Rusty Bowtie
General Category => General Discussion - Intros => Topic started by: ghost28 on July 27, 2016, 10:09:24 PM
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When I aquired my roadster it didn't have a folding mechanism for a top. This style car was one of two styles. Both cloth tops, but one was folding, and the other was a fake folding cloth style. Mine was the fake or cloth coupe. When the car was assembled far enough along I was gonna build a removable hardtop covered in cloth, kinda like the original was. The first step was to make a header board from a hardwood and mount it above the windshield.I Then started bending 3/4 electrical conduit to fit the body shape above the deck lid. WHEW. This area had more compound curves than Dolly Parton, but I got the shape I needed. The next step was to out line the shape of the hardtop with more tubing, and after this was finished I made templates from poster board to fill the panels, I then traced these onto 20 guage steel and cut them out, and tacked them into place. the hardtop looked good, but I did not like the idea of leaving my top at home on nice days that might turn bad, so I started thinking about a folding top and If the frame might be available for this car. NOPE.
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I thought about using the folding top mechanism from speedway, but it was for early ford only, and I would have to modify it. So using the rear conduit right above the trunk from the hardtop and the wood header board from the same, I scrapped the rest of the hardtop in favor of the folding style, but I had to build it all over again. More conduit, 12 to 14 guage by 1 inch steel strapping, quantity of 1/4 inch by 20 thread bolts and nylock nuts, and some 1/4 inch ID nylon bushing. I had to have a starting point and that was at the hinge area for the top where everything would fold from, this was right at the door closure on top of the body. I welded a large piece of metal to a good bolt and drilled a hole in the body for it to slide through and bolted it down. The rest was figuring the crown height over the driver, and the bar above the rear window which I made both adjustable, and then following the pictures of the speedway mechanism. More later.
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Awesome, it is going to be great. Can't wait to see the finished product.
I like the seats, what did they come out of?
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When I set the rear bar above the rear window I wanted the it to have a good slant, but still clear the back of my head. The bar above my head had to be high enough to sit above the top of the windshield and alsoclear the top of my head. This way it should have that roadster flair or carson style. The two bars that will control the fold have to be close to the same length ,but with the bolt holes drilled with exact spacing, otherwise it might bind when folding mine were 8 inches The side bar that this will all attach to should have slight lean to the windshield, and length to the header board will be determined by all these angles. I attached all this with some strapping flat to the header board with some counter sunk wood screws. I couldn't believe it all folded, but still needed some fine tuning. I can live with that. I did make a couple of latch bars to control the movement of the top mechanism when it is in the up position, and help keep the shape for the canvas
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For the temporary canvas top. I used a 48 inch by 12 foot piece of new painters canvas I bought at a yard sale for 3 bucks I believe. A buddy had a couple of curved wood bow pieces from an old roadster build, I then cut a 1 1/4 inch by 1 inch by? piece for in between the curved pieces. These were mounted on the furthest bar above the rear window for stapling the canvas. I started with the rear bar above the deck lid and some small drilled holes, then attached the canvas with small metal screws and upholstery washers, I then stretched the canvas tight and stapled it to the header board keeping it tight across, and front to back except over the most rearward bow. To tighten this area I just folded the material neatly and stapled it tight to the wood portion. Keep in mind this top material is only temporary and will not hold out moisture, and will definately shrink if you get it wet, which I have done. For the rear window which is a standard aftermarket frame. I chose the position with the help of Sammons, and used double stick tape to hold it to the canvas. I made a lexan pattern and drilled holes though it to screw it to the frame. (Small screws). After installing all this, I used a fairly sharp razor blade to cut the canvas against the lexan for the window. When I build the proper canvas roof I will post of my attempts on this job.
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I like the seats, what did they come out of?
Not sure what it's from I think minivan of some sort, it's leather and the exact size for the car, with sliders that work. I got it from a scrapper truck that was out front of my home picking my neighbors metal pile. He had just picked the seat up from down the street, and I traded him scrap weight for it.
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Great tutorial on the tops man. Hell, all I did was agree with you.
Sounds like they are having great weather in Salina this year, wish I could have gone.
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Looking good as usuall Ghost vette59jdwl
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Ghost, This is great. Thanks you for walking us through it. Please keep it going to the final top/material and even to things that might not work. I'll be here eventually.
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Ghost, This is great. Thanks you for walking us through it. Please keep it going to the final top/material and even to things that might not work. I'll be here eventually.
Thanks guys for the interest I will keep everyone informed when I finish it.
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Excellent thread. I have to get going on my top this winter.
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I like how this is turning out.
Don't forget to use stainless staples on the finished top, to stop rust. :)