Vert top frame progress

[bossvette]

I started on fixing up my vert top frame I bought this winter, my 68 only has the hard top. I have been spraying the joints with pbblaster and freed them up. I mounted the frame to a work bench using brackets we make at work so its like its in the car

once the frame was going up and down nice I disassembled it as far as I could without removing any rivets cleaned what I could in my blast cabinet and filled the rust spots in the header

and started painting.

placed an order for Al Knochs video on top installation yesterday
while at a swap meet last month I found out that the latches are the same as 68-77 t-top latches and have them coming from the far north
once I acquire all the parts I will mount it in the car and when the weather gets warm attempt the top install.

 

[vettej1]

I'm doing this right now on my 72!
I have a new top and the dvd from Al Knoch and after watching it a few times have removed my old top. I've replaced the necessary tack strips and started installing the new pads last night.
One word of advice about the dvd. The quality on the first one I got was really bad and it actually skipped a step that could have cost me a top!
Make sure you watch it all the way through at least once before you start to make sure you don't miss anything important.

Eventhough my top was pretty well trashed, it was still pretty scarey taking the scissors to it at first.

Good luck!

-js

 

[bossvette]

My DVD hasn't arrived yet, they were back ordered when I first called so I haven't seen it yet. I curious about the tack strips how do you get the one out of the heavyest bow' mine is pretty dried up and full of old staples. Its the only one still in place.
I took the rear bow into work yesterday so I could put it in the bridgeport to drill out 3 broken screws where the straps mount two came out fine while the third must have been made of kryptonite I broke two center drills and one carbide end mill getting it out.
Does the weatherstrip go on before or after the top is installed?

 

[vettej1]

The tack strip in that back bow is in pretty good. I would remove all the staples first and then you have to pry it out. (The staples help that strip to expand a bit and get really tight in the bow channel.) Once you get it started it shouldn't be too hard to remove it. Then you can put a new strip in.

The w/s should be installed before you begin installing the top pads and top except for the one vertical w/s piece for the rear of the window. That one is installed after because a part of the top goes underneath that vertical piece.
There are four w/s pieces on each side. Two go on the frame for the top of the window, one goes on verticaly for the rear of the window, and one small one goes underneath the vertical piece that touches the door.

Those screws in the rear bow sound like a bugger. I was fortunate with mine, they came out after a little soaking.

-js

 

[bossvette]

Thanks John, that will give me a jump on things I can have the whole frame repainted before my parts arrive.
I didn't want to start prying too much on the frame never thought about removing all those old staples :crazy I'll pull all the staples out and try again.

 

[bossvette]

My Al Knoch video came Saturday along with one of the weatherstrip kits started watching it late and fell asleep, don't know how it ended.

looks like I still have to order some more parts though, but I should be able to make do with the header bar that I have.

 

[Tom Bryant]

Don't you just hate it when you miss the end of a story? I hope the good guys won.

I thought I had a service manual that covered C3 top frame adjustments but I don't. I know my '59 was a pia to get right and I'm still not happy with it. Everthing needs to be perfect before you put the new cover on. If you are going to replace the w/s on the rear top lid you need to do that also before adjusting the top frame as the height of the lid meay change a little. Also if the doors (hinge pins) and door glass need any adjusting do that first.

When you are ready to tackle this I'll help if you want as long as it's on Sunday or Monday. I would like to get some experience before I try to do my '59. Ok. Stop laughing. It will be done someday.

Tom

 

[bossvette]

When you are ready to tackle this I'll help if you want as long as it's on Sunday or Monday. I would like to get some experience before I try to do my '59. Ok. Stop laughing. It will be done someday.

Tom

sounds like a plan, I have the weatherstrips all in hand, but you just threw a wrench in my plans, my rear deck lid has holes cut in for speakers and I will eventually get around to replacing it I wasn't planning on replacing the weather strips on it at this time.

 

[Tom Bryant]

I forgot about those speaker holes. The sad part is that if you install the top cover and then change some of the other panels and the demensions change it could cause a wrinkle in the top cover. I need a new lid for the '59 also. It's broken around the right hinge pad. I could split the skin apart from the inner panel and reapair it but I'm afraid it will end up being too thick and set above the rest of the body.

 

[bossvette]

I'm going back east come the middle of may and will pick up my hood from Jason there is a Ebay seller who has them (deck lids) from time to time about 45 minutes away so I'm hoping to get one before I go. The top will have to wait I can live with the hard top a little longer.

 

[Crimson Thunder]

Ive never heard of anyone cutting holes in the fiberglass decklid for speakers.I'm just curious how many and what size holes are they?(I'm guessing a previous owner did this)I guess it would make sense on a hardtop only car.

 

[bossvette]

Ive never heard of anyone cutting holes in the fiberglass deck lid for speakers.I'm just curious how many and what size holes are they?(I'm guessing a previous owner did this)I guess it would make sense on a hardtop only car.

looks like he cut before he looked there are two holes for those 5 in round speakers only problem is the rods for the latches go right under the holes
so no speakers in the holes I finally routed the rods properly and now the latches work correctly I will replace the deck lid but it was not high on my priority list until Tom mentioned the weatherstrip thing. Actually the top I have is another Ebay item ($130) that I plan on replacing in the future so I may just put speaker bezels over the holes or maybe some of those flat jobbies to make it look better for now.

BTW the only thing holding the top on were the front latches when I got it :L

 

[Crimson Thunder]

I was at a car show once and saw a 69 with the hardtop(very crudely) glassed on.Good luck with your softtop install.I know im constantly trying to get things adjusted to fit properly.If i get the door glass adjusted to fit the softtop then the hardtop fit is way off.

 

[bossvette]

I was told to fit the windows to the hard top first, then the soft top since the soft top has more adjustments. Haven't got that far yet.

 

[bossvette]

progress report

Been making progress on the top frame and installed it in the car today I still need to adjust it and buy a few more parts. The top I bought from Ebay is for professional installation only (the windlace needs to be sewed up) so I'll probally take it to a local trim shop. The good news is it is a good quality top and should hold up well.

I bought some speakers from Boss Audio that will fit with only raising them up 1/4 inch to fill the holes; If he had moved the holes inward 1/2 inch they would have cleared the top :eyerole tomorrow I'll order the parts I need to finish installing the weatherstrip (screws and stuff) I put the new weatherstrip on the deck lid it didn't have any on it.

 

[Tom Bryant]

You're making progress.

BTW It's about time to get the NW Ohio chapter of the CAC together for lunch again.

 

[bossvette]

You're making progress.

BTW It's about time to get the NW Ohio chapter of the CAC together for lunch again.

I'm up for it let me know when. Maybe have a BBQ on a Sunday.