Flight Judges out there. I Have ??

[don 42616]

I plan to drive my 66 roadster to flagstaff reginal. Due to long ride I want to put on the aux. hard top. What is judged?
1. Will I be asked to remove hardtop
& both soft/hard top judged?
2. judge only hardtop?
3. Judge both tops?
The hardtop is very tight & do not look forward to on/off/on.
Thanks for help. Don

[Kevin M.]

Re: Flight Judges out there. I Have ??

Don,

Where you driving from? Only one top is judged, pick you best one. If the Hardtop is on the car that's the one they'll judge, because as you said it's a PIA to remove.

Kevin

[Loren L.]

Why not just blow the hell out of the budget

and buy a judging guide and read it?

[don 42616]

Loren, I have one & I read it.

Loren ,
Thanks for your sarcastic comment. Maybe you can find a page in JG that answers my ?. Don

[Tracy C.]

Section 4. Top *NM*

[don 42616]

Re: Section 4. Top

Thank You. I don't understand "If a soft top is not present assign a 50% ded. to the hardtop"

[Tracy C.]

Re: Section 4. Top

If your car came with both tops from the factory and is judged with the hardtop in place, the judges expect to see a softop tucked away beneath the deck lid. (It isn't judged but it needs to be present) If it isn't there, you get an automatic 50% deduction on the hardtop regardless of how good the hardtop is.

Don't know the rationale here, but that's how it works..

tc

[Don G.]

Re: Section 4. Top

My understanding is that if a car is presented for judging with the hardtop installed, only the hardtop will be judged and the soft top and bows must be present but not judged. In the event the car was built with only the hardtop, the owner must present evidence that this was the case.

[don 42616]

Re: Section 4. Top

So, I arrive with the hard top, crack open the rear deck w/o removing hardtop .
Flight judge will peek in . if Softtop & frame present no deducts except for what the hardtop itself presents. Thanks for feedback.

[Gerard F.]

Hope to see you there

Don,

I'm driving my 67 conv w/hardtop to Flagstaff from N. California, about 800 miles. This will be my second time at flight judging and, if this is your first time, you are really going to enjoy it. I think you are better off with the hard top. Mine is in the back but is a piece of junk, they never even looked at it, as it is either judged with the hard top or the soft top. But the soft top has to be in the back.

I was really amazed at the intensity of the judging last September, and appreciated the 16 pages of score sheets I got back from the judging. I've been working the score sheets since.

So, hoping to meet you there. Rembember, it's just a hobby and a lot of fun.

Jerry Fuccillo
#42179

[Tracy C.]

Re: Section 4. Top

No need to crack open the deck. The top can be seen looking between the seat backs.

Good luck with the judging. You will learn alot about your car.

tc

[Wayne M.]

Don, your full answer may be in section 3C

Interior (assuming your '66 AIM reads much the same as my '65 5th ed.)

I too was puzzled at the automatic 50% deduct comment of section 4, which could be interpreted for factory hardtop-only cars. But 3C explains:

"Judges Instructions: All cars presented for judging equipped with an optional hardtop must have a folding top mounted in the storage compartment. Hartop-only cars do not reuire a folding top; however, they must not have foldig top hardware (ie thrumb-push latches). Do not judge the folding top."

So the only "proof" needed of a hardtop-only car is the hardware. for clarification, they should have had similar wording in section 4. But then I would assume that the exterior judges should know that automatically.

[Jack H.]

Here's why...

We judge cars in their factory original configuration (as built by Chevy and delivered to the original owner repleat with then-current dealer prep but absent any owner/dealer insprired alterations). Two top cars shipped from the factory with the soft top present, lowered, and the hard top installed. That's why there's a Catch-22 in the book about checking to see if the soft top is actually present on two top cars presented for judging with the hard top installed. The rationale is pretty consistent with the club's judging standards....

[Bernard M.]

Re: Here's why...

I understand but ... If a two top car (as evidenced by the mounting holes in the cover) is judged with only the convertible top available for inspection, there is no corresponding requirement for proof of the existance of the hard top. How do we justify not enforcing a 50% deduct here? Regards, Bernie

[Kent K.]

Re: Here's why...

Bernie ---- Let's look at it the other way ... Why don't we judge both tops? We ask owners to lower their spare tire and remove ignition shields, air cleaners, etc. Maybe we should have owners remove their hardtops to see if the convertible top fits in our catagory of restored and ready for judging. What were you hoping for?
Kent #6201