VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 '32 convertible top rests

When I put the top down on my cabriolet it rests on two handle looking items (don't know the name of this feature, please tell me what they are called) both of them need to be redone, should they be chrome or nickle plated?

These 'handles' look like they are depressed some in the center, is this the way they should be or not?

Not sure of the correct nomenclature for these parts, but I think you should have three of them on your '32 if they are the same as my '31. The depressions are by design and mine are chrome. Also the center one is oriented 180 degrees to the other two.

Roger

Thanks Roger, I will go look, but I don't think I have a middle one or holes for one. Will let you know.

Roger, I checked my car and you are right there are 3 of them.

However the middle one is pointed the same direction as the other 2 (goes front to back) also the center one is depressed more than the other 2.

The finish on them looks more like the finish on the inside door handles than the chrome on the bumpers.

There are three top rests and all three face in the same direction. The center top rest is not as tall as the two outside rests so that the top will lay level when in the down position.

I just took another look at my cabriolet and stand by my original post......."the center one is oriented 180 degrees to the other two."

The outside rests are oriented with the depressed portion to the rear half of the rest and the center rest is oriented with the depressed portion to the front, which is 180 degrees different. I have the original paint on my car and I have no reason to believe they were ever removed and replaced incorrectly. I think the center rest supports the main rear bow which is closer to the front and the outside rests support the front header, which would lie to the rear of the depression in the center rest. The rests looks identical except for the orientation. Also, each mounting post has a visible round rubber pad between the rest and the body.

the three rests on my 31 cabriolet are as described by Imfalco. my old car had been repainted red just once in its lifetime and the original black laquer was underneath the rests' rubber pads when i removed them last year.. mike

Turning one of the rests 180 degrees would STILL have them all running fore & aft (ALL IN THE SAME DIRECTION)

You have a good point IMFALCO! Actually, the top rests can bolt on in either direction. However, I have a factory photograph of a 1932 cabriolet and it shows all three of the top rests facing in the same direction, and all three depressions face towards the front of the car in the photo.

JYD - Do all three look identical? You had mentioned the center was lower, but if they are the same part, it would only appear lower in the front if it was turned 180 degrees. Without seeing the photo I'm inclinded not to argue the matter. My photos are front quarters and the '31 photo in the book "Chevrolet: The Coming Of Age shows the center rest, but it appears to be collapsed. Maybe more input is needed to resolve this. Could you post the picture?

Roger

The center rest is lower than both outside rests and it is a different part than the other two rests. The two outside rests are identical in appearance. For the top to lay level in the down position, the center rest has to be lower in configuration because of the shape of the upper panel.

In the book "Chevrolet: The Coming Of Age", the 1931 cabriolet shown there has all three top rests facing in the same direction, with the depressions facing the back of the car, not towards the front as shown in my factory photograph.

Maybe you can experiment with your top rests. Turn all three with the depressions facing the front of the car and then lower the top. Try the same thing with all three depressions facing the back of the car and again lower the top. Let us know in which configuration the top lays better.

JYD - I took your advise and lowered my top bows. First, I had to remove my top, that I had constructed out of butcher paper for some inspirational photos, which apparently wasn't enough inspiration for me, as it was over twenty years ago and my cat, who has long since died, had jumped from the rafters, punching through the paper top twice, surviving both times and I didn't get around to fix it a second time (the top, not the cat).

The reason for the center rest having the low side of the depression forward is due to the curvature of the body in the immediate area of the rests, like you said. The center is approximately a half inch higher than the sides. And since the resting bow is perfectly flat when lying on the rests, the outside rests have to be a half inch higher where they contact the bow, so that is why the outside rests are positioned with the high side forward. All three of my rests are identical and if I were to face them all the same with the high side forward, the outside rests would be a half inch from the bow, which would only be contacting the center rest. If I were to face them all the same with the low side forward, the outside rests would be a one inch away from contacting the bow. The photo in the previously mentioned book shows the correct orientation of the outside rests, but that center rest looks deformed to me, perhaps damged from mounting it the wrong way?

Roger

My center 'rest' is different in height it is lower than the outside 2, the depressions are forward.

Got the car from the original owner's family, it looks like the 'rests' have not been touched or changed.

