Back in the 60's my dad had a Pontiac with a Carson removable top. Is that company still in business or does anybody make a removable top?
Check out Yaril's build thread to see how to make one. Electrical conduit, wire mesh and padded vinyl (or fibreglass)... Starts around post #98... http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=458747
there are TONS of threads on here about them...dig around, you'll find aall you could ever want and more
Both the Carson Top shop and Gaylord tops and upholstery are gone as far as I know. Both of these places made the removeable padded tops. People that have them now are either making their own or finding an upholstery/ Auto interior/convertible top shop that is willing to try. There are many threads on the HAMB and other places in regards to these tops and how to make them. Use the forum search or Google "Carson Tops" Hope this helps.
i just finished a carson for a 61 vette i tried to do it using tubing but it took up too much room as i had to build a full cage i ended up making a buck and making a fiberglass shell covering it with closed cell foam then a convertible canvas top glued and stapled.light weight sold and removeable
Now thats the way to get-er-dun! Love to see a pic of that top! It falls in the rubric of traditional customs; not everybody was wed to steel and lead. Car customizers were playing around with fiberglass in the late 50's / early 60's, hell Ford and GM were using it to produce one-off body panels, grill valences, and bumpers for their yearly concept vehicles! Metal flat iron / tubing would have been fast and easy for one off retail production shops like Carson; fiberglass would have represented the height of craftsmanship for people experimenting with emerging options using modern materials and production methods! I like Ur style! Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
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That's a good looking top , but I don't think that is feasible for a full size kustom like a Merc or a Shoebox...would take so much fiberglass resin to do..but, I may try!
There is a guy here in Joplin who made a carson-style top for a '50 Mercury by laying a plastic tarp over his friend's chopped '50 Mercury and then laying several layers of fiberglass over that. They then used that fiberglass shell as a mold, which he layed in his back yard and filled with quite a thick layer of chopped fiberglass and resin. That is then covered with convertible top material. The car is not built to my taste, and that top looks like it weighs a ton upon close inspection, but it's been on and off the car for at least 15 years now. I have a photo of the car somewhere here in my office I can scan if anyone wants to see it, but it looks just like any other Carson top. It's actually the best-looking part of the whole car!
the top can be removed and installed by one person but there is less chance of scratching something with help.i only have wood around the window openings and the header a longer roof would need stringers you could use them to install a head liner. i don't have a head liner as i needed room for a full cage
I've got a carson topped shoebox,,the top is just a frame...here's what I may do...If you look on the web about building speaker boxes,,,they use fleese, stretch it tight around a frame and soak the fleese with resin..it hardens and they glass it and shape it to the desired shape..and then lay some padding and vinyl. This may work for my top....
99 i've used that when i made my tonneau cover for the altered it works on flat or convex contours but needs support on exterior radius corners because it will flatten between supports
somebody is a good metal worker any pics of top i went to your profile to see there where not any of the top it's self.
No not lately, I'm rewiring the car with a rebel kit.. one major project at a time..then on to the top and upholstery
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