When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plant?

[John M.]

Looking at the images posted here and on Google leaves me wondering when the removeable hardtop was painted. My "search skills" are poor at best! Did the top tag along with the body during the paint process or were they painted somewhere else? Thanks for any help or links to the answer.

[Harry S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Looking at the images posted here and on Google leaves me wondering when the removeable hardtop was painted. My "search skills" are poor at best! Did the top tag along with the body during the paint process or were they painted somewhere else? Thanks for any help or links to the answer.

The top was painted with the body. If you take the top apart you will find the job number under the trim. It's the same number that is on the doors, RH firewall and the bulkhead behind the gas tank. I know I have pictures somewhere.

Somewhere there is a picture of the hartop with the car being painted. C1 tops were painted elsewhere as I recall.

[Harry S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Found in the archives....

John Hinckley (29964)
Beyond Control Poster

Join DateDecember 1st, 1997Posts16,496

Re: Correct paint

Originally Posted by Martin Tait (45941)
I have a very early (tech-center assembly) 1965 convertible. The car is Nassau Blue. Two questions regarding the paint: Was the hardtop painted at the same time as the rest of the car? Should the paint be a lighter more silver-blue than a later 65 396 car?



Martin -What is a "Tech Center Assembly" car, and how is it so identified? Hardtop skins were painted along with the body they were intended for.

Edit: For clarity, the painted hardtop skins were removed from the body when it left the Paint Shop and were delivered to the hardtop subassembly area, where they were completely assembled and trimmed, "banked" ahead of the line, and installed on the next Corvette of the same color and trim combination that came down the line that required a hardtop (not necessarily the exact same body the hardtop was painted with). Photo attached shows the entry/exit of the hardtop subassembly area at A.O. Smith - Ionia; you can see a rack of fully-assembled hardtops ready for installation, and several painted skins awaiting subassembly.

Last edited by John Hinckley (29964); February 18th, 2014 at 01:35 PM.

[Harry S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

What makes me scratch my head about John's comments is the Job Number on the top. If the Job Number on the top matches the Job Number on the car then it seems reasonable the top follow the car either physically or via a paper trail.

[John M.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Has anyone seen an image of the hardtop being painted? Was it in front of or behind a specific car whenn it was painted? If not painted for a specific car how would the trim guys know what color headliner and garnish moldings to install? Just random questions that come to mind.

[Harry S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Has anyone seen an image of the hardtop being painted? Was it in front of or behind a specific car whenn it was painted? If not painted for a specific car how would the trim guys know what color headliner and garnish moldings to install? Just random questions that come to mind.

John, somewhere in the archives is the picture you are looking for as I've seen it years ago. I have yet to find it.

[Harry S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Found this.....

John Hinckley (29964)
Beyond Control Poster

Join DateDecember 1st, 1997Posts16,496

Re: How were AO Smith hardtops painted and assembled

Originally Posted by Gerard Fuccillo (42179)
Working on my 67 hardtop, and just wondering what the procedure was for painting, assembling, and then shipping an AO Smith hardtop to St. Louis.

I am assuming that the hardtop was painted along side the car at AO Smith, and without the rear window, headliner, and trim attached.
Or was it painted separately in a different area?

How many coats of primer and lacquer did they put on the car and the hardtop?

I assume that at some point after painting, the hardtop was separated from the car, and then went to a trim line where the rear window was installed, then the trim and headliner installed. Correct?

At what point, was the hardtop returned to the car? Was it fully installed for shipping to St. Louis? Seems to me that they would have had to take it back off at St. Louis to complete the convertible top and water test it.

Am I all wet on my assumptions here?



Jerry -

The fiberglass skin was painted with the body, parked on a fixture that clamped to the top of the windshield frame. When the body left the Paint Shop, the painted top was removed, racked, and moved to a subassembly area where the top assembly was completed, ready to install on the car.

The hardtop was then installed on the car, the side glass was adjusted to fit the hardtop weatherstrips, and the hardtop was removed, tagged with the job number, and racked again.

The convertible top was installed and fitted to the side glass on A.O. Smith's Body Final Line, and the body was water-tested. Then the soft top was stowed, the hardtop was re-installed, and the body was water-tested again. Then the body was rail-shipped to Chevrolet with the soft top stowed and the hardtop installed, and the hardtop remained in place through the St. Louis assembly process. It got a "free ride" through the convertible top installation area on the St. Louis Final Line, just like a St. Louis-bodied hardtop-only car did.

