1951 Chevy carson top progress...pics

[xadamx]

Chopped the windshield and framed up the top. Gotta finish the wooden header, chicken wire, and off to Antonio for upholstery.

[xadamx]

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[xadamx]

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[xadamx]

Post deleted by xadamx

[xadamx]

meant to post this one...sorry...

[xadamx]

What a project...so much eyeballing and trimming involved. Ran out of gas so I still have to weld on some braces in the back/upper section, trim the wood, and put on the chicken wire. Thanks to everyone that answered my questions and gave their advice on this. More things to come, such as...
-taillights removed and placed in a cool 1953 Studebaker bumper guard and overrider assembly, kinda like Barris

Keep you posted...

[Peter Pan of Chicago]

That looks "Bad Ass"! Keep us posted on this one and good luck. Looks great.

Joel http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

[xadamx]

Haha...thanks...will do. My knee is killing me from bending that stuff on it...such a great learning experience though.

[MrHavard]

great pictures adam! cant wait to see the finished product http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

[BARNETT]

Man, that's lookin cool!

[133]

that's going to look awesome.

[kustombuilder]

that looks GREAT. it flows very well. keep us updated!!

[The37Kid]

That looks GREAT! Just a thought before the chicken wire goes on, get a roll of wide shrink wrap, the stuff you see cartons wrapped onto palets with. Do a test wrap of the framework and see if everything flows nice or if low spots show up.

[brewsir]

fun aint it!? I had to build mine two or three times to get it to flow right...I used a big ol' sheet and wrapped it to check the flow!
Has the upholstery guy seen it or know about it yet?? I'm just wondering how he will do the sides ...attaching to the conduit. I used a piece of 1" square tube and ground out a channel which ended up facing down...that way it could have tack strip put into it and a nice rubber seal for the side glass.
When you do the header they say you are supposed to use hardwood so it won't warp...I bought a nice piece of oak 2x4 and used my angle grinder with a sanding disk to shape it...worked very well...but the oak was a little pricy!
Good luck!

[Barn-core]

Damn, Adam, looks great, keep us posted.

[Roothawg]

Lookin good

[luckystiff]

damn that is looking good. you seem to be moving right along with it to. i would say however i agree with the suggestion of getting a roll of shrink wrap and wraping it to check the flow. you may find that you need to move or change a brace here or there or add one or two just to help with flow. i've only had a hand in building one carson a lllooonnnngggg time ago when i was like 18 or so. the shop i worked in did a couple and i helped do one on a chevy oddly enough. the guy i was working for had built a few and it still was a learning process. i've wanted to do one for a long time maybe that would be a perfect thing to do with the moredoor 55 plymouth that i have lost all interest in...ken....

[DrJ]

Listen to Brewsir,
and consult with a/your upholsterer NOW so you can ad whatever he's going to need in the way of tack strips before it becomes a start-over proposition.
I usta read the articles in magazines back in the 60s about making carson tops and the articles would inevitably stop where you are now and then 6 months later a feature would be run on the car with the "finished" top and it would look like completely different from the frame up...
Like the upholsterer said "OK, come back in a week... and proceeded to take it all apart and start over to make it useable, like Brewsir did, a couple of times, right Brew? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

[xadamx]

I just followed the instructions out of an old little mag hot rod zine. Not sure how they are going to attach it to the frame. Maybe they form something semi-rigid that goes underneath it, where the headliner is, and fasten to that? Not sure...

[DrJ]

[ QUOTE ]
I just followed the instructions out of an old little mag hot rod zine. Not sure how they are going to attach it to the frame. Maybe they form something semi-rigid that goes underneath it, where the headliner is, and fasten to that? Not sure...

[/ QUOTE ]

That's why you need a consultation with an upholsterer, now.
Are you familiar with the tack strips in an older car, like a Model A?
Your upholsterer will need something to tack/nail the under layers and top too, it doesn't just glue on like a padded top on a 70's Cadillac.
Look under an upholstered chair or sofa and see how it's fastened. The top material will need to fasten down in a very similar fashion.

[tragic59]

Whose car is that?

How many projects do you have going at one time, Adam?

It looks good, by the way. Looks like you got alot done in the short time it took you.

Get woozy from welding that galvanized?

[xadamx]

Haha...yeah, that's mine. I never really bring it up because I have been so focused on the hot rod. The Chevy will be a ruler when all's said and done, I just have to buckle down and finish it. I figure, if I bust my ass whenever I can on this one and John does the same with my other car, they will both be done by December. Aren't you going back to Texas soon?

[tragic59]

Yeah, we leave Tuesday. Be coming back on the 15th.

Let me know when John plans to have the "A' done, so we can make some arrangements...

[Norrland]

Here is some pics of a friend of mine's 51 Chevy with a carson

[Norrland]

and from the rear

[Norrland]

One more

[daign]

fyi
http://www.roguemotoring.com/hamb/images/carson2%5B2%5D.jpg

[cool57]

[ QUOTE ]
Here is some pics of a friend of mine's 51 Chevy with a carson

[/ QUOTE ]
What is the top material? Metal? Fiberglass?

[choprods]

I built a top similar for my 41 chevy a few years back- I used 1" by 1/8' flat in places and some conduit too.
I was all done with the frame and it was chopped 3'.
I was ready to cover it and decided to try a stock 47 chevy conv top.
By gathering it up at the rear bow where it tacks and tack strip covers the seam I was able to make it fit exactly!

[RocketDaemon]

[ QUOTE ]
Here is some pics of a friend of mine's 51 Chevy with a carson

[/ QUOTE ]

i do not really thing that qualifies as a carson top...

its a removable metal hardtop, not a real carsontop as its all made from metal and not padded...