[John V.]

About 30 years ago I bought a used but pretty nice Black Boot for my '64, my recollection was that I got it from David Diehl in Pittsburgh. Although it was supposed to be from a '64 as I recall, I would have known that the '64 did not have the rear corner snaps like a '65 and this boot has the rear corner snaps.

Anyway, for the first time since purchase, I pulled it out to install. I set it in the sun for 30 minutes then went to install.

It seemed way too small so I gave up as we were on a way to meet family at a park, didn't have time to fool with it.

But I saw that the driver side foam is ink stamped ABR and below that 4437119. Likely a date stamp below that but too light/faded to make out.

The underside of the center vinyl section is stamped with a series of ovals with GS inside the oval.

I went to the '66 MPC thinking I would find the p/n. But no such luck, so I wondered if maybe this boot is from some other application.

I searched here and found a post by bigpop for his '65 boot that was marked with the same 4437119.

His center section has a different marking (hexes with Naugahyde inked within). Also his ABR 4437119 was stamped on the underside of the vinyl, not on the foam like mine.

But at least it seems mine should be "correct". Wonder why the p/n is not in the MPC. The passenger side foam on mine has no stamp markings on it.

Any advice for stretching the vinyl to fit?

The hard plastics at the edges seem way too stiff/brittle. Not sure I will ever get the forward corners to conform, maybe a little heat but I'm not sure they'll ever "relax", likely only crack/crumble.

But if there is any hope for stretching it, I'm grateful for any advice.

[Andre]

If Dave Diehl sold it as a 1964 boot cover, I have 99% certainty that he is accurate. But because that cover has corner snaps, it is most likely a 1965 cover, unless they changed over in the 1964 year. A continuous challenge of the 1964 cover is the corners dog ear and stick up since there is no snap.
I can tell you from experience that if it has not been on a car for years and years, that it is an iterative process of stretching in Florida summer to finally get it to fit. However once you get it to fit, it takes less than 3 minutes to remove and put it on again. I went through this about 5 or 6 years ago when I bought an original blue boot cover that had come off of a junkyard car in 1976, and had been in storage with Bill Sirakos. I did salvage some clips from another boot cover that I had because the original black coated clips work much better than the soft reproduction ones.

[John V.]

I mentioned Dave Diehl's name because I figured guys might remember him and as I recall, he specifically dealt in '64 parts. I also bought a '64 rear axle assembly with a 2.56 Safe-T-Track from him at the same time although it proved a bit too rough for me to use. I'm pretty sure I responded to an ad in Hemmings or maybe The Legend and I drove out to Pittsburgh from Chicago to make the purchase.

Any thoughts about the p/n? Just curious as to what 4437119 is supposed to identify since it doesn't seem to be in the MPC.

I am also familiar with the dog eared corners. When I bought my original '64 convert from the original owner in '73, the boot was missing. That GTO had a Blue interior. I snagged a Black '64 boot during one of my many forays to the junkyard and used it. It curled up at the corners and at some point I noticed that other GTOs in the junkyard (not necessarily '64s) had the snap in the corner so I was aware of that feature.

I can't be sure that Dave represented the current boot as a '64. I've never determined if there was a running change in '64 to add the corner snaps. If there was, it might have been out of a '64. Or maybe Dave advertised it as a "will fit" and we both would have known it was actually correct for a '65 with the corner snaps. Regardless, my Nov built '64 doesn't have them. Not really an issue. Unless they're easily removable, I expect I will just leave them on.

When I bought the GTO in '73, my Dad had his '72 Impala convert and I was familiar with how that boot installed. Instead of clips, plastic pieces slid under the molding. It seemed a much better design and of course fit very well compared to my '64 boot with the mismatched color and curled up corners. I was proud of my GTO but the Impala bought new was so much nicer condition. Wonder if young guys today appreciate how cars back then were usually worn out by the time they were 10 years old? I think that GTO had maybe 70k miles on it. The engine was still pretty strong but it was a well worn old car by '73. Young and dumb, I literally abandoned that still good running GTO in '79 for want of $125. Soon after, I began kicking myself as '64 GTO and parts prices soared.

When I bought the current '64 30+ years ago, it came with an aftermarket boot. I don't recall if it is even a correct style, I still have it in the packaging box it came in. What I do remember, it is bright white. When I asked the previous owner why he bought a white boot for a Black interior GTO, he told me, "Because the Top is White". It was one of many things the previous owner had no clue about.

Anyway, I digress. Andre, I'm no longer in Fla, retired to the mountains of GA. Not as hot here as I like it but I'll have to make do.

You've given me hope that I might salvage my boot.

The clips on mine seem in very good shape save for one that got bent. I'm hoping I can unbend it without breaking it. They are still black, no rust. Only snapped a few into place the other day but they seemed to snap firmly onto the molding.

Did you stretch it in place on the car or can I stretch it over something else? Or just get my wife to play tug-of-war with me??!! I'm (is terrified the right word) of scratching the paint while pulling on it while on the car.

The vinyl itself seems very pliable.

I think the worst issue is the hard plastic that shapes the boot at the forward ends. The ends are kinda folded and flattened and the plastic is stiff now. Do you think the hard plastic can be massaged back to shape?

Any suggested methods for attempting it?

[Andre]

I stretched mine on the car. You can use the heat gun to get the plastic pieces to remold themselves to fit the side panels and snap in. If I remember, I got one side done and then let it sit and slowly worked the other side till they all snapped. I think I also doused the cover with Armorall. I know Armorall seems to be hated, but it worked to get the vinyl a bit more pliable