Manual vs Power Top Parts

Q: Manual vs Power Top Parts

Does anyone know or have lying around the frame for a convertible top?…. I could use the side rails over the rear windows. One of my cars has these pieces bent. Brings up a not-so-funny image of what happens if you try to raise/lower the top with the car moving (just a guess, I bought it that way).”

A: Remember that the Convertible top mechanism is different for power and manual tops. The power top has a different linkage that brings the front bow up and over while the manual design depends on you lifting the front bow. If you put power pistons on a manual top the side linkage will bend a lot. (I speak from experience).

A: Aside from the obvious parts related to the power top lift mechanism versus the manual mechanism, the parts book shows that the only frame parts that are different are the roof side rails as Glenn mentions. Here are the items:

Group 14.170 RAIL,SIDE ROOF

7639060 7639061 1967-69/All/-67/-Center- with manual top

7639062 7639063 1967-69/All/-67/-Center- with power top ^^ ^^ (the two part numbers seem to be for right and left)

A: About the differences between power and manual top frames. Years ago the power top frame on my 1967 bird developed a big crack. It was already having problems blowing fuses beforehand, so I just took the off the whole frame, pump and the hydraulic rams and put on a manual top frame. As an aside, I didn’t know about the hold down latches for holding down the manual top in the folded down position, so I never put them on and never noticed the difference!

Somebody posted that the part numbers are different for the side rails between manual and power top frames. So, I finally got my lazy butt out to compare the manual and power top frames in my garage. He is right. The rails themselves are similar but the brackets welded on them are different. And the attaching levers are different as well. So, at a minimum, if you want to change from a manual top frame to a power top frame you are going to need to change the side rails and the accompanying levers. So I am guessing that only the front header bow and cross bars are the same? At this point, I would say that if somebody wants to change from a manual top to a power top, you might as well change out the entire frame!

A: Sometime ago there was a discussion on the differences between the Manual Conv. Top Frame and the Power Conv. Top Frame. It was noted that only one of the Side-Links was different (Center).

Looking through the Parts Catalog, I found the following items associated with the differences. Obviously, the Lift and various Pump, Hose items will also be unique to the Power Top.

FOLDING TOP SIDE ROOF RAIL (Front)
7639042/43      67-9 F  w/man. top
7639044/45      67-9 F  w/pwr. top

FOLDING TOP SIDE ROOF RAIL (Center)
7639060/61      67-9 F  w/man. top
7639062/63      67-9 F  w/pwr. top

BOLT, ROOF RAIL CTRL. LINK TO FRT. RAIL (w/pwr. top)
7641987     67-9 F
(3/8-16 x 1 5/8)

BUSHING, ROOF RAIL CTRL. LINK TO FRT. RAIL (w/pwr. top)
7641986     67-9 F

BUSHING, LIFT TO REAR RAIL (w/pwr. top)
4613551     67-8 F
(3/8 ID x 1/2 OD, 1 1/2 dia Hd - 11/32 Shldr Lgth)

WASHER, CTRL. LINK TO REAR RAIL (w/pwr. top)
4414102     67-9 F

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