I'm working on buying a 1928 Ford tudor and I have a question regarding the top. It has apparently shrunk and the front has pulled out from under that bar in several places. My question is: Is there something a person can use to soften the material back up and possibly get the front pulled back up and fastened? OR is my only solution to replace the top? Thanks in advance.
has it shrunk or torn/split ?....plus that edge is a place for water to find its way into the fabric and rot... I would think it would be gap dependent and a real close (under magnification) look at the top material as a whole... also keep in mind that the top has a pressure differential between the topside and underside as you motor down the highway...it needs some strength and integrity not top budge tear more
Steam, or a mixture of rubbing alcohol and water (1:3 ratio) can be used to make cloth fibers relax and pliable enough to stretch it. Possibly, it would work on your top.
I am ***uming it shrunk and pulled at least half of that front edge out. It will need replaced at some point because the sun appears to have been hard on it. I'm basically just looking for a cheap temporary fix until I get the car running and figure out what I've got, mechanically speaking. ***uming I get it running without spending a bunch of money and ***uming everything functions as it should, then I will make a decision on where I go with it. BTW, I did buy the car. Whoever restored it years ago, started with a really nice car. I don't think it has ever had any rust. I wasn't even looking, since I've got 3 car projects and a few repairs to do on my house. But, it was only about 1 1/2 hours away and the price was fair.
good on you....I like A's and there is a lot of parts still available for them I know, specifically, of no product to soften the top....and a possibility that the installer of the top was over zealous with the tack strip securement and pinched the top material actually cutting the cloth part of the top fabric...the top material was lacquer coated cloth and maybe modern top fabric is vinyl I guess if it was me and hunting for a temporary repair, knowing that solvents for lacquer can turn something to goo and still not soften the fabric... I would look at patching something in thinking about doing it in a manner that I won't hate myself when I go to remove it at some point in the future Gorilla tape and go
figure out how much you need to add to get the edge where it needs to be put a strip of gorilla **** on the rooting edge fold back under itself and put a strip on the bottom this tape should be in every ones tool kit a good friend had his one piece cl*** a windshield come out of the body ( all but the top after a windshield replacement) on the way to Florida gorilla taped it in and drove 200 miles to his home you can get the tape up to 4 inched wide
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