Projects Is this Model A roof job considered traditional?

So I bought this coupe and I'm building what I hope turns out to be a very traditional rod. AV8 stock frame, 39 trans, closed drive, f1 crossmember etc. See build thread for details. The roof has been filled but not welded in it has been bolted on with a ton of slot head machine screws and whoever did it did a "neat" job. Screws are equally placed and in line. It had to have taken a lot of time. At first I hated it now it's kinda growing on me. I think because I know someone took so much time to do it. It shows that someone before me loved this car. The question at hand is does it fit in with the rest of the build? Thoughts?

 

Oh and shinny paint is in the plan that might be a factor in yalls opinions.

 

well i like it.

 

If you paint it shiny, the screwed insert has to go. Once you make the decision to do shiny paint, you have to toe that line with the whole car. Some think patina is a bit over done, but I would leave it as is and let her fly.

Did that body come from Texas? Looks familiar....

Good luck, -Abone.

 

No my style but looks neat as it sits now. If your painting the car weld the roof flush! Easy answer.

 

Is it screws or pop rivets?

Whoever did it did a good job. HRP

 

It is slot head screws. They def didn't just slap it on!

 

If the crown side to side and front to back is good; you could sand the screw heads thinner and cover it with naugahyde; that would be traditional and look good too.

 

I say it looks good. They may have covered it with upholstery. Could look good that way.

 

I've seen a lot worse done with a lot better materials!
Almost screams 50's because I don't think anyone now would have the patience! LoL
I can almost see the guy out in his back yard for 2 or 3 nights with a long cord and a black & Decker drill, doing as neat a job as possible with the stuff he could get his hands on.
I'd proudly run it as it sits...even if I did spruce up the paint.

 

Cam

If you remove it let me know.... I'll buy it, it looks cool.

 

I had more than two like that in the 60's. I say mask it off, and paint flat black brushed on rust-o -leum. it Will look great.

I B Watching you !!!

 

If you are going to leave it with the old paint, I think it is really cool. If you are going to repaint it, then it needs to be completely filled smooth or cloth covered.

 

I think that is a nicely done piece of work. It represents the efforts of a former owner and I would be proud to show it off as is or painted. If you prefer an upholstered top, go for it!

 

Leave it. Looks good

 

Would look just fine painted too...."traditional " should encompass what some guys did to make thiere cars more functional and attractive ....so a backyard roof fill( nice one ) and shiney paint?...if as said some guy loved this car I could see that taking place!

 

Clean it up, straighten out any screws that aren't quite even, line up the slots and paint it. Nothing wrong with that.

 

Looks every bit like the kind of job a home builder would do in the 50's, I had an A sedan that someone cut a delivery door into the back, they cut it real careful and made reinforcements for the edges but it was all drilled and bolted together. If you didn't have the tools to weld sheetmetal, that's how things got done.

I don't think it would hurt to leave it, even if you do repaint the car. Would make bodywork a bit tougher, but the guy who spent that much time on a top insert would have been proud to put some paint over the top of it.

 

That looks exactly like the top on the 31 Ford pu that I had. My pu was built in 1957 and someone had done a very good job on the top. They had bent metal to go down and line it up. I wish I hadn't sold it, but had to so I could buy the gasser in my avatar. The truck was channelled, not chopped. Mercury flathead, 32 grille, pie crust narrow slicks, and a lot of other neat stuff. I bought it in 2003 and sold it 4 years ago. Another hamber bought it and hasn't done anything with it. I am a fine one to be talking, I haven't done anything with the gasser either and in 11 years didn't do anything to the pu except take it apart. Sometimes I think about trying to buy it back.

 

I like it! If you paint the car shiny you could always use stainless steel screws.Or if you use a flat paint for that matter.I like contrast.JMO

 

You're building a car based on what "we" think?
Good luck with that.
The top looks well made, and not recent. It's not the current generally accepted style of traditional hot rod, but it is something that was done to tens of thousands of old cars. Not for style, but as a repair or an upgrade to a material covered roof.

 

I'd think that more than a little bit of thought and work went into that including a trip or two to the wrecking yard to find the just right donor for the filler panel. While it isn't everyone's idea of traditional now you can bet that that was one of the better jobs of putting a metal panel on the roof of a Model A with screws back then. It may have even been done before the car ever became a hot rod or hot rod candidate.

 

In the 30's 40's 50's alot of old cars were turned into trucks and put to work.... during the war you could get extra gas rations if you had a truck ..... right now i'm looking for a model A 1/4 panel because the car I started with is a roadster that someone decided would be better as a truck.... I think it sort of inspires the imagination and tells a story of when necesessity was the mother of invention ....I bet it probably saved your car from alot of the damage you see on cars that the roof rotted out on... I said it before other guys will be doing this.....

 

While the original style insert would be "truly traditional", there's nothing wrong with what you have there. Someone spent a great deal of time and effort to not do a hack job on it. Even if you wind up with slick paint on the rest of the car, I think the insert would look great painted flat black, maybe even with a textured paint, making it look to the casual observer like the original fabric.

 

Has a kind of WW2 fighter plane look, would work shiny, flat or patina. Imagine shiny black with all those machine heads nickel plated or copper plated?

 

I agree with most/all positive responses above. However, I suggest you consider replacing the slotted head screws with a small carriage head type bolt. That would give a smooth rivet head style that I think would be a bit more appealing than the slotted screw head, especially with nice paint.

On the other hand, leaving it as is would be perfectly acceptable, for all the reasons cited above. No matter what you do about the roof, leave it, modify it, cover it, someone will have a different opinion. The real key to the decision is, what are YOU content to do?

Ray

 

Flush rivets.......
You need flush rivets........
I think it looks great as is. Shows a level of love and patience by someone down the line and it looks well done. Shame to cover it up. My too sense.

 

I like them. with shiny paint or without. Real rivets would even improve it. I prefer a quality hand built look over a high dollar build any day on any vehicle.

 

perfect the way it sits

 

Pete if I remove it I will send it your way!