Projects Roadster top: Black or tan Haartz cloth?

The seat as is, then the pattern I was going to use in plaid, and finally the plaid and red draped over the seat. I'm not feeling it. Looked good in my head...

that's the truth. My '36 had cycle fenders, the black top was easy to clean mud and (bird poop) off.

 

TAN!

 

IMO..... If you need a top. Buy or build a coupe.

 

Easy for you to say, from California...;-)

 

Since votes don't count anyway mine goes to a darker saddle color to match your brownish saddle color seat. Will go fine with firewall and just don't paint the grill bars.

 

Fine. Since white is out, & car has a cream firewall, just go w/a Cream top then & be done w/the matching aspect of it. . Then the plaid (black/grey/white?) could work out. In the 60's, things did start getting a bit 'brighter'. .

 

Brown..

 

Black

 

Myself,I like tan,as it's cooler in the sun. An really a folding top too me is tobe used for sun or lite rain,and any other time it's ether folded down or left at home=I don't like a top,but if it's got to be used,may as well look fairly good. But black seems to look cleaner longer,so that's some type of point?
Here is my own I made frame an sewed my self,did a tech on it too HAMB.

 

Light color body I like a dark top. Dark body I like a light top , so I voted for Tan.

 

I extended the top to the door post, keeping the canted forward line of the opening, which I like. Setting on the seat, there's a little blind spot but itsss not bad. I think that's the final shape, and I think I lol go with black, tan inside. Now to order material...

 

For me personally it would either be black or white (cream?). For whatever reason I don't find the tan tops pleasing. But I am sure that it is a personal thing.

 

I used 1950's GM white pin point vinyl top material on my car. Very easy to clean. My opinion, has to be white

 

I've owned a couple of each color (black, tan and not-an-option-white). Black is the WORST choice if you want to keep it pristine clean and Hartz cloth is double trouble. While it washes up nicely, Hartz is almost magnetic to picking up dirt/dust/fibers etc. and then, when it's black, all the crap shows. Go black only if you don't use the car; use Hartz cloth only if you really enjoy scrubbing your top a lot.

Follow Chris's advice...GM PinPoint vinyl...even tho it's not an option now, it's the best option for your car IMHO.

 

You guys are killing me here. Just when I make a decision... actually, I had no trouble keeping the black Haartz top on the '36 clean.

 

Tan appears to give it a more traditional vintage look, black on black perhaps could be viewed as more street rod. On the other hand your wire wheels are a little newer in style so black could work with them.

 

Dude, Chris's car look killer with the white top and big white walls. On your car the effect will not be the same. I have a Driftwood tan top on my 34 because I like it. Here is a pic of my car prior to body work still in the black e coat for a look see at tan top on black.

 

Well, I never considered white, even in vinyl, from experience it's too hard keeping a white top pristine. And white has to be kept pristine. Your roadster looks great Bandit Billy in black and tan, and I do like a Black and Tan. ;-) I like black, I like tan, I think either one will look good with the look my car has going on. Yeah, black may be a little "street roddy", but the car isn't 40's traditional style, so I think I won't get too much derision if I go that way. I have a set of 15" steel Chevy wheels, with hub cap clips, probably '49 or '50 wheels, that I can also use (I need two more bias ply WW's), and the set of 14" Astro's with WW's on shown in my Avatar. So, I have wheel choices. ;-)

 

Probably found these, already. OP was black or tan. Maybe the last two are brown, but I think they're black. Get your crayons out to change picture #1. Good luck. Great quandry to choose, for such a great ride. Love to have your problem.

 

Brian just a question. I saw the way you had the tan taped side of the top originally and where you extended it out to the door post. I was wondering if you considered bringing the upper area of the window back to your first top bow (first metal frame with wood - B pillar?) and then coming down to your door post while keeping the frame covered. It might take care of that small blind spot and still look good.

 

The blind spot isn't bad with it pulled to the door post. I sat in the car last night with my wife, we can live with it. If like Chris's car the seat were pushed back to the back of the cab, it would be annoying, which is probably why he didn't extend the top's quarter to the door post. I think I've figured out how to make an attachment, would have been good to have pulled the lip forward before paint, hard to do now without it looking like an afterthought. As for Gordon's question, I'm not sure I'd be happy with the window opening having a more vertical line, my personal preference is the forward line as I mocked it up in tape. That's just personal preference thought, it'd work for some.

I feel like I may be overthinking this, but it's a good problem to have. ;-)

 

No problem. I get to go through this same thing when I am ready to finish up my top!

 

1. Paint firewall body color. With the firewall one color the body another and the top something else, you've got way too many colors going on.

2. The color of the top should always complement the color of the interior. Back to the number of colors used on the car.

3. Change those God-forsaken wheels to either early Ford wires or solids. Or run fenders.

 

My top ends where the stock top ended. I wanted it looking like a stock, but chopped top. I have stock bows and irons, all modified, but even the rear window is stock. My upholstery guy really "gets it" and absolutely nailed what I wanted. I have side curtains as well.

 

This looks way better, just round off sharp corner.....I would do it in white.

 

White like this.
Tan is sort of resto-rod......white is a little bit more hot rod.

 

Yes, yes he does.

 

1. You're entitled to your opinion, but, it doesn't count.
2. The firewall will remain cream, unless you want to buy it, pull the engine, and repaint it black. If the hood is open, the car is broken, and it won't matter what color the top is at that moment.
3. I like the wheels, which is why they're on there. If you don't like them, see #1.
4. I think top is going to be black, so, that's one color, body top, and, and tires.
5. It won't have fenders. If you think it should, see #1.

 

Go red so it matches the old grille. Actually I have no opinion it's not my car so I voted for Gorilla tape. I would have voted for Flex-Tape but it was not an option.

Denny

 

It’s a personal choice for you. My opinion - Black & Tan goes together well.


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.