The 1959 roof is going back on chopped about 6". I think I have a good plan to integrate it into the Corvette's halo bar. I'll attach and seal it to the halo bar then hide the seam with a stainless piece like on 60s Imperials.
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Bastardized 1959 "Coronet" build
- Thread starter wetskier2000
- Start date
A little progress today. Rear bumper mounts dialed in a bit so it doesn't look like it's falling off anymore. Even though I replaced the idler and tensioner pulleys, I still have a slight noise. It might be the water pump, but it's sure hard to tell, no apparent wiggle. Tires still rubbing the front fenders, but it's no longer the outside edge of the fenders, it's upward movement and the inside surface of the fender. Not sure what I'll do yet. I see coilovers for the Corvette, but all the fronts advertise lowering the car. That's the opposite of what I need.
Got brave enough to chop up the B and C pillars some more. They lean into the targa bar now and are actually screwed to it. They look far better and no longer have sox on them.
Way more work before the 1959 roof panel goes on but it's forward progress.
Drove it about 60 miles yesterday to a family party for a nephew. The family is all motorheads, Boris was welcomed with great enthusiasm. Parked on the street a number of cars stopped to gawk.
Got brave enough to chop up the B and C pillars some more. They lean into the targa bar now and are actually screwed to it. They look far better and no longer have sox on them.
Way more work before the 1959 roof panel goes on but it's forward progress.Drove it about 60 miles yesterday to a family party for a nephew. The family is all motorheads, Boris was welcomed with great enthusiasm. Parked on the street a number of cars stopped to gawk.
livininharrow
Senior Member
truly an amazing build. wish i had your ambition and knowledge.
tip of the day... When you install 4 bolts and nuts to hold the hood hinges to the car, tighten all 4 of them, not just 2.
Good tip. Tough lesson to learn.
lucky for me the hood didn't go anywhere... Tighten bolts, no harm, no foul..
Ok guys, I'd like a quick, dirty and cheap method to simulate the steel roof panel for mockup, slice and dice. Any ideas other than fiberglass?
3175375
Senior Member
Fiberglass is probably the quickest. Of course, metal if you’re skilled or 3D printing if you’re good on the keyboard.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
Cardboard and duct tape is my go-to mock-up material.
3175375
Senior Member
I made a mock up front panel for a piece of equipment we were developing and used cardboard. I taped a full scale plot of the front panel to it and had a technician wire up the interior harnesses while we waited for the machined front panel.
Typically I use CAD (Cardboard Aided Design) but I think getting those curves at the rear corners is beyond my artsy skills. I buddy suggested tin foil... I might give that a try...
A couple random thoughts... I've seen stuff like that shaped using insulation foam sheets laminated together and carved with an electric carving knife. That might not work where you are trying to get an internal/external template. Also seen foam core board for mock-ups too.
BTW, I'm so going to use that!
Boris with a friend at the car show...
I didn't say WOW, but I didn't say uhgg either... Wife said wow... Not sure what doesn't blow me away... But I think this mockup might stay... Tinfoil is the roof, blue tape is the rear glass...
mopar preferred
Active Member
I don't know. It just looks to me that it needs a couple inches more glass and less roof from the rear view maybe? Side view, pic 5, looks good, though.
Perhaps more of an arc on the top of the window?
Perhaps more of an arc on the top of the window?
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I was kind of thinking the same thing. More glass.. I'll try moving the top edge of the glass opening up today. I'm afraid I'll quickly run into the 59 roofline going back up where the 1998 roofline is headed down.
I agree that the side view lines are pretty good, the curve is fairly constant from Corvette to Coronet. I think the thing that irritates me the most is the overall dimension. It feels like the proportion of the entire roof to the car isn't right and the roof should be longer. I don't think it looks like "a pimple" but I do think the car could certainly support a longer roofline. I don't see a way to accomplish that on the current path cuz moving the 59 roof panel further back won't do good things for the overall roofline. It will have a dip in the middle if I want any backglass at all.
After re-reading my ramblings, I think the root problem might be that I'm not using the 1959 Coronet windshield. That would give a longer roof and an entirely different roofline feel. However, that's not happening on this one as I'm mostly happy with the design as is and I'm not looking for another 11 year project.
The other thing I will try is removing the targa top. The car will typically not have the targa top on so I might as well see if I like that view also...
The good news is that all this mocking up makes me think I can cut the roof panel fairly simply to get it to fit.
Samplingman
Old Man with a Hat
How about more of an angle on the rear window, maybe mimic the tail?
Bad finger sketch, but the idea is there:
Bad finger sketch, but the idea is there:
I like your thinking. Trouble is that the targa top slopes down towards the rear of the car. I'd have to reconfigure the targa, halo bar and 59 roof to get the rear window standing up more. I like your finger painted dimensions, but I don't think I can make it work without major re-work or ending up with a dip in the roof.
Video from the last car show. Quick glimpses at 36:00, 1:33 and 2:07:51
