Opening between back seat&trunk

[pmenhusen]

There is a rectangular opening between my backseat area and the trunk of my '63 Alpine. What originally went here? If anyone has tried patching this hole, what did you use and how successful was it?

 

[Tiger]

I there's any evidence of where the marble dispenser was removed, then you might have the Get Smart special-effects car.

Seriously, no idea. My 'Beam is solid through there, excepting where the soft-top drops down.

 

[pmenhusen]

I think the opening may be exclusive to the removable-hardtop-only cars, since my convertible parts car also has a solid panel in this location.

 

[MikeP]

The only thing that blocked that opening was a vinyl "curtain". On earlier cars you should see about 4 snap fasteners, or their remains, on that little shelf where the sheet metal goes over the rear axle. On later cars it just hung down. This was fastened to the body underneath the trunk hinge panel, there were two alloy strips running through a channel in the top of the fabric and was pop riveted to the body. The early style vinyl used tended to go brittle and come off. The later type was more robust and tended to last. The one on my early car was nothing more than a small strip up under the trunk hinges when I got it.