Convertible Softtop & Hardtop Issues?

GCorvette

GCorvette

CCCUK Member
As I continue my post surgery 8 weeks of confinement on my back, I continue to mull over my post rehabilitation options for buying a C3.

I have always preferred coupes in my car choices and ironically, the only convertible that has ever appealed to me is the C3.
For me it truly gives the coupe a run for its money in style.

It has me wondering, are there any issues generally known about and to look out for on the softops / hardtops for example, on a 1971 production year convertible? :unsure:

Please excuse the ignorance and thank you in advance.
 
antijam

antijam

CCCUK Member
If it's the original convertible top the rear window rear may be opaque or cracked. It's worth checking that the weatherstripping is still sound and that it seals against the door windows.The original soft tops were heat sealed at all the various panel joints and around the window. Some replacement tops have been stitched instead and this can allow water to penetrate There are hundreds of small steel staples attaching the soft top to the tack strips on the frame and if water gets in they rust, which may start to show through the top. Unless the header bow seal is intact and functional, water ingress can cause severe rusting of the header bow. The soft top frame is mounted to the car 'B' posts with four 3/8 UNF bolts - two each side. Slackening these off allows some adjustment of the frame to ensure best fit. These bolts thread into relatively thin steel slip plates and often the threads will be stripped if the frame has been adjusted before and the bolts over-torqued, making realignment impossible. With the top up the rear bow locks to the deck lid with two studs. These should enter the lid cleanly and lock securely; if mis-adjusted they can damage the chrome bezels

My '71 still had its original top - and some of the above problems. I replaced it last year.
 
C

Corvette

Well-known user
Check soft top frame, the front header bars rot and new ones are thin gauge, the weather strips are expensive, make sure it has the interior 1/4 panel trims specific to a conv and the small brass wedges on each door at the top. If these wedges and B post are gouged then the birdcage is not aligned or rotting. I have a hardtop here, they take up a lot of room and rarely get used. Good luck.
 
GCorvette

GCorvette

CCCUK Member
antijam said:
If it's the original convertible top the rear window rear may be opaque or cracked. It's worth checking that the weatherstripping is still sound and that it seals against the door windows.The original soft tops were heat sealed at all the various panel joints and around the window. Some replacement tops have been stitched instead and this can allow water to penetrate There are hundreds of small steel staples attaching the soft top to the tack strips on the frame and if water gets in they rust, which may start to show through the top. Unless the header bow seal is intact and functional, water ingress can cause severe rusting of the header bow. The soft top frame is mounted to the car 'B' posts with four 3/8 UNF bolts - two each side. Slackening these off allows some adjustment of the frame to ensure best fit. These bolts thread into relatively thin steel slip plates and often the threads will be stripped if the frame has been adjusted before and the bolts over-torqued, making realignment impossible. With the top up the rear bow locks to the deck lid with two studs. These should enter the lid cleanly and lock securely; if mis-adjusted they can damage the chrome bezels

My '71 still had its original top - and some of the above problems. I replaced it last year.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for such a detailed reply.

Is the hardtop something that one person can remove / fit with ease or is it a two person job?
 
Nassau65

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
GCorvette said:
Thank you so much for such a detailed reply.

Is the hardtop something that one person can remove / fit with ease or is it a two person job?
Click to expand...
Hard tops are a two person job. Yes, they do take up room, and are hardly ever put on unless you like the look, but they are a nice thing to have.
On any convertible I buy in the US if it hasn’t got a hard top, I buy one for it before I ship the car over.
 
GCorvette

GCorvette

CCCUK Member
Nassau65 said:
Hard tops are a two person job. Yes, they do take up room, and are hardly ever put on unless you like the look, but they are a nice thing to have.
On any convertible I buy in the US if it hasn’t got a hard top, I buy one for it before I ship the car over.
Click to expand...
Very useful to know thank you.
I was amazed how much the hardtop makes it resemble the coupe, so I would certainly prefer that triple option.
 
Nassau65

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
Price is another consideration. A convertible C3 is worth at least 10k more than its equivalent coupe, and that’s usually without its hardtop.
 
Nassau65

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
I’m surprised that GM did not fit them to more vehicles considering they had them for the 1968 corvette. The next application wasn’t until late 1976 on the F body Trans Am’s and Oldsmobile Cutlass coupes.
 
antijam

antijam

CCCUK Member
To be honest detachable hard tops are a pita - they're heavy, they're a two-man job to fit and a two-man job to remove and they're very inconvenient to store. The 'T' top was a great innovation, offering the practicality of a Coupé combined with the option to get a taste of the open top experience. T tops are pretty good at being both a Coupé and a Convertible without excelling at either, but for the full-fat fresh air experience it has to be a 'Vert....

P1320100.JPG

The best of both worlds is probably offered by the modern retractable hardtop. I've got five convertible cars (including one with a detachable hardtop) but by far the most civilised and convenient is my Mercedes SLK320. Bought second-hand in 2008 and now nearly twenty years old, I still can't bring myself to part with it. :)
 
Nassau65

Nassau65

CCCUK Member
A friend of mine never takes the hard top off her Mercedes R107 300SL. She says it’s too heavy, hard/ bulky to store, and prefers the car with it on. I must admit I agree with the first two reasons, but not the last.
The modern CC’s as they are sometimes referred to are definitely the best of both worlds.
 
James Vette

James Vette

CCCUK Member
Only problem I've found is accessing the storage compartments when you place the t tops behind the seats. I would place them in a V shape but the seatbelts block them so they have to lay ontop of eachother with a thick blanket seperating them.
 
teamzr1

teamzr1

Supporting vendor
James Vette said:
What's wrong with t tops? :cool:
Click to expand...

If the seals are weak or tops not adjusted properly, they can squeak
The pull down latches can be easy to get to if wanting to break in, but can buy locks that prevent that

A good positive is with T-top frame design most speedways will allow racing them without a Rollbar
where a rag top would have to install one

I prefer the newer vetts that have a targa top, far less chance of breaking into the car and much easier getting top on and off.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top