Ealy 56 soft top bracket plate support ?

[Sander B.]

did all 56 corvette use the softtop bracket plate support ?

http://www.parts123.com/parts123/yb.dll?Parta~ShowPic~Z5Z5Z50000050e~Z5Z5Z52EJW4

my car does not have them now, and on the inside there is extra fiberglass mat under the riveted bracket plates
and by looking at the rivets it seems a factory install but not sure

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9EIlVnLq4AoR1dtbXFnbjRCQ2NBNkNlTGJDRTc5VklmU3c0/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B9EIlVnLq4AodkRVZWdVcDV4ZEsyUEdPVjltUjUyR0RSSHY4/view?usp=sharing

thanks Sander,

[Gary C.]

Re: Ealy 56 soft top bracket plate support ?

Sander,

Only if your '56 has a convertible top

Gary
....

[Richard M.]

Re: Ealy 56 soft top bracket plate support ?

If it was a Hardtop Only car, another telltale may be it is missing T-Nuts for 1/4-20 bolts in the body for the Soft Top side brackets. However I'm not sure if all Soft Top equipped 1956's had those. The only AIM we have these days is the 1956/1957 "combined".


Also, if Soft Top, I think it should have the horizontal reinforcement riveted to the panel also. I can't see in the photo if traces of rivet holes there, like on this early '56 I once owned. Someone removed it along with the nutplates.

Rich

[Sander B.]

Re: Ealy 56 soft top bracket plate support ?

Richard thanks for the pictures, the car has the traces of power top ( all the brackets are there) the T Nuts are also there,
but it does not have the horizontal reinforcement strip and no holes ever been there (i have the panel bare fiberglass)

the Vin is 261

[Richard M.]

Re: Ealy 56 soft top bracket plate support ?

Sander,

Since you found evidence of a Power Top, it therefore clearly included a soft top. Interesting.

It may be possible that very early cars like yours did not include the horizontal reinforcement. But I would certainly think that the large plate reinforcements would be required, especially if power top.

However, the picture above of my old '56 project car(long gone) vin 371, shows evidence of both the horizontal reinforcement, and the ST frame mount nut plates, But........no traces of the large Plate reinforcements. Hmmmm?

If I remember this right, the cars built up to April(iirc apx 1800 cars) had the mandatory Power Top option. I am unsure if a RPO 419 Hard Top only (in place of Soft Top) was available on those early cars.

Rich