Re: [ihc] 1966(?) IHC SportTop

[Dan Nees <cookiedan@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

The SportTops were out 66 and 67. Hard and SoftTops were available. I
have a friend of mine that is working on a SoftTop version that should
be a Ted Ornas award winner when he is done. I bet he has a Fiberglass
top that he could spare of you needed one. I don't know if he is still
on line, however; if you mail me off list I'll give you his phone number
to get in touch with him. He is an expert on the SportTop.
On Mon, 2004-09-13 at 20:50, 66 Sporttop wrote:
> My brother-in-law and I are mid-restoration with our SportTop and have a
> few questions for the readers here.
> 
> (1) 1966 seems to be the only year they made a SportTop... Anybody
> confirm or deny this?
> 
> (2) What about those plastic gas tanks? The "never rust" idea seems a
> good one to me, but anybody ever have problems with puncturing (or
> anything else)? We can get the existing ones repaired, but at
> (estimated) $500 a pop, it's a bit rich for our blood.
> 
> (3) The SportTop crank-up window in the door seems to have a different
> trailing edge shape (squared-off vs rounded). Somehow we've ended up
> with one SportTop door and one non-SportTop door. Anybody know if we can
> just replace the window frame, or if we'll have to find an entire door
> somewhere? (3a: anybody know where there's a sporttop window frame, with
> or without the door?).
> 
> (4) Fibreglass repairs for the top? Any ideas where to go? We're
> considering a boat yard, but not sure if that makes sense...
> 
> We know exactly how Peter Shubin feels ("Pretty much everything comes
> off only with a grinder and cutting wheel"): our SportTop has had major
> galvanized "band-aids" applied over the years, and we've found that a
> torch is a handy tool as well (!). 
> 
> Currently, we're racing against the weather, as our SportTop is "the
> plow". Last year, before we started the restoration, we plowed all
> winter without a driver's door. It was kinda cool looking THROUGH the
> passenger floor to keep an eye on the road (rusted right through it
> was)... We'll miss that this year.
> 
> Today I ripped out the driver's side floorboards (two layers of
> galvanized "band-aids" over the original very rusted floor) and
> discovered a scissors jack hiding under the driver's seat. I suppose
> it's too much to hope for it being an original IH jack (did these things
> COME with one?).
> 
> We'll post some pictures soon.
-- 
Dan Nees
cookiedan@domain.elided