1957 Tonneau top attachment

[OhioTbird]

I was trying to remove the tonneau top completely from the car. Where it attaches behind the seat it appears to be glued on. Can that be correct or am I looking at it incorrectly?

thanks.

This page contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated. As an eBay Partner, and Amazon Associate I may be compensated if you make a purchase at no cost to you.

 

[jimntempe]

I was trying to remove the tonneau top completely from the car. Where it attaches behind the seat it appears to be glued on. Can that be correct or am I looking at it incorrectly?

thanks.

I have read that some were set up that way. It winds up hanging down like the drop curtain otherwise would. From my reading it was not clear to me if there was any such thing as a factory tonneau cover but rather all were aftermarket.

 

[TJShea]

I was trying to remove the tonneau top completely from the car. Where it attaches behind the seat it appears to be glued on. Can that be correct or am I looking at it incorrectly?

thanks.

Hello I am certainly no expert on these cars, therefore I am usually a frequent question asker here. However, in this case I do have some info, On my 57's original invoice it was ordered and delivered with a tonneau cover. I read that in that case the cover was installed in place of the drop curtain, and it was attached under the rear chrome strip along the back of the passenger compartment as would have been the drop curtain, My car does not have snaps along the rear, as is sometimes the case with an aftermarket. However, it does has snaps at the doors and front of the dash. So, i would guess that was how it was delivered, with the tonneau attached in place of the drop curtain at the rear of the passenger compartment.

There are many others on this site far more knowledgeable than I am, and I am sure they will provide the correct information if I guessed wrong, or my car was an anomaly.

 

[Dave and Lou Kriger]

Not sure about 1957’s but my 56 has snaps all around the cab to snap down a cover. I’ve looked at another 56 recently an it also had snaps. The snaps on mine also are placed on the dash at the garnish mouldings. I have posted it for auction @ bringatrailer.com currently, and you can see the snaps in the picture posted. Again this is on a 56 thunderbird. Hope that helps you @OhioTbird

 

[Ward 57]

Hello I am certainly no expert on these cars, therefore I am usually a frequent question asker here. However, in this case I do have some info, On my 57's original invoice it was ordered and delivered with a tonneau cover. I read that in that case the cover was installed in place of the drop curtain, and it was attached under the rear chrome strip along the back of the passenger compartment as would have been the drop curtain, My car does not have snaps along the rear, as is sometimes the case with an aftermarket. However, it does has snaps at the doors and front of the dash. So, i would guess that was how it was delivered, with the tonneau attached in place of the drop curtain at the rear of the passenger compartment.

There are many others on this site far more knowledgeable than I am, and I am sure they will provide the correct information if I guessed wrong, or my car was an anomaly.

No, yours is correct. My original also had boots that covered not just the top but also the sides of the soft top when down. There are even snaps near the rear of the seat to secure them down. When I had a new one made by a local upholstery shop, they apparently didn't understand their use and left them off. It made a really proper cover for the whole soft top when down.

 

[55blacktie]

Tonneau covers were not a factory option for 1955. They were a factory option for the 1956-57 model years. A factory-installed tonneau takes the place of the factor-installed drop curtain, and is glued beneath the rear-deck trim. There are no male snaps installed on the rear deck. Dealer-installed/aftermarket tonneau covers can be conveniently installed/removed, if there are snaps on the deck lid. My 55 Tbird had such a tonneau cover installed. In addition to the usual male snaps on the lower-interior windshield molding and along the top of both doors, there are snaps on the deck lid. The factory-installed drop curtain remains in its factory position.

The aftermarket tonneau covers that are sold by Tbird suppliers do not have the female snaps pre-installed. Those covers should have enough material to allow it to be installed on the deck lid, if the male snaps on the rear deck are placed as far forward as possible on the deck trim. If your car does not already have the deck-lid snaps installed, do not install them until you determine that the tonneau cover is long enough. I have read that you can order a custom, extra-long tonneau cover from Casco, but you must provide the dimensions. There is an additional charge for the custom tonneau cover, and it cannot be returned if it doesn't fit.

