Hey everybody! my name is jared, and i am new to the forum. i have recently purchased a 1966 impala convertible, and have begun the process of a DIY restoration. Overall, the car is very solid and should turn out great. But... the convertible top is in poor condition , and will have to be replaced. So far, the plan is to repair the top last, so that i am still able to enjoy the car on nice days, just keeping it parked in the garage. What id like to know, is there an easy way to get the top down, without using the top motor? the motor is also in poor condition, and one of the plastic hydraulic cables leaving the motor has snapped (passenger side). if i try and manually close the top, it spits old fluid from the broken cable, (no biggie) but will only go about half way down... i dont want to force it, so nothing breaks, but am at a loss. I would really appreciate some help from the chevy community, thanks in advance everybody!!

 

You will have to replace the plastic hydraulic line. The only way to prevent fluid spills. Should not be too expensive.