Top Plate Replacement Difficulty?

[GoodPhotos]

I've a a wonderful old 1949 sharkskin IIIc that (I'm told) some idiot in US Customs scratched the Leica engraving off decades ago...(sorry...blurry old pic. I've since covered the attrocity with black tape...)

(I find this almost as appaling as the abuse of small furry animals!)

I've found a top plate for sale that has no scratches on it at all and am wondering how big a project it is to replace the top plate myself, with no specialised tools? Is this something that I should just have done by a professional or is it basically just loosening screws and dials in order and replaceing them once the new plate is in place?

Of course I suppose I could just send both the plate and camera to be painted (hammertone would be nice) and they could replace the top plate as part of the regular process, but my IIIc and IIIf are just for fun cameras and I can't justify the expense this early in the wedding season.
🙂

 

[ZorkiKat]

You'll need a few tools. Jeweller's screwdrivers (1, 1.4, 1.7? mm tips) to work on the screws. The RF port bezels in front are often the most difficult to remove due to tight fit. You'd need special fibre wrenches to do this. And then there is also the various rings which attach the optical wedge under the left bezel.

The replacement process involves more than just loosening screws and replacing them after the whole process is done. Taking the top plate off will upset the RF's optical wedge adjustment. There are also some tricky steps like removing the rewind knob or the diopter lever attached to it.

Readjusting the optical wedge (this lines up the vertical alignment of the RF image) is not difficult to do. But if this or the other tricky steps are not things which you'd rather do, sending the camera to professional service may be the better option.

Jay

 

[GoodPhotos]

Thanks Jay. I was afraid of that. I'm a decent enough photographer, but I'm really not mechanically inclined at all, so sounds like something to leave to the pros.
The IIIc does have some pin holes in the curtains and the shutter was put in backwards by some previous tech (according to Sherry K who checked it out at a PHSNE show) so the speeds have to be set BEFORE the shutter is cocked on this one. I suppose that if I send it in for a CLA anyhow, it would be no extra charge to swap out the top plate if I have the top plate already.

It is operable the way it is, just quirky with the shutter speed thing and having to leave the cap on except for the actual moment of exposure. If I'm in as good of condition as the camera is when I'm 58, (18 years from now) I'll be happy.
😀

 

[John Shriver]

The only sad thing will be that the serial number on the top plate will be wrong. There's another one under there, it will be right.

In the old days, Leitz would engrave the correct serial number on a new top plate if it was being replaced.