OK, I've got the fever. Not sure that it's going to go away any time soon.
Need some help on what to look for specifically with convertibles. One thing I've noticed is the door margins on some cars are wider at the bottom edge than at the top. How common is it for these cars to sag? Is a sagging car fixable and at what cost. I know to look for the shakers. How special is the power top? Seems the option would be nice but hardly ever used.
Any answers or any other comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Doug

One thing to look for is of course rust in area more difficult to repair than a coupe. One such area is the inner rocker panels. These are unique to a convertible and not available as a repo part. Because the car is a convertible, obviously the floor pan and inner rockers, etc are more susceptible to water, etc, so these areas are even more prone to the dreaded "rot".

Also some convert items are very expensive to replace even with repop parts such as header chrome, inner well drip rail, etc.. anything specific to a convert seems to pull down more cash to have it replaced. The price you pay for top down cool I guess.

I have a manual top car and if an extensive option list is not a big deal and you merely have the top down fever, a manual top is all you need IMO. Besides, the reason you have a wind blown car is to have the top "down".

Good luck with the fever.

ragtops are the best!!!

Sometimes I wish I had a power top (and power windows) but the fact is I can raise it or drop it alone faster than the motor could anyway.

Important thing is rust / strength. While people replace rockers and floors in coupes all the time, I wouldn't go near a vert that needed either. I do belkive the vert rockers are reprod now tho if you're into replacing metal.

Jim's vert test: Blue masking tape all 4 corners of the doors. Jack up car from front leaf spring eye, one side at a time. tape moves, pass on car. open and close doors with one corner of car up high enuf to lift the wheel... do all 4 wheels. Nuttin better move, door better open and close just like ti did when the car was on the ground.

Doug -

Going to start hanging with us vert guys, I can see it now....

I did a search for some good underside photos, but came up dry. With a general idea of where to look, I am hoping you can play one of these things is not like the other vs. the coupe.

Well, the vert rockers are actually available repro now, but look closely at the rockers, and I mean closely. Major corrosion bulges in the bottom seam are bad. Check the front of the rocker where it meets the side of the cowl for cracks (my 68 stress cracked here from bad rockers and a bad floor patch job.

Look closely at all the extra underside braces, where the cowl/toepan meets the floor and the welded X below the floor, under the front seat, and the welds where these braces meet a connecting point.

IF the interior is out, confirm it has braces at the front of the brackseat floor pan, and that the "dogbones" (bolt on braces under where the rear arm rests sit) are there.

If the quarters have been replaced, make sure the vert specific inner quarter panel brace is still there on each side. It welds to the top of the wheelhouse, and is visible from in the trunk.

It is common for them to sag, but bad gaps could just be shot hinge bushings too. Replacing rockers is no fun. You can just weld in frame connectors; that's what I did on the 68.

Power top is pretty cool. The 68 was power, the 69 is not. I think I am going to miss dropping the top at a redlight with a push of the switch.

Wow!! Glad I asked. I thought the only additional brace was the underside X brace. Thanks for the tips and keep them comming.
Doug

Ragtops are the only way to go , I drove mine for the first week with the top up , and then JimM showed Me the way , it is great to drive with the top down . All I need now in My supercharger and I will be set .
Mark .

Doug,

I'm currently replacing the entire floor plus both rockers on my '68 vert, along with all of the underfloor bracing, frame connectors etc. All of the parts are new and it's going together pretty well, except I'm missing one of the dogbones (passenger side, if anyone has one). If you have any questions about this area, let me know!

You don't need a power top. I would rather have a manual top after owning my car. It's easy to put up and down by myself. A Camaro is a small enough car that a power top really isn't needed IMO.

I'd agree that a power top really isn't a must have feature. The most important thing is the fact that the top drops!

Ed - are you documenting your progress? I'd love to see it. Every first gen convertible deserves to be saved!

Verts Rock!!

I have a manual top as well, and don't even want a power top.

There is nothing like cruising in a parade and having people yell (loud enough for the Vette guy in front of ya to hear) how you have the baddest car in the parade. That was a cool feeling.

Doug,

I'm currently replacing the entire floor plus both rockers on my '68 vert, along with all of the underfloor bracing, frame connectors etc. All of the parts are new and it's going together pretty well, except I'm missing one of the dogbones (passenger side, if anyone has one). If you have any questions about this area, let me know!

...I DO have an extra dogbone, ...need to check which side it's from.
...I will PM you on this...

At some point the vibration dampner (cocktail shaker) mounts in the trunk were removed. Either because of a qtr panel repair, or whatever.

Have not been able to get that piece yet repro or from a yard

Make sure that part is there

Here is a pic of the bracing on my 68 vert. http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a180/mr396/camaro/e30.jpg

Ed - are you documenting your progress? I'd love to see it. Every first gen convertible deserves to be saved!

I am documenting every last thing I can as I work on this car. So far we have the floor take out and one of the rockers. The new floor/rockers/bracing/forward quarters/toeboards will be going in over the next two weeks. I've been taking about 30-40 pictures every day, so there's no lack of detail photos. If there's anything in particular you want to see, let me know and when time comes around to work on that part, I'll make sure I get exactly the pics you want to see. Other than that, when it's completed (not the car, just the floors), I'll be attempting to put all the pics up on a site to share with all the others doing this same thing.

Ed - Just let us know when you get them posted! My verts going to need the same thing (floors and rockers) when I get the time and money. Right now I have neither!

I have a power top. There is nothing like coming up to a stop light, revving the engine a bit, unlocking the top and hitting the switch. Rebuilt top motor and original cylinders it takes almost half a minute for the top to go down, but it's thirty seconds of cool.

can anyone post a pic of the bracing from the quarters to the wheelwell? Mine are there, but the lower end is just hanging in the air!!!

can anyone post a pic of the bracing from the quarters to the wheelwell? Mine are there, but the lower end is just hanging in the air!!!


JimM........Do you mean with the quarter removed ????


bob

In my younger years ive owned 69 Z/28's, bigblock 4speed hardtops and both were fun to drive/very enjoyable, of course highway driving wasn't good on the Z/28 with the 302 with some gear out back, same with the bigblock cars, just not driver friendly at all, however i now own a couple of smallblock/automatic trans. convertibles which are twice as enjoyable to drive with the top down with no issues at all highway driving at 100mph or more if you wanted to, except a ticket.

JimM........Do you mean with the quarter removed ????


bob
From in the trunk would be fine.

I've always wondered about these braces on my car, they go forward and down toward the wheelwell. It seems like they should be bolted to this lil flange on the wheelwell, problem is thay are a good inch away !!!!

Hope this helps



bob

Any fever with "convertible" in it is expensive to cure.

I wish there was just a co-pay or some such thing. It's going to be at least 25K for a cure.

I've still got the itch but I'm learning alot about all the extra parts the convertibles came with. I'm glad I didn't jump right in. Hope I can find something close so I can save shipping costs and look at it first.
Doug