'59 Plymouth Forum

I need to find the Alum Molding that gets Screwed to the Rear Deck with the Snaps that hold the Conv. Boot Cover.
It is 2 pcs.made from Alum about 1/2 " wide and is bent to match the rear well.
I am told they are called the " Pinch Well Molding"
Anybody have a Good spare they could part with or a source,
Mark Evans

Mark these are very had to find,,,There is a short third piece of about an 1 1/2 that blends the two main pieces together that you will need unless you have it already. I am have not seen any for sale on ebay ever, But maybe some one might have a spare set but I hope you find it.

John Q.

Thanks John,
I guess I need to find a Conv parts car
Would anybody know the Parts Nos.
I could not find them in the Parts Book
Mark

Those parts are very rare indeed. Finding a parts car is equally difficult. You are starting in the right place (this site). Matthew and Ron Keij have many contacts in the States. Matthew recently scored a complete folding top from someone.
As you have learned, the parts are not listed in the Parts Book, however I am thinking you may be able to find these parts on a 1960's Mopar donor car.
You need to find someone who has already dealt with this issue. Bo Malefors in Arizona restores these cars for a living. There's another restorer in Highlands, CA. His name is Greg Groom.
You could email or call Jeff Carter (jcauto.com)here in Seattle. He might be of help.
And closer to you is Ron Waters (ronbo97@comcast.net). He is active on Forwardlook.net. Years ago he parted a 59 P cvt.

Two additional points:
I recommend you post your "needs" in the Wanted section.
I located the name and ph # of the Highland, CA Mopar restorer. It may be out of date, nevertheless I prefer not to post it here..

Mark, the gentleman who Matthew Keij got his convertible top from is Jim Hamsher (spelling may be incorrect) Dick Koch just got his part of his convertible rear seat from recently. Jim may have this trim for you.

I know I have his phone number from last years Carlisle when Matthew and I spoke to him, but I will have to find it. Matthew or Dick may get this number quicker for you.

But in case he does not have it, Here is a ebay add for a 60 chrysler convertible top well trim (what I call it) that may work if you don't find yours. It had the two large trim parts and the small joining part that is like the one you need for our converts. If the length of the arc is too long you can trim it down. I will measure one of my arc's to see what the length should be in case you go this 60 chrysler route.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1960-Dodge-Plym ... 0415212161

John Q.

John's spelling is perfect (for a change ). If he does not come up with a phone number I can get you his email address.

Ron

Ron, or anybody
Can you please provide the contact Info For Jim Hamsher.
I need to find a parts car ,my list is getting longer
Thanks , Mark

Mark,

Just sent you an email with Jim's email address.

Ron

Mark - If you are talking about the pieces that fit under the stainless moulding with the snaps for the boot I may be able to help you out. My upholsterer who will be installing the top for me said he does not use them. His name is Sergio Morales and you can reach him at 561-252-7940. Maybe he can explain to you or your upholsterer how he does it.
Dick.

As I recall, first the steel retaining strips go down, securing the vinyl top to the body.
These steel strips get covered with a 3-pc stainless molding. It's the molding which has the snaps attached to it. When the top is dropped into the well, the boot cover snaps to it.
The steel strips can be fabricated; the stainless molding cannot.

I am at that point right now on my top, it gets installed on June 4th. The perforated steel strip functions two ways, one to hold down the top rear edge of the well liner that the top recedes into and then it will hold down the rear portion of the convertible top too. It (metal strip) is secured with small sheet metal screws in about every other space.

The 3 piece stainless pieces (two big pieces and one small piece) , which is mostly cosmetic but has the SS boot snaps screws that are secured through the Stainless strip and thru holes in the steel strips.

You can, as Dick suggests, not use (or maybe don't have) and use the stainless strips as the hold down function as well as for the boot cover. If you have the steel strips use them.

I will take a picture of mine to show what I am talking about. To figure out which elongated holes in the metal strip were to used for the metal strip to the body, I overlaid the stainless trim and saw which holes would be used but the boot strap and which holes can be used by the metal strips, I put a white out mark next to the holes that I could use with the metal strip. The other holes would be the pass thru for the SS boot snaps. I then could secure the metal strip to the body knowing that I did not use any of the holes that I would need for the SS boot trim.


John Q.

Here is some pics of the metal strip on my convert. You can see my white out on the holes that only to be used for the metal strip. All others are for the boot snap screws thru the SS trim

John Q.

Thanks for the photos, John.

Those will help a lot of us when it comes to reassembly.

---John

Hi Mark and others,

I ended up making my own strips. I bought stock aluminum strips from the hardware store, 1/2 inch wide and 1/8 in thick. I laid down a sheet of plywood on the shop floor and traced the stainless strip on it. I drove nails part way into the plywood along the inside curve of the tracing. After anchoring the end of the flat strip of aluminum at the end that would be at the edge of the car, I heated the metal with a hot air gun and worked along the curve and formed a hold down strip that won't rust away like the one that was on the car. Be sure the screws you use to mount this strip aren't higher than the stainless or they will protrude through the trim as you tighten it down. Use flat head screws or do a little counter sinking in the aluminum. Use the same jig for the other side.

Tom