Since you need body work done, how about we just roll it over on it's roof and the parts should fall out onto the ground. 

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

Take the rear quarter panel trim out, and you should be able to retrieve that stoopid plate. 

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I bet a gaggle of owners standing in a hotel parking lot can figure it out.  Bring a screw driver and some duct tape and beer for the winner!  

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After thinking about it, why do I need to put it back in, I just let my t-tops "fly free" anyway.

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Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!!      Long and short term leases available.

+1 on Joel's response. Been there, done that. Remove the quarter panel plastic interior trim and pull back the carpet. It should be down in the bottom. Won't be at the gathering, but certainly hope all you guys (and gals) have a great time !!

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John Sigmund

That's what the duct tape is for, Dave....



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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I really like that idea. Easier than rolling your car over on its roof. 

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GEN III 5.7L "LS6" Engine swap
TKO500 5 spd.

Use the extra duct tape on them!

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Extra implies that I could have too much duct tape. You can never have too much duct tape.

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Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!!      Long and short term leases available.

The farther and farther I got into the initial sanding the more apparent it became that this is not going to be a quick 20 ft primer job. Major repairs discovered. So I shot it with primer so it looks ok flying past at about 30 if you have bad eyesight and are blindfolded. This AM I started putting it back together.  This was a bad idea!  After my move I'll get a better handle in what the body needs and have a pro do the job, way too much for this hack.

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Dave C..........My mantra: I can not be bought!!      Long and short term leases available.

The T Top lock plate(rear) backer can be recovered by LOOSENING the interior vinyl trim piece where the seat belt/retractor go thru..Six black phillips head screws ARE REMOVED..and the trim is moved downward and toward the interior a bit so you can see behind it easily..Then you'll probably find the steel backer inside the area right above the rear of the door jamb..Reinstall the T Top rear plate and check the fit..Don't forget to put a thin layer of the 3M double sided tape between backer plate & body for water-sealing.. IF the T Top fit is good and snug..and if all is well, resecure the interior curved vinyl trim..Adjustment of the snugness of the T Top is simply done by screwing the threaded lock down knob in the front in or out to loosen or tighten..It's on the open-close lever mechanism..Jim

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