1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

[Gerry P.]

Winter is coming on so I'm putting the hardtop back on my '57 but having trouble getting the side guide pins to go into their receiving holes. The top is from a '60 but I'm not sure that should have a bearing the installation. There are two holes in the receiver plate and after much work, was able to get the guide pin one side seated. But the pin on the other side is positioned between the two holes and with the hardtop hold down bolts loosely in place & front guide pins unseated, am still not able to get it to budge forward or backwards to seat. I'm not sure which hole their supposed to seat into, however the right side did reluctantly go into the fwd hole. I'm hoping someone has experienced a similar problem and can offer an easy solution. Below is a picture of the pin and it's position between the receiving holes.
Thanks
Gerry

[Rod K.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Gerry, you didn't state whether your car has been restored or is an "original", but it appears you have the rare, special order "Bubbafied" receivers for the hardtop side pins. Early cars ('56 thru about '57 VIN 2500) had a single round hole for the pin. I think it would be the forward hole in yours. After '57 VIN 2500 the hole changed to a slot extending rearward from the hole location and this became the '58 style as well. Apparently, some late '57 cars may have had the single hole version installed. I'd suggest first you determine what you should have based on your VIN. I believe the hardtops through 1960 should all interchange without fitment issues.

It looks like someone has added a hole to your receivers due to the issues you're having with location.Here's a guess as to what's causing this condition. If the body mounts in the cockpit (8 positions, 4 at the base of the foot well and 4 behind the seats at the base of the rear bulkhead) have failed due to rubber or fiber spacer deterioration or fiberglass failure) the body could be sagging in the center which would throw the top of the windshield rearward and move the hardtop accordingly. A quick check of the door gaps and alignment at the rear should give some indication of whether this is the case, although the factory fit wasn't perfect.

If that's the case, you may have to do some work on the mounts or mounting areas to restore the fit of the hardtop. Sounds like a lot of work but it really isn't.

Another possibility is the windshield itself may not be properly fitted to the body allowing it to lean back enough to cause the misalignment. There are rubber shims under the base of the W/S end channels to help with that alignment and if they've deteriorated that would contribute.

Hope this helps and maybe some more knowledgeable people will chime in.

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Thanks Rod for the input. My car is an early car (328) so I guess it should have a single hole. Good comments on the body sag suggestion. I'll take a look at it tomorrow and try to determine if that may have a bearing on the fit. You mention the windshield end channel shims. Is there a way of checking these out short of windshield removal?
Gerry

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Thanks Rod for the input. My car is an early car (328) so I guess it should have a single hole. Good comments on the body sag suggestion. I'll take a look at it tomorrow and try to determine if that may have a bearing on the fit. You mention the windshield end channel shims. Is there a way of checking these out short of windshield removal?
Gerry

[Bruce B.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

I have 2 57's where the hard top does not want to fit.
On one I moved the windshield a little and it helped.
On the other one I changed to slotted receivers (a pain in the butt) and it helped some.
The slotted receivers have different index points which requires drilling of the body.

[Rod K.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

These are 1/16" thick rubber. You should be able to see the edges at the rear-most part of the body under the windshield, front of the door opening, with the door open. Try rocking the windshield fore and aft while watching the gap under the W/S. It shouldn't change.

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Thanks Rod - I'll check it out.
Gerry

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Was able to spend a few minutes on the car this afternoon. The windshield seems pretty tight, no movement at all. Regarding the body mounts, the four outside cockpit mounts (two front and two back) have approx 3/16" or so spacers in them. Forgot to check the others. Given those I did check, Not sure how much more shimming I can or should add as I don't want to crack any body parts. Any suggestions?
I did go back and make sure the front guide pins were out of their receivers and got the top to move slightly, but to get the side pins in, the front ones have to be seated so as to lower the top enough for the side pins to go into their holes. My thought was to maybe try bend the front pins slightly back but they are pretty solid.
I hope to work on it some more tomorrow.
Gerry

[Tom P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

I have a VERY late 56 with both tops. I rarely remove the hard top. The car has (what I believe to be) the original single hole receivers. Also, the car possibly has some body sag. When I do remove the hardtop and put it back on, I have found it best to FIRST get the pins into the receiver holes. Then LOOSELY get the 3 bolts started in the back. Once the bolts are started, I have to push the top of the windshield frame forward (with a fair amount of force) so that the hardtop forward pins drop into the holes in the windshield frame. Then I pull down the latches and then tighten the 3 bolts. All fits fine.

[Gerry P.]

Re: 1957 Hardtop install - problem getting side guide pins to seat

Well finally, I got the pin to slide in. Took some of Tom's advice and loosened the hold down bolts some more and with rigorous pushing and shoving got it to work. I didn't back any of the hold down bolts totally out as I've always had problems getting them to start back into their threads. In fact on one side, I use about 1" of bolt stock and screwed it in a 1/4" or so before putting the top on. I then put a nut on it to tighten the top.

Rod, before doing this I did go back and look at the body mount shims and all four mounting positions have 3/16" to 1/4" in shims. The door alignment looks good, so I decided to leave the shimming idea alone.

Being the top fit is problematic, should we push GM for a recall? Maybe go for a class action suit and collect a few thousand? Naw, not a safety issue so wouldn't fly. But maybe, just maybe, we could argue these cars are not safe in the first place as I they didn't come with airbags, front or side.

Thanks again all for your help.

Gerry