'68 Hardtop Question
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
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From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
'68 Hardtop Question
Was cleaning up the hardtop this weekend that I received with my '68. I thought I'd never use it but I've decided to restore my soft top frame and use the hardtop in the meantime. It is black vinyl on the outside and the interior panels are also black. The NCRS JG says that the hardtop's linings were color keyed to the interior color of the car. My car's interior color is dark blue (the trim plate agrees), not black. The top IS a '68 top for sure. I know this because of the lack of stainless trim on the two rear "points". So my question is this:
Is it likely that the top was purchased after the fact? or
Installed as a dealer option? or
Is there possible exceptions to what is mentioned in the JG?
Unfortunately, all I have with respect to documentation is the tank sheet that is mostly illegible. The previous owner said he got the top with the car from when he purchased it from his previous owner (a friend of his) and that to his knowledge it was original to the car.
Is it likely that the top was purchased after the fact? or
Installed as a dealer option? or
Is there possible exceptions to what is mentioned in the JG?
Unfortunately, all I have with respect to documentation is the tank sheet that is mostly illegible. The previous owner said he got the top with the car from when he purchased it from his previous owner (a friend of his) and that to his knowledge it was original to the car.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 2000
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From: Washington Michigan
Originally Posted by LemansBlue68
Is it likely that the top was purchased after the fact? or
Installed as a dealer option?
Installed as a dealer option?
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 2,131
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From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
I kind of suspected that a dealer installed option would be the case. If I were a dealer this is definitely the color combo that I would stock. The black vinyl hardtop with black liners like this would match just about any color combo out there.
Thanks.
There's always the matching dark blue interior dye alternative
.
Forgot to check for any dates that might be hidden anywhere. That might shed some light on the dealer installed vs. purchased later scenarios.
Thanks.
There's always the matching dark blue interior dye alternative
.Forgot to check for any dates that might be hidden anywhere. That might shed some light on the dealer installed vs. purchased later scenarios.
Team Owner
Joined: Jun 2000
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by LemansBlue68
Forgot to check for any dates that might be hidden anywhere. That might shed some light on the dealer installed vs. purchased later scenarios.
Team Owner
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 40,353
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From: Redondo Beach, California
Originally Posted by LemansBlue68
The top IS a '68 top for sure. I know this because of the lack of stainless trim on the two rear "points". .
I would guess that a lot of hardtops were sold as dealer installed options.
Also, my 68 hardtop really didn't fit very well. It sat slightly sideways on the body. Also, it bounced around when driving. For instance, those upper left and right mouldings with the attachment pin holes - the top shaking motion tore the pin holes open. (To remove the mouldings I had to replace the windshield....) Two of the screw heads that attach the weather stripping to the top were in contact with the door glass and chipped the door glass on each side. I had to find new (used) door glass for the 68. I liked the hardtop appearance and, on a smooth road, the interior was much quieter. But I had to remove the hardtop and not use it.
Team Owner
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by LemansBlue68
I kind of suspected that a dealer installed option would be the case....
Just the same, hardtops could be ordered through Chevy dealers in the event owners changed their minds and decided they wanted one.
Don't quote me on this, but I seem to recall my NCRS judging manual for '68 says the early cars did not have the chrome tips on the optional hardtops, but later cars did.
Pro
Joined: Jan 2005
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Originally Posted by Easy Mike
If the optional hardtop was ordered with the car, it was not dealer installed and traveled with the car on the assembly line. If the optional vinyl was not ordered, the hardtop went through the paint line with the Corvette it was originally ordered for and received the same color exterior paint. The two (Corvette and hardtop) should have traveled together after leaving St. Louis.
Just the same, hardtops could be ordered through Chevy dealers in the event owners changed their minds and decided they wanted one.
Don't quote me on this, but I seem to recall my NCRS judging manual for '68 says the early cars did not have the chrome tips on the optional hardtops, but later cars did.
Just the same, hardtops could be ordered through Chevy dealers in the event owners changed their minds and decided they wanted one.
Don't quote me on this, but I seem to recall my NCRS judging manual for '68 says the early cars did not have the chrome tips on the optional hardtops, but later cars did.
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Team Owner
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From: Southbound
Cruise-In II Veteran
Originally Posted by pionexxxx
so some 68 hardtops had the chrome tips? there is a thread up in general with people thinking all factory ordered 68 hardtops didn't have the tips
Thread Starter
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2001
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From: May help you? You can sure as hell try!
I got curious (and picky) and decided to unsnap the interior panels in my hard top. The panels were dated 2/14/68 which post-dates my car by two months. While the interior panels were off, I dyed them to match my dark blue interior and cleaned up everything. Man, it looks good now!
Anyhow, my guess is that the hardtop I have was probably purchased from the dealer when my car was bought new. So, as of mid February which was well into the '68 model year, the hardtops didn't have the chrome tips (at least not the vinyl covered ones).
Anyhow, my guess is that the hardtop I have was probably purchased from the dealer when my car was bought new. So, as of mid February which was well into the '68 model year, the hardtops didn't have the chrome tips (at least not the vinyl covered ones).