65-E65 convertible top bow #1 diameter

[Wayne M.]

'65 TIM&JG (5th ed) says this bow [the one above your head when seated] is 3/8" round in section. Pic shows me holding a 3/8" drill alongside the bow in my late '65 convertible (I know, I know -- top changed by owner in the '80s because the original white was in longtime storage and became mildewed).

I put a caliper on the bow and it's 1/2", give or take a couple of thou' for paint.

Can I assume the tech manual is in error

[Jack H.]

Re: 65-E65 convertible top bow #1 diameter

The JG is referring to a well known running change that happened circa March/April of '65. The bow was round, then changed to a 'flattened' shape (JG describes it as 'rectangular') to give a tad more headroom to the occupants. The measurements quoted may be approximate, but the key is the bow being circular in cross section vs. eliptical or 'squashed'...

We held a judging school comparing a restored 396 convertible to an unrestored car. They were maybe 500 apart in VIN from the 15000 sequence range.

The slightly earlier car had the round bow while the later car had the football/oblong shaped bow, nicely in lock-step to what the JG text describes...