<VV> Re: Top Frame

[Jim Bannister]

Bill,
Thanks for the great photos of you power top frame restoration.
Unfortunately, I think I've discovered that the "power top frame" that I
bought from a guy is a plain Jane POS standard manual frame.  With your
photos I'll dissect it more thoroughly tomorrow.  What really gets me, aside
from the wasted $$$, is I've barked my shins on this thing too many times to
count.  I've stumbled over it for over a year in my shop.  

Next topic: anybody got a "genuine" power top frame that they'd like to part
with?  Imposters need not apply.
Jim B.
'66 turbovert, awaiting real top frame. 

-----Original Message-----
From: virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org [mailto:virtualvairs-admin@corvair.org]
On Behalf Of Bill Hubbell
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 8:46 PM
To: vairologist@juno.com; Norman C. Witte
Cc: Virtual Vairs
Subject: <VV> Re: Top Frame

Sheese!  A guy gets a little behind on his E-mail and look at the grief he 
gets! (G)

Norm, I completely disassembled (as much as possible) my son's 1965 power 
top frame and sandblasted it in my cabinet and then painted it.  Yes, I did 
just dump all the bolts and nuts in a bucket, although I did keep the bolts,

washers, bushings, and nuts together as a unit.  Afterwards, it was rather 
interesting figuring it all out, but I did OK except for one weird part that

only exists on a power top frame and is not identified in any pictures in 
the parts books.  Fortunately for me, I found a fellow up in Canada who had 
a power top frame sitting in his basement and a quick phone call solved that

problem.  Pictures are here:
http://community.webshots.com/album/166830733VpMGzt

As for worries about sandblasting the joints you can't disassemble, it was 
not a problem at all.  I did blow them out carefully afterwards, and yes, 
paint did get into the joints, but after drying several days they worked 
fine with no binding, etc.  Obviously, I cannot speak to the effects of 
powder coating.

The header piece does come apart from the side pieces - remove the hex bolts

with Phillips head that attach the latch mechanism and then latches can be 
removed and the header slid out from the side pieces.  As for that strange 
Phillips screw, I really don't know what it does - I just took it out for 
cleaning and painting and put it back in afterwards.

Mark carefully the location of the male hinge where it attaches to the body 
so you don't have to go to a lot of trouble when you reattach it.  As for 
the rest of the adjustments, they really aren't so hard once you have the 
top frame reassembled on the car -- maybe easier with a power top, since you

can move it up and down to help adjust.  Anyway, the shop manual tells you 
how to do it.  Make sure the top frame is adjusted properly before you start

installing the new top fabric, though.

If you have any other questions, just ask!

Bill

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Norman C. Witte" <ncwitte@wittelaw.com>
To: <vairologist@juno.com>
Cc: <whubbell@cox.net>
Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 4:12 PM
Subject: RE: Top Frame


> Smitty, thanks, I will do that; in fact I just did via cc.  >:)  I took a
> lot of pictures, but maybe not enough.  I do have a second top mechanism 
> for
> a power top that I think I might not sell until I get mine correctly back
> together.  I compared them and although there are some crucial but minor
> dimensional differences, I think they are assembled the same way.
>
> I think maybe it would be a good idea for me to do a highly detailed
> presentation of putting it back together and adjusting it for my web page 
> so
> that there is a web reference with more detail than the body manual has. 
> I
> was thinking also of including a blow by blow on painting and adjustment.
>
> Norm
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: vairologist@juno.com [mailto:vairologist@juno.com]
>> Sent: Monday, December 13, 2004 2:51 PM
>> To: ncwitte@wittelaw.com
>> Subject: Top Frame
>>
>>
>>         I don't know if Dr Bill will respond to your request on VV or
>> not.  I would strongly recommend that you private post to him
>> requesting
>> information.  He not only had all the decisions to make that you are
>> having, but he also had a problem with the arrogance (we all have) of
>> thinking he could put whole thing went back together correctly from
>> memory.  He did have pictures of bushing and bolt instalation
>> details he
>> had to gather in order to do it right which he may share.
>>       Try
>>
>>
>> Smitty
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