I'm working on (another) '68 Camaro convertible project car.

It's originally a manual top. I struggle with leaving it that way, as it's obviously much less money and much less work involved. However, when I think about resale, I search far and wide to get what I need to convert it to a power top.

My question to you is, would you rather buy restored car with a manual top, that costs less and is more true to the original build (though it's not a matching numbers car), or pay more for the convenience/luxury of a power top?

Power Tops are nice and don't mind a manual top, does not help me decide to buy or sell a Camaro Ragtop. I make sure the car is in good condition overall. Changing a manual top to power is a waste of time and money.

Jeff G.
69 Vert Triple Black 4-Speed
69 Vert Hugger Orange 4-Speed
69 Z/28
69 Z11 - Sold

I'd convert to power windows first before the top any day.

The manual mechanism works fine and isn't an issue.

Well, as a Camaro vert owner who drives his a lot, having the power top is not all its cracked up to be.

The reality is this:
1. You still need to get out and crank the windows down and refold the top halfway through. So if you want the power top to help you just sit in the seat and operate it, that is not reality. Cause driving with the top down and the windows up, is not cool.

2. When new Camaro owners are shopping for verts, they first look for all the bells and whistles, power this, extra option that. What it does it to add to the cost and complexity of the car, both in fixing and restoring. The more simple a car is, the easier it is to fix. Case in point, RS option, the headlights are a pain, vacuum leaks, lots of parts, expensive, but they look cool and that is why people want them. But if you have ever been to a show when everyone is leaving in the dark, but you have to get out and manual move the door, it loses some of the cool factor :D

3. power tops will fail, either you are in a place where you need to get the top up or down (like I did last year in my garage, stopped halfway when I was trying to get someplace, turned out to be a poor connection at the switch). or the rams fail or you bust a line or fitting. Then you have an ATF spill. Not fun to clean under the back seat!

with all that said would I still have a power top? yes, even with all the quirks, its still cool. But if I had a manual top car already complete, I would not change it.

BTW, you do realize the top frame is different between manual and power. You would have to change it and R&R the canvas. not a small job!

I"ve never considered it and have had our vert 20 years. 1 Minute up or down with 1 person. As said, I would do PW's first.

I have both power windows & a power top, & I love both of them. My car is a semi-daily-driver. I use the power options on a regular bases, even at a stop light sometimes. Neither the power top nor windows have ever given me any trouble (since I converted the power top switch years ago).

If you are planning on selling the car, I wouldn't hassle with it. I just don't think it would affect a serious buyer enough, one way or the other.

Adding power windows to a camaro is not a small task either! :) Cutting holes in the doors and body, grounding issues, all those wiring harnesses. But a very nice option! I have them for my SS, yes all the bells and whistles there! :D

Its probably a couple thou$ just in parts to convert (ha!) to power top. Frame, pump, rams, wiring etc. I don't think it would add $2K to the value of the car. This comes from someone with a manual top who is jealous of those with power tops.

The thing is, when you're driving down a twisty road with the top down on a warm sunny day, who the hell cares?

The only problem I see with a Manual Top is if it needs parts during restoration/repair/service.
For the most part there aren't any parts available for them ...
Sure, you can get some bolts or things that are common to the Power Top - and of course the spring system that was used on lots of GM models - but other than that, if you need a frame piece you're SOL.

At that point I consider a Power Conversion worth the time and hassle.
You can buy complete 'kits' with all the parts to convert or just a new/used frame and piece the rest together yourself.

For a 'resto' resale I agree, the Power Top and other options tend to add the 'wow' factor many are seeking in a 'vert purchase.
Unless ... the rest of the vehicle is spot-on correct and the manual top is original - then I have never seen it be an issue with the sale or price :cool:

Verts are rare to begin with, solid verts more rare, rust free rocker - solid verts most rare.

Having/not having a power top would be on the bottom of my priority list if I were searching.

I have an OEM pwr top, and it is the bomb, but this option was no where in the decision tree for go/no go when I purchased

i've had mine since 84, and when it went through restoration the last 2 years I thought about switching to power since the frame was out and top was being replaced anyway, and the frame needed the front bow replaced. I stuck with the manual top for the same reasons mentioned by Kevin, you still have to get out of the car to do a bunch going down, and it's only helpful (minimally) going up. Not worth changing IMHO.

My 67 convertible has power top and power windows . the 69 pace car i am restoring I changed it to a power top and power windows .used power top frames are hard to find. The only real advantage is if it begins to rain you can raise the top and windows fast even at a red light without getting out of the car and i could see any advantage of the power top without power windows.

I agree with one of the statements above. Power windows & top complement one another & go hand–in-hand for all practical purposes. It was 70+ degrees here in Dallas, TX today. I was driving way, way across town to have lunch with an old friend from work.
It started to rain while I was in pretty heavy traffic, going stop light to stop light. No problem; I opened my glove box (where I have the power top button mounted). The top is up in just a few seconds, & when the light turned green, I started buzzing up the windows. I know the people around me at the red light got a kick out of seeing the “transformation.” :)

I agree. its not really a bid deal if you dont have one, but its nice if the car came with it. I have one and can change the switch in about 5 minutes. I first took teh seat out to get in there with my head squished in the brake but can do it by feel now with a little socket extension i have. I went through cylinder and put in a new motor a few years ago. I think camaro convertibles are generally still underpriced and a great buy now too

Camaro's are small cars. A manual top is quick and easy to put up or down. Now if we're talking Chevelle or Impala my opinion might be different. I can put my top up or down in about 30 seconds.

