Auxiliary Hardtop

GrayCav56 · September 29th, 2009

My 66 Corvette won it's First Junior in Greensburg in 2005, and I am hoping that the improvements I have made since then will make it competitive for its Senior Award next week at Hershey.

At Greensburg, I showed the car with its soft top, however the car was delivered with the optional auxiliary hard top as well. (Believe it or not this Pennsylvania car was used year round!)

I'd like to show it this time with the soft top stored in its well, with the hard top installed.

Is this OK by the rules? I seem to recall that the top must be "up" but don't remember if it specified which one.

Shop Rat · September 30th, 2009

You should be able to show it with the hard top in place and the soft top stowed in it's well since it came from the factory with both.

We have a '74 Mercedes Benz 450 SL and like your car it came with a soft top and a hard top as an orginal option from the factory.

Jay Wolf · September 30th, 2009

That is how I and most 55-57 t-bird owner show there cars.

GrayCav56 · September 30th, 2009

Thanks guys. I'll bring the hardtop out of storage and polish her up then. Of course, first I have to learn how to replace brushes in my Delcotron alternator. Last night when I was cleaning her up I heard a rattle and found one of the brushes had broken from its copper wire and was jammed between the slip ring and the rotor. Hmm. I wonder if this is why she was cooking batteries!

Never did this before, so wish me luck!

Shop Rat · September 30th, 2009

Old vehicles are like old plumbing, they just love Murphy's Law

and have taken it as their own mantra.

Good luck. Hope you do make it to Hershey.

Jay Wolf · September 30th, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrayCav56

Thanks guys. I'll bring the hardtop out of storage and polish her up then. Of course, first I have to learn how to replace brushes in my Delcotron alternator. Last night when I was cleaning her up I heard a rattle and found one of the brushes had broken from its copper wire and was jammed between the slip ring and the rotor. Hmm. I wonder if this is why she was cooking batteries!

Never did this before, so wish me luck!

The only thing to remember is the top can not help you it can only hurt you in judging!!! Unless your soft top it bad, in that case remove the soft top and show only the hard top it the Corvette was sold with hard top only.
The Thunderbird you could be with either top or both tops.

GrayCav56 · September 30th, 2009

It's not that the soft top is bad, but it was put on the car in the late 80's. This was before the later generation of reproduction tops that have the date coding embossed on the back window and the small tag on the back that most folks removed immediately upon returning home, if not sooner.

I also drive this car quite a bit....with the top stowed, so it has the resultant wrinkles.

Don't get me wrong, the top is fine....no rips, tears, discoloration or anything like that. It's just that as I have improved the rest of the car it looks less great by comparison.

Shop Rat · October 1st, 2009

Quote:

Originally Posted by GrayCav56

.....I also drive this car quite a bit....with the top stowed, so it has the resultant wrinkles. ......

Years ago I asked my former Apprentice School instructor about deducting for "wrinkles" in a soft top. He agreed with my feelings about it, unless the wrinkles from putting the top down have caused damage to the top they should not be deducted for. The wrinkles that are meant to be deducted for are the ones created by a poor quality top or poor workmanship in the installation of the top.

Convertibles are delivered from the factory with the top up, but when was the last time you saw a convertible sitting in a showroom with the top up? The dealers put the tops down

into the storage well and trust me, they get wrinkles in them.

GrayCav56 · October 1st, 2009

Boy, I hope they don't put ME down because I have a few wrinkles!

I'm going to bring up the top from its cozy basement storage today and plop it on the car and make a judgement call.

I ordered my alternator brushes yesterday and pick them up from Napa this morning, so that will be fixed. Last night I pulled the clock and found out the problem....the one gear shaft is disconnected and I will need to find a quick watch repair shop in mindstate PA!

boettger · October 5th, 2009

Tony

Perhaps there should be a standard deduction for WRINKLES.

OOps, Remember we're judging cars, NOT Owners!