[John M.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Thanks to all who responded. All of the info makes sense, except I am unable to picture in my mind the hardtop "parked on a fixture clamped to the windshield frame" . Sure hope that a photo of that operation surfaces sometime so we all can see just how they did it.

[Richard O.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Found this.....

John Hinckley (29964)
Beyond Control Poster

Join DateDecember 1st, 1997Posts16,496

Re: How were AO Smith hardtops painted and assembled

Originally Posted by Gerard Fuccillo (42179)
Working on my 67 hardtop, and just wondering what the procedure was for painting, assembling, and then shipping an AO Smith hardtop to St. Louis.

I am assuming that the hardtop was painted along side the car at AO Smith, and without the rear window, headliner, and trim attached.
Or was it painted separately in a different area?

How many coats of primer and lacquer did they put on the car and the hardtop?

I assume that at some point after painting, the hardtop was separated from the car, and then went to a trim line where the rear window was installed, then the trim and headliner installed. Correct?

At what point, was the hardtop returned to the car? Was it fully installed for shipping to St. Louis? Seems to me that they would have had to take it back off at St. Louis to complete the convertible top and water test it.

Am I all wet on my assumptions here?



Jerry -

The fiberglass skin was painted with the body, parked on a fixture that clamped to the top of the windshield frame. When the body left the Paint Shop, the painted top was removed, racked, and moved to a subassembly area where the top assembly was completed, ready to install on the car.

The hardtop was then installed on the car, the side glass was adjusted to fit the hardtop weatherstrips, and the hardtop was removed, tagged with the job number, and racked again.

The convertible top was installed and fitted to the side glass on A.O. Smith's Body Final Line, and the body was water-tested. Then the soft top was stowed, the hardtop was re-installed, and the body was water-tested again. Then the body was rail-shipped to Chevrolet with the soft top stowed and the hardtop installed, and the hardtop remained in place through the St. Louis assembly process. It got a "free ride" through the convertible top installation area on the St. Louis Final Line, just like a St. Louis-bodied hardtop-only car did.

So, very interesting. Questions I have are, regarding the final sub-assembly process for the hardtop, where do the codes and instructions for this sub-assembly exist, i.e., who painted the metal trim pieces and what codes were used for each color available?

Are there set colors spec'ed for hardtops ordered with every interior/exterior color combo available?

Did headliners/trim colors for hardtops exist in all interior colors and were they selectable on the order sheet by the customer?

Regards,

Richard

[Gerard F.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

Harry,

Here's what I found on my 67- AO Smith car - June 30, 67. A stamped date of Feb 21 1967. They must have done things differently at AO Smith, as John says below.

[Gene M.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

So, very interesting. Questions I have are, regarding the final sub-assembly process for the hardtop, where do the codes and instructions for this sub-assembly exist, i.e., who painted the metal trim pieces and what codes were used for each color available?

Are there set colors spec'ed for hardtops ordered with every interior/exterior color combo available?

Regards,

Richard

This first question is very interesting. It would seem that there was a separate paint line for interior pieces and dash to accommodate the different colors and have them flow in with the body they go with. This would be necessary for both hardtop cars and coupes.

I does not seem plausible that GM just stock piled the different color interior/hardtop painted pieces for the assembly line.

[Richard O.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

This first question is very interesting. It would seem that there was a separate paint line for interior pieces and dash to accommodate the different colors and have them flow in with the body they go with. This would be necessary for both hardtop cars and coupes.

I does not seem plausible that GM just stock piled the different color interior/hardtop painted pieces for the assembly line.

I thought so too, and was told that, for example, the interior metal trim pieces for a white interior hardtop were, in fact, Ermine White exterior paint that was not buffed out. There is no primer under the trim paint that I can see, so the idea that the dash and inside trim pieces were painted separately is plausible. Redundancies in manufacturing were not as heinous a crime in those days as they are today. One assumes the rear quarter panel trim pieces were also painted by the same "separate" paint line to match the specified interior color, and maybe the metal windlace and console as well?

Cheers,

Richard

[D S.]

Re: When and where was the aux. hardtop painted during assembly at the St. Louis plan

My April built 1970 hardtop has a JT date code on the glass which I believe is May 1970. Is it possible that the hardtop would be a month later than the build date of the car?

Thanks,
Scott Sims