Re: 55 caribbean on ebay

Posted by BH On 2014/3/1 13:00:07

Yeah, I think you would need a lot more than just the folding top frame (stack) to convert another car into a convertible, and I'm not just talking about pump plumbing and wiring.

Beyond the obvious diffrences in windshield frame, rear seat, and quarter trim, remember that they had to cut-n-splice the trunk lid inner panel to make it shorter, in length. That means the body panel between the backlite and deck lid was also relocated rearward to clear the stack for the convertible.

Now, if you take a look at Grs. 30.141 and 30.1415 in the 55-56 parts book, you'll find that the 56 Exec (and Clipper) hardtop models use the same rain gutter and and trim for the roof as the 55 400. That should be enough to say that its the same roof; the back end of the fixed roof just sets further back of the body of the longer wheelbase.

While the trunk lid (Gr. 31.157) is also same across all closed car models of a given year, the upper rear end center panel raises a question as there's a different P/N (hence design) between Jr. and Sr. hardtops.

Then, there's whole host of body/frame reinforcements to consider - some in places you'd never expect. I'm sure Randy Berger can attest to that.