The other day a knowledgeable friend and I spent the afternoon trying to correct some problems I’ve had with my convertible top-not the least of which is probably absorbing the weight of a rotten barn collapse. I think we made some headway. The most problematic problem being that on both sides where the bows hinge I can get little tears / punctures in the fabric if I’m not really careful or really lucky. One thing I recall was that there were I think four adjustable spacers or stand-offs that were broken. I think now that their purpose was to keep the frame from pinching the fabric by folding or lowering too much. Several years ago in my resto-zeal I wound up breaking off the remaining ones and did not save or misplaced the pieces. Does anyone know approximately how long these should be and what they look like? Did Plymouth ever publish a convertible manual???
Steve, I still have my Convert frame still disassembled from my Belvedere, so is this the part you are talking about? It is for the side frame adjustments against other frame sections so the frame does not sag over the window channel area on the side glass. It does keep the frame from pinching the top material by keeping the side arms of the frame level.
The length of the bolt (square head) from the top of the bolt is 1 1/4 inchs long, the thread length is 1" long from the bottom of the square head to the slightly pointed tip at the end of the bolt.
Bolt style is 1/4- 20 from my measurements. with a stop nut to allow for setting and holding the different frame irons so they are in the correct position and not sagging.
I will defer to Roger Howard and Tom Fox for agreement of the part and my description of it. They are better versed on Convertibles then I.
Let me know if you need other pictures of the top frame. The 57-58 main Plymouth FSM shows on page 432, this part in action
John Q.
Hi Steve,
DIdnt reply earlier becasue I didn’t get notified of this/your new thread…
I bet there were bulletins and such issued for the convertible top., however, keep n mind that convertibles have been around for a long time, so maybe there is not THE bulletin to answer all your questions!
I have the set of 3 Service Manuals for 1959 , and in them there are explanations of how to adjust the various screws and linkages, but there is no mention of how to avoid holes being poked into the canvas…
I am gonna go out to the garage and have a look at where you may be getting pinchpoints…I have no knowledge of “stand-offs” or spacers you spoke of…
I will have a look
Roger
I I am glad that John Q. knows what you are talking about, because i canot see any of these stand-off parts on my car!
Yes John Q-thats it. I must have the condensed version of the service manual. Mine has no section on the top frame. Any idea where one could get an inclusive one? This information will get me headed in the right direction. Thank you and rogerh for taking a look at this. Rogerh hope your top doesn’t develop the “heebie-jeebies” now!!! Steve
Steve, I am glad I was able to come up with the part. I believe there is a total of 4 on a Convertible Top frame, two on each side. one above each front side glass and one above the quarter glass on each side. Or at least that is what is on mine.
With the exception of the square head on the bolt, It should be the standard 1/4-20 bolt, with a standard nut on it for setting and holding the position of the adjuster. I will make sure they are 1/4-20 style, Once I find my thread gauge..
Do you have to drill out a broken stud in the frame irons? I should not say Irons, since it is actually a cast aluminum piece and not made out of ferrous material. I had to soak mine in solvent to and a little propane heat to expand and contract the metal bolt, but not to much to cause a fracture in the frame cast aluminum pieces.
Unless you are doing Concours class of car, a regular hex head bolt should work with the nut to hold the position once established. Don’t know if a hardware store would have the square head style, but you can grind down a hex head to a square head with a little work. If originality is important. This adjusters are hardly noticed with the top up or down. But
needed to keep the top in alignment and to stop the pinching of the canvas top material.If you need any more pictures let me know. 
John Q.
John Q.
Steve, I can scan the section in the main Yellow 57-58 Plymouth Catalog that has this info on the Convertible Top Frame.it is not in the Red 59 Plymouth Supplement. Send me an email at my work address,and I will scan an email you the pages you need.
Work email: JohnQ@I-Pro-Online.com (not cap sensitve so lower case is OK)
John Q.
Things are a bit more settled here, so I went back and read thru the thread from the beginning.
