C1 question for Roy Braatz

[Garry Barnes]

Roy, do you have in your archives of little known but great details anything on C1 convertible top latches delineating the differences between the first design and the second design with the longer latch tab? Was the second design only used as GM replacement parts or were they used in production at some time? If so, when? You see them fairly frequently on ebay but they are almost always the second design. When installed, they push up into your top fabric because the latch tab is too long. Thanks.
Garry

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 question for Roy Braatz

All C1's used the short latches, in 63 the longer handles come in.
It was one of my pet peas for years , then after I wrote another Article on them in 87 and held tech sessions people started to change over to the correct ones.
C1 Convertible header was more rounded and so was the backing plate of the latch, also the hard tops header was different again so the backing plate was tapered.
GM in all their wisdom realized that the later second design for the C2's could work on the C1's so when stock ran out on the early C1's they listed the same part number for ether. Besides the handle being longer they will work, but as you say they hit the top material.For a while they reproed one early type C1 latch till I informed them of the difference between Convertible. and hard top.C2 also are different for hard top or convertible.
They repro the first design not the second design C&C.
Hope I answered your question??

[Garry Barnes]

Re: C1 question for Roy Braatz

Yes you did Roy, thanks. I see people bidding on the second design all of the time on the C1 ebay pages. The part number is the same but clearly a different product. I want to tell them not to put them on their cars unless they want two ugly humps sticking up on their convertible top. Maybe we helped somebody out here.
Garry

[Roy B.]

Re: C1 question for Roy Braatz

Seems every now and then people still dont know the differance