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  •  » Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

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    11/19/2015 7:54 PM  #1

    Mochaman
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    From: Royse City, Texas
    Registered: 4/02/2013
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    Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    My neighbor is conveniently a Hot Rod interior business owner and is a wealth of knowledge. I asked him to come over and give me pointers on removing the rag top on the car. My concern is more on the rebuild side than anything. What do I need to preserve that will make rebuilding easier (and cheaper).
    One thing he stressed was getting accurate measurements on the Bow to Bow distances. between each section.  So I spent an hour measuring and writing everything down, then taking pictures of each measurement. Pretty straight forward stuff, but I did have a distance variance between the left and right sides. No idea if this matters.
    He also was stressing for me to try and save the tacking strips. Not going to happen, they were pretty rotted out.

     

    11/19/2015 9:02 PM  #2

    Bullet Bob
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    From: Montrose, Colorado
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    Gonna be a great project, Ed.  Wish I had it in me to do another one.

    BB

    "you get what you pay for, good work isn't cheap, and there are NO free lunches...PERIOD!"
     

    11/19/2015 9:17 PM  #3

    Rudi
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    From: Stuck in the 50's Welland Ca
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    The Ford shop manual has  diagram for making a set of templates to set the bows in the proper location. Just in case!

    Good work ain't cheap, Cheap work ain't good!   Simple Man
     

    11/20/2015 10:52 AM  #4

    Tubo
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    From: Ft. Walton Beach, Florida
    Registered: 4/01/2013
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    Ed are you going to Powder Coat the various metal parts of the Vert top frame??
    Anna is going to have a super nice car, hope she's in on some of the rebuildin with you.

    Corky

    If it ain't broke, I haven't modified it Yet
     

    11/20/2015 12:59 PM  #5

    Mochaman
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    From: Royse City, Texas
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    It all depends on how far I would take about the top frame. From what I am seeing so far, there is hardly any rust in that area. I haven't gotten it fully exposed. My neighbor is warning me to go slow and take lots of notes and pictures. He knows of my desire to powder coat everything. I've powder coated some stuff on his 57 Chevy project. I will seek his advice. Right now I just want to take it out as one whole unit.

       •Thread Starter
     

    11/20/2015 2:29 PM  #6

    DC
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    From: Marshall, MI
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    Mochaman, I think your are on the right track. I have several friends with project vehicles where they took off on many directions when they started, many of them were the smaller stuff. Their vehicles are still sitting needing body work and paint in the middle of a great pile of shiny small stuff. I I recommend doing the big stuff first while your attitude is good. A shiny new looking hulk in the middle of the small stuff does wonders for keeping yours and families attitudes helpful.

     

    11/20/2015 9:02 PM  #7

    MarkinSC
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    I replaced the top on a 93 myself. I'm sure you can search the archives and see pics on it. It wasn't easy and was time consuming.  Check for bent bows and bad parts that need to be replaced before the new top goes on such as latches and latch pins.  Keep all the old peices of top to keep for template purposes. You can remove the entire top frame as one piece, and set it aside til the car is painted. I would save the top for last.  That piece of fabric that connects the bows, I would leave that on and replace it one side at a time to keep the bows aligned.

    GET HER DONE BULLETBOB!!! ..
     

    11/20/2015 10:05 PM  #8

    Mochaman
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    From: Royse City, Texas
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    Great advice MarkinSC. I was talking to my neighbor tonight and i was telling him I wanted to get the whole top frame out as one piece. Everything is unbent and in surprisingly good condition. He told me that I need to make some sort of mark to make sure it is put back in the exact same place. I told him that I would just drill two 1/8 inch guide holes in the both the car and frame to make sure this happened.

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    11/20/2015 10:44 PM  #9

    MS
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    From: Canyon Lake, Texas
    Registered: 1/24/2013
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    About those tack strips...

    They are basically cardboard, so I can't imagine why they would deteriorate in fifty years!

    When I did the top on my 70 convertible, I found a fantastic replacement material for the tack strips.  I went to Pep Boys and bought some of that vinyl body side molding that everybody used to stick to the sides of their cars to prevent door dings.  That stuff makes great tack strips.  You can cut it to size or use a grinder to adjust the thickness.  The staples just absolutely will NOT pull out of it.  I bought an electric staplegun and I remember using 1,000 staples before I got through with the new top.  As I recall, I used sheetmetal screws to attach the vinyl molding into the channels.  Much better than the stock stuff and totally water repellant.

    Good advice on the bow measurements.  Why not just make the wooden bow alignment jig NOW, before you take it apart?

    Money you enjoy wasting is NOT wasted money... unless your wife finds out.
     

    11/20/2015 11:59 PM  #10

    MarkinSC
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    Re: Starting the Deconstruction of the 1966 Convertible

    Its going to be a while before you get to the point of dealing with that top, and by that time you will forget any advice that is given to you at this time. LOL. Just keep doing like your doing by taking pics, and labeling everything, and the order of things taken off.  and when you get to the point of doing the top, then we'll revisit this.  Looks like a nice convertible. Best wishes to you on it. 

    GET HER DONE BULLETBOB!!! ..
     

     

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