I’m just curious, these high end C1 restomods that sport an updated frame & suspension, LS1 or 3, custom gauges, seats, & interior, etc., etc.
Does the top or tops seal any better than stock? Are they leak proof?

 

Your chances of finding a “leakproof” C1, restomod or original, are about the same as winning the Powerball. The same odds as being mauled by a black bear and a polar bear on the same day.

 

Seems a shame to spend all that money and you still have to worry getting caught in the rain, maybe even more so because now you have more to protect!

 

Yep, that is the nature of ALL old sports cars. The soft top is there to keep YOU dry (mostly) when driving in the rain but you can plan on letting the car sit in the sun with the top down to dry out after driving it. You can also pretty much expect to have some drips on you while driving it in the rain too.

Also, I never met a C2 or C3 coupe that didn't leak under the dash or elsewhere.

 

I have seen a coupe of high end resto-mods whilte they were being built.
One in particular stands out, a 1958 soft top only car.

The owner spared no expense, and the builder spent a lot of time custom fitting / modifying / adjusting / fabricating the top frame to fit like a glove.

The frame was then covered with some high end convertible top material (something like what is used on Aston Martins, or something like that).

This was all in addition to custom fitting the gaps on every panel so they were 3/16th of an inch from top to bottom.

Also, a number of custom features were added to address areas that are prone to leaking, etc.

I can't say it was 100% leak proof, but it was the best fitting top setup I have ever seen on a C1, and it clearly was not "stock".

Like everything else, the problems can be solved; just throw a lot of money at it.

This is not rocket science, it is just basic engineering.

 

I remember watching an episode on Route 66 where they picked up a hitchhiker (Suzanne Pleshette) in the pouring rain and they all looked nice & dry tooling down the highway!

 

Route 66?

Suzanne Pleshette?

You have been around a while, as have I. I used to love that show. I was also fond of the Magician with Bill Bixby.

Something really cool about driving out of your own airliner in a Corvette.

 

Don’t remember that one, I’ll have to get it. And yes, I’m old!

 

It was a TV series that ran for a couple of years in 1973-1974 time frame. I recall this because the 1973 Corvette that came out of the airplane was a new Corvette that year.

The plot was that Bill Bixby (character name Tony Blake) was a famous magician that went around the country / world solving crimes.

Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia page:

Initially, Blake (main character's name) used his Boeing 737 jetliner (named "The Spirit") as a base of operations; it was outfitted as a mobile residence ("It's like any other mobile home, only faster.") with live-in pilot Jerry Anderson (Jim Watkins). Blake drove a white Chevrolet Corvette with custom license plates ("SPIRIT") and, for its time, an exotic feature: a car phone.

Link to wikipedia page:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...nCTbdRW5tD1Uwu