1966 Pontiac Convertible with top stuck in down position
HELP> I have an absolutely gorgeous 1966 pontiac catalina convertible covered in plastic in my snow bound garage. This summer the hydraulic mechanism that raises and lowers the convertible top developed a leak. My regular mechanic sent me to a specialist who replaced the left cylinder so the top would function. He gave the car back to me with top up. I lowered the top a short while after and noted the left side of the top, the side with the new cylinder, went down slower than the right side, the left side didn't go down quite all the way and then the top wouldn't go up at all. The switch under the dash seems to send power to the pump when you push it to the right to make top go down but there is only silence when you push it to the left. The car is lovely with the top down but i would like to make it whole again. Can anyone direct me to someone who can help? I have made calls and spoken to dozens of people without help. The car has only 53,000 miles on it and runs like new. Thanks.
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You need to find a professional on this one.
It sounds like your car is suffering from lack of use, which is typical...and get rid of that plastic....what you want is a breathable cover, not something that traps moisture like plastic.
For hydraulic parts, go to www.hemmings.com and order a copy of their current issue of the Motor News. You'll find everything you'll need right there. Good luck and be patient.
Oh well, one of these days...
-Andre
Anyway, I've never had to release anything before raising the top back up. I just grab it as close to the center as possible, so i won't bend the frame, and I lift. I'm 6'3", with long arms, so I don't have a problem reaching the center, although it's not exactly good on my back! It's really a 2-man job to raise the top easily.
Sorry if this isn't much help. Oh, by the way, my mom had a 1966 Catalina convertible that she bought brand new when she was 17. She got rid of it after she had me, because she wanted something safer with having a child. Needless to say, she wasn't too pleased when I got mine...ahh, the paranoia of roll-overs!!
-Andre
distributors of conv lift cylinders/hydraulics etc. Also look in Hemmings for a local shop to correctly install all this new stuff. I have a '65 caddy rag top and last summer the top got stuck mid way. These tops are VERY difficult to move by hand, I had no clue. I was able to muscle the top closed and haven't opened it since!
If you bend the metal top pieces you will have a hell of a lot more trouble than replacing a ram!
Mikey, my 2 Newports were not exactly cream of the crop! My first was a 1979 R-body with a 318 that I bought from the junkyard for $250. It had about 230,000 miles on it. Still, it lasted me about 2 years. I retired it because I bought an '89 Gran Fury ex-police car that only had 73,000 on it. In retrospect, I wish I had kept the '79 though. It got better gas mileage and handled better than the police car, and was a lot roomier, but it seemed like it broke down about once a month. My '67 was actually given to me by a friend who's grandmother passed away. The family was settling her estate and just wanted the thing gone. It only had about 108,000 miles on it, but had been sitting so long all the rubber stuff was rotting away. The 383 and the rest of the driveline were rock-solid, and the A/C even still worked, but the body and interior were falling apart. I finally got rid of it when the brakes started to fail and I bought my 2000 Intrepid, and had too many cars on my insurance policy. It just goes to show how important maintenance and care are on a car. My '68 Dart with 337,000+ miles is in better shape and looks better than that '67 did!
Have a good one, guys!
-Andre
-Andre