Cabrio Rollbar Question

Now that I've had my VW a few months, 1995 Cabrio, I can affirm I'm still in love with it, and it's the best suited to me car I've ever owned--new or used. Anyhow, now that the weather's dictated I travel more with the top up than down, something got me curious:

The top of the rollbar has a thin layer of slick foam rubber stuck to it. I can be entirely sure, but it seems as though if I were to peel it away, there'd be nothing but black plastic underneath. The reason I'm wondering what the hell it's actually there for is because it "shimmys" against the interior headliner of the roof when it's up and end up making a squeaky Styrofoam-coming-out-of-a-box sound... PARTICUALRLY in "dry cool atmospheric conditions."

What purpose does it serve?

I'm not sure if you can tell very well from this picture, but here it is.

--S. John

May be there to prevent top fabric wear. I would use silicone spray on all the rubber window and door seals. You would be surprised how many noises disappear.

I think you just wanted to show off your pups :)

Well... not JUST, LOL. But thanks for noticing. Cute, ain't they? Astro and Orbit! We all look soooooooo gay riding around together.

--S. John

Silicone spray? I can kind of "envision" it, but before I go and erroneously lubricate something improperly could you be more specific? I'm getting the idea to get the spray and apply it to the moving parts within the top assembly. You don't mean to spray the stuff on the exterior of the black hard rubber arcs and buttresses that actually meet the glass of the windows, do you? That sounds messy.

And really, there's surprisingly few sounds and squeaks-- 80% of it REALLY IS the friction sound from that foam rubber jiggling against the headliner. Not intolerable, just there, ya know?

--S. John

Or you can spray the silicone on a rag and then do the weather strips.