Im looking for top Irons and Bows for my 36 cabriolet and cant find them for under $4,500... Why are they so darn expensive? and does anyone know where I can find them cheaper, even used?
this is the first place i looked and they are under $4500 and they are stainless. http://http://www.superiorcarpartsinc.com/index.html
Thanks, I looked superior up and they are cheaper, but $3,880 for both still hurts! lol, wish I could find a used set that I could have powder coated...
im not sure but if i remember right there is a company that has some and i thought that weren't that much money. my buddy was going to pick one up for his 36. im not sure if my buddy is going to get a new set for his or if he was going to use the old ones. i have a 36 project also that i will be having to pick some up for too, so ill ask him if he remembers the company tomorrow or if my damn phone would get service...
To answer your question,they are expensive because they take a long time to make and are a general pain in the ass. Tons of hand work to make the wood bows (uaually steam bent and takes days to accomplish) and the steel components have to be dead on or you won't be able to lower the lid. Usually made by someone who doesn't have big profit in mind, doing it mainly for the love of the marque. If you doubt any of this grab some steel stock and some oak and have at it. When you become a millionaire call me. Frank
Perhaps you could adapt something like an Audi TT, Miata, or other small 2 seater cabriolet top to the 'glass '36 you're building. I used '02 Chrysler Sebring bows (and fabric) for my '36, worked great. Brian
Thanks everyone for your help so far, Frank, I by no means am trying to say that the people that make the tops dont work hard for their money. If thats what top Irons and Bows cost then thats what I will have to pay. Just seems like a lot of money from where Im sitting. Ive already dropped a ton of money in this thing and thought I was real close to sending it to the paint shop, but if the top is going to be that much money its going to set me back several months... Just trying to see if anyone has maybe a used set or a cheaper set...
my buddy told me of the place that had them, cant remember the name right now, it was the company that built 36 glass bodies and i guess the owner passed away, not to long ago and they closed there doors. you might try Lebaron Bonney also, their website says they only have stuff up to 34 but they might know who has some too.
When I built my '32 I was wanting to put a folding top on it like the original. Being downunder meant the LeBaron items were not going to be part of my plan. I found another rodder who had a '32 with the original top. He let me measure it up and photograph it. That formed the basis of a plan to build the top myself. Biggest issue was the fabrication of the hood bows. Turns out we had a local furniture manufacturer who made custom furniture much of which was laminated. He had already done some laminated hood bows for a another fellow who restored vintage and veteran cars. This guy pulls his mould out and says with some small adjustments he could make them to suit my needs. Problems solved. As for the irons themselves I made them up from mild steel flat stock 1"x 1/4". After that it was off to the local trimmer who stitched up the top which was a type of sail cloth from a marine supplier. Some pics below. All up cost me about $8-900 about 14 years ago.
I think the "shop that made fiber glass '36 bodies" was Wescott's in Boring, Oregon. Phone number 503-658-3183. My last catalog from them was 2004, I'm sure they're still in business. They sold the individual pieces. Looks like the price was about $3,500 for stainless at that time. Norm
weld a top on it and your set! get those "fish hooks" out of your pockets dude it's a cabriolet! time to figure out just how much you love this project: bail out or pay out!
'36 Ford Cabriolet, they made two models, the Club Cabriolet had jump seats in the back and the top is longer, so be sure you get the proper irons. Are all the Ford Cabriolet tops 35-40 alike?
When i looked for a top mechanism for my 32 i had the same thing, quite spendy so i made my own from pics & measurements supplied by good people on here, It took a while but cost peanuts, Worth considering ?
www.girtz.com used to make them and had them listed in on-line catalog which is no longer available. I had another link to a top frame manufacturer but cannot locate it
For that price it's probably worth trying to make your own... Even if you can't make it work in the end, you still gave it a shot.... Look into other people's posts on top fabrication to get the basic idea of what you need to do.... The parts aren't very complex if you have good measurements and pictures to follow... I mean, there's guys on here that have built bad-assed hot-rods for less than the $4,500 asking price of the top irons and bows for your car..... The price for top irons and bows for my project is signifigantly less than that, and I'm still going to try to make my own..... Then again, there's also online auction sites... Keep checking... You might find the original parts fairly cheap...
I have bought a complete 1962 VW beetle convertible top in bad conditioning, a few years ago for 50 euro ($75) and I will use it one day for one of my next projects. It can be adapted for nearly any thirties and forties car because it was designed for a thirties car! The first beetle drove allready around at the end of the thirties.
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