Hello all, finally scored a deal on a convertible top frame, compete with a new Al Knoch top. Been reading up on the installation, but one of the installation videos would sure help. Does anyone out there have one they'd be willing to loan, rent, sell, burn, to get me through the install. Once I get the soft top on, my conversion will be complete! Thanks in advance.

 

Don't waste your time trying to install an Al Knoch top unless you are not particular. It will never fit and you will be blaming your inexperience instead of the low quality of these tops.

 

So who makes better top? Care to walk us through the install? I have one as well that needs mounting.

 

Well, since I hacked the roof off my coupe, I'm probably not too particular. Besides, The top is brand new and was practically free. Spent most of the afternoon removing the old top from the frame, probably dug out a couple of hundred staples, removing and labeling rubber pieces, screws, drilling out rivets, and I'm kinda getting an idea of what's involved. Detailed instructions is what I need, but all in all, it looks like nothing that i can't handle. I'm not looking for perfection, just want to reach the point that I can drive the car to work with the top up, and then put it down for the cruise home. I also would like to know what kind and where to get the staples. I have an air finishing nailer, but do I need a special one for these staples?

 

Gunner put one on his '68, bet he'd be willing to give you some pointers.

 

I watched your transformation of your coupe to convertible and you did a great job but my point is that even with experience many of those tops can't be made too look good because they are usually cut too short and sewed with wrinkles in them . I have commented many times about these tops . I have installed many corvette tops with show quality results but Al Knoch tops are usually garbage . Buy a Robbin's top and do it right the first time. Use your Knoch top to cover the dog box for the winter. He won't complain !

 

I've read your posts regarding the Al Knoch tops, and you're probably right. But it was free, and our dog sleeps on our bed and doesn't have a box. So I'm gonna give it a shot and see how it comes out. Worse case is that I'll end up buying a Robbins top, but gain some experience along the way. Best case is that it comes out decent enough for me to keep. I installed a top on my Karmann Ghia convertible maybe 25 years ago with no instructions and it came out ok (though not perfect). I do not have detailed C3 instructions, but I found on line some detailed instructions for a C2. ( I am told it's very similar) It looks like it's important to do everything in a specific order for it to come out right. Any tips you can offer would be appreciated since it looks like I can't score the instructional video. You can send me a pm, thanks, Jeff.

 

Lowbuck , If you have the instructions for the C2 that is all you need . They are almost identical . Before you start , install new upright window straps on to the rear bow.The most important part of the top installation is removing the rear bow to install the rear of the top. You need to find the starting point on both sides to start pressing the holding cord in to the bow . This is done by laying the top on the car with the rear bow laying on the car bows . You need to pull the part of the top that returns around the front upright of the bows at the rear of the side window so that the stitching is vertical at the upright. Make a pencil mark on the bottom of the top where it is even with the end of the rear bow and that will be your starting point to start installing your top and hold in cord . Then go to the other side and get your same marks. Then remove the rear bow from the car and take both the bow and top over to a table where you can install the rear of the top , the hold in cord and weatherstrip. Now you can take the bow with the top partially installed over and re-install the rear bow on the car. The hardest part of the installation is now completed . The rest is just common sense and would involve too many steps for me to describe here but with your experience I'm sure you can handle it from here with your instructions sheets. Even though I hate the Al Knoch tops , he did make an excellent C2 video or DVD which are still available on line and it will work well for you for the C2 or C3. Hope this helps everybody . Good Luck Make sure you buy the best quality weatherstrip . It will avoid a lot of hassle.

 

Lowbuck,I have the Al Knock vidieo and would be open to sharing. I installed an AK top a couple of years ago, and had zero complaints with quality. They install multiple tops here at the NCRS show in Jan. and I have yet to see wrinkles in those installs.
PM me and we can work something out.

 

I did mine myself, came out great. Hardest part is the lower corners , where the door closes.

 

c69vete do you still have the Al Knock video? If yes, would you be willing to share it?
Thanks,
Rick

 

I have done my top a couple of times (3 I think?) and it's really mostly attention to detail as you plod along. You can find websites for guidance if you don't get the video. I needed the rear bow tack strip to staple the top on..... and ignored it for decades.... was not enamored with the cardboard crap so I was going to try and make my own (not that I have either the talent or the skill)...luckily my neighbor came over and made one of out wood ....really fast.... I was impressed...he has all the wood toys but nevertheless he did it in minutes.
Let me see if I can find the website for top installation and the link for where my neighboy made my tack(?) strip. By the way, I use a regular construction-type stapler and I believe it was 3/8" staples for the rear bow. For the front I went to a convertiable top place (decades ago) and they GAVE ME about 4 feet of this plastic stuff that is about an 1" wide and 3/16" thick that fit perfectly . One of the last few times I did my top I completely stripped the frame and painted it all and used Stainless bolts & whatnot to reassemble it..... let me go look around. And, yeah, do it on a hot day and put the new top in the sun to get it softened up.

 

Here is link for where my neighbor make my rear tack strip. https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...post1601853528
I'd probably just buy a cardboard one after seeing that it would be difficult for me to do.... I'll go look for website that provided guidance on installation....

 

The link I had for top installation was I think Rowley Corvette.... can't seem to find it anymore.

 

Yes. Pm me and we can work out the details.

 

Thanks carriljc. It appears Rowley Corvette is not around anymore but I was able to find the information you mentioned on archive.org. Oddly, it seems as if page 2 of the 2 page article had last been crawled in 2016 while page 1 was crawled several times after that as recently as 2021.

page 1:
https://web.archive.org/web/20210118...e_repair3.html

page 2:
http://rowleycorvette.com/corvette_repair3b.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20160303084832/http://rowleycorvette.com/corvette_repair3b.html

 

rbambauer
Thanks for sharing that. I saved it to my favorites.....

 

I had inadvertantly posted the original rowleycorvette.com second page link rather than the archive.org second page link. This is the correct link for the second page.:
https://web.archive.org/web/20160303..._repair3b.html

(If one navigates to the first page in archive.org, the "This Article is Continued . . . ." link at the bottom of correctly points to page 2, so I probably didn't have to post the link to the second page anyways.)
Rick