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I have mixed feeling about the debate. I DO like the looks of the C1s with the hard top on and the top down--they look like completely different cars. I think with the hard top on they have a very Mercedes/European look to them.
When I bought my 2 top 57 I planned on driving the car year around with the hard top on in the AZ. winter. However, they tell me that the soft tops need to be put up and latched once per month to keep them from shrinking so that doesn't work out. For people in this position I would strongly suggest you install a cloth top rather than vinyl as they say the cloth ones do not shrink.
I took care of my dilemma by buying a 65 coupe for my winter driving and am just installing a vinyl convertible top on the car for emergencies. The plan is that the top will only be up in the garage to keep it from shrinking.
I have mixed feeling about the debate. I DO like the looks of the C1s with the hard top on and the top down--they look like completely different cars. I think with the hard top on they have a very Mercedes/European look to them.
When I bought my 2 top 57 I planned on driving the car year around with the hard top on in the AZ. winter. However, they tell me that the soft tops need to be put up and latched once per month to keep them from shrinking so that doesn't work out. For people in this position I would strongly suggest you install a cloth top rather than vinyl as they say the cloth ones do not shrink.
I took care of my dilemma by buying a 65 coupe for my winter driving and am just installing a vinyl convertible top on the car for emergencies. The plan is that the top will only be up in the garage to keep it from shrinking.
A soft top with modern Haartz Stayfast material - like the new Jags an BMWs have, you can leave the top down for years without damage - you sacrifice originality though...
A soft top with modern Haartz Stayfast material - like the new Jags an BMWs have, you can leave the top down for years without damage - you sacrifice originality though...
Yes, and that’s what I originally wanted for the 57 except I could not find a color that I liked in that material.
I have 3 vettes.. all have both hard and soft tops.
The 59 came with both tops. Car looks I feel much nicer with the HT on. But I like top down driving and putting the top on / off is a PITA.. so that top is relegated to garage art. BTW.. my avitar you can see the 59 with the top on.. as i mentioned... I do think it looks much nicer with the HT on.. nonetheless... as most attest, they (it) has been relegated to 'garage ceiling art'.
The 67 I bought a restored top from a super nice gent here on the forum. Top was professionally restored by one of the 'name' restorers in PA (I forget the name). That top is pretty much garage art also, but I feel It adds to the car to have it. Also, based on my purch price, that ref link to a top seems pretty pricey.
The 62 is a restoration in process (I have a thread on this on the forum). The top for that.. I see tops all the time on CL in the $800 - $1200 price range. I picked one up that is quite usable 'as is' for $900. My labor is free.. but new rubbers, rear plexi, etc when I do dismantle it, strip, and refinish it, I will be into it for about $1600 and it will look pretty darn nice. One thing about doing your own top... it is a very manageable project that does not need a lot of space or a spray booth (simple sheet plastic 'booth' set up in the garage works fine). Again.. .this roof too will likely become garage art.
A soft top with modern Haartz Stayfast material - like the new Jags an BMWs have, you can leave the top down for years without damage - you sacrifice originality though...
So, with a Hartz top I don't have to worry about storing the top in the bay for months at a time? This is great to know, as every time I read these soft top shrinkage threads I am concerned. Soft tops up, even when just parked in the garage, really detracts from the looks of these cars IMHO.
Our '60 came with both tops. The hardtop is pretty much on all the time. It has probably been off twice that I can recall in about 25 years, so not too often.
Kinda like the look of the car with it on too....
The original soft op is there and from does have a split in it...
I bought the 56 in 73, and the previous owner had sold the hard top. Back in 76, I had to pay an outrageous price for a hard top-------------$625. It needed paint, rear window, side windows and headliner. So I ended up with about $1000 invested in it. WAAAAAAAAAAAY TOO MUCH money for a hard top!!!!
This summer I had it off for about 2days--------------first time in several years it had been off. I pulled up the soft top to check its condition. It had shrunk so much that I could not fasten the rear latches--------------so I put it back down and there it will stay.
Back in 1975, you could buy a used hardtop, or a complete, but probably needing work, FI unit in a box, for $200. I was offered both. I needed to do otehr things to my car with my limited funds at the time. At that time, i was told finding phenolic injector blocks in good condition were a challenge.
It looks like Photobucket is back for free, but with their splash on all the pics?
Doug
Originally Posted by DZAUTO
I bought the 56 in 73, and the previous owner had sold the hard top. Back in 76, I had to pay an outrageous price for a hard top-------------$625. It needed paint, rear window, side windows and headliner. So I ended up with about $1000 invested in it. WAAAAAAAAAAAY TOO MUCH money for a hard top!!!!
This summer I had it off for about 2days--------------first time in several years it had been off. I pulled up the soft top to check its condition. It had shrunk so much that I could not fasten the rear latches--------------so I put it back down and there it will stay.
It looks like Photobucket is back for free, but with their splash on all the pics?
Doug
Yep, that is correct-------------------BUT-------------------------if a picture has been uploaded to Photobucket, and a copy was not saved for yourself, you CANNOT download that picture for other uses. Once on Photobucket------------------it's locked!!!! And I don't like that. If a person puts a picture on Photobucket, they they should be able to download it!!!
I have a 1960 that came with both tops and both need restoration, I fully intended to sell the hard top as I never see myself using it.
this thread has made me rethink that, I have to say the look of the hardtop on looks great
I saw my first in the flesh Corvettes at the drag strip. My first loves looked like this. This is my 60 with my $2250.00 eBay hardtop.
The old gassers were beautiful to a young man, and they all had the hard tops on. I never take mine off. I live in a cold climate anyway and the car just looks correct to me with it on.
Yep, that is correct-------------------BUT-------------------------if a picture has been uploaded to Photobucket, and a copy was not saved for yourself, you CANNOT download that picture for other uses. Once on Photobucket------------------it's locked!!!! And I don't like that. If a person puts a picture on Photobucket, they they should be able to download it!!!
Very interesting. How did they do that? I should be able to copy an image from my computer screen, onto my computer. I see trying to copy your PB image gives me a jpeg file with 0 bytes in it.
Doug
Very interesting. How did they do that? I should be able to copy an image from my computer screen, onto my computer. I see trying to copy your PB image gives me a jpeg file with 0 bytes in it.
Doug
So you could not open it once it was copied/pasted to your computer screen, correct? Me neither!!!
You should be able to do a screen capture on your computer to capture and save an image without downloading it. The ability is on every modern Windows computer.
11-15-2018, 05:23 PM
