C1 Hardtop Only Cars

**Jack H.** · June 29, 2010, 09:23 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

I believe the hard top option line item appeared as a no-charge item in the same way the soft top (with its fabric color) would show up as a no-charge item for soft top only cars...

**William C.** · June 29, 2010, 09:33 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Been a long time since I had one, but weren't the hardtop only solid axle cars titled as "Coupe"?

**Joseph T.** · June 29, 2010, 09:51 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Originally posted by David Dawdy (1624)

What happened when you order only one top and you selected the hardtop?
Was there an order option that showed up on the window sticker, etc?

Dave

Have you gone through all those slides?

How are things in Belleville? Ever think about that 10,000 mile 56?

Joe

**Vern M.** · July 3, 2010, 12:22 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

I just purchased a soft top for my 59 and was hoping to install it this weekend. Does anyone have photos or diagrams showing the brackets and necessary parts to make the installation easier. I have a book but the pictures are not the best.
If such pictures are available could they be emailed or FAXed to me.

I am a newer member and have used my limited skills to search NCRS and have not found what I need.

Thanks Vern Meighen 51806

**Richard M.** · July 3, 2010, 04:20 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Vern, Welcome to the NCRS and the TDB!.....I see you're a very new member. Yes the search function is cumbersome, especially because we have no separate categories for individual years or generations...........

You end up with too much info and hard to differentiate the years.

So......The 1959 Assembly Instruction Manual(AIM) has the info you need. Do you have a copy? They can be bought from the Store here on this site. If you don't have one, I could scan and send you a few pages that may help you get started(while you're waiting to get yours!

). However, if you do not have all of the necessary brackets etc you won't be able to get started.

My 59 was a hardtop only. The owner in 1970 bought a soft top for $250(

) and added it back then.

One issue in doing that though. Not a big deal but FYI.....Where the side brackets attach to the body at the big brackets behind the seats, in the upper outer corners of the bracket, the factory added a stud on each side bonded to the fiberglass to attach the bracket. Not absolutely necessary but helps keep the side window frames in correct position for alignment. This will be missing on a HT only car. You will not be able to add these studs. There is no access to get at the backside to install them as it's a closed cavity in the body. If your car once had the soft top, then the studs will be there.

Rich
p.s. so we don't hijack the thread, it may be better to start another one later if it gets too much off topic of the OP subject.

**David B.** · July 3, 2010, 11:58 AM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Richard,

Do you know if that side bolt holds true for '57's as well? I am trying to find that bolt in the '57 AIM - not seeing it. Perhaps added later? Are there other indicators of an original HT only C-1 as well?

Thanks,
Dave

**William C.** · July 3, 2010, 12:40 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Rather interesting note in the AIM regarding a spacer washer used behind what appears to be the seatbelt anchor to take up the space filled by the added suppert structure behind the seat on a convertible. RPO 419 sheet 3.00

**Gary C.** · July 3, 2010, 05:05 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Bill, using the spacer in lieu of the soft top brackets behind the seats is the only difference for '57 hard top only cars. Am interested in more information on Rich's comment about the stud being bonded in. Gary....

**Richard M.** · July 3, 2010, 07:36 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Gary, et al.......Sorry but I thought it was a stud. Now that I got a chance to look at the AIM closely, I should have called it a Tee Nut, which is riveted to the body. Section C Sheet 1.00. I was mistaken and sorry for the confusion.

It's the Tee Nut that won't be installed for a HT only car to the best of my knowledge. My 59 did not have them. I have looked at several other HT only examples(can't recall exactly the years), and they are missing also. I am unsure if some HT only cars have the Tee Nuts.

Below photo references:
1- AIM Section C Sheet 1.00 (Tee Nut)
2- AIM Section C Sheet 1.00 (View B)
3- AIM Section J Sheet 3.00 (upper left of full page)
4- My '59. No Tee Nuts were there on both sides when I removed the Soft Top for restoration in 1992. As mentioned before my soft top was added in 1970 by the PO. As I saw in the AIM then in '92, they should have been there and was confused. I surmised then that because my car was delivered HT only, they were missing deliberately. My car had nothing there, no holes, no evidence of rivets ever holding the Tee Nut. I tried to install some 1/4-20 threaded inserts into the FG, but to no avail. That didn't work out. I left the inserts there but never could get a bolt to tighten up.

Rich

Attached Files

**Richard M.** · July 3, 2010, 07:44 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

....2 photos of a 59 built a week or so after mine, Soft Top only, with the bolts into the Tee Nuts. Not on the right side......a blob of bonding adhesive after the bracket was installed and the bolts tightened. This tells me that the brackets were installed at the body build.

Last photo is my 59 driver's side.
No Tee Nut there either. Before I tried my threaded insert modification, this area was smooth and no evidence of rivets also.

Rich
p.s. sorry about the lousy photos, I was in a hurry and camera batteries running out!

Attached Files

**Gary C.** · July 3, 2010, 08:07 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Rich, question is - did the factory body build assemblers know that a particular body was soft top delete? Have always been told that everything in the "non-RPO" sections of the AIMs were applied to all cars. Interesting. Gary....

**John H.** · July 3, 2010, 08:21 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Originally posted by Gary Chesnut (5895)

Rich, question is - did the factory body build assemblers know that a particular body was soft top delete? Have always been told that everything in the "non-RPO" sections of the AIMs were applied to all cars. Interesting. Gary....

Gary -

Yes, they did. Whether it was a soft top-only car, a hardtop-only car, or a 2-top car was on the Body Shop Run Sheet that was issued for each 500-unit "schedule"; the run sheet had a line for each car in the schedule, with that car's sequential Body Shop Job Number, showing the options it had that affected the body build and the Paint Shop.

For the current example, they had to know whether or not to install the "pie pans" and top mounting brackets, and they had to know which top compartment lid to install (only soft top holes, only hardtop holes, or both sets of holes). The high-volume top compartment lid came into the plant with the soft top latch holes already cut in it for soft top cars, and they added the hardtop holes to that panel for 2-top cars. Hardtop-only cars took a raw panel with NO holes in it, and the plant added the hardtop holes.

That's what the "Folding Top Lid Instruction, 3727766" means in the '56-'57 A.I.M., Section E, sheet 2.00, in the upper right corner; that "instruction" detailed which holes each condition got, and which panel to use for each condition.

**Gary C.** · July 3, 2010, 08:27 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

John, thanks. Understood they had a build sheet for each car, but didn't know it started with body assembly. Makes one one why there's no instruction note for that bonded in "T"? Gary....

**John H.** · July 3, 2010, 08:42 PM

Re: C1 Hardtop Only Cars

Originally posted by Gary Chesnut (5895)

John, thanks. Understood they had a build sheet for each car, but didn't know it started with body assembly. Makes one one why there's no instruction note for that bonded in "T"? Gary....

Actually, there wasn't a build sheet for each individual car until they left the Paint Shop and were loaded on the Hard Trim Line. The Body Shop Run Sheet in the 50's was a manually-typed packet (mimeographed copies stapled together) with 500 line items on it (one line for each car). The Body Shop Superintendent got copies, and so did the Paint Shop Superintendent.

The tee nut in Section J, sheet 3.00 didn't need an "instruction", as it was part of the base car condition; every car got them unless it was a hardtop-only car, which was an optional exception to the "base car" condition (when you ordered a Corvette, it came with a soft top as standard equipment).

C1 Hardtop Only Cars

C1 Hardtop Only Cars

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