C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice - NCRS Discussion Boards

C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

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  • Mark P.
    Very Frequent User
    • May 13, 2008
    • 934

    C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

    Has anybody restored their top and wish they would have outsourced this job ?

    Trying to decide if this is a job I want to do. I have lots of other things to work on but need some help deciding if I should farm this one out.
    Last edited by Mark P.; September 21, 2018, 08:19 PM.
  • Joe M.
    Extremely Frequent Poster
    • April 30, 1990
    • 1338

    #2
    Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

    I restored the hard top on my 1960 and would never do it again. If you have the money, farm it out and work on something or somethings else.

    Comment

    • Frank D.
      Expired
      • December 27, 2007
      • 2703

      #3
      Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

      A member on the Corvette forum said the same thing...
      Glassworks or Auto Entec will do it. Not cheap and a long turn around time though...

      Glassworks has several videos on the process:

      Comment

      • Richard D.
        Infrequent User
        • September 30, 2005
        • 11

        #4
        Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

        I used Ron Lefler, he is in Calif., NCRS member.

        Comment

        • Jim D.
          Extremely Frequent Poster
          • June 30, 1985
          • 2884

          #5
          Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

          I restored the hardtop for my 1960 many years ago. Today, I just finished restoring the hardtop for my 65. Neither one was too difficult, just time consuming. I certainly wouldn't consider paying someone else to do something I can do myself.

          Comment

          • Rick G.
            Very Frequent User
            • March 1, 1983
            • 273

            #6
            Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

            Mark,

            Talk to Don in Livermore. He did the restoration on both hardtops for his 59 & 65.

            Rick

            Comment

            • Keith R.
              Very Frequent User
              • August 31, 2001
              • 660

              #7
              Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

              A local member of our Chapter who is in the Corvette restoration business with 30+ years of experience restored one for another Chapter member and he said that he would never do it again. I had mine done by Glassworks and they did a beautiful job. Send it off now as it is a two year project for them.
              Keith MacRae
              NCRS #36692
              New Mexico Chapter
              1960 290HP FI
              2013 427 Convertible

              Shade tree mechanic and
              B-52 pilot extraordinaire

              Comment

              • Mike M.
                NCRS Past President
                • May 31, 1974
                • 8383

                #8
                Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

                i've restored a 61 hardtop, tore it completely apart, got needed parts from glassworks, and put it all back together. no problems. took a weekend from start to finish. mike

                Comment

                • Ed H.
                  Very Frequent User
                  • November 1, 1999
                  • 626

                  #9
                  Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

                  Mark, depending where you have your car, on the west coast I had Jeff Reade, American Motoring Memories Culver City Ca., rebuild my 57 top with Glassworks date coded side and rear Plexiglas windows. It took about two months, great job.

                  Comment

                  • Mark P.
                    Very Frequent User
                    • May 13, 2008
                    • 934

                    #10
                    Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

                    Thanks Mike. This is encouraging.

                    Comment

                    • Jim D.
                      Extremely Frequent Poster
                      • June 30, 1985
                      • 2884

                      #11
                      Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

                      Originally posted by Mark Pellowski (49021)
                      Thanks Mike. This is encouraging.
                      Mark, disregard the posts by those that have never done one and go with us that have. It's no big deal to do it yourself.

                      Comment

                      • Mark P.
                        Very Frequent User
                        • May 13, 2008
                        • 934

                        #12
                        Re: C1 Hard Top Restoration Advice

                        I disassembled the top this weekend and now have the fiberglass skin I can drop off at my painters so he can paint it when he paints the car.

                        It was more straightforward than I thought. It took 2 hours and everything came off OK. Will probably send the stainless out to be restored since I don't have a lot of time these days. An article on Corvette Forum helped a lot. Just Google "Brain Dump on restoring my 1958 hardtop" if interested. I used a flat chisel to pop off the 2 rivets on each side on the vertical supports and drilled out the rivets along the rear top section with a 1/4" drill. All other fasteners were slot or phillips screws. My top had been "restored" before so I had lots of silicone and adhesive holding parts. together which was a pain at times. A Hyde 5 in 1 painters tool with a stiff putty knife worked well to remove the trim, especially the 2 pieces that cover the top cross bow.
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