Frankie the Fink

I've been cruising around and toying with picking up a hardtop and missed out on a few but just picked this one up:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...SA:MOTORS:1123
Looks like a pretty good one other than a headliner crack (I think I can repair) and I can drive over in an hour and pick it up myself in the truck (figure I saved about $400 in shipping/travel costs on others I've looked at)...
It may just sit in the garage (and stay white) but now I have both tops for my two top car...
Others I've looked at in a lot worse shape are in the $2,800-$3,200 range...

If you folks have any great storage ideas for it in my tightly spaced garage I'm all ears !

62Jeff

Congrats Frank.

I did something similar a few years ago - bought my Sun Distributor machine when I found one on e-bay within driving distance of my house (well, it was 3 hours each way). Saved a bunch on shipping by waiting until one in the same state was available.

kenmo

Awesome... I need a soft top as I already have the hard top....

DZAUTO

Jeff,
What is a "good buy" on a good, serviceable Sun dist machine? I've been wanting to buy one for years, but all of the ones I've seen are incomplete and look pretty ragged. I can't believe I've gone all these years without one, as bad as I could use one!

Tom Parsons

Plasticman

Frank,

Terrific! AC next?????????

John

Frankie the Fink

AC only after I find those C1 hubcaps that spin around on their own at stoplights...very rare COPO option!

Frankie the Fink

There are some frames on eBay right now !
Some complete; some with the soft top installed and some in pieces:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Corve...Q5fAccessories

62Jeff

Tom I found mine in San Antonio for $375.

However once I got it home I discovered 2 problems:
1) A capacitor and diode were burned out so the flash tube wasn't flashing

2) The timing wheel is loose allowing 10 degrees of play, which led to a bunch of inaccurate readings last year when I was trying to plot the advance curve on my 62.

But:
1) Problem 1 was solved by Plasticman, who read my wiring diagram, told me what to test and how to test it, and eventually sent me a capacitor to fix my problem.

2) Problem 2 is a simple matter of disassembling the tool far enough to get to the bolts for the wheel

On the plus side, it is 100% complete, including all of the little tools such as the tension gauge used to test points, adapters for different distributor types, etc.

You can see photos here
http://s278.photobucket.com/albums/k...tor%20Machine/

Frankie the Fink

I read somewhere that ALL 1961 hardtop headliners were black...is that true ???

hedgehead

White..I think.

62Jeff

I think that's correct. I deleted my inaccurate post.

narlee

Mine is white and I'm pretty sure it is original as I've had the car since the early 70's.

jmschmit

Frankie: I have a hard top carrier that I put the top on and leave it in front of the car (car is backed in garage) I roll it out take the car out put carrier back in garage and drive away. When carrier is not in use I hang it on the wall. I also have a hoist on the ceiling that I have used but it pulls on the weather stripping and makes it out of shape, so I don't use it.Bill58.

Frankie the Fink

I have a black interior and olive/black tuxedo carpet...that white headliner will look a little strange I think....guess I'll have to try it out and see for myself ?!

62corvette

All 61-62 were white from the factory. 56-60 headliners were interior color.

AZDoug

It doesn't look weird, I have a black interior, you really don't look at the headliner,and it brightens the interior of the car.

I bought a spray can of white upholstery paint/dye/whatever, and used it to cover up the dirt and scuffs that wouldn't wash off.

Doug

AZDoug

BTW, looks like a pretty good deal, especially if there isn't any crazing in the plexiglass.

Doug

Stan's Customs

They all (61's )came white..back in the day.

I think it looks good white...especially on cars with white coves. Also lightens the interior...sunny inside sorta, very pleasant.

Stan..

Frankie the Fink

Except for a 6" hairline tear in the headliner it looks pretty good...no crazing, no missing pieces, chrome looks in really good shape...I have no idea what the date code on the glass might be (and don't really care). Paragon has headliners for about $275 but I think I might be able to mend this on this top. I'm picking it up tomorrow around lunchtime....

Pretty excited since the only tops I saw at the Winter NCRS Regionals in Kissimmee, FL this past January were all $3,200 and up and needed beau coup work...pretty nasty actually...

Actually thinking about leaving it painted white...I think it would look good with white coves the few times it will be on the car...

AZDoug

You probably won't ever notice that hairline crack, but here is a suggestion.

Some years ago, i needed to repair a vinyl covered carrying case. I bought some of that heat set vinyl repair kit stuff at a local FLAPS, and used it; it comes with different color vinyl liquids that you can mix to color suit,and texture paper, so you can select a proper texture,a nd you fill the bad spot, wipe off excess and heat set with an iron, using the selected texture paper to set the grain.

Or you may have a better idea already.


Doug