2 Chevys with the tops cut off

[ewetwo]

Any ideas as to what to do with these two? Try and put the tops back on or find boot covers for the both. They do make nice convertibles.  And does anyone know what that white piece in the lower right corner belong to?  Thanks. 

[Vince Nemanic]

It looks like someone was going to make a phantom "64 Bubble top with a top switch. Cool idea. Perhaps you could put the bubble top on the '64, and use the '62 chassis under the '64. That might have bee the guy's plan all along.

[SfanGoch]

At least, they're cut off fairly neatly. My two cents on how to fix them.Your choice if you want to do it.

First thing to do, if necessary, is to clean up and square the edges where the cuts were made. Leave the roof with the jagged cut as is; cut, test fit it to see if tht hoes together cleanly. I would use methylene chloride, like Plastruct Bondene, to reattach the roof sections, starting at the front, carefully aligning the parts. Make sure that there is no visible gap between the cuts and apply the solvent. It evaporates and sets in less time than regular liquid model cements and creates a very strong bond between surfaces. Next, bond the C pillars in place, again paying attention to the alignment with the body. On the underside,  apply the solvent on and along the seams on the roof and C pillars. When dry, sand the seams flat. This next step will ensure that the roof will not break off and give you agita. Get a Bondo fiberglass repair kit with the resin and hardener. The included cloth will be too thick for use; so, grab one of those dryer cloths and cut one piece long enough to fit across the width of the roof, about 60-63 mm, and 10 mm wide. Also cut two pieces, 20 mm long by 10 mm wide, to be used on the C pillars. Mix the resin and hardener and, starting with the roof/window frame joint, place the long strip across it, leaving a small amount of overhang on one side. Use a  piece of masking tape to secure the overhang onto the roof top. Using a flat piece of plastic, like one of those things found on bread ( great tip, Bill E.  ), spread the resin in a thin coat along the cloth strip, making sure that the resin soaks through the material. Do the same with the C pillars, centering the cloth strips on the seam. When the resin is fully hardened, wet sand and/or grind the repaired areas until they are smooth. If you take your time, the repairs will blend in. The seams on the roof top and at the C pillar joints can be wet sanded smooth and any small imperfections filled with CA, coated with Tamiya putty and wet sanded again until the seams are no longer visible.

The steps seem more involved than the actual work. You can knock off (pun intended  ) both roofs in a couple of hours. I've used this technique on more than a few roofs and the results are worth the effort.

[SfanGoch]

Here are some pics to use as visual references for the steps I indicated. I used a Revell '64 Impala as the demonstration model.

[ewetwo]

Thank you Joe. OK. I've got my homework cut out for me. Of course my attempt at trying to fix/replace A pillars on the 71 Thunderbird I did was a flop. LOL.  I've never done this sort of thing before but the kit cost next to nothing. So It's a good test subject. Of all the kit's I've done since I joined this forum. Most have been partially built kits or kits that have this sort of thing done to them. So I don't really mind experimenting on them. 

You might be right Vince. The tops were in the other's box. I'm thinking because the 64's roof wasn't cut straight. They figured it was too much for them to do. Funny. I bought 7 kits from them and they were all started. Nothing completed. 

So either way. I still have some work to do, learn.

[Snake45]

I believe your mystery piece is a custom "vinyl" roof overlay for the 2nd generation Riviera (1966-1970 or so). I know such a piece was in the original annual '66; I don't remember if it was carried over into the common '69 reissues.