Had my power top vert since 82 and the top worked great. Around 89 one of the rams started leaking and I disconnected it and haven't missed it. Going down with power I still had to get out and fold it as it went down. It did come in handy when getting caught in the rain and it needed to go up. Maybe some day I will get around to fixing it.

i have a standard plastic window and the top goes down without incident by itself nicely. .Ive never had to help it or fold it. what do you guys mean when you say you have to help it down? and why does that happen?

i have a standard plastic window and the top goes down without incident by itself nicely. .Ive never had to help it or fold it. what do you guys mean when you say you have to help it down? and why does that happen?There's a section of the top you are supposed to pull out away from the frame when you put the top down so the material folds out instead of following the frame in. If it follows the frame in it will pinch the material and eventually cause a weak spot that will fail / tear / leak. It can also cause a stack height increase in the folded top which could cause additional loading on the power top cylinders to get it down into place. Any additional stack height would also make putting the boot on that much harder.

There's a section of the top you are supposed to pull out away from the frame when you put the top down so the material folds out instead of following the frame in. If it follows the frame in it will pinch the material and eventually cause a weak spot that will fail / tear / leak. It can also cause a stack height increase in the folded top which could cause additional loading on the power top cylinders to get it down into place. Any additional stack height would also make putting the boot on that much harder.

:yes: What he said^ The boot fits tight when the material is pulled out but if you leave under the frame it wont go down tight and the boot will not fit.

i have a standard plastic window and the top goes down without incident by itself nicely. .Ive never had to help it or fold it. what do you guys mean when you say you have to help it down? and why does that happen?

When the cars were sold new the came with this card providing instructions on putting the top down.

http://i148.photobucket.com/albums/s11/j_strahan/Convertibletoppicture.jpg

The biggest advantage I have found having a power top is at the end of the day, I remove the boot (if it's being used) and push a button and the top comes up. If I had to do this manually I would be inclined to leave it down when it's best to store the top in the up position every night.

ah, thanks for the replies. my top does seem to have a weak spot and im guessing that is why...improper care for many years im guessing, great info to know. my boot seems to fit ok but im going to check this out tomorrow and try to figure out the right way to assist the top when putting it down. i havent put the top down much but this is great to be aware of.
:thumbsup:

There's a section of the top you are supposed to pull out away from the frame when you put the top down so the material folds out instead of following the frame in. If it follows the frame in it will pinch the material and eventually cause a weak spot that will fail / tear / leak. It can also cause a stack height increase in the folded top which could cause additional loading on the power top cylinders to get it down into place. Any additional stack height would also make putting the boot on that much harder.

:yes: What he said^ The boot fits tight when the material is pulled out but if you leave under the frame it wont go down tight and the boot will not fit.

Even w/ p top & windows. Concentrate on making the car the best you can. brian.

Just for the record: My top must be 20 years old now. I NEVER assisted it while putting it up & down with the original power motor system.
It has NOT worn the top out, or gotten holes from my lack of assistance.
At this point I DO need to replace the top though. Its just so old, it looks kind of worn out & grungy . I guess that's pretty good top mileage for a daily driver. :)

A good scrubbing with warm water, and baking soda might extend its life cosmetically a season or two.

I have a manual top on my 67, and PT on my 69, and other than the "cool" factor or raising the top automatically, there is not much of an advantage. As a matter of fact, my cylinders are leaking on my 69 and need to be rebuilt, so there can be extra expense and headache involved with the power top.

On the other hand, I had a PT and power windows on my 70 Cutlass SX, and that was a really nice setup. The parade boots on those cars had a bead that slid into a channel behind the top of the back seat to hold the front of the boot down, and there were flat plastic tabs that simply slid under the top well molding on the body. When I wanted to put the top up or take it down, I could leave the boot attached at the channel and flip it forward out of the way - then flip it down into the well when the top was up. No fussing with folding the top the correct way when putting it down either. GM seemed to put a little more thought into the design of the tops on those cars.

My car has a manual top and I am glad, If given a choise I would chose the manual top over the power one just because it is very unliky that the manual top will ever have a problem and as others have said you should pull the top out as it goes down so you have to get out of the car anyway.

Thanks for the info Dennis, our 68 Vert has a power top and I never knew I was supposed to help fold it out of the way. :o I will say that in the years we have owned it, I never once had to do anything more than hit the switch from the drivers seat for it to go completely up or down.

I just finished my build a few months ago. I compromised and did power windows and prewired for the power top...all the wiring is there and waiting for the motor and Rams. I did make sure that my top frame was the correct one for a power set up (and it is, thank goodness). So If I feel someday that I must have the power top it is just a matter of getting the parts and installing...:yes:
I think this was a good happy medium.

The manual top goes down in about 20 seconds (disassembled the whole frame, powder-coated and reassembled with greased fittings so it works really easily) and I can usually do it by myself from one side (except for hooking up the hold downs). I think I would like it either way(with or without power)..and for saving the $1,000.00 for the parts and install...I like it the cheep way. :thumbsup: