C1 Hardtop Only Cars

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

John and Rich, that's what I love about this hobby - learn something new every day. Thanks, Gary....

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Gary, I just saw your post along with Johns replies all at once. I would not have been able to answer your question as I never had that information. I imagined that about my car but never had the facts.

John, Thank you for the great information. What you explained was what I suspected but never saw stated anywhere.

Rich

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

John and Rich, that's what I love about this hobby - learn something new every day. Thanks, Gary....

I agree. This turned out to be quite educational for me too. Another old mystery about my 59 solved!

John, these "Instruction(s)".......like the "Folding Top Lid Instruction, 3727766" you mentioned(shown below...'56-'57 A.I.M., Section E, sheet 2.00). I have never seen anything like them and I always wondered what that meant. Were these just paper documents? Do they exist anywhere? It also seems odd to me that they were never included in the AIM pages.

Rich

[John H.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

John, these "Instruction(s)".......like the "Folding Top Lid Instruction, 3727766" you mentioned(shown below...'56-'57 A.I.M., Section E, sheet 2.00). I have never seen anything like them and I always wondered what that meant. Were these just paper documents? Do they exist anywhere? It also seems odd to me that they were never included in the AIM pages.

Rich

Rich -

Although none have survived to be published, they were printed sheets, usually with sketches and/or charts, that detailed how parts were to be reworked or modified for certain conditions.

We need to remember that the A.I.M. book was an Engineering document, intended as an informational aid to the assembly plant. It was not a Process document about how to build the car - those were internally-generated by the plant Industrial Engineering department and by the (Manufacturing) Production Engineering Group, covering the assembly sequence and use of all the assembly tooling and fixtures. Those were all internal documents, and hardly any of them have survived either, although I do have some from the Paint Shop.

[Gary C.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Rich and John, attached are photos of my '57 between the forward screw in the soft top well and the body door opening edge. Question - is this the correct area for the "Tee Nut" location or am I off base. Can not find any signs of rivets or a hole. Car came with an uninstalled soft top, but soft top lid had latches installed. Appreciate y'al's and anyone else's help with this. Thanks, Gary....

[Richard M.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Gary,

Yes that appears to be in the exact same area that my '59 looked like. No evidence of the Tee-Nut or rivets.It looks untouched by anyone. Since the decklid is easily removable and can be modified easily, in my opinion the body was built for Soft Top delete/HT only.

Rich

[Adam S.]

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Yes John, I could not agree more with your statment from the AIMs. I was told by a older corvette restorer that all hardtop lids weather dule top or Hard top only, the 3 bolt holes were not drilled till the finial fitment of the hardtop to body because all bodies were slightly different.....