hard top price
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 23,419
Likes: 22
From: In limbo
St. Jude Donor '13-'15, '17 thru '22
Another thing to check is the weather stripping. The kit to replace it is $250 when you find it on sale. I would pay $1000 for one that was ready to go, and deduct from that the cost of any of the parts that need to be replaced.
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 14,948
Likes: 3,351
From: NYC NY
It's very hard to find a hard top that is perfect.......unless you want to pay! For $500.00 you are going to get something that needs work. As stated above look it over very carefully. The weatherstrips are a major hit in the pocket book. Almost all the headlining and side panels are going to need some kind of work. Then there is body work and paint to think about. So when you decide if a hard top is reasonably priced just make sure it's reasonably priced for you.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 3,352
Likes: 1
From: Westminster Maryland
The individual parts for these tops are stupid money. A window is around $350, same for the chrome. I almost bought a poor condition one, thinking I could restore it. I would have had $1500 in it to do it right, not including paint. I was lucky and found one when I wasn't looking at Carlisle. Only needed to be painted. I paid $350!!! I was offered $1,000 by two people while carrying it out to the truck.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 2,582
Likes: 150
From: York PA
The individual parts for these tops are stupid money. A window is around $350, same for the chrome. I almost bought a poor condition one, thinking I could restore it. I would have had $1500 in it to do it right, not including paint. I was lucky and found one when I wasn't looking at Carlisle. Only needed to be painted. I paid $350!!! I was offered $1,000 by two people while carrying it out to the truck.
Just kidding but it would make one at least think about it.....
CF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,329
Likes: 359
From: Delaware
St. Jude Donor '25
i just sold one that needed a few pieces of trim for 350 (sold it for a friend).........500 is a good price if all the trim is in place, headliner (minus that sail)....very fair deal.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time
Verdad Gallardo
CF Community Team
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 9,329
Likes: 359
From: Delaware
St. Jude Donor '25
you can pretty much guarantee paint on any top, even if it is mint to match yours.....weatherstip as well most of the time.....so 500 is a fair price in my opinion. i'd never pay for a restored top unless it was the exact color as mine.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 6
From: Austin Tx
I agree with everything said so far.
Just FYI, if you go ahead and get it, and it needs new weatherstripping, Wilcox has it for the best price. They have it in thier forum specials. A total kit for $270, and another $20 for the mounting kit.
As far as the painting is concerned. I had a local paint shop computer match my paint, and I bought a pint of acrylic enamel. I repainted it with preval sprayers, and it came out nice.
Just FYI, if you go ahead and get it, and it needs new weatherstripping, Wilcox has it for the best price. They have it in thier forum specials. A total kit for $270, and another $20 for the mounting kit.
As far as the painting is concerned. I had a local paint shop computer match my paint, and I bought a pint of acrylic enamel. I repainted it with preval sprayers, and it came out nice.
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,271
Likes: 1
From: PA
here are some pics. i bought it. i hope i did not make a mistake because now i noticed some bracket thingy my rear deck lid does not have a mate for. its in the close-up pic...what is it ?
http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/PASKS/
http://s868.photobucket.com/albums/ab242/PASKS/
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
It's worth the $500. You can remove the center bracket -- not all model years had them. It mates up with a ferrule in the deck lid for an additional mounting point. I've never really known why it's there unless it snugs down the weatherstipping at the center.
Last edited by Easy Mike; May 13, 2011 at 01:29 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
Posts: 38,923
Likes: 1,482
From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Melting Slicks
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,023
Likes: 6
From: Austin Tx
The center attaching bolt was added in 69 to reduce the amount of flexing. 68's did not hAve this post, I would just remove it. But of course sAve it. If your decklid does not include a center hole, then if just means your car was not optioned with a hardtop.
Most if the trim is pretty easy to remove. The trim around the rear window can be a pain.
Most if the trim is pretty easy to remove. The trim around the rear window can be a pain.
