use adhesive? What type?

I used black Wirth adhesive, but I'm sure the 3M stuff will also do well. You do NOT use a lot - observe how little was used at the factory. Generally, the directions will say to put a little down, and a little on the rubber, and wait a bit before installing. CAUTION: the glue can hurt the paint, so avoid getting any on and I'd also wax the paint around the areas you are going to do just to be on the safe side.

Removing is easy, it's stuffed into a channel, and generally pulls right out.
Cleaning the channels of dirt and all loose glue/rubber (absolute spotlessness is not absolutely cruicial, just don't leave "lumps" )and maybe lubing them just a bit (where you aren't going to glue) with sparing amounts of liquid soap helps.

Putting the weatherstripping in is a little trickier. I would do this only in warm weather (the rubber gets softer and more pliable); You need to stuff it into the channel with a wide semi-dull tool (I used a cut-up paint mixing stick and maybe some wood shims, now I have vinyl wedges designed for this). Don't use a screwdriver or you will tear/poke a hole into the weatherstripping. TEST FIT FIRST without cement. You WILL have to trim it a little at the ends and it is is obviously easier to make things shorter instead of longer, so cut only a tiny bit at a time (observe original angles) and retest often (window operation, hard top/soft top fit, etc).
Be aware that the material will stretch a bit in the channel so a direct comparison of the length of the "old" stuff vs the new is not easily done.

I had good luck with aftermarket rubber EXCEPT the rubber for the soft top lid. I paid $40 for a piece of junk that would not fit even with heroic amounts of glue; the genuine MB part just about fell into place with no trouble.

Strife,

Thanks a lot for the advice. It seems you always have an answer, and the experience to back it up, I truly appreciate the help. I should get the parts in a few days - I'll let you know how it goes.

DON'T TELL HIM THAT he'll never get his head to fit into the car.

But I almost always have the top down:)