Lower a '33 roadster lid without cutting... LITERALLY!!

I can't understand why no one makes a REAL folding top that functions like Henry designed them. My 1933 Ford roadster is in need of a new look and I'm making it a goal to have my top fold and be stowed away properly, rather than have one that lifts off or has to be left some place other than bolted in the car like it was meant to be.


Here is my starting point, an old aftermarket top that lifts off (and sits wrong!!) with a 3 inch chopped windshield and posts. Looks OK but just doesn't cut it for me any longer.



... and this is how I want the roadster to look in the end, thanks to a little Photoshop help.




Fortunately to have what I believe are original top bows and stanchions to mess with. Using the aftermarket chromed windshield FRAME currently on the car, I cut an additional inch out of it (cut 4 inches now). I then cut 4 inches from the forged stanchions and notched the base so I could lay them back an additional 9 degrees. I also cut the upper part of the stanchions so I could rotate the vertical tabs so the top mechanism sits on it without binding. I then attached the top mechanism to the windshield. NOTE that there is no wood header attached in the photos.





The next step was to determine how I wanted the profile to look, so I simply lowered the entire top into the body cavity for a visual hit. But as I did that, I realized that if I just made new mounting points for the rear of the top LOWER in the body, IN THEORY, the top should still fold like factory, but only be lower in the body when down.




So I made a test panel and attached it to the rear so I could determine where to re-mount the top. The original top has 2 mounting points on either side of the body that the entire top pivots on, spaced 2 & 5/8 inches apart. Once the top was in the body cavity I simply played with the pivot points but kept them 2 & 5/8 inches apart.







Guess what? IT WORKS!!! And it folds behind the seat PERFECTLY!!! Just lower. This means the top will no longer lay on the factory package tray, but I'll just build a tray lower to act as a STOP and support the top.










Not only do I have a top that functions in the real world whenever I want it to, but I can also have a somewhat radical look as well WITHOUT chopping up a perfectly good old Ford part.

I'm not sure how many old cars this method will work with, but it has to be more than just '33 and '34 Fords.

Next project is to recreate two of the wood bows to streamline the top to my liking. When that happens, I'll post more pictures.

 

Looks great Lance!

 

Very nice approach to getting a cool look. I am considering the same thought on 32, but the top lays on the back of body like stock ones.
Hey were you just hiding those Kinmonts or teasing us.

 

Fantastic idea!... and are you REALLY going to hid those Kinmonts under a set of fenders- SACRILEGE!!!

 

Here is ours that needs to be fixed. I have wanted to change it for awhile, but the car dosen't cool off long enough to take apart.

 

I like it, to...

 

Brilliant mods, deceptively simple! Ford bows are just complex enough to hurt my head, and any error in cutting is going to be trouble, but this mod totally eliminates the issues.
On both tops shown, the "before" shot of the '33 and also the '32...I think both need a bit more rise at the second bow from the rear...the styling needs a bit of peak there, not flatness. Also I believe both would benefit from a bit of padding at both of the aft bows to soften the break over the bows...the bows look like ribs sticking out on an underfed horse!

 

Very cool idea and follow through.. Very cool roadster...

 

OOPS!! I was actually storing the Kinmonts with the project. Forgot about them 'cause I was so excited that the darn top worked!! Don't tell anyone that I have them, OK?

 

...Oh and one more thing. I will probably have to unsnap the top material from the body when putting this top down because it'll most likely bunch or bind up if I don't unsnap it. Never owned a roadster with a real top before so it's all new to me. But it's still got to be less work than yanking it off the car and hiding it away somewhere.

 

Nicely done!!!!

 

Very cool! But man, that is one low lid, hope you fit inside....

 

So far so good. The center of the windshield is 5" but about 7" near the outside edges. The center bow is about 2" higher than our heads, so that'll be even more by time I lower the seat another inch or two. All part of the fun of getting the look I like.

 

Lance ,here we go again only 25 or so years later ,LQQKs good..show them how low the coupe is....

 

That looks so uhhh, Sorchik-ish. Neat when simple stuff is the solution....You guys getting hungry for MEXKIN food?

 

Stevie Nash,

My last hammer job (attached) makes this roadster look like a ***** chop.




Windshield is 3.75" high and we even got to see the lower half of the Rockies when we drove cross country!! I'll have to wear sun gl***es in the roadster due to all of the light coming in through the windshield!!

 

Just had to ask about them, cause I have a set of 4 laying around on projects.

By the way Lance we met many years ago at a NSRA Nats, probably at Ok City in 80's. Not that you would remember. Just another artist admiring your work. Cool 33 by the way good mate for the Jersey Swede Coupe. B-Scott

 

Jimmy,

You betcha!!!!!!!!

 

Great idea.

 

Now you can make a nice tonneau cover for the ****pit when the top is down.

 

Very cool. Makes me wish my 26 T's mounts were on the inside.

 

Geezzzz Lance,... you got all the cool toys !,... And, ah,.. Nice Job !

 

Outstading, as usual.

 

Outstanding, as usual.

 

Looks killer Lance! Thanks for sharing then progress pics!

 

Exactly my thought!!!!

 

Hey Lance, Grow up and get a job instead of playin' with those damn hot rods all of the time...

Take care man.. Hi Di.
Smokey

 

Very clever. When does the kit come out? Gary

 

**** I'm slow!! Took a minute to realize who 'Lance' is. My favorite t shirt is my 'Coupes are for Chickens'. It's prolly 20 yrs old but hangs in my garage. This roadster is right on with that t. Bad ***!