Projects Homemade roadster top

Here is my attempt at a homemade roadster top. 1" foam sheeting from Home Depot covered with fiberglass drywall tape, 2 coats of brushed on wood glue and a coat of spray on truck bed liner.
Goes on and off in 5 minutes and weighs about 20 pounds. I put some speakers and stuff in the ceiling. It keeps the wind off my significant other (the war department)
My brother says it looks like the Munsters car The "frames" around the side windows would look better if the weren't so wide.

 

What did you use to hold it in place so the wind doesn't blow it off?

 

The front of it has a wood frame with 1/4-20 screws down through the roof. They screw into rod couplings that have been fastened into the windshield pillars. The holes in the roof are plugged with flush fitting 1" conduit knockout seals, same color as the roof You hardly see them.
The rear has a form fitting resin frame on the bottom about 1" thick that has four 1/4-20 bolts into the body. The resin frame was built by pouring liquid resin into a dam on top of the body. The dam was made of cardboard and thin sheet metal and lined with blue tape. "Pam" cooking spray was used as mold release agent. Once the resin cured all the tape and cardboard was stripped off and the foam was glued to the resin frame.
A learning process and very time consuming, but I could build another one in 1/4 the time.

 

Other that the frames you mention I think you did a damned nice job. Does it work and actually make the cabin more comfortable?

 

Nice work.

 

If I had just read the materials list I would have expected something awful but gotta say I don't hate it, and it works as intended... good for you.

 

Whats the speed rating?

 

Looks sharp and good job.

 

Ya know if you filled the side windows and painted it white it would look quite "Carson,ish"

 

I don't know how fast it would handle but I seldom drive this old rat over 65. Maybe I'll eliminate the side windows. That would be easier than trying to re do them

 

Looks good, you actually have a perfect "plug" if you wanted to pull a mold and lay up a fiberglass top in the future.

 

Good call...I'd also look at a 'California rear window' with frame. Thin chrome frame would bring that top right into the winner's circle.
Shape/profile is great, fits the body nicely.
The quarter windows were a big red flag to me... I also have '27s...Nice work!

 

I was thinking the same thing! Maybe some spray glue and actually cover it in Naugahyde?

 

Nice!

 

Interesting rear locating bars.

Ed

 

This was my lift off top for my 27 back in 1983 at Kernville, CA

 

Well I was expecting a Carson style top, that looks pretty good ( not tat a Carson style wouldn't look good). Pleasantly surprised.

 

I like it. The way you made it was very original. I think if you did trim down the window frames it would look more refined. If it had a trim piece going around the edge of the roof like a hardtop coupe model it would look more natural. And, maybe the two side trim pieces that run up the back from the trunk to the roof. Since the top is made from foam, the trim pieces could be milled from aluminum or hard wood with a router. Then stained to match, or chromed. There are even companies that will cut a knife to your profile for a router. If you want to..., you could look at a bunch of pictures of 1927 coupes & try to make it look like a coupe top, since that is kinda what you've done. Some small details like that would really make it look nice. I like it!