There was a real good "pics and text" thread on a homemade 32 roadster top made from conduit. I just can't think of any odd keywords in that thread to try to find it now.. Maybe 32 roadster top conduit ???? had to be a year or two ago.
Just like anything else, you get what you pay for. Not sure what your expactations are, but the cheapo tops probably aren't going to be very nice in terms of quality, fit or function.
www.county linerods.com sell a nice top kit and the guy is great to deal with on the phone. He always helped me with different questions I had on building my car. You'll have to still get it covered at a trim shop.
I covered a Kwik-Top. Re placed the rear upper round bar with a lengthened factory bow from a late model(so i could staple the top to it)-also had to make a bracket to keep the hinge point above the middle of the door from drooping. Made the top start right behind the doors instead of like an original roadster top which is back 4 or 5 inches back. Modified the header bow a bit to.
"Technical Tech: Cheap Roadster Top" http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=322596 Great Tech article !
I built my own irons out of 1"x 1/4" flat stock. These very much follow the factory specs as I took the dimensions from an original set that I knew a fellow rodder had. The timber bows I had made up by a furniture guy who did a lot of laminating when making his products. He happened to have a mould which he simply adjusted to suit the size I needed. I finished off the timber bows and assembled all of that. I then took it to a trimmer friend who stitched up the fabric top. That was made out of a type of sail cloth. Very tough . See pics attached.
I would if I knew how. PM me your E-Mail and I`ll have my wife send them. I would E-Mail if I knew how. It turned out pretty good.
I've fitted a Kwik Top. They have a few ways to mount the bows depending on the shape you want. I modified this one a bit. Hasn't been trimmed yet.
I made my own out of 5/8" conduit...I made a header out of oak and covered it in masking tape several times and standing back and looking at the shape...I cut it about until I got the look I was after.The conduit was bought from the local home depot type store and I used an external 5/8" bending spring and my kneee to get the proper bends(a bending machine would pull the radius too small).I made some stainless clevis`s to mount it to the two lugs on the body and bot the whole deal powder coated to compliment the steering wheel and top material.The two rails that I made that runs from the main hoop to the header were detatchable and allowed the hood to be broken down.I took it to the trimmer and gave him a template of the mailslot back window and told him I wanted it drumskin tight.I also got him to knock up a pair of side screens as well(made a huge difference stopping buffeting at speed in bad weather).I was building on a tight budget, but It turned out ok I think.
I see that a lot of you guys doing your own tops have gone with the snaps to attach the lower part of the top to the body. I think I like the way the guys at Rod Tops and also Sid Chavers with the Bop Top have done a beltline bow and have a seal that eliminates the snaps to the body. Any of you guys ever consider trying that ?
Very funny So show us what you have come up with, or were you only thinking ? I think it would be better than snaps along the body.
I made my own from 3/4 tubing and a conduit bender. Not rocket science but the end result turned out nice. I ran the tubing around the back of the reveal so I don't have any snaps in the body. This is a 33 Ford. Neil Gates in LA makes some really nice top irons for the 32...but they are pricey ($1700). The two 32's were done by Neil who is the best to work with and has quality products.
I made mine from LB irons and bows, sectioned them to fit, and then had an upholsterer do the fabric. Total cost around $1400
Thanks Blue One I form a square tube to run around the back about 1/4 above the bodywork. Snaps can attach to that, which can either be exposed or covered depending how you and the trimmer want it to look, it's abit more work to make a roll to cover the snaps. In any case I set the roof shape then weld it rigid to make it a lift-off piece rather than folded. No one has ever wanted one to actually fold, but they like the folding roof look.
I think I will want mine to fold , not to stay on the car, but to be able to quickly take the cover off the bows and have the bows come off and come apart to stow away like what Rod Tops do, or again like the Bop Top. Not really keen on how a lot of "T" tops look, hoping mine can be made to look more like some of these other tops. Might be possible as my bucket for my RPU has been stretched 4" behind the doors and the windshield will be low enough.
I was asked for pics of the square tube around the bottom to take the snaps, so here goes. Because this top has been made rigid I also added some flat straps to add a bit of strength and resist the bows flexing against the trim tension. Probably overkill.
What attatches it to the top of the screen.Is it the old thumb screw type fitting onto a shaft .Or do you have some later model type catches? Ive made my own Alley Roof and am now wondering how I am going to secure it down to the Top of my Carter Style V- Screen. Any ideas?
Hi, I make the "Topster", a true hideaway soft top frame for 28-34 Ford roadsters ( www.topsters.com). We have 2 models available - one uses the stock wood snap rail around the back and the other uses a floating removable snap rail that sits just off the body around the cockpit. Unlike the other aftermarket frames a Topster is custom made to fit your roadster via about a dozen measurements from you. The rumors aren't true - we're still out here!
I bit the bullet and got the bop top when they first came out. I never regretted it but do at times prefer the look of a more original top. However, it is great having a top and I upgraded it with side curtains a couple of years ago.
I made this top with a oak header and welded .75 round tube. I added 18g flat sheet metal around the rear for the upholstery to be attached to. The seat was low in the car so I wanted the top to have a low profile. I also pushed the back to midway between the cockpit and the deck lid. Used a '34 roadster rear window.
I still get my best tops using the standard height Gertz irons and modifying them to fit the chop I have. I use the 33/34 Phaeton rear window from Lebaron Bonney and have my local guy sew it up. I have always stayed under 2 grand and I have a top done my way.
What happened? Your top looks good. Do you have any fasteners at the upper stanchions or is it a press fit?
As I got it. Not my idea of a Deuce roadster but I had plans. The same bows after I cut them down for the 2" chopped posts. I'm thinking that these were the Lebaron Bonney repro factory bows. They were just too nice to be originals. It was easier than I had feared. My main concern was to have the rear curtain lean forward instead of perfectly vertical like Henry made it. All I did was to shorten the rear wood bow and slide it down on the chrome steel frame and screw it back on. That meant that the side frame needed to be cut and welded. The only metal cut and welded is the horizontal piece that runs from the front header back toward the rear above the side window. I did have to add a washer between the posts and the windshield frame under the cones. That brings the posts back out to align with the holes in the top. Not a real biggie. The blue tarp is just to get the shape and the lean of the rear curtain. It is just what I wanted. I already had the top mechanism but it was a lot easier than building one from scratch and yes it will fold and fit in the rumble seat. I never got the top made. That will be critical too to get the proper curve of the side window opening. I really don't care for the expensive repro tops. This is what a Deuce roadster top is supposed to look like but I suspect that this is more than a 2" chop. I love how the lean of the rear curtain and the slant of the side window opening are parallel. Something tells me that he or she had no web site to order one from. It really is pretty easy.
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