 

[Ward 57]

Tonneau covers were not a factory option for 1955. They were a factory option for the 1956-57 model years. A factory-installed tonneau takes the place of the factor-installed drop curtain, and is glued beneath the rear-deck trim. There are no male snaps installed on the rear deck. Dealer-installed/aftermarket tonneau covers can be conveniently installed/removed, if there are snaps on the deck lid. My 55 Tbird had such a tonneau cover installed. In addition to the usual male snaps on the lower-interior windshield molding and along the top of both doors, there are snaps on the deck lid. The factory-installed drop curtain remains in its factory position.

The aftermarket tonneau covers that are sold by Tbird suppliers do not have the female snaps pre-installed. Those covers should have enough material to allow it to be installed on the deck lid, if the male snaps on the rear deck are placed as far forward as possible on the deck trim. If your car does not already have the deck-lid snaps installed, do not install them until you determine that the tonneau cover is long enough. I have read that you can order a custom, extra-long tonneau cover from Casco, but you must provide the dimensions. There is an additional charge for the custom tonneau cover, and it cannot be returned if it doesn't fit.

I'm sure mine was factory installed. I'd have to check my invoice as I don't know if it was standard at that time or not. It is glued or stapled under the rear trim but there are two snaps right behind the door jam I assume to get it to hang over the side of the soft top for the original side boots. Oh I do have the drop curtain also. It was always included to separate the trunk from the cabin.

 

[paul5456]

Four snaps were installed on the railing UNDER the package tray. This enabled the cover to be folder in the center, the leading edge (front) was secured to these snaps allowing it to become a drop curtain.

This would seem to preclude a separate drop curtain.

 

[Ward 57]

That was to cover the convertible top from the passenger side. The drop curtain was to hide the cockpit from the trunk without a steel wall as they introduced later. It would look cheap and unfinished without it. Looking from the trunk to the rag top or the back of the seat, was not accepted. I'm sure you have noticed any pattern on the curtain faces the trunk to help finish it off costing almost nothing. Every T-Bird had one as I don't think any were produced without some kind of trunk liner or enclosure.

 

[55blacktie]

No 56-57 came from the factory with both drop curtain and tonneau cover; either one or the other, not both.

 

[Douglemmo]

That was to cover the convertible top from the passenger side. The drop curtain was to hide the cockpit from the trunk without a steel wall as they introduced later. It would look cheap and unfinished without it. Looking from the trunk to the rag top or the back of the seat, was not accepted. I'm sure you have noticed any pattern on the curtain faces the trunk to help finish it off costing almost nothing. Every T-Bird had one as I don't think any were produced without some kind of trunk liner or enclosure.

I have a 57 and have a question about the snaps that secure the front of the tonneau cover. According to a couple of Factory Invoices I have reviewed, the Tonneau cover was a $15.00 option and was installed at the factory. When I got my car which had never been restored and was in tough shape, it had a tonneau cover glued in place under the back trim panel and in accordance with the Trim & Sealer Manual, It has 4 snaps, 1 at the top front and rear of each door. The front of the cover is secured by several male snaps, each snap is the head of the screw that also holds the lower, inner chrome windshield molding in place. The T&S manual is not clear on the details of these screws. I think that the original factory installation for a tonneau cover included these "combination" screws. I have seen aftermarket tonneau covers held in place by screws that were clearly drilled into the chrome retaining strip and were in addition to the regular chrome strip retaining screws. Which type of front retaining screws does your car have?

My car did not appear to ever have had a drop curtain.

Thanks,
Doug

 

[55blacktie]

Doug, yours is as it should be from the factory; that's what I've been saying.

 

[Douglemmo]

Hi,
Just to be clear, your car has the "snap head" trim retaining screws along the front.

Thanks for the clarification.

