Hardtop Body Seal Installation

[Greg Bryan]

I've been putting my hour a day in on the top resurrection. Today I repaired the U-channel that the body seal attaches to. I have a 'parts' top to salvage the items I need to get the job done.

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I cut a piece out of the donor top

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And spot welded it in - now I can reinstall the rubber seal

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The alloy deco strip shines up pretty good, but the overall condition of the two pieces (rt and lt) is marginal. I measured the strip and the windshield insert on my C cab and they are the same width - 14mm. If the attaching tang is the same, I wonder if it's possible to reach out to whomever is recreating the windshield insert to get two 5 foot straight pieces to make new strips? Worth looking into ...

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Here are two Serial number plates from my tops - the upper one is from the donor top - number 3086 which makes it a very early top.
The lower plate is from the top I'm restoring - number 75344. The CoA for my car lists a hardtop, this could be it, I suppose, as this serial number puts it at the end of C production. That should improve my chances for it to fit right.

[Brad Ripley]

Your hardtop goes to a car mfg'd during Jan 1963 see attachment list

[Greg Bryan]

Thanks, Brad - well, too much of a stretch to think this was the original top to my car.

[Rudy Bernhard]

Just saw this thread. Have some photos of the ends of the body deal, and how it was finished on an early 60 hardtop. Will send a sketch of the end rubber piece (NLA, unless someone makes it). Starting this project soon. With help... Photos are of both ends, so remember one end is the mirror image of the other. Rubber piece is 45-50mm long, about 30 mm wide and 15mm high. The cutout is wedge shaped. the end is only 5 mm high. This is based on the as found stuff in the pictures, 60 years old.

[Dave Lagerstrom]

Following this thread as I am in the same point in my project.

Rudy, those photos and info are awesome. Thank you.

I would also like to get a copy of the sketch if possible.

[Rudy Bernhard]

Sketch as promised. Remember construct two, one mirror image of other .. note bow body deal is cut to accommodate the profile. Included part numbers from hardtop diagram from Porsche PET, parts diagram page 811-35 that shows hardtop blowup diagram. Note the notch shown on the top of part 13. Don't know if later hardtops had this notch already formed in rubber profile, but in 1960 the tech cut it himself. also note shaved down in pictures to reduce height at inside of profile's top area.

[Rudy Bernhard]

Picture of diagram for talk viewing without downloading.

[Greg Bryan]

Great detail, Rudy, and we appreciate the drawing. I saw that in the PET (#13) and had no idea what it was - looks like another challenge to find something to substitute.

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[Rudy Bernhard]

reshoot fuzzy pictures and add some more.

[Rudy Bernhard]

anybody have a line on the chrome turnbuckle covers (item 35, above). If so, I get first dibs! Please contact me if you have some for sale, or know a source. Rudy

[Bill Sargent]

Jim Liberty made a very small run of them a few years ago. Not sure if he has any left. Otherwise they are exceedingly rare.

[Spike Jones]

Anyone have pics of the chrome turnbuckle cover in place? I'm probably not the only cab owner who has never seen any on or off of a cab.

[Greg Bryan]

By the way Bill, thanks for your several threads on this subject - very good reference - I printed them all out and took them to my man cave

[Greg Bryan]

Spike - here's a thread regarding the turn buckle covers
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=27182&p=133226&hili ... rs#p133226

[Greg Bryan]

Got the rubber seal and the alloy strips in today.

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This is one of the hardest things I've ever done on a car!
I finally glued the rubber strip into the channel with 3M Weatherstrip glue as trying to get the alloy strip into its groove was pushing the strip out of place. Maybe not copacetic but I couldn't think of any other way to do it. I did see in one of Bill Sargent's posts that he pinched the rubber by deforming the u-channel (sorry if I misinterpreted what Bill wrote). My channel is in so-so shape and kind of thin in some places with corrosion, so I used the glue. I may live to regret it, but so be it.
I can now try it on my car to see how well (or if) it fits.