I can't seem to find any threads covering a convertible top rebuild on a c3. I don't just mean the fabric, but completely pulling the frame apart, cleaning, painting/powder coating, replacing anything that's too far gone and reassembling. I'm sure there are some here who have done this. Anyone have advice? Lessons learned that I'd be better off avoiding? hehe I've already started, but it's been dragging due to time constraints and other projects. OK, 4 years is long enough. I'm sick of putting the heavy and boring hard top on if there's even a threat of rain. Time to get the bleeping thing rebuilt and back in the car.

Rick

 

I took a few pictures with the vinyl off; then took it apart, sanded it painted it, replaced a few bolts or screws with stainless. Then I bought a couple of new parts, spring cables, a new plastic piece for the front, three new clamps, etc.. Then I bought a Stay Fast cloth top, took it to a professional for the installation. It's been nine years and it still looks pretty good. It's just like every other part of restoration, you can't skip anything or that's all you see.

 

I'm in the process of recovering the top on the 6t8 blue car, frame all repainted. not much to take apart [just 2 bows come off]. seems like all the hinge points used rivots [no repairing them] they are ok, just a little loose. you'll use a lot staples putting it back together, where the staple go into [I think some leather strips] after 45+ years they were bad. got replacements from Wilcox, installed. ready to start the install of the pads then the top. T

 

Folding top irons are riveted. My advice is to leave the factory rivets.

 

The top frame on my 69 had been reworked by bubba I think after someone popped the latches while driving down the road. The front header never fit the top of windshield very well and a couple of bows were bent. I needed to drill out some rivets so I could straighten things. Rivets/bushings and lots of great advice I got from Sulleys tops in California. I believe he is the one that makes the rivets for all the other vendors. He also has all the parts available as well. Search for him online and give him a call. I made a lot of changes to mine and it still isn't perfect, but is a lot better than it ever was. Some of the problems were from bushings that had broken and that throws the linkage geometry off.

Mark Smith

 

Al Knoch can rebuild the bows and install a top. They go to a lot of shows and can install tops there but I don't know if they can rebuild the frames at the shows. You can also send them to their shop in El Paso, TX

 

Rebuilding the top isn't all that hard... The biggest issues that I've ran into are the Z brackets that hold the rear bow to the frame and the rivets. The Z brackets tend to get bent so it's very important when you go back together with the top to test fit the frame on the car checking the alignment of the rear pins in conjunction with the holes for the rear latch.

If you need to tweak these z brackets I usually use a giant adjustable wrench. (and I do mean giant, it's 2 feet long... and this is how it earned it's nick name "The Influencer") The huge jaws don't mark things up, and you can use a smaller one on the handle for leverage to make small tweaks. If they a bent way out of shape, replace them.

Installing new tack strips is pretty easy too. But I’ve found over the years that so much time is wasted repairing the tabs on the header and fixing holes from rust. If I run into a header that has both of these problems I will usually replace it vs. trying to repair.

The rivets.. If the rivet pivot point is good and the rivet itself is loose.. I use a sickle bar tool to tighten it up. With mods, this same tool works great for installing ball joint rivets and rear axle strap rivets on a c1. This tool will tighten up the rivet 100 percent of the time. If the rivet pivot point is loose or the hole for it is out of round then you'll have to remove the rivet and repair.

I don't have a picture of mine but this one is very similar.


I use a good etching primer on the frames followed by a good coat of paint. I don’t use powder coating on the soft top frames.

If you have never done the installation job, I’ve got some good pictures on my Willcox Facebook page. I’ve not done a help page on the c3 cars, (I have C1 and C2 finished) but I’ll get one soon. In the mean time I suggest you search out an article on the internet called “A two top job”.. Here is the link. http://www.corvettefever.com/howto/33283/ there are some helpful hints in this article about soft top installation in relation to the importance of making sure the top is in the correct position before the installation, test fitting the weatherstrips, installation of the rear bow to the top, and more. It's really a handy article.


Willcox

 

 

Hmmm, OK so I'm worried about my header, but I'll try and sort it out first. Thanks for the advice and link. I'm still cleaning parts so not quite ready to start trying to reassemble it.