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can someone provide a dimension for the center bolt hole in the convertible top cover for the hartop hold down sleeve/bushing. Say from the leading edge of the cover to the center of the hle or the edge of the hole.
Thanks
Don
Thanks
Don
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Re: C1 hardtop hold down bolt hole
Best way to do that is to mount the top and then drill the hole. I'm not sure how GM did it, but there are original tops that fit very poorly on an originally-hardtop-equipped car, becausae it's not the top that came on the car from the factory. -
Re: C1 hardtop hold down bolt hole
Since there IS a minor degree of adjustment latitude between the convertible rear deck lid and the mounting hinges, I wouldn't suggest you place your drill hole based on someone else's measurement. The prefered method is to do it the way the factory did...
Lightly mount the SPECIFIC hardtop you're going to install on the car and use its existing mounting clip holes as a template to mark the deck lid for drilling. That way you're working the real McCoy item(s)...Comment
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Re: C1 hardtop hold down bolt hole
The plant used an off-line fixture that clamped to the lid (before the lid was installed on the body) that had drill bushings in it to drill the hardtop mounting holes and the guide holes for cutting out the soft top latch holes. That's why the holes in the brackets on the hardtop are slotted and/or oversize for the bolts, and the bolts have integral flat washers formed on the heads.Comment
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Hum....
I note that midyear (C2) AIM books call out what appears to be a pre-drilled rear deck lid as a functional sub-assy for the C07 option and there's no discussion of locating and drilling the deck lid for mounting hole(s). But, I'm not sure you're right about the off-line fixture for C1 Corvettes, John. Here's where I was coming from...
Pick a year, I happened to grab a 1961 AIM for reference. I flip to the hardtop section, UPC 419, and see the deck lid drilling operation called out on sheet 3 in View A with the following text:
"NOTE: Using assembled hard top as template locate hole 31/64 +0/-1/64 to align with centerline of hole in bracket [9] - 2 places in compartment lid."
Sure sound to me like they were using the actual finished assy hardtop as a functional template for locating and drilling the mating deck lid holes... Anyway, that's always the way we've done it at our shop when a given customer wants to add a hardtop to his existing non-HT car!Comment
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Re: C1 hardtop hold down bolt hole
A comment about the method used for locating the hard top hold down holes on C2's & C3's in the Corvette Plant plus what I have done.
I started at the plant in 62, with the beginning of the 63 model, and I remember a fixture hanging over the line in the first Trim area after the door glass install operations. The fixture, when required for a hard top installation, was lowered onto the car and the holes were drilled. The fixture had hardened drill bushings and the operators on both sides would hand drill the holes through the bushings. Now, what I remember about the fixture and it's alignment, is that it was located in the front to the windshield header top hold down locations. The rear of the fixture fit between the deck lid tabs and set onto the deck lid surface. Basically 2 holes by 2 operators and the fixture was raised so that the operators could install the holding top’s holding nuts.
Now what did I do to install a hard top to my 59 in 1961? I mounted the hard top I was going to use with the side windows up. I then marked on to masking tape, that I installed under the top’s hold down tabs, the deck lid at the 3 locations required before removing the hard top. I drilled the 3 holds installed the hold down nuts to the deck lid and found the rear center hold was perfectly centered in the access hold in the support rib under the deck lid. It could not have been better located.
I also have a 60 Corvette, which was drilled by someone else, and the rear hold down hole is not in the center of the access hole, which causes the hard top to be miss located. The 60 will bind when a top is set to it.
I mention this to bring out the point that you need to be sure that you will have a good alignment prior to drilling your holes and I feel that the best way is to mount your top first then check your header seal and fit. After that, check your door glass adjustments, and then mark a removal piece of tape placed under the tabs before drilling. That way you can double-check your procedure by going through the previous steps again to see if you will arrive at the same locations again.
Just an old man trying to help and I hope it does.Comment
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Re: C1 hardtop hold down bolt hole
Tony and others, excellent responces. Of course I new that would be the best method but my h/top is in bad shape needing restoration and new w/strips. At some point in this cars history the center bolt was fiberglassed over, the two side bushing holes and bushings were still in place. After a repaint and several hot sunny shows, I am finding that a witness mark of the original hole can be seen in the paint if looked at at the right angle. I thought if I installed the bushing This mark wouldn't be seen and wouldn't bother me as much, and I could restore the top at a later date if I chose to do so. I don't use the hardtop and don't think I ever will.
DonComment
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