Convertible Top Operation
 

I have yet to operate the top on my GTO and actually read the owners manual, which states that to lower the top operate it a certain amount of the way, stop, move part of the top from catching in the top frame, and then lower all the way?

What is all that about?

Do you have to hold the top switch down to drop it or just push it once and it lowers it all the way?

What is proper way to lower top?

You have to hold the button down continuously.....the pump
only runs when you are holding the button down. The factory recommendation about
pulling out the top so it isn't pinched refers to that area of the top between the tack rail
which is over the back seat when the top is up and the rear tack rail which resides under
the rear deck of the car. If you don't lower the top halfway and stop and go to the rear
and pull out the top material towards the rear of the car it gets pinched between these
two cross bars when it is all the way down. As a practical matter, nobody I know ever
bothers to do that step.....I know I never have. I've always just held the button down
till the top was all the way down. I never could determine that doing that recommended
step made the top wrinkle any less when folded.

Ahhh...
 

Is the top section that we are talking about "pulling out" include the section with the rear window or is it the section below the rear window?

The section you pull out is the section that runs beside the rear window
on the outer edges of the rear of the top. If you look at it with the top half down,
it is obvious which section it is. I'm working from memory because I don't ever raise
the top on my car anymore.....it's been down for six or seven years. When not driving
or showing it is garaged and covered and the car cover protects the interior. If it
is always garaged and you don't drive in the rain and you have a car cover, there is no
need for a top. The beauty of it is that the car already has the top down and the boot in place
so it's ready to go in a moments notice after I remove the car cover. For years I kept the top
up so it wouldn't get wrinkled, then I came to my senses and realized if the top is down and covered
by a boot, who cares if it is wrinkled....you can't see it. I now look at the top as an emergency feature
for if I get caught in an unexpected rain shower at a car event.....kind of like a spare tire if you have a flat.
The only down side is I can't show it at POCI meets with the top down due to their ridiculous tops must
be up rule. I solved that problem by not going to POCI meets with it anymore....problem solved.

Ahh...
 

...I got it...I know the piece you are talking about.

Don't you worry about permanent creases in your soft top? I kind of wish I had an old top that was not that nice as I would just leave it down but I have a new roof on the car and if I left it down I would worry that...

Believe it or not, I've seen a convertible top that was down on a 57 T-bird
for 30 years(It had a removeable hardtop on it) and the wrinkles came out after it was up for 6 months. Of course in my case I really don't care if I even have a top.....it is for emergency
rain showers only. When I die the next owner can put a new top on it if he wants. I don't
ever plan to put mine up again unless I'm caught in the rain.

I live down the street from you in Frisco. Would love to see your car.

gtohurstjudge has articulated the value of having a convertible better than anyone I've ever read on this forum. My hat's off to you, sir.

There is an even better use for a vert top than "emergency rain shower" protection. Last time the top was up on my car was back in October- see my Avatar pic!

I spent a bunch of time and money getting the lift mechanism and electrics to work right but the top stays down. It could use replacing but can't get motivated since I hardly ever see it. When I do get around to it I will probably go with cloth to help keep the wrinkles out.

I am glad there are other people that do this. I was planning on driving my "nearly" completed car around with just the top frame down under the boot and figured I would have that done as I felt like it. It rains here a grand total of 7-9" a year and rain showers in the summer are really rare. (usually associated with big thunderstorms)

If it never rains there I would detail the top frame where it looks perfect, then
put the frame down and leave the car that way. With no material on the frame, it will fold
down nice and flat where it looks even better with the boot in place. The next owner will
appreciate what you did because he won't have to remove the old top before installing
the new one! Another advantage of leaving the top down is that you can stick extra
foam rubber under the boot to pad it out and remove all the wrinkles. I've had people at
shows ask me how I get my top boot to look so perfect. The secret is you put extra foam
under it and leave it in place. If you remove a top boot for even 5 minutes and reinstall
it, it takes a couple of months for the wrinkles to all come out. Also you can change out
your top receptacles and vinyl on the top of the windshield header and it stays looking
perfect because you don't close a top down on it. Another trick about having a perfect
looking top boot is to unglue the foam pads on each end of the boot and just set the foam
in place, unattached from the boot. The foam causes wrinkles in the vinyl that won't come
out even in the sun as long as it is glued in place.

The next time I'm taking it to a cruise night or car show in the Frisco/Plano
area I'll send you a private message and maybe you can bring your car out as well.....I'd
like to see your car also.

Good news you can show your car at POCI conventions with the top down now. Just sign up in the Road Warrior class and your problem is solved. No judging so no silly rules.

As far as the pinch points of the top material as the top goes down, I have to be careful with the top on my Firebird. If the top is pinched any where it will not go down far enough to allow installation of the boot. When the top is 3/4 down you can easily see where there will be interference.
My top is down whenever I'm close to home but, we travel a lot with the convertible and leaving it outside of a motel over night with the top down is not a good idea.

I drove my vert to a resort in northern Mn. last summer and left the top down the first night there. Next morning there were little black footprints all over my new parchment interior from the racoons. Next night the top went up.

Paint guy, you were lucky that's all they left! (LOL)

Brilliant idea with the foam pads! Since we are on topic, I see the vendors offer top boots for a 68 that don't need the stupid clips. What to I need to buy in order to take advantage of this? I don't know what the 69s use. I have a new boot from Key tops but I don't see any provisions in the plastic for clips so maybe they anticipated this already.
*EDIT I made a new thread on the subject so if you can reply in that one instead of here, so I don't have to hijack someone else's.

Well...
 

I know I am in the minority but I actually like the way a vert looks with the top up.

That is not the way I plan to drive it when the weather is nice but 90 degrees, humid and stop and go traffic can only get worse if you add one thing: merciless sun beating down on you and a black interior too hot to touch. A working and presentable soft top is a must for me.

The boot conversation interests me as well as the previous owner left it in place with the top up and it hangs all over the rear seat..that has to go...look forward to dropping the top for the first time and seeing how boot fits.

A/C is not a bad thing when the sun is beating down on you. Wish my car had it for some of those hot summer days.

[QUOTE=GPMESQ;4892138]I know I am in the minority but I actually like the way a vert looks with the top up.

My friend bought a 69 GTO new and for the first year he never lowered the top once. He didn't want to wrinkle the top and liked the look of the car with the top up. It was Warwick blue with a blue top and interior.

My GTO and LeMans convertibles both have AC. I love the combo;

1... on a stinker hot day with the top down its nice to have the cool dry air blowing over your face, cuts the humidity.

2... after several hours of roasting in the sun on a road trip it sure feels nice to put up the top and drive home in cool dry comfort

3... ironically my favorite thing about an AC convertible involves cold weather... On a cool night you can get heat to come out of the dash vents, a real nice feature

I changed mine to parchment for this exact reason. It regularly gets over 100 here in the summer. Prior to February I hadn't had a vehicle with AC for about 5 years, which means I am now spoiled and my tolerance for heat should drop by 50% or so.