vwtdi

how extensive is the job? thanks.

wmf62

what year?
Bill

Geralds57

Basically adding T nuts for mounting the top to the deck lid. You just need good measurements.

vwtdi

a 65

Geralds57

You need 4 T nuts and bolts. The two on the sides use bolts that thread into the T nuts. The two bolts in the rear slide into the channel in the top itself and they go through a T bushing. Those studs use a nut on them to hold the top down on the deck lid.

gbvette62

Mid-years only use two nuts (plus the corresponding jam nuts and top bolt), one in each side of the deck lid. The side tabs on the hardtop get bolted to the sides deck lid, by the top of the lock pillars.

The top of the deck lid gets two holes, that stainless steel ferrules go in. The rear bow of the hardtop gets secured to the deck lid, by two carriage type bolts that go through the ferrules and get nuts and washers on them, under the deck lid.

Below are the side nuts, the side bolts, the deck lid ferrules and the carriage bolts.

Geralds57

[QUOTE=gbvette62;1592275589]Mid-years only use two nuts

You removed the rest of my explanation of the parts.

1955 copper

You have a convertible not a roadster, the only Corvette roadsters ever made was the 53 to 55 because they had no roll-up windows . .

vark_wso

ADDING HARDTOP section of ST 72 ('66 Chassis Service Manual), Corvette Body section ...

skeew

If a chicken coupe had four doors, it would be a chicken sedan

gbvette62

[QUOTE=Geralds57;1592276048]I didn't remove anything. Originally that was all you posted, and that's what came up as a quote, when I clicked on the "Reply" button.

You edited your post at 4:41, apparently between when I quoted your original posted, and finished typing my post and adding the pictures.

Sorry.

BADBIRDCAGE

Sure it isn't a drop head coupe?

00fxd

Does anyone install and use they're mid year hardtops bolting only the side tabs without drilling the deck lid for the rear attaching points?

nassau66427

When I bought my '66 that's the way the (not original to the car) hardtop was mounted.

When I briefly re-installed the hardtop some 25+ years later, I found no reason to drill any additional holes in the deck lid.

If you look closely at a lot of Mid-Years, you'll see quite a few cars with holes in the sides of the deck lid but none in the top.

It was quite common "back in the day" when "correctness" wasn't paramount.

Geralds57

[QUOTE=gbvette62;1592282533]Ok, now I understand. No apology needed.

Colorado '63

I'm in the process of doing just that and there are some things that have been left out here. If you don't have a hardtop buying one or refurb on one is expensive. So we'll assume you have one. The new one won't fit well and will rattle like crazy. The back bolts are close to manditory. You'll probably have to mess with the weather stripping to get things to seal properly. The windows / doors are set for your convertible top and need to be readjusted to meet the hardtop. And there is probably something else I haven't discovered yet. It's not just throw it on.

pop23235

Any one have a good method for locating the holes to be drilled in the mid year deck lid?

64 Silver Blue

My car didn't have a hardtop, but the deck lid was drilled for one. I bought a hardtop from a local guy for $900. I stripped it down and rebuilt it with all new weatherstripping, polishing the original window. I stripped old paint off and had a local body shop spray it to match the car color. The hardtop fits perfectly, much better than my folding top. All told I spent about $2,000 start to finish. It looks factory original except for a few deep scratches in the rear window I didn't want to sand that deep to remove.

I didn't put nuts on the rear screws as its too close to get my hands in there around the folding top to fit them, but it would seal better if I had. I don't know, but maybe the folding top should be removed to install the hardtop.

00fxd

Thank for the reply nassau
I used my hard top [finally] last fall with just the side bolts - it seemed to be attached quite solid enough to me.

sub006