Carson Top on Panoramic Windshield?

What's your opinion on this topic?
Can you put a Carson style top on a mid - late 50´s or a 60´s with style?

 

I think the Carson style padded tops look best on a really roundy round car. I think about the latest cars they look good on are 54's after that cars got a bit slimmer and started to get more angular which I think clashes with the whole look of the Carson top....just my 2 cents worth...

 

Sure; if done right a carson top will look good on anything! What cons***utes "done right" for any given vehicle would be a matter of opinion/great debate, though.
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

America - made in China! :-(

 

I'm just about done with one that I made for my 53 Ford four door that I chopped the top off. I thought the frame would be the hardest part but now I see that covering it and getting it to look smothe is way harder. I wanted function mostly so I covered it with a heavy waterproof canvas. I had no way to support the rear windows, so they were eliminated and the side of the top starts at the front window and I think thats what makes it look a little odd. I did add a 12" x 12" diamond shaped window on each side and a 12"x24" rear window so you can see out fairly good. I'll take a couple pics tommorow and post them.

 

First try at a Carson Top.

 

Pony, please, step away from the drugs.

 

JESSSSUS Nads, made me hock a half eaten chocolate outa my nose with that one!

 

The only tool I used to make you a new top is a mouse...

 

Now that looks about right!

 

That's mostly what I think too, but there's always exceptions, depending on the cars and how the top is faired.
Ford's are "round" enough thru '56 I think, and Chevy's thru '58 while something as sleek as a Studebaker, the cut off would be pre bullet nose or '50. A "Nash bathtub" styled Rambler American could get away with it right up to but not including the ('64?) body style Brootal drives in Australia.

After that, the cars can still get away with a vinyl top, if that's your style but more like the factory did them thru the '70's and like Baris did on cars like the Villa Riviera with the removeable front section "half-top"
Basically, the cars that were styled with the rounder "hat room" roof lines lend themselves the best.

 

Please try again

 

The Venturian!

 

Not bad for a first try, at least you are actually out there doing it and working on something real. You might want to reconsider the diamond shaped side window. That was popular in the 70's van era, maybe try a round one or oval like the 57 T bird.

 

PONY, I'm sure you're a good guy, but what are you thinking?
You should've left the 'ol 4 door well enough alone, because right now you're looking at something like a cross between a custom van and the Lincoln JF Kennedy got shot in. I honestly don't want to shoot down your efforts but there has to be some linear thought to what you want to accomplish.
Believe me when I say this, you're giving Florida a good name.

 

I would have loved to make it like the photo shoped top but as I said earlier the car is a four door and there's no support for the rear window. The sides had to come way foreward and it looks odd. The top was rusted thru at the rain gutters, the sun was out, I cut the top off and it's been raining for a month solid. It ugly but it keeps me dry! As for the side window, It looked good till the drugs wore off.

 

the aztec had a two piece carson top, there was also scoopy doo a 58 kustom impala, it had a custom top. Does have to be "done right"

 

And once he quits the drugs...

 

Pony, step away from the car. Donate your sawzall to charity, and buy a honda. Seriously, you are hurting my eyes. Find someone to help you with at least some kind of vision, and copy Frenz's picture. DO not vary from it, and you'll save that monstrosity.

 

You can't blame the $13.99 K-Mart wire hubcaps on rust can you?

Man you ***holes are brutal.

 

Yes I think it can be done. I have seen some ugly ones but with some thought and a good eye I think it can work on mid - late 50's. Here is a '53 Pontiac that my brother and I are working on.








Additional photos of the build is here:http://home.sprynet.com/~fullhouse/shopscen.htm

 

I don't wanna be a smart-*** but don't build the top that way.It's totally out of proportion and doesn't flow at all.The height of the windshield is right on but the slope of the roof isn't.Don't get me wrong,I really like your car and I think it's going to be *****in' but I seriously would reconsider the top.

 

I think it looks pretty good, myself!
~ Paul
aka "Tha Driver"

Giggle Cream - it makes dessert *funny*!

 

thefrenz nailed it... redo that top pony as something simular as that...
get your self a pair of hardtop/convert doors or atleast 2 door doors

did you strenghen the body mounts in anyway or did you just wack of the top?

i'll admit though it takes courage to post something like that and saying its your car

 

Smitty, I think the problem is the ratio of windsheild height to the height of the top. Maybe if you made the top go slightly past the windsheild it would flow better. Remember these cars had a "turret" top, with some height above the windsheild. They look good with some of that thinned out (pancaked roof) but you've eliminated all of it, which looks a little odd. I would raise the height of the roof or take a couple more out of the windsheild. Look at the car I attached. See how the relationship between windsheild height and side window is?

 

Thanks for the thoughts guys. Its always interesting to see how others view things. The pictures don't really show the crown in the top. Its not flat like it looks and we still need to get the material on it yet. There will be a little of the top going past the windsheild when its finished. Thanks for your input guys.

 

I've often wondered how many Carson topped cars were built because the guys totally screwed the metalwork up.

 

James,that Shoebox Ford is really nice !

I just wanted to say something regarding Kopperhead's question.I basically agree with DrJ and RATBOY.I don't know which car you (Kopperhead) are talking about in particular but I think the most important thing is to pick up the car's design,or to be more precise,the lines and shape of the roof the car actually has and maybe improve them a little bit.
In my opnion it makes no sense to put a 40's/50's style Carson Top on a '61 Thunderbird for example.Just do it like you would chop the car's roof and convert the lines and shape into a Carson Top.I presume you want to build a car from a 4-door.Otherwise the whole thing would make no sense at all.Just my opinion.

 

Reply to The FrenZ, the car in mind is my -54 Olds 2dr ht. I dont like the hump on the back of the roof and I´m considering different ways to customize my car.

I don´t understand he comment that this modification only makes sense on a 4-door, ALL cars can be modified to custom and should be Just because it's a 2dr ht doesent mean that it's a solid nice car. My Olds is a real hillbilly car from Nevada. It has rust on the rocker panels and in the trunk the Rocket motor is gone and the interior in a bad condition.

 

OK the hubcaps are history.. I had not planned on making a top as we had two cars, but that changed and I needed some kind of a top. The big problem with a four door is that there is nothing to support the rear windows. The photo shoped tops look great and I would have loved to have the top that way but I just didn't have the time or tallent to deal with the rear windows. The A pillar was stiffened "T" plates and under the floor plates but it took the struts to stiffen it up enough fo the rear doors to work right.