I tend to favor a cleaner, more up-to-date look for my car, so when the time came to have the T-Tops repainted, the chrome trim had to go.
My Stingray was originally silver metallic, and when the previous owner had the car repainted, the shop he used dropped the ball when the time came to tape the tops, which left a sliver of the original paint showing.
T-Top chrome trim pieces can be expensive—and since my T-Tops had to be modified to look properly without them—I will probably sell them on eBay in order to recoup some of the painting expenses.
I used an auto body shop in Longwood, Florida to do the necessary bodywork and paint, and they did a pretty decent job.
As I mentioned, the T-Tops needed some work since the front lips have a groove that runs across in order for the chrome trim to remain in place, so Jeremy had to fill in the groove with the right product and then prep the whole area for paint.
In addition to that, he had the paint scanned so the color would match exactly, which was great since I didn't have a clue as to which paint they used when the car was repainted. I am glad to report that it was a perfect match and now we have the formula for the paint.
Here are a few Before & After photos. I am very happy with the new look and I've already ordered new weatherstripping seals for the tops, so stay tuned for that project.
BEFORE
AFTER
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Product Links... (#sponsored)
• How to Restore Your C3 Corvette: 1968-1982
• 1968-1982 Corvette Restoration Guide, 2nd Edition
• Corvette Black Book | 1953-2019
• 1976 Corvette Service & Overhaul Manual
• 1976 Corvette Service & Overhaul Manual CD-ROM
• 1976 Corvette Dealer Sales Brochure | GM-Licensed Reprint
• 1976 Corvette Stingray Owner's Manual | GM-Licensed Reprint
• 1976 Corvette Assembly Manual
• 1973-1977 Corvette Metro Supersoft Weatherstripping Kit
