You going to just leave us hang with that little bit of info? How about some photos and a little advice to help this guy out. The Wizzard
Just wrote a detailed account and I'd been logged out and it seems to have disappeared. I'll give it another shot at home tonight. Iron Dog
I'll try this again. I started with a 51 Victoria which had had a hard life. It had been in an accident, and when I purchased the car the top was off, the front clip (from a different 51) was just hanging on the front. It had no engine, but the 3 speed overdrive was still in the car. I took everything apart, down to the bare frame and started over. I found the convertible cowl in Ontario, Canada, along with the complete top mechanism (less hydraulics, which I bought new), and the panels that go on each side of the back seat. There are major parts from 5 different cars in the build. It has an 8BA with Merc crank, Isky cam, bored .30 over, Offy heads and three deuce intake, adapter with 5 speed out of a early 90's Chevy 2 wheel drive pickup, the stock driveshaft fit with only a yoke change, and the stock rear end was gone through. Stock rebuilt front suspension with lowering blocks, stock steering, disc conversion kit. The conversion to convertible was pretty easy. Changed the cowl, had to make some fairly simple brackets to mount the top. The captured nuts were still in the floor to fasten the hydraulic cylinders, with the holes in the rear seat support for the cylinders to go through. I'm using the Vicky frame, and didn't add any structure to it. I've had no problems in a couple years of driving. However, my plan all along was flathead power. If I had plans of a 427, a much different plan would have been in order. Hope this gives a little insight. I had the dreaded hard drive crash a couple years ago and lost just about all the build picks. I would be happy to try and answer any other questions.
What did you do so the Top folds down? A Vicky has no Top Well. The panel between the back window and deck lid is totally different and the rear seat back needs a place to fasten. The Wizzard
Didn't change a thing on the deck lid. I'm using four bucket seats, but the rear two are set where the original one sat. The top folds right down behind them where the package tray was. I had a new top put on it and it fastened to the lip where the back window originally was. Everything fit just about perfect. We ran a brace between the wheel wells, to stiffen the body some, and if I would have used the stock bench, the backrest would have attached to that brace.
The car is in my shop, I'll uncover it and take a couple photos when I get home tonight. It all worked out really well, probably dumb *** luck.
I found these photos from a couple years ago. The top frame shown in the photo is not the one I ended up using. Turns out a guy who lives a couple blocks from me is restoring a 49 convertible he's owned for many years. They put the top down when it was below zero one night years ago and broke the frame. 25 years ago he took the top frame off a 51 that was being crushed. Turns out the 51 is built heavier, and didn't fit his car. I made the trade with him, it worked just fine in mine, just had to re-drill a couple mounting holes.
Didn't Tuck make a vert out of a Vicky or was in the process of building it when his shop burned if I remember correctly.
And a couple more. You can see how the rear buckets tucked right in by the convertible panels. Although the quarter window regular stems are longer on a convertible, I made the Vicky ones work with a little tweaking. In the one photo you can just see the hydraulic top cylinder. The captured nuts were still in the floor, and the hole was there for the cylinder to fit through the rear seat support. My granddaughter driving the car, but I hope can see how we used a piece of black vinyl to make a well, and I attached it to the support behind the seats, finished it off pretty nice.
I won't bore you guys and girls any more, but if you look through the vent window on the picture with my granddaughter, you can see the taillight I used on each side for courtesy lights.
That's good information. Your project turned out real nice. Good to see one the Top actually goes up and down and fits. The Wizzard
Thanks Wizzard. This was an amateur build over the span of nine years or so. I had plenty of time to think of what I wanted in a design, and did it to my tastes. This was my first (and perhaps last) full-blown build. However, I've restored a lot of cl***ic boats, including the 1959 Larson Falls Flyer pictured. Hot rodded the V-4 Johnson 50 to a whopping 75 hp! Teardrop tail lights light up, there is a bulb at the bottom of the "glow poles" that illuminate them. Was made in Little Falls, Minnesota, the home of Charles Lindbergh. Hence "Falls" for Little Falls and "Flyer" for Lindbergh. Was an outstanding stock boat racer, narrow and fast. Mimicked some of the cars of the day, tail fins, arm rests, glove box, arrow on the side like a late 50's Poncho.
Some great info guys thanks.On the hunt for a good deal on one a guy has contacted me about 2 verts for sale near me Jake
JakeDW; Did anything I asked or point out offend you or make you think in any way that I thought what you wanted to accomplish was foolish? Did you ever think I was "*****ING" you out for thinking such a thing? Typing with 2 fingers keeps my questions short. Trying to get you good info to help with your directions was my only goal. I know these 49-51 Fords quite well. I own and built the one in my Avatir and also own and am building a 50 Vert. Being 60+ these are not my first 2 shoebox Fords to have built. Simply voicing "my" way of doing things would make me sound like I know it all. I was after solid info for you from others that had actually done the same style job, not just to tell you "my" way that I think you should do it. That would make it sound like I was Superior and Know it all. I don't do that. It produced you some good solid info I believe. It also sounds like you have made a decision as to what to start with. Good for you and best of luck with your build. The Wizzard
Hey Pist-N-Broke, JakeDW wasn't the one yanking your chain. Sent from my DROID device using the TJJ mobile app
A friend wanted a 1961 Olds convertible.......he did what Iron Dog did.... found a convertible and took the convert items and fit them into a coupe body from which the top was removed. So he ended up with a working top and all correct stuff. Don't know what he did about the frame if anything. On my convert, I bought it in 1973 and it had all the top parts, but the original top was mostly gone. Pulled the old canvas off, then used the car with no top up until about 10 years ago. It was fun on nice days, but not so fun on very hot sunny days or rainy days or at night in the fall when the temps would drop. Drove it a few times when the Mrs and I would put a blanket over our legs, have on coats, hats and gloves and try to stay warm. It was much nicer when I finally bought a top and got it installed. A good heater certainly is desirable. Well, anyway, the point is that you might be happier if the car has a working top - allows you to use it more comfortably and a more times of the year. There was a really nice looking 1950 Plymouth for sale a while back that someone had made into a "roadster" with no top. As nice as it was, it was for sale for a long time and last I knew it hadn't sold. So after all the work, it wasn't a very salable vehicle. Just sayin'. Good luck on whatever you decide to do.
I seen that however if a FNG could intuerpet what I was doing as being a "*****" my concern was that maybe JakeDW would also. I just wanted to clear things up if that was the case. The Wizzard
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