Technical replacing soft top in 35 ford coupe

Cant find original materials, like the pressed cardboard tack strip and are people still using chicken wire ..dont need an antenna ...any tutorials out there ? Help please

 

The top material edge in the 35-36 Ford cars is held in by the rubber moulding that presses into the chanel around the hole. Top material for Model As is readily available but you can use any good grade marine vinyl to do the job.

 

Damn that was hard, it took me a whole 45 seconds. http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-f...-wide-tackstrip/camid/F30/cp/JS0R3CHL1130013/

http://macsautoparts.com/early-v8-ford-mercury-top-roof/camid/F30/cc/1140/

As far as the fabric/vinyl there is a lot of hell for good vinyl top material out there that would work great.

 

Yeah , Im hip to Macs thats where I got my tack strip, its too big and really ridgid, would work fine for the channels where you do side panels and the like but way too "hunky" for the little channel in the top

 

Don't know what you want to end up with, but you may want to look into a Juliano's kit. I did one on my '34 and it came out pretty good. I had done it with the chicken wire previously and didn't like the result.

 

Found all the Tutorials I needed at the Ford Barn...Thanks

 

I saw the Julianos top and its good , just not as traditional as I want it to look...Thanks

 

Lots of controversy concerning the " poultry wire mesh"...biggest argument for using it is for a radio antenna...I don't care about that , but I read where the stiffness and rigidity of the wire will keep the top from ballooning out from the inside, consequently, from all the pressure from open windows, the top evidently expands and contracts , fatiguing the materials loosening the tacks, making it fail prematurely...Hey Im 71..how long does it have to last..If I'm really lucky, maybe {gulp} 20 years ? Also Macs provided me with tacks that were way too long...but Ive decided the way to go is an air stapler...

 

Nothing bad to say about Macs ...really good and helpful

 

Isn't there an adhesive you can buy and put in the tack strip that will dry and you can nail into it? I thought Lebaron Bonney sold it... I think its just some kind of epoxy/chalking

 

Labaron Bonney a materials to help do your install. The chicken wire works fine. If you want a different color look at vinyl top material. That's what I used so I could do a white top.