37 Packard 120 Convertible Top

I am working on a restoration plan for my 1937 Packard 120 Convertible. The convertible top mechanism inside is chrome plated and I would like to re-plate it during the restoration process while everything is disassembled. It looks like the pieces are joined using rivets that hold the mechanism together and serve as pivot points. Taking it apart appears to be straight forward, drill out the rivets and everything comes apart. Putting everything back together and having the top go up and down as designed looks like the challenge. Is there someone who has replaced their rivets and if so, how did you do it? In the end, I would like to have an operation top. Thanks!

In the past we have made new top assemblies for these cars from polished stainless steel. Expensive, but no danger of chipping off chrome while installing rivets. In any case you want to lathe out stainless rivets and install very carefully. You also want to oversize all the holes in the irons before having them plated.

Restorer32,

You are more advanced in your knowledge of these kinds of things than I am. What does it mean to lathe out stainless steel rivets. Second question, what does one do to hold them in place and have a finished appearance. Do they get upset like normal rivets? I may have to send them to someone to have the rivets installed but I am not even sure as to what I should ask them to do. Over the years, I have sent out things to have work done on them only to have the piece ruined by the shop doing the work. It has made me more cautious. I am guessing I will have only one chance to get these parts done right. They are hard to find. Thanks!

You cannot buy rivets that look like the originals on your top. There are several different sizes with several different head shapes. You would have to have someone make you new rivets of the proper size and shape. Some of these rivets are countersunk and ground flush, an impossible operation if the irons are chromed. Yes, the rivets that are not flush are upset like normal rivets. The originals must have been plated after the irons were assembled, with predictable results.

I had the same issue when I re-chromed my convertible top hardware. After thinking a long time about it, I simply had the chrome shop re-chrome the mechanisms in the fully extended position (i.e., as if the top was up). Think about it. When the top is up is when people see the chrome job on the hinges; when the top is down and the hinges are compressed, who sees them? They are buried under the boot. They came out beautifully. OK, so I cheated.