West Peterson Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 I've been told it's not right to ask a trivia question without knowing the answer, but here i go anyway: How many motors does it take to operate the retractable top of a Skyliner??? I'm really not looking for guesses. I'd like to know the correct answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 Enough to get the roof either halfway up or halfway down. I can honestly say that in my 66 years on Earth I've never seen one with the roof fully up and latched or fully down and hidden. Never. 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 1 hour ago, West Peterson said: I've been told it's not right to ask a trivia question without knowing the answer, but here i go anyway: How many motors does it take to operate the retractable top of a Skyliner??? I'm really not looking for guesses. I'd like to know the correct answer. What year? 57-58 use seven motors, 1959s were redesigned to use only six 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalef62 Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 (edited) 7 for the 57-58, 6 for the 59. But if you are talking just retracting the roof, 1. 1 for the top, 1 for the trunk lid lift/lower, 1 for the trunk lid lock screws, 1 for the flapper, 1 for the front windshield screw locks, 2 for the rear roof lock screws( 1 on 59's) 10 relays and over 600 feet of wire. Edited May 18, 2023 by dalef62 (see edit history) 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 I remember a lot of solenoid switches in my friend's T Bird. He told me how many years ago, I can't remember. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dalef62 Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 Birds of a feather... 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 18, 2023 Share Posted May 18, 2023 1 hour ago, rocketraider said: Enough to get the roof either halfway up or halfway down. Sometimes you gotta wonder about that. Do they go all the way down? 2 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Luddy Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 I currently have a 2010 Chysler Sebring convert. with a highly over engineered retractable roof. It's not a great deal better than the 61 T-Bird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 4 hours ago, 60FlatTop said: Sometimes you gotta wonder about that. Do they go all the way down? 30 years or so ago I took the 1969 Toronado to a local show where a well-known local Ford collector had a 59 Skyliner on display. In the required Skyliner stance of course. Me being the smart-ass that I am, I said "Harry Lee, will the tops on these cars even go more than halfway down?" It's a gas when a 75 year old calls you a damn little smart-ass SOB and tells you to do anatomically impossible things to yourself!😆😏 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
60FlatTop Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 Those were both John Bush's cars. He lived two blocks south of me and there was no way I could pass that picture up. Taken in 2005. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JACK M Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 I was able to get Victorias 57 working both ways from the dash. She, of course likes it in mid position like all the others. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted May 19, 2023 Share Posted May 19, 2023 👍 that you got it working. Tell her to stand out from the herd!😃 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
28 Chrysler Posted May 20, 2023 Share Posted May 20, 2023 I can tell you that I never want to do the adjustments on a Skyliner roof again. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted May 22, 2023 Author Share Posted May 22, 2023 Thank you all... and especially to all the smart-ass SOBs 🙃 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Yer welcome. We aim to please! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted May 22, 2023 Share Posted May 22, 2023 Ford Motor Co reportedly spent $2M developing the prototype retractable hardtop for the Continental Mark II to the point of a running prototype. When it was realized that at the potential sales volume for that rarified luxury coupe any profit was impossible, the project transferred for further development for the upcoming all-new 1957 Ford platform, at an additional $18M cost. At 48,394 Fairlane 500 Skyliners sold over three years, it was an expensive vanity project, though great showroom attractions to get folks in the door. Ford did derive further benefits from the development engineering applying it to the soft-top 1958-1966 Thunderbird and 1958-1967 Lincoln Continental convertibles. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlestown Mike Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 I am impressed by the tiny "safe" luggage area in the middle of all that trunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joe_padavano Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 2 hours ago, Littlestown Mike said: I am impressed by the tiny "safe" luggage area in the middle of all that trunk. More impressive is the special fitted luggage designed to exactly fill that space. Of course, not the only time this was done. Remember the special fitted luggage for Pontiac Fieros that were designed to fit every nook and cranny in the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 I'll bet chiropractors loved retractables. Just thinking about trying to get luggage in and out of the basket makes my back hurt!😬 Apparently no one at GM thoroughly considered flat tires on the Fiero. The donut spare fit in the front compartment. The full-size flat tire would not. And since not every Fiero got the luggage rack on the engine compartment cover... Where is the spare tire and jack stored on a Retractable? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
58L-Y8 Posted May 23, 2023 Share Posted May 23, 2023 3 hours ago, rocketraider said: I'll bet chiropractors loved retractables. Just thinking about trying to get luggage in and out of the basket makes my back hurt!😬 Where is the spare tire and jack stored on a Retractable? If I recall correctly, the spare tire and jack are stored under the luggage basket...that thought makes anyone's back ache thinking about having to lift it out over the quarter panel sides. Chances are any Skyliner owner who ever had a flat tire had new tires installed annually in hopes to avoid that misery. Owners of 1958-1966 Thunderbird and 1958-1967 Lincoln Continental convertibles also faced that problem but they likely had Auto Club or AAA memberships just in case. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Littlestown Mike Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 23 hours ago, joe_padavano said: More impressive is the special fitted luggage designed to exactly fill that space. Of course, not the only time this was done. Remember the special fitted luggage for Pontiac Fieros that were designed to fit every nook and cranny in the car? That makes it just like the Mercedes Gull Wing, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8E45E Posted May 24, 2023 Share Posted May 24, 2023 (edited) 20 hours ago, rocketraider said: I'll bet chiropractors loved retractables. Just thinking about trying to get luggage in and out of the basket makes my back hurt! The 1997 Mercedes Benz SLK (R170) changed all that, with a trunklid that could also open conventionally. Until that time, it was a back-breaking and rather time-consuming operation to access the trunk. Since then, every retractable convertible on the market have trunks that open conventionally, thus incresing their popularity somewhat. Craig Edited May 24, 2023 by 8E45E (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1957Birdman Posted May 25, 2023 Share Posted May 25, 2023 The other problem with the "Hideaway Hardtop" was the styling, in my opinion. With that bustle back it just didn't look as good as the Sunliner, which had much better proportions. It did have an advantage from a saftey standpoint as the gas tank was moved in front of the rear axle from the normal position under the trunk, to make room from the spare tire. Lew Bachman 1957 Thunderbird Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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