1961 Corvette Soft Top Installation
Hercules Montero
Convertible owners know the joy of the open road. It is almost a magical experience with the wind whipping around. It was a big disappointment when GM dropped the convertible option from their lineup in 1976.
In 1994, the Corvette was finally fitted with a glass back window. This finished off an already stellar, easy-to-use convertible top. The top material tends to deteriorate long before the back window glass clouds or cracks. If you own a 1986-1993 and would benefit from a glass back window, they can be retrofitted. It requires a few additional drilled holes and some rivets to clinch. The retrofit kit is available from Corvette Central (part #134612) and utilizes a few springs, cables, and glass stops to keep the glass in place.
Convertible tops for 1986-1996 Corvettes are cut to fit, sewn and ready to install without the need for staples. An assistant is highly recommended; otherwise you will be moving from one side of the car to the other repeated minor adjustments are made.
The majority of the labor-intensive work begins after the old top has been removed. It can take quite a while to carefully and successfully remove old adhesive. Also, convertible top frame work may be necessary if fasteners have been stripped and also to ensure the best fit possible. It is very common to see corrosion at the rear bow, and unfortunately since everything is kept under wraps until the headliner is removed, you may experience this unpleasant surprise.
When I was working on my own 1990 convertible, I found severe corrosion and had to replace the rear left hand bow section. At the time, it was not available from GM. Luckily, C&S Corvettes in Sarasota, Florida, helped me to obtain a like-new rear bow section from a wrecked convertible. Sometimes it is necessary to pay for the entire top frame to just get the one piece that you need, which is unfortunate. If you are willing to delay the project a bit, you may have some luck if you do a diligent search.
If you do find corrosion once the top is removed, be sure to prime the aluminum with an etch primer to allow the top coat to adhere properly when painted. We always give any untreated aluminum areas a touch of primer before the new top goes on to prevent future corrosion.
Although it typically only takes about 1-2 hours to take the old top off, it can take many hours or even days to clean things up. Then, once you have finished cleaning and preparing the frame you can figure on 6-8 hours to install the new top.
Xylene, naphtha or body shop wax and grease remover can be used to remove the tenacious adhesive from all the convertible top frame pieces. Any adhesive inadvertently deposited on the convertible tops visible surfaces during installation should be removed with brake cleaner. Be sure to use an alcohol based brake cleaner, not a dual purpose brake/throttle body cleaner. Other cleaners tend to leave residue on the exterior top surfaces. Avoiding a spill or excessive glue is the best policy, but keep the solvents nearby if necessary. Procrastination can be costly. As the adhesive dries, it gets tougher to remove; remember to move quickly.
If you are a novice, you may gain some added reassurance by using a camera to document the disassembly process. Between the photos in this article and ones you take on your own, we hope it will make the installation as painless as possible for you.
Installing a new cloth top from a supplier and so far so good, how do the sides lay on top of the 1/4 panel ? mine is just about complete not so sure I like the blousing effect I see. Also what is the best way to install the 3 lister plates with out poking a hole thru the cloth top?
Your instructions are good with detail . I have upgraded my 90 corvette with the rear heated glass. I have the retro fit kit supplied by Robbins Co. They included printed instructions and black and white photos but I am very concerned about drilling in the right places fro the placement of the pads and springs. Do you have any information e.g pictures in detail . I have no real concern about installing the top but the kit ? I have been searching for quite some time on google and youtube and the like but no luck . Hope you can help or direct me. Gratefully appreciated. Dan R. Delco Pa.
I am installing the convertible soft top on my C4 1987. If i understood right- first of all i have to glue both sides, then rear and than front ? Is it correct? And the sides i have to do at the same time, or just glue one side, dry it and then the other side? Thank you.
Maybe send us an email to ma...@corvettecentral.com with some photos of the pieces you are looking for on your top. We can send you the views out of the GM Shop manual that show the top exploded views and try to locate which piece you are referring to. There are some plastic retainers sewn right into the headliner, but they are not available separate.
Corvette Central has been a leading manufacturer and distributor of Corvette parts and accessories since 1975. We offer the most comprehensive and detailed parts catalogs on the market today and produce a different catalog for each Corvette generation. All catalogs are also online with full search and order features. From the first V8 to C8, only Corvette Central has it all.
This beautifully restored 1961 Corvette is powered by its 283/270-hp engine with two 4-barrel carburetors and a 4-speed manual transmission and its original shifter. This car was built with performance in mind. Painted in Roman Red with white side coves, this Corvette features a white soft top and red interior throughout. All the trim looks great, and it has the spinner hubcaps and wide whitewall tires. It is also equipped with a Wonderbar radio.
But after that initial excitement, the demand for the Corvette quickly waned. Production was reduced to just over 3,600 units in 1954, and even that proved to be optimistic, as over 1,000 remained unsold at the end of the year.
Zora Arkus-Duntov was there to see that first Corvette at the Waldorf, and after getting hired on at GM, he was the one who saved the project. He envisioned the Corvette as a high-performance car, and he knew that the publicity that racing would garner would attract a younger buyer. He received approval for the gradual performance-oriented transformation of the Corvette, with the availability of special performance items via RPOs, or Regular Production Options.
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