Projects Is this Model A roof job considered traditional?

I think it looks awesome and I would love to have one that cool!

 

it looks like such a nice job in the pics... if it's as smooth and straight as it looks it could be wicked looking in paint! as stated before, you have so many options to make it look the part. paint it a different color, make the screws shiny, brass, stainless etc. just think it makes a great story to go with your car. history is a great thing when it's done well and its something unique that you can incorporate into your build.

 

I think you did a great job. However, if you plan to got further, some MIG welding, grinding and smoothing is not hard--just time consuming.

 

This all really comes down to what you like.
Personally, I don't care for a filled roof .
One of my projects , a 56 F100 I've had 3 friends already wanting to buy the truck when I'm done. I know none of the 3 will even like the direction I'm going with this. I try to tell them it's not something they will even like. But they really don't get it. And it's not going to be for sale
Do what pleases you and when you hear scoffers just ignore them.
It would look better replacing screws with real rivets though but that is my opinion

 

In my earlier post, the reason I suggested small carriage bolts, that would look like low crown rivets, is that the rivets must be 'driven' to correctly upset the shank against the bucking bar. If using steel rivets, the driving/upset process would likely result in distortion of the panel and detract from the current smooth surfaces.

One could use aluminum rivets that are easier to drive, but that sets up dissimilar metal corrosion potential. Using small carriage head bolts would provide rivet head profile and allow careful tightening to prevent distortion.

Ray

 

I think lots of things got done that we don't think fit "traditional" but they were done in the era that we are shooting for. One thing to remember is that unlike today when the hot rods that we really admire were being built the average guy didn't have a TIG welder or English wheel or even access to a stick welder or torch.

Hell the first car that I chopped was in about '68 I had hack saws, a skill saw with the blade turned around backward, some tin snips and an oxy acetylene torch. we did it in the street in front of the kids house.

We have a tendency to pic and choose the "traditional" things that we like and a filled roof would have as likely been screwed or riveted as welded if the vinyl was removed.

 

Money can not buy "that". Guys are making and paying for patina. What you have there is gold "hot rod archaeology". Leave it as is I say.
Street rods have glossed over roofs. Stockers have vinyl. You've got nearly a one of a kind . And appears to
have been done well, long enough ago that its classic.

 

cut roof off, replace it, and hang this one in garage

 

Again I state how comfy it makes me,
I think of the four I had : 3 had galvanized pieces, wonder if yours is galvanized..

 

Clean it up, paint it and replace the screws with a nice button-head stainless fastener......

 

Do what you want to do, don't build your car the way others want, hot rods were built by individuals, not groups, back in the day, I say use it if it looks ok to you!

 

looking at the rust I would say you will need to remove it to paint the car or the paint will fail all around it, the screw it all back in.

 

Good advice. ^^^^^

 

Oh yeah! If it stays it will defiantly be removed and reinstalled often the car is blasted

 

If it were mine I'd paint it for sure. Change all of the old screws out for either polished stainless or brass when the filler panel is reinstalled after paint. You could always carry the screw "theme" on over into the interior if you chose, such as on the door panels or gauge panel on the dash. Just a thought. I'm digging the industrial feel it gives off.

 

I have seen quite a few Model As repaired like that, only not as neatly. I would say yes, its a traditional Model A repair like back in the day.
Its better than the roofing tar top a lot of them had done.

 

Replace them with button head rivets like an old war plane.

 

Do what EVER YOU want, it's YOUR CAR to do with as you please.

Build it for somebody else, do what THEY want...

Yours, Fxxking do what you want!

Your (Cynical, Crotchety!)Pal, Gary

 

My vote is Solid rivets for the aircraft look! holes are already drilled replace one at a time and leave the patina, cool ride.

 

Leave it like it is.

 

That particular filled roof looks totally acceptable. Run with it.

 

It looks OK, but with the other "patches" on each side on the front it starts to look a little ratty. Maybe if you could weld in those front corner patches and then use some of the other ideas posted before it would look better.
The way I look at some of this stuff, the older built cars were at times a little ruff because the builder did not have the money or skills to do a good paint job or weld in a nice insert or so. If he did he would have done it. So when we build or rebuild a car shouldn't we do as nice of a job that we can do? money and skill wise?
Like we all say here, your car do what you want ....it is a nice job though.

 

I like this idea, whether you leave the patina or paint it.

 

We have a 30 Fordor that was done to at least before the early 50s. Same style screws but it is two pieces of steel with a screwed splice down the center. Yours was done much neater, I'm going to have hundreds of screw holes to deal with to fix mine.

 

I like it as is! Even if you paint it. Might be hard to rivet if it still has the wood underneath, I'm assuming that's what it's screwed to.

 

looks cool..check it for leaking though..screws will let water through

 

It defiantly gives an aircraft vibe, I think that was done very nice and if it were mine I would leave it , paint it gloss black with stainless hardware

I would go for a ww2 or korean era build ( flathead ford or cad or early ohv), couple of military surplus items on the car but not too much , just to go with the airplane mechanic vibe , maybe a couple bomber seats with canvas upolstery , and some cool military lights for tail lights... Just don't go overboard

 

Don't recall ever seeing a tradition rod from the 40s-50s with an aircraft vibe.

 

I get the undertones ..... Lets not forget there were no " traditional rods" in the 40s-50s... Everyone on this board is trying to replicate a "vibe" unless they have a true unmolested survivor from that era

That roof could have been in a hotrod in any one if the aircraft builders parking lots scattered through out so-cal or the rest of the country..

..it's also well known that some hotrods wound up with "liberated parts" from said factories or military surplus.... It's fun to think about

It shows very nice craftsmanship , it makes the car unique and I think it's pretty cool ... It would be nice to see it preserved...

Anybody can have a regular filled roof

 

I agree on stainless or brass bolts-no rust to pop back up later and ruin the paint.
As to carrying the theme on, there is a home built rod pickup running around this area that resembles a Model A. It is put together completely with some kind of stainless screws and washers. It has that industrial look to it.