C1 59 Hardtop question

[Rob M.]

Hi all,

My hardtop arrived today, it needs a full resto-job so you'll notice a lot of questions during the next few weeks about this baby. The first one is a obvious one:

Was the hardtop mounted using 2 or 3 bolts. I've seen pictures of cars with 2 and 3 and Corvette Central sells the bolt in pairs so I'm a bit confused. The hardtop has three mounting points (one on each side and one in the middle) but the AIM does only shows the two side ones...

Please advice,
Rob.




The C1 1959 Corvette Restoration Project

[Mark S. Lovejoy]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

Your hardtop attaches with three bolts.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

If memory serves, your AIM book shows the 3-bolt, rear deck lid, mounting scheme. Where the hardtop is being assembled you should find a closeup view (View A) showing the rear center bracket being installed to the hardtop and calling out the companion decklid mounting bolt. Then, another closeup view (View C) shows the side mounting bracket being installed along with its holddown bolt and, due to symmetry, the RH and LH side are identical for three holddown bolts in total.

On buying parts for your hardtop restoration, Glassworks is the best source in my book. That's their main bread & butter (selling proper NOS & repro HT parts as well as doing turn key HT restorations). Many of the catalog houses source parts from Glassworks, but the one item that's KEY is the rear glass itself....

Some still have inventory of GM service replacement rear glass and my experience is you'll WORK your tail off shaving it to fit. The rear glass that Glassworks sells (dated or undated) 'pops' in easily and is a pleasure to work with. So, when you use the Corvette Central catalog to source parts, unless you ask, you won't know the supplying source of the items they sell....

[Rob M.]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

Mark/Jack,

Thanks for your response, I've published some (big) preview picture to give an impression of the state of the hardtop. Bits missing are:

* half of the front header molding
* rear lower molding (L and R) and chrome connection clip

Does anyone provide these bits? (I'll have a look a Glassworks if they have a site).

Links to the preview pictures:

Should the inner retainer strips (rusted in the pictures) be painted? If so what color and finish?

The rear glass is engraved with the following text:

ACRYLITE (R)
acrylite smeet
M-9 AS-5

and smaller

FLEXIGLAS
AS-4 7-7 8

Can someone explain these markings ?

greetings and thanks for your help,
Rob.

[Mark S. Lovejoy]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

I had GlassWorks restore the top for my '58, good work but NOT cheap. They should have everything you need.

[Jack H.]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

TOO MUCH resolution in the posted photos to conveniently display via modem download. I chucked the effort 10% of the way through the first pix, Rob.

If your hardtop is a basket case and you had it shipped from the States (vs. buying in Europe), I think you made a mistake by not having it drop-shipped to GlassWorks for them to restore it for you prior to sending it to you in the ECU.... By the time you source the individual parts and pay freight & duty in on them + your labor time to figure out how to do what, I think you'll be money behind vs. money ahead.

On the marks on the glass, you should find them documented in your copy of the judging guide. AS-X is an American Safety rating for the components (4, 5, Etc. represent breakage suscepitiblity ratings). Other marks are manufacturer and material declarations (Acrylite, Flexiglas). The 7-78 mark is the date code (July 1978) for when the glass was built.

[Rob M.]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

Jack,

Money wise you'll probably right but the fun for me in this project is mainly in the restoration process itself and partly (but not unimportantly) in the driving. I'm very much interrested in how things were done in the 'mechanical age'. I'm not doing anything on our current cars (PT Cruiser (yes US orginated as well) and our Alfa 156) since it is to electrical for me; you can't tweak it without probably breaking it).

thanks for all your advice,
Rob & Simone
The Netherlands

[Rob M.]

Re: C1 59 Hardtop question

Mark,

You were right, they have all the bits I need. I've send them a request with the parts missing. Gonna cost me another $$$ but it will be nice when I'll be ready with it!

greetings,
Rob & Simone
The Netherlands