I'm thinking about making a carson style top for my car, never done it before but I'm confident I can make the frame and everything. Just had a few questions if anyone can help. What do people normally do for a back window? make a frame or use one from another car? use the clear vinyl type stuff like on a convertible? or glass? And what would I be looking at cost wise to upholster it? Just a general range I know all shops are different and blah blah blah.
I've gone through countless threads and saved a ton of pictures already detailing how to build the basic frame but once thats done there's usually no further info on the covering it with cloth part. I'm just wondering basically whats fair price range on material and to have the upholstery done, and whats good and bad to use material-wise. Mostly just to educate myself so I don't get ripped off later....
Years ago there was an article about building one in some magazine that I had. Can't remember which one or what year though. Looks like it was in a Peterson publishing Annual according to info here. Have you seen this thead? http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/padded-top-carson-top-build-photos.528022/
I don't know if you already check out this site but I believe it answers your questions. http://www.customcarchronicle.com/cc-builders/carson-top-shop/the-carson-top-shop-part-1/
I have seen that one. I find those drawings at the end of that thread everywhere. They help a little but still leave some mystery to it. I'm trying to learn as much as I can before I take on this project. That's a great article. Lots of good info there. I had no idea that some had removable back windows. That's such a good idea.
Do you recall seeing Yaril build his shoebox into a conv, and then his family (pro stitchers) did the top covering? There were some pics showing the fabrics going together, off the car, like looking at the insides too. It was at the later pages of his build thread
I do remember looking through his thread but I don't remember seeing that part. I remember seing a bunch of the frame work for the carson top and then a bunch of motor and paint stuff after but no fabric. I'll go check it out again right now. I love that car I have a bunch of pictures of it saved on my computer
My memory is not great, but at the end of the build, they were frantic to finish the top for the show in Cal. I know there were "some" pics of the fabric being hand sewn. I just don't remember much else
The Carson top on my car is original from back in 1953. After we chopped the frame, I had it re-covered by a local trim shop that specialized in convertible tops. I furnished the headliner material (snakeskin that matched the rest of the interior), and the rubber window seals, but the trim shop furnished everything else. It came to fifteen hundred bucks, if I remember correctly. I brought some photos of the original finished top along with an old piece of the fabric to try and get a semi-close match of color and texture, and I let the shop direct my choice. We went with some early corvette top material (vinyl), and yes, the window is plastic (vinyl?) that the trim shop uses on most all of their projects. Took 'em about a week to get it done. The top is holding up extremely well, and it's been maybe thirteen years I'd guess. PM me if I can answer any other questions... If this wasn't helpful, let me know and I'll delete it ...
Here is a thread with a ton of pictures that Rik put together on the restoration of a carson top on a Valley Customs '40. It's a lot of work so I would expect it to be costly. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...restoration-on-valley-customs-40-ford.153938/
FWIW I'm fairly certain the builder of the Carson style top on my Lincoln used the stock convertible glass rear window utilizing a zip in panel and the rear portion of the original top frame ( framing the original convertible quarter glass) to frame the door glass. The fabric is standard white convertible top material with a full black headliner. The top is probably 50+ years old now and has shrunk to the point that sewn seams are pulling apart. I'll have to have a new one made fairly soon. I don't know what was used for padding.
The 'zip-in' part at the rear containing the 'Hollywood' insert is actually called a 'Gypsy'. That's what they called it in 'the rag business', some years back. By the way, Sid Chavers (Sid's Auto Upholstery, Santa Clara, CA) provides one of those Hollywood bezel-and-glass inserts that swivels open! (new product) There's one on this year's America's Most Beautiful Roadster, saw it at Father's Day at Pomona.
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