68 hardtop question
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 115
68 hardtop question
So, the assembly manual shows a little vinyl flapper over a bracket the holds the hardtop to the body just above the quarter trim panel area.
Did early cars not have the vinyl cover and later cars did??
Thanks, Terr
Did early cars not have the vinyl cover and later cars did??
Thanks, Terr
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2018
Posts: 2,326
Likes: 721
From: Marietta GA
I believe that most of the hard tops had the chrome metal brackets with the rubber flap on them. My car had one bracket and Bubba just posit back into the old vinyl liner. None of the part houses sell the brackets, although they show them in their diagrams. I reached out to Ernie at Willcox, and he found a pair for me. The hard top on my car must have been added, because no holes with the stainless steel bolts were installed. I hate to tell you that finding the brackets/flaps are like hens teeth.
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
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From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
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I had the same issue. Keenparts found me 2 brackets of a burned wreck, of course no flaps. I did sell a 74 top a couple of years ago that had the flaps. I have a 68 top in my basement that I was in the process of putting a new vinyl top on and it too doesnt have those flaps but I have all the other original parts.
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: Feb 2005
Posts: 2,145
Likes: 115
I am wondering if early-ish 68 corvette didn't have the rubber/vinyl flap on them. When did the change happen in 68 production. The AIM shows them in the pictures but I am aware that some 68 brackets didn't have the holes and such in them to attach the vinyl..... they actually never ad the vinyl flap attached to them. They were configured without a vinyl cover. Maybe this is described in the NCRS manual?? I was just wondering, as usual. Terr
Last edited by tfringo; Apr 12, 2020 at 08:35 AM. Reason: wording
Is my vette stock?? HAHA
Joined: Oct 2015
Posts: 20,209
Likes: 9,348
From: Im not allowed to tell you
2020 C3 of the Year Finalist - Modified
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (performance mods)
2019 C3 of Year Winner (performance mods)
2016 C3 of Year Finalist
I've tried to find out about changes through the 68 production year as well but as I was told, the old pages were taken out and thrown away so no one really has the original pages that has ever posted anything, and the changes seemed to happen quite often as they found and fixed the issues of the 68
Le Mans Master
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 5,253
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From: Waterford WI
I am wondering if early-ish 68 corvette didn't have the rubber/vinyl flap on them. When did the change happen in 68 production. The AIM shows them in the pictures but I am aware that some 68 brackets didn't have the holes and such in them to attach the vinyl..... they actually never ad the vinyl flap attached to them. They were configured without a vinyl cover. Maybe this is described in the NCRS manual?? I was just wondering, as usual. Terr
Burning Brakes
Joined: Feb 2008
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From: Lincoln NE Riding and Driving Corvettes since 1967.
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Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2002
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From: Laporte, IN
When using the AIM look at the bottom of the page I think right side. There would be a list of all revisions for that page with a date. The date is not exact but it will give you a close time frame of the change. The AIM that are sold today are the last for that years build and include all revisions. So one has to see when your individual Corvette was built and see if the revision was close to the time frame for it have the revision. Also the first 10K 68 or there about were all convertibles as the coupe was delayed due to a redesign of the tops. Was originally a Targa top but changed to a T-top design
Last edited by PJO; Jul 27, 2020 at 01:58 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jan 2001
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Do you have a picture of what you're writing about? I don't know what to look for and I wanted to check my 68. (April build).