Convertible top headaches

[topless82vette]

69myway

guess this mean I won't be getting your frame huh .... you know anyone with a cheap one for sale

 

[69MyWay]

69myway

guess this mean I won't be getting your frame huh .... you know anyone with a cheap one for sale

No, but I will keep my eyes peeled for you. I would say I am "sorry", but in this case I really am not sorry as I needed this thing to work.

 

[69MyWay]

All powder coated up and nowhere to go

Here is a pic of the top frame. It all goes well, over the next couple of weeks this should be on the car for good. I have the rag top material, and will need to fit this to the car, make it all go in place, then get the rag top material attached.

Seat covers are here now as well. We should see a finished looking car soon.

 

[topless82vette]

69myway

boy that top would look nice on our vette, but since I've had no luch whatsoever finding a soft top frame I'm going to just stay with the hard-top, hopefully ecklers or someone else has a very dark blue leather like seat covers for mine

 

[jsimpson]

My experience with "leather-like" seats has caused me to wish that i had purchased real leather seats. Vinyl is not nearly as strong as real leather (hence no vinyl cows) and rips easily at the seams where you slide in and out of the seat. My replacements WILL be real leather!

 

[Tom Bryant]

Jeff,

Have you tried J&D Corvette in Bellflower CA? Also Piper's Auto Specialties, Vette Products of Michigan, and several others all listed in the Portal.

Most of these companies have been parting Corvettes for many years and someone must have a good soft top frame.

Tom

 

[69MyWay]

Is this normal?

I started fitting the frame in tonight when I noticed that it really does not contour the back lid of the car. The rest of it looks pretty good. Is this normal?

I assume you would not really see this when the weatherstrip and top material is in place.

Suggestions?


I have decided to WHIMP OUT and let a local expert come install this thing next week. He can also get my seat covers on.

Here are a few views. Sorry the car is so dirty. It does not look this bad in person, but the flash brings out the dust in the photos.

 

[69MyWay]

Maybe you can see the fit problem here.

This is the left rear corner.

 

[69MyWay]

Right rear view.

Now notice the gap between the top frame rear bar, and the deck lid.

 

[69MyWay]

Here is the front upper bar. The top fellow said he always tucks in an extra layer of pad on these older tops to "hide" the imperfections in the metal. In this case the powdercoating filled them in pretty well, but there are pits and pocks where it was nice and smooth from the factory.

Did you notice how precision tight the roll bars are to the top! Cool huh?

 

[Tom Bryant]

The roll bars are a perfect fit. Look really cool. The rear bow should follow the contour of the deck fairly closely in order to hold the w/strip tight against the surface. I wonder if someone did you a favor and "straightened" the rear bow. You might have the top guy look at it but I think you will have to mesage it to the contour of the deck. You will need to install the w/strips plus make all adjustments so the top frame fits in the up and down position including the window openings before the top is put on.

Tom

 

[Black Thunder]

Chris your not wimping out just giving the important cosmetic touches to the experts. What a difference the top & seats are going to make. It will finish things off & give the car CLASS!

Those roll bars look really good. I just can't give up any seat travel. Darn!!! Your buddy made some of the best fitting bars I've ever seen.

Posse Bro

 

[jsimpson]

Letting a good top guy do your top may be the best move you'll ever make wityh that Vette. Installing Vette tops is an art and a science. RARELY will an amateur do it well the first try!

 

[69MyWay]

I think I can open the convertible door, then get in the back section and convince the rear bar to make a better contour. It seems to bend fairly easy.

I did not think it looked right.


Thanks!

Chris

 

[Corvettes White]

Chris,

About 15 years ago I did the top myself on our ’69. No help and it came out just fine, IMHO. What is the worst that could happen? Like you start over?

Now I am now doing it again and it looks like yours, just bows no canvas. My rear bow is almost dead flat like in your photo. The best I can figure is that it preloads the weather-strip that way so all is tight when latched down. My daughter held down one end and I the other and it looked like it would come out just fine.

Anyway, good luck,

George and Alkisti

 

[69MyWay]

Chris,

About 15 years ago I did the top myself on our ’69. No help and it came out just fine, IMHO. What is the worst that could happen? Like you start over?

Now I am now doing it again and it looks like yours, just bows no canvas. My rear bow is almost dead flat like in your photo. The best I can figure is that it preloads the weather-strip that way so all is tight when latched down. My daughter held down one end and I the other and it looked like it would come out just fine.

Anyway, good luck,

George and Alkisti

Thanks for the encouragement. Can you believe it? I am MR. Do it Yourself, and I am strongly considering professional help here. To tell all of you the truth, I have a phobia of doing interior/soft material work. I am not kidding about this.

I use to have a good friend that would always praise my automtive work and even bragg about the crazy things I do to others. However, in his words "Man, your cars always look sweet, and the engings haul @##, but your interiors suck!" Now that I look back on it, he is right. No matter what "I" do to the inside of a car, I feel like I can't do it right.

He got married and recently had a kid and lives about five miles away. I have not seen him in person for about three years. I plan on showing him the car soon, and the last thing I want to hear out of him is that my interior or soft top stuff looks bad. Like said, can you believe it? I must be a little whacked in the head.

 

[BBB454]

I must be a little whacked in the head.

I am strongly considering professional help here.

:L :L :L :L :L

Barb

(PS) I had to edit this post to make sure you know I'm not laughing at you for considering help on the top, Chris. There's no way I'd even attempt to do it myself. What I found amusing was the combination of words - "whacked in the head" and "professional help" in the same post...

 

[Black Thunder]

Nobody can be good at every facet of a restoration. You will hopefully get a competent job on the top & seats.
After all you have accomplished its going to be rewarding to see a tight fitting top & new properly installed seat covers. Two in your face items.
Can't wait to see them done, Chris!
Posse Bro

 

[DkBG]

I had a 69 back in 72 and the top didn't fit along the back worth a darn . I looked at alot of others since and i have seen an awful lot that don't fit right . Remember , alot of things back then didn't fit right or line up perfect , right out of the factorys .

 

[Gunther]

Hi Chris

Your aft bow doesn't look right, needs to be recontoured to the deck lid contour.
This is easy as the aft bow is out of alu.
You don't want the new weatherseal to be squeezed too much in some areas to seal off others. Only the seal lip should be squeezed equally.
I had to do the same when I redid my top. It looks like if this tops took a lot of beating during their last 30 years.
With the ALKNOCH top, you also received a instruction sheet. This should answer your original question about that you need to adjust the top to the car B4 you install the canvas top.
Good luck with it. A well looking , tight ragtop makes the car look sharp.
Only thing I didn't manage was to get the back window wrinklefree. I'm sure this is also caused by the 30 year difference of top frame manufacturing versus canvas manufacturing date.
Let us know how yours comes out from the professionals.
Gunther