Doug

 

[Ward 57]

I have a 57 and have a question about the snaps that secure the front of the tonneau cover. According to a couple of Factory Invoices I have reviewed, the Tonneau cover was a $15.00 option and was installed at the factory. When I got my car which had never been restored and was in tough shape, it had a tonneau cover glued in place under the back trim panel and in accordance with the Trim & Sealer Manual, It has 4 snaps, 1 at the top front and rear of each door. The front of the cover is secured by several male snaps, each snap is the head of the screw that also holds the lower, inner chrome windshield molding in place. The T&S manual is not clear on the details of these screws. I think that the original factory installation for a tonneau cover included these "combination" screws. I have seen aftermarket tonneau covers held in place by screws that were clearly drilled into the chrome retaining strip and were in addition to the regular chrome strip retaining screws. Which type of front retaining screws does your car have?

My car did not appear to ever have had a drop curtain.

Thanks,
Doug

I'm still learning, It seems none of these cars were uniform across the board. Mine is an early '57 and has '56 power steering gear and the vacuum line to the booster is rubber.
I have the two snaps on the top of each door plus one more in the corner of the rear trim. There are seven male snaps along the front trim on each side not doing double duty, 3 counter sunk screws around the corner and on on the center clip to hold the trim in place, Obviously factory, none over the defroster opening just the snap studs. Mine had the drop curtain and tonneau when I bought it over 40 years ago so I assume they were original by their construction. here are a couple of pics of my set-up

 

[Ward 57]

I"ve got an earlyish 57. Is there any obvious and simple way to look at mine and tell?

yes most of the suppliers have diagrams of the different units. The mounts are different and you should be able to spot which you have with a light.
I bought my car 40+ years ago but only had to look up it's build date because the tech rebuilding it informed me it was for a '56. It was built on my 3rd birthday! A birthday present I never knew I had. No wonder I never considered selling it all that time.
Oh I think they did the final changeover after they finished up their '56 parts was somewhere around April '57.

 

[doug7740]

 

[Ward 57]

That picture of the corner snap confirms that mine was original. if the car had no soft top the tonneau would definitely work as a drop curtain. If it had the soft top The tonneau would work as a 'boot cover' like the later convertibles just dropped to behind the rear seat, but would still require the drop curtain behind the center bulkhead to finish the trunk and hide the brace work and gap if no top. But what it there was the top but no tonneau. Would the trop curtain then act as the top cover? I can't think of a convertible that didn't have some kind of cover when stored. Visuals were even then very important.
Mine came with both and I just have to assume the rear drop curtain on the trunk side of the bulkhead was standard to finish it off and look classy for pennies. On the passenger side, I'm assuming that those snaps were for a drop curtain if there was no soft top or tonneau. There are so many combinations and they were a work in progress during the whole 3 year production run. I have the restoration manuals but they are on lone to a local shop where the owner is rescuing a neglected '55.

 

[ICON 56]

On the build sheet my car came with the Tonneau cover, When I purchased the car the only sign of having a cover were the front stainless steel trim had the snap males, I wanted to restore it back with the Tonneau cover. I ordered one which I had to install the remaining male snaps on the stainless trim. A member sent me a copy of the original dealer install. The directions had the measurements where to place the male snap heads. The option was a dealer install when the car came to the dealership When you had a choice of a drop curtain or the Tonneau cover. I have both.Here's a picture on a 57.

 

[Ward 57]

Yup, exactly like mine. Mine came with both also. The only thing when I had mine replaced by a local upholstery shop They left off the wings to cover the side of the soft top, I leave them inside the door But glad to know your cover came with them If I should ever need to replace mine again. The only difference is that I have snaps in the far corners of the rear trim so they don't flip up like yours. Check my pics above.

 

[paul5456]

Unless you bought the car new, you cannot be sure what originally came with it (exception if you have the invoice).

I would make a guess that any car that had both the drop curtain and the Tonneau cover originally came with the drop curtain and the tonneau cover was added either at the dealer when the car was purchased or sometime later.