NOW I know what you are talking about …the adjustment/alignment bolts, called S’top screws" by Mopar.. John Q. has it all explained…these bolts are “very necessary”! They keep the windows from binding…all sorts of stuff..you gotta have 'em.
I have a scanner, but who shall I send the pic to? (I know, Dan Morton, my man!)
Steve,
You can get a 57-58 Plymouth service manual on a CD on e-bay for $35 - an exact copy approved by Chrysler.
See the attached link:
1957-1958 Plymouth Owner’s Manual on CD.
Or you can take your chances on a paper manual and pray you can read through the grease smudges,and pages with scribbled hand writing, and hope no pages are missing for about the same price - also available on e-bay.
Curt
Hey Steve,
I have an extra 1957-8 Plymouth manual and a 59 Supplement. Both are in very good condition. I would love to sell them to a needy owner. $20 for the pair…shipping about $7.50 or so. Please let me know. (I am in need of cash). I bought the pair off Ebay.
Roger
P.S. I figured out how to scan stuff, so if I have your E-mail address, I can send info to you.
Hi rogerh-i’ll take that manual off your hands id its the full one with the section on adjusting the top. I have a yellow manual that doesn’t have that info. My e-mail is steve.storey@yahoo.com if you would be kind enough to scan that for me.Let me know where to send payment and how much. Also mine went through the 2006 Susquehanna River flood so is the worse for wear!! Will try to remember to wash my hands before use. Thanks to all for your help. Steve
For the benefit of all drop top cops, Roger sent the picture to me – I’ve cropped and scaled a bit. Don’t forget to click on the picture to see it full size.
Dan
Thanks Dan I think I can lick this problem now. Roger at your leisure i’ll take that manual off your hands. Let me know the final damage with shipping and i’ll get you off a check. Thanks to all for the help.
Steve,
If all you are missing are pp. 431, 432 and 433 from your Yellow Manual, I will copy and send to you. Save yourself $28----!
I will have to check the top on my car. The top on my car was replaced within the last 2 or 3 years before I got it, but it has a small hole on either side toward the rear where it looks like the top frame has pinched it. I bet its the lack of, or missing adjustment bolts you mention here.
Tim
Tim, Does your top have the front to rear extra padding that is located on the passenger and drivers side area betweent eh canvas top and the top frame? This after-market Top Pad Kit gives extra protection to the pinch fold area when the top folds up? It is abount a foot wide. It may not be original to the 59. But this pad I have used on my 68 Sport Fury Convertible and my 70 Cuda Convertible.
Year One Sells it as a part number CM574 (www.yearone.com) It states in the year One catalog that it prevents against pinching in that area where the top folds. I think this and the adjusters should keep the top from pinching and making holes in the canvas.
Check it out.
John Q
After obsessing about the adjusting bolts and many ruined drill bits from my attempts to drill through a hardened bolt I’ve come to the conclusion none of these four adjustment bolts have anything to do with the pinch problem, but rather as mentioned the frame sag at window tops. They contact the frame from the bolt ends. So Tim if you are getting rips check out the protective pad per John Q. Also any sharp points . In retrospect I think my problems came from improper folding of top and bows as they go down. One of the bows swivel and has a tab or stop on both sides where the rips occur. I think this tab has to be kept against the frame so it doesn’t stick up. Should have done some post graduate studies in “Drop Tops”. Steve
I checked on my car, and the adjustment bolts are all there, as well as top pads on either side. Maybe the damage occurred before the pads were put in. I don’t know. I don’t see how it could pinch the top with the pads in place. I may send an email to the previous owner to ask him how that happened.
Tim
Convertible top frame members,Good news for those missing the square head bold that is used for adjusting the sag of the convertible top frame parts from each other. I have found the Square head bolts at my local Ace Hardware, They are 1/4-20 like I thought. The are called Machine thread set screws.
So they should be available at any local ACE or Hardware stores should you want to replace the ones you have or are missing from your Convertible top frame assembly.
John Q.