Here is what I posted previously: "The center top rest is not as tall as the two outside rests so that the top will lay level when in the down position."

And, this: "The center rest is lower than both outside rests and it is a different part than the other two rests. The two outside rests are identical in appearance. For the top to lay level in the down position, the center rest has to be lower in configuration because of the shape of the upper panel."

As mentioned above, the center rest IS NOT THE SAME AS THE OUTSIDE RESTS. It is lower and it looks deformed as shown in the "Chevrolet: The Coming Of Age" photo. It has to be deformed as shown for the top to lay level on the three rests because of the curvature of the upper panel. You definitely have the wrong center rest if it matches the two outside rests. You will need the correct center rest for the top to lay correctly on the upper panel.

So, it appears at this time that the position of the rests shown on my factory photo is correct......all three rests have the depressions facing forward, and Gator's cabriolet matches the factory photo as well.

Sorry about your cat! :( :(

The 1932 Chevrolet parts book shows 4009236 as the folding top rest, left or right, and 4009237 as being the center folding top rest. Illustrations of both of these top rests are shown in the 1934 Chevrolet body parts book.

JYD - Thanks for the condolences; he lived a good life. You haven't convinced me that my center lift is incorrect. If I hadn't checked the fit for myself, I wouldn't be so sure it was correct. I agree that the center rest has to be shorter and mine is; because it is turned 180 degrees from the outside rests, which puts the depression forward. I think we are saying the same things, except for the part about the factory photo showing the center lift being a different part, so until I see that factory photo, I'm happy that my top rests nicely on my rests. And with that closing statement, the defense rests.

I can't imagine the '31 rests being different than the '32 rests. Is there a parts list out there that will clear this up? What year is your factory photo and does it show the center rest exactly like the one in the coming of age book?

Roger

Yep, you definitely have the wrong center rest without a doubt!!

"Is there a parts list out there that will clear this up? What year is your factory photo and does it show the center rest exactly like the one in the coming of age book"

Yes, the 1931 and the 1932 parts books do show that the center rest is different and there is an illustration of it in the 1934 parts book. (See my posting above your last posting). The illustration of the center rest in the parts book matches EXACTLY the center rest on my car, on Gator's car, on the original 1932 factory photo, and on the car in "Chevrolet: The Coming Of Age". Trust me on this one, you definitely have the wrong center rest. Both the outside rests and the center rests are the same for 1931 and 1932, and this fact, plus the fact that the center rest is different than the other two rests is documented. The center rest shown in the photo of "Chevrolet: The Coming Of Age" is exactly how your center rest should look.

Another reason that the center rest is different (besides the configuration of the upper panel since the panel is curved) is so that all three top rests will be uniform and have the depressions facing in the same direction.

JYD - Well, you have stated the seemingly undisputable facts and I have to say uncle. For me the mystery remains, why my center rest was ever changed. Maybe they ran out of center rests and a guy on the assembly line saw that an outside rest works and looks fine by rotating it. You mentioned uniformity, but why would they offset the depression in the first place if the part was designed for only one position?

Thanks for researching this and although my set up is functionally and aesthetically acceptable to me, I will start looking for a replacement.

Roger

Cool! Glad that I was able to convince you.

Actually all three top rests will bolt up in any position on the upper panel, but that is not the way they were designed, because it does look kinda sorta goofy having two top rests face in one direction and the one facing in the other direction. That is why the center rest looks like it is deformed because it is installs in the high part of the upper panel and in that position, with all of the depressions facing the same direction, all three rests must be level across the top of each rest.

Since this is a bolt on item your center rest could have been replaced years ago for some unknown reason. Lots of things happen to these cars over the years so, at this point, it is anyone's guess as to why your center rest was replaced.

When I first saw the rests I thought they had been bent out of shape over time...glad to know that they are made to look like they do.

JYD....just a thought here, could Roger (or a machine shop) file or ground off some of the 'legs' on his center rest and retap it for bolts which would lower it so it would be level with the outside 2? You could put a straight edge on the 3 to make sure of how much to take off the center one...or would it be easier to find a correct center one?

Possibly.

Ya, that would probably work. However, it would be somewhat obvious that the bottom of the rest was ground off because the flared out areas on the bottom of the rest would be missing.

Opps, I guess it might be easier to find a correct one....

What are the top rests made out of?