Adding a Soft Top to a C-1

[Dave H.]

I'm considering the purchase of a 58-60. I'm looking for a car with a soft top or 2 tops, but have encountered some hardtop only cars that looking promising. I realize I can add a soft top, but am wondering if this would be recommended or should I restrict my search to cars that already have a soft top.

Some of the potential issues that come to mind are:

a) Perhaps a certain key part is missing from the repro kits that is virtually impossible to find and is not being reproduced.

b) Perhaps the repro kits do not fit or function as nicely as the originals.

c) Perhaps the install modifications would devalue (from a historical perspective) a nice hardtop only car.

d) (Add other vexing problem here)

Any insight would be appreciated.

Also, is there anyone, in the Pacific Northwest preferably but not necessarily, who would be recommended for this type of install?

Thanks,

Dave.

[John M.]

Re: Adding a Soft Top to a C-1

Dave,
Everything necessary to convert a hardtop only car to soft top is available and will cost about $2500 give or take a few bucks. The tops fit pretty well now that Coffman has reworked his tooling, but his upper/outer brackets still could stand some improvement. I recently put a set of his brackets on a a car, and had to section the bracket and weld it back together to get the right fit. The holes in his pie plates were also slightly off, but a little work with the die grinder made them fit fine. The brackets are not serrated like the originals, so a sharp-eyed judge will probably spot them, but otherwise the tops look pretty original. The C1 soft top cars also had a nut plate installed between the quarter panel and the tank compartment to attack the upper outer bracket that was not there on hard top only cars, but you can use a nutsert to attach this bracket, and nobody will ever be the wiser! I do not think that you would lower the value of a hard top only car, as a matter of fact, I would guess that it would increase the value of the car close to the ammount that it costs to install the top.

Regards, John McGraw

[Allen W.]

Re: Adding a Soft Top to a C-1

I installed a reproduction frame and Al Knoch top on my 56. I had nothing when I purchased my car. Yes as stated in the previous post I had to elongate holes in the frame plates to make things work. A lot of adjusting. Regarding the top I bought the video and using that and ST-12 took my time on the top install. With the help of my wife we did it. The top is tight and the window is flat. Very satisfying. Before I started I asked myself "who here in rural Virginia would I trust to put my top and frame on to get the result I want?" I answered my own question.
Allen

[Dennis C.]

Dave, If you decide to have it done...

...you might try Jim @ Lone Star Restorations in Portland, OR. One of the best.