I'm tryin to make mine and for those of you that have done it I doff my internet hat! making a top that folds back into a predetermined location and doesn't require a set of wrenches, prybars and torches to operate is a whole brand new level of difficulty. I Salute!
I steamed them but it was only partially successful. For the steam to work you need green or at least non kiln dried. After i steamed I clamped them on the form then laminated. My biggest mistake was not enough arc in the main bow. Looked great flat but when it is tipped back it lost some. The tight fabric flattened it even more.
If you were to do it again , would you laminate { I was thinking 1/8" thick strips ??} or would you try steam ?? I think you're saying the "top" of the bow needs a crown ?? dave
Laminate for sure way more stable. 1/8" is fine but you will need nice straight grain without steam. The stock radius was huge and too buggy looking for my hot rod. When i went to a smaller radius it got difficult. I did both. if i lived back east i would find a nice chunk of green oak , riv out some edge grain, machine and steam the strips Yes im talking the crown across the top. more arc than you think. Im on my third mock up on my touring and getting close . The pic below was the first try.
Thank you .! I've been "planning " to do this for quite some time , finding someone who's done it sure helps !! dave
Anytime . Just ask. The whole thing was great fun . It was my first try at a top but i have been woodworking for years. Another tip is to make the pattern for the fabric out of 6mil clear poly and thumb tacks . Draw your seams with a sharpie , transfer layer to layer , add your hem and good to go.
Same here w/the woodworking , but I've never tried any bending before ... believe me , if I can get off my dead ass & get started , I'm sure I'll have more ??? dave
I cut down a set of Model A standard irons which is a little tricky because they're tapered tubes. I used a deluxe windshield with 32 stanchions, then flipped the header bow upside down so it's "channeled" over the windshield. It'll still fold back if I need it to..
Mine is made up of strap steel and thin wall tubing. It folds flat and there is no fasteners on the body as it floats on the body moulding. I had an upholstery shop cover it.
Just a warning....always keep the roof line over the door parallel to top of door. anything else is just goofy wrong and looks homemade. their are a few fine example on this post. good luck
When I bought my roadster 10 years ago it included original top irons and bows. The bows were cracked and unusable. I had chopped the windshield 3" and fit the irons to the body, that wasn't square. I used bows from LaBaron-Bonney and cut and tapered them to get the right contour, took me longer to weld the irons and fit the bows than it took the top shop to stitch the cover. Main reason for the days spent was draping cotton drop cloth over the bows and fitting it all together until I was happy with the profile.
Re worked 70's M G B bowes and covered them myself with marine grade polyester. If you want more pics and info, e mail me at [email protected]
Hi , You emailed me about the cost. The upholstery shop charged me $1,100 Canadian which is about $800. U.S.
I love the top Chris Casny did for his A roadster. I don't know if he had anything about it in his build thread, but I know that he did the whole thing and it looks bitchin.
That thing is fantastic. I just read the article on your car in Rodder's Journal. Pretty cool write up.