I did a quick search and didn't come up with what I'm looking for. I need to replace the top on my 29 Tudor. I've been thinking that it would be good to have it easily removable like a tonneau cover and run it open on nice days or snap it on when a shower comes along, but I want it to be rain tight and I haven't figured out how to seal up the front. Has anyone got pictures or ideas on how to go about this?
Model 400 A is a sedan with a folding canvas top. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Look up Legacy Products they have a slide/fold ing canvas sun roof kit for Model A sedans kit price $795.00 Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
or sunroofsource.com and Legacy Products are apparently one of the same. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Thanks guys, I'm not crazy about all those pleats of canvas at the back when it's open. I'd rather have something I can snap on and off, that I can roll up and tuck behind the seat or some place. Prefer not to buy, I'm a build it myself kind of guy. Just looking for ideas. Probably wouldn't have to be completely dry inside while driving in a little rain, but I think most female passengers would rather shower in the privacy of their bathroom. Need to be able to park it and come back to a dry interior.
You have a lot of “female passengers”...eh, Fabber? ‘re ...”coming back to a dry interior when parked”......a car cover will do the trick. Anything that just “snaps on” has a snowball’s chance in Hell of keeping out water while driving..... I do like your optimism though...
I made a removable top for my "A" sedan, vinyl with snaps. I looked at some cars that had a snap-in roof panel before I built mine and it looked like the problem was that the snaps on the front edge would come undone at speed. What I did was to sew in a 1/16" thick aluminum strip at the front edge and used a post type snap. Not really a snap it is a post with a button on the top and a tang that sticks out at the side. You push the top button and the side tang will retract. These are Ford open car side curtain retainers, I got mine from Snyders but I would think most restoration vendors would have them. after about a year or two the rear edge started to stretch out around the snaps. You know how vinyl stretches. So I cut the stitches out and slid in another aluminum strip (you can get this at Home Depot) now it works fine, not water tight but almost as good as the windshield so it's ok. The one thing I would say if you were going to do this, is do not use vinyl, try some boat top stuff, something like sunbrella I think it is called. And the aluminum strips do not prevent you from rolling it up. I'll check for some photos and post if I find them.
Not the best but you get the idea, and it is very much worth the effort to do this, so nice to be able to remove the top in the summer.
I made a snap on canvas top for my Tudor. It’s not very weather tight but it’s a great sun shade on those hot summer days. I bought a roll of vinyl to make a more weather “resistant” but I’m sure it’s not going to be weather tight, I’m sure that will require a fixed top of sorts and that’s not what I’m after. Cliff Ramsdell
The pleats may not be the favored look, but I have a friend with a late model caddy lowrider that is running one of those soft folding top sunroof things. Not only is his water tight (98% dry) but its not terribly loud going down the road either. A lot of the simple snap on style will be wet, and loud!
Another thought, Juliano’s has a top kit they sell and weather tight they say. Something to check out and reasonably priced. I don’t recall if it a removable product but give them a call. https://www.julianos.com/Sedan-Top-Insert-Kit-p/ju0002-asterisk--asterisk-.htm Cliff Ramsdell
I fabbed an aluminum frame insert for this a sedan. It has pins at the rear and bolts up in the front. It was quite a bit of work to Fab the channel that the insert fits into to get a nice tight and flush fit. Sent from my Pixel using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
The insert in my 32 sedan is nailed, caulked, and sealed like Henry Ford intended and it still leaks. I think it's rather humorous that you think a removable insert could be water tight. What did the vintage VWs use on their sliding tops?
46 International, that's the stuff I was looking for. Helpful ideas and photos, not just "It won't work, forget about it." So, thank you. Hnstray, as a matter of fact, most summers I do end up having had several different female passengers. I haven't taken a poll, but I'm guessing that most of them would prefer to be mostly dry when they get out. Don't figure I'll carry along a car cover in case it rains a bit while I'm in Home Depot. Anyone else have something helpful?
Check out caravan awnings, they have an aluminium channel on the caravan and a piping sewn into the awning which slides into the channel. If you mount the channel at the front and snap clips or even Velcro on the sides and rear. Use convertible top material, it doesn’t stretch much, and will be more stabile. Sent from my iPad using H.A.M.B.
This is used on RV awnings. The leading edge has a plastic insert sewn into the canvas and then it slides into the round channel strip that is mounted on the RV body. Sent from my SM-T387V using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Most have more leaks around doors than roofs anyways.. haha.. Mine was in many downpours... Just convertible top material.... Front and rear were Velcro (industrial) sides had snaps... The material was doubled up and sewn on the edges. the overlap of the top was 2" beyond where the wood was... The middle roof bow over the b pillar had another thing of Velcro there to hold it down for half way back cruising... worked great....For what I had in the top I went a lot of miles vs what that sliding top costs... And mine never leaked.... driving, sitting, whatever... not a drip of water from the top area, now the doors that's a different story... they leaked like model A's do...
My buddy had a local trim shop make this up for his A. He put snaps in the body, and along the front edge it had a flap that also snapped to the inside of the header to keep rain and wind out.
My sedan is still sporting the original top, material and all, I keep it supple by keeping it clean & using a silicon based top dressing, it's amazing that the top is 87 years old and still looks pretty good with no evidence of ever leaking even though I have been caught in some torrential rains. I will point out that the car does stay inside when I'm at home and the car was inside many years before I purchased it. HRP
Thanks Guys! This is the stuff I was asking for. I had been considering awning rail caulked and riveted to the visor, but wanted to hear some first hand stories. The velcro sounds good too, but I had figured it would be pretty leaky on the front edge. Good to hear that it isn't. Velcro on a couple of the bows is a good idea that hadn't occurred to me. Both for running half open and for taking out some of the slap. I figured to run the material down over the curves on the lower part of the roof to where the factory top ended like Stud's buddy did to help seal it up. Black top on a black car with black fasteners, shouldn't be noticeable at all. The car has lived the past 60 years in my dad's old woodshed up the hill and still spends winters there and summers in the garage at my house. He replaced the top in the early 50's when he got the car, but it's coming apart over the windshield now and has black duct tape holding it together. By rain tight, I wasn't really asking for rain proof, haha, a few drops inside just adds to the fun of an old jalopy. Just hoping to not be as wet inside as outside. The car is still just a used car Model A from the 50's, pretty much exactly the way my dad was using it as a daily driver. I've added turn signals, modern water pump seals and a 6 volt alternator. It will remain a fun old jalopy the rest of my life and never get the restoration treatment. When the Model A club from Anchorage comes to town with a dozen of their fancy shiny cars and gets together with the local cars, my old original 50's used car with 60 years of woodshed dust on the outside gets more attention than any of the others, haha. Hey, it's got a 90th birthday coming up this month. I need to go check the build date. Might have to throw a party for it.
The Jalopy Journal
