Projects Is this Model A roof job considered traditional?

I like it if you weld it and clean it up

 

Love it - you will not see that at every show/cruise. I would go with nice paint job ( darker ) and brass screws. Give you something to do. Also an excuse for some more brass do-dats..

 

Another great mind - agree 100 %..... Or leave it as is....

 

Thanks dude.....im sure I have some trading material..

 

Back in 1961 I did the same thing on my 1930 coupe, not nearly as well done but it did not leak. I have a freind that had the same type of metal roof on a '32 4 door that he added a padded canvas top materail with a hid -em strip around the edge that made the top look "stockish" with the right amount of padding you could have a "traditional" looking top. What do YOU like is the answer.

 

I like it. Since you are going with shiney paint I would change the screws to button head stainless.

 

Absolutely leave it, someone put in a lot of effort to make it look good. Just paint and enjoy or better yet don't paint but still enjoy.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^this^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

If the proportions looks good and you decide to paint, how bout tack welding the screws to the roof, covering with upholstery and then remove the nuts when you want to remove the top(if it has nuts on the inside that is). Other than that, I think it looks really cool the way it sits.

 

I really dig it!, if your gonna paint it, I would take it out and clean up around the original opening and paint that, then clean and scotch brite the top panel, clear it (or not) and put it back in with solid aluminum rivets through the original screw holes. guaranteed nobody else will have on like it!

 

Well... Typically from me, a memorable experience: (instead of the usual Story...)

San Jose's drag strip, "Little Bonneville", 1954: In the pits with my mentors, between having to change jets, clean plugs... I took a little walk around to look at the cooool Competition Coupes, they were the most 'inventive', or so it seemed.
There was this cool chopped '32 Five window, with a sheet aluminum patch for the roof. Screws every inch, all the way around. Car was bright red, with this polished aluminum...carefully trimmed to fit, it was 'stunning'.
But the door and quarter windows were also done in the same fashion, but with 1/16" flexible 'plexiglass'. Screwed on the outside. Very sanitary, the whole thing just screamed "Race Car!"
Dzus fasteners on the hood, and deck lid.
But I never forgot all those slotted head screws.
Suggest you 'detail' what you have, but KEEP IT! Disassemble to paint, then reset the polished patch.

 

Leave it in current guise?

 

If you decide you like the riveted look, Restoration Supply Company makes a threaded rivet, basically a unslotted machine screw, in stainless. Quite a few sizes available. It would be difficult to use a nylon insert nut, but a flat washer/lock washer/standard nut would look more traditional (on the inside) anyway.

 

I absolutely love it. Just give it a decent paint job and maybe even make the screws pop like they are the center of attention and meant to be there.

 

Please leave the top the way it is. That is the way it was done when you and I started HOT RODDING am I right???? It is bitchin leave it for the up and coming Young people to see how we did it when you and I were penny less and knew what we wanted. Don down the road from you!

 

it's your car, doesn't matter what we think, do what makes you happy. As i am just getting set to start my build i am taking the same approach. i know what i like and i am sure some guys will like what i do and some others not. that's why our hobby is awesome because we have that freedom of expression. Never been a fan of a guy coming along and dumping on what another guy has done from a looks standpoint. bad or unsafe work is one thing but visual stuff and themes, we live in free country's for a reason! just my opinion for what it's worth. oh and by the way, it looks cool so keep it!

 

Certainly looks more traditional than a welded in smooth insert. These are the kind of things that tells the history of a car, if you smooth it out it'll look like every other one out there.

 

I like it!

 

Leave it , gives the car its own character.Maybe continue the theme on the dash and door panels a bit.

 

I may steal that look for my sedan.

 

It's perfect (Way Cool) the way it is!!

Like Kevin said...If i fill my sedan I might steal that idea...Maybe use rivets instead!

 

looks great, reminds me of the metal top i put on my mdl A 4dr in 1956, drilled holes every 1 1/2 inch w/a hand twist drill,put in slotted screws w/wooden handeled screwdriver that if got to torque the shaft would spin so you grabed w/a worn out pair of pliers that would slip and give you blood blisters... the good ol days....

 

You gotta become the guy that did that job, at the time he did
it. I'm sure he felt good about it. He spent a lot of time doing it.
Then you have to figure out what he would have done next
if it was still his. You will not find many cars that have this level of
personalization. To change it, you would loose some of the individual
charm. If you change it, you add your individuality and remove his.
I love that roof just the way it is. I think a simple sand and repaint
would have been his next move, probably that blue.
Your call...... Good luck.

 

As mentioned above, somebody spent a lot of time and effort painstakingly laying out over 120 spots to secure that roof panel with what he had available. You say you want traditional, that's about as traditional as you can get and likely there's not another like it.
Definitely different, different is good. Just my 2c.

 

Clean it up, but don't loose the patina (rust), and clear satin coat it to seal it and you're done.

 

My opinion on the re-install of the roof filler.

I would go back with the screws but paint them to match the rest of the car. I would not clock them I would let them reflect the original installation. If I made any changes I would buy new screws of the same type either in stainless or Cad plate. Even if it was a show car I would try and keep it like it is traditional.

 

If you want an old-school look and not a show car, I'd leave it as is. It immediately catches the eye and says that this car is different. I like the suggestions of rivets and especially flush rivets. That would look great but depending on what you are looking to build, you may want to put your efforts elsewhere. Someday, some guy will come along and take out the screws or rivets.

 

Perfectly put Tony.
I'm sure it would look great painted but there's just something that really speaks to me about that roof. Probably a combination of the quality job the original installer did along with the kind of patina that just cannot be duplicated.
I'll say what I said when it was first posted; I like it just as it is.

 

While I'm new here but not new to hot rods and custom builds . I'm really surprised at the suggestions that the OPs roof might not be traditional . While it might not be common in the traditional sense it was definitely built back in the day . Suggestions of rivets and stainless screws seems so non traditional in the fact that the car in question was built with stove bolts or something close .
It is the OPs car and he can and will do what he wants with it , his car is traditional in the sense that it was built by someone that did what he could with what he had . While all of us are trying to build cars with what we can find not what we have .
If this roof was done by a well known builder from back in the day we would all be coping it not making suggestions on improving it .

Just my newbe .02

Ed

 

Still nothing better then the first post. Hope ya' kept it and just chop'd it. You could build a car 'round that. Shiny paint your seats.