<VV> Power top

[NicolCS@aol.com]

A manual top car can be converted to a power top car (LM, I don't know about 
an EM) without too much trouble.  $100 to $300 would be the range AFIK.  Be 
sure to get everything including the underdash swithch and wiring all the way 
back to the battery.  

Assuming your top is good and it's well installed, you can keep it that way 
by changing only the fore/aft rail mechanisms.  Leave the top attached to the 
bows.  While you are performing this, it will be rather like being inside a 
tent after someone has kicked out the tent poles.  It's a bit of a laugh, really! 
 You will want to change out the entire side rail mechanism all the way from 
the header to the rear body attachment point.  There's an extra link in the 
power top rails that "picks-up" the front header and starts the folding 
operation and you will want that feature.  You don't have to disassemble much , if 
anything, on the side rail; it remains basically intact. As I recall, the only 
part of the top that is attached to the side rails is a wire which you simply 
unscrew at each end an leave in the top for ready attachment to the same 
location on the new side-rails.  Also, don't forget to remove the hold-down catches 
on the rear inner trim; your power top won't need them and they could cause 
some trouble if they held the stack in place while you were trying to raise the 
top.
Craig Nicol
65,66,67 CV/CP/SD


<<One catch though, when the top is going
down, you will need to give the front segment of the top a little boost to
"break" the hinge and get it moving.  With the 'official" power top frame,
this is unnecessary.  Does anybody know exactly the differences between the
two types of top frame. Jim B. '66 turbovert >>