What's with this hard top?

[Peter R.]

This is my first post since joining NCRS. I recently purchased a '57. It came with a hard top. The seller told me that the top might not be correct for the car. The odd thing about the top is that it has no stainless header moldings. Instead, the painted roof goes all the way to the front of the top. The front vertical surface of the top appears to be the front edge of the header aluminum structure. When the light hits the top at the right angle, I can see a faint line 1-1/8" from the front edge that runs all the way across the top from one side to the other (is 1-1/8" consistent with where the upper surface of the header aluminum should meet the fiberglass roof?). All three windows are dated coded "2 60" leading me to believe the top is a 1960. I think the headliner is also consistent with a 1960 top. My theory is that a previous owner filled the upper surface of the header aluminum with body filler or fiberglass and then painted it as part of the roof. If my theory is correct, I'm thinking of scoring the top with a utility knife along the line at 1-1/8" from the front edge and then chipping the filler out of the upper surface of the header aluminum. Eventually I should be able to install the proper stainless header moldings.

Or is this simply what a 1960 top looks like under the header moldings and, if so, how are the moldings attached?

Anyone have other theories or suggestions?

Thanks for any help,

Pete

[Philip C.]

Re: What's with this hard top?

This is my first post since joining NCRS. I recently purchased a '57. It came with a hard top. The seller told me that the top might not be correct for the car. The odd thing about the top is that it has no stainless header moldings. Instead, the painted roof goes all the way to the front of the top. The front vertical surface of the top appears to be the front edge of the header aluminum structure. When the light hits the top at the right angle, I can see a faint line 1-1/8" from the front edge that runs all the way across the top from one side to the other (is 1-1/8" consistent with where the upper surface of the header aluminum should meet the fiberglass roof?). All three windows are dated coded "2 60" leading me to believe the top is a 1960. I think the headliner is also consistent with a 1960 top. My theory is that a previous owner filled the upper surface of the header aluminum with body filler or fiberglass and then painted it as part of the roof. If my theory is correct, I'm thinking of scoring the top with a utility knife along the line at 1-1/8" from the front edge and then chipping the filler out of the upper surface of the header aluminum. Eventually I should be able to install the proper stainless header moldings.

Or is this simply what a 1960 top looks like under the header moldings and, if so, how are the moldings attached?

Anyone have other theories or suggestions?

Thanks for any help,

Pete

Hi Pete and welcome, sounds like you have a 56, E57 hard top. 56-57-58 tops have a "y" chrome moulding at the rear corner of the side glass where the side-back-upper moudling join, 59-60 dont have this "Y" moudling. Phil 8063

[Peter R.]

Re: What's with this hard top?

Phil, My top doesn't have the "Y" moldings. The molding along the bottom of the side windows and the bottom of the rear window is one continuous molding. And don't forget about the "2 60" date code on all three windows. Pete

[Larry C.]

Re: What's with this hard top?

At some previous time, the 1960 stainless header moulding could have been removed, lost or damaged, and they filled in the screws holes that hold the aluminum header onto the hardtop and simply painted over it.

Larry

[Stan G.]

Re: What's with this hard top?

Peter looks like you are missing the SS front header and its retainer . I just finished a 59 top so mine is diff than the 56-58 tops and the headers were smaller on those tops . The 59-60 were about 2" wide . I would'nt score that mark you see I think I would carefuly sand a small area behind that mark that will be covered by the SS to see what they have done . Watch this U-TUBE video , It shows Glass Works installing that front SS header and you can see what its supposed to look like under that SS .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qSdKHk-4m_U&feature=related