Okay, I have a convertible. The rear frame, pans, quarters and rockers are all bad. No one reproduces these pieces. The only way to get them is to find a solid donor car. So I take the body off a hardtop, weld in the convertible X brace, put the body back, weld in the convertible wheelwells, top mounts, etc, put the convertible cowl on the hardtop pan, throw away the roof and use the convertible upper deck panel. I keep the hardtop quarters, trunk, pans and rockers, plus probably use it's better fenders, hood and grille. I put the convertible radiator mount in, complete with data tag, and because the VIN tag fell off it anyways I rivet that to the door post. If you build it this way, as far as I am concerned you restored it - thats what's going to happen to the DeSoto I sold. Granted if I sell this car I've rebuilt, it comes with a book of photos showing how it was restored - but I can't control if the next guy is honest about it or not. But so far as I know that's the only way to do it. If no one else is selling a one of 519 '58 DeSoto Firedome convertible this year, it's probably the only way to get one at all. VIN swapping has been going on forever, too. None of the '60 Chryslers where I got my New Yorker wagon have VIN tags. I got one I found loose in a '60 4dr in another yard just to have some kind of tag to try to register the car with someday, then bought another parts car with a tag on it. I am pretty sure someone sold the tags and registration cards to my wagon and the other cars there, back in the day - I checked three 60-61 Dodges and came up empty, too. Of course the tags just fall off if they get a little rust behind them, too, so who knows. Bill K. ----- Original Message ----- From: "Owen Grigg" <ram300@xxxxxxxxxx> To: <L-FORWARDLOOK@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> Sent: Wednesday, March 09, 2005 11:25 PM Subject: Re: [FWDLK] WOW, HARDTOPS CHANGED TO CONVERTIBLES !!!!!!!!! > Sorry, but I do have a problem with people chopping up perfectly good > hardtops to make into some wannabe convert. Regardless of whether they > inform prospective buyers or not. > > > > You wanna convert, buy one, can't afford one (like me) stick ya head out the > side window it gives the same effect. > > > > Just my opinion.I feel better now. > > > > Owen > > > > _____ > > > ************************************************************* > > To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to > http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.1 - Release Date: 3/9/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.1 - Release Date: 3/9/2005 ************************************************************* To unsubscribe or set your subscription options, please go to http://lists.psu.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=l-forwardlook&A=1
|