Hot Rods new top needed in san jose area 1929 model a roadster

I need suggestion for a new top for my model a in my avatar in the San Jose area. Thanks all

 

Maybe check with Diana Warwick? She knows the way to San Jose.

 

when did she change her name?

 

No idea, but just wanted to say hi

 

I knew the spelling of her last name. I made an ***umption on the first. Dionne. I should have fact checked. She still knows.

 

I made my own top. I welded up a frame of 3/4" square tubing and had my upolstery shop pad and cover it. It is covered inside and out like a carson top. Does not flap in the wind at freeway+ speeds.

 

Can you give me the name and location of your upholstery shop.

 

BTTT

 

Gambinos Customs? Out near Turlock I think.

 

I didn't know if they do upholstery. I will check.

 

Bump

 

Did you give Tony a call at ACME auto upholstery? http://acmeautointerior.com/

 

Yes I did,he said he has never done a top for a model a or a 32. He is willing to see it. Thanks

 

I thought he was in the Bay Area?
Now I gotta do the google thing

Edit: They are in Manteca, 20 minutes or so on 99 to Turlock so pretty close.

 

Alex moved the shop inland a little while ago. He was already living out that way.

The rent out there is cheaper for commercial space.

 

I wish you’d move your shop this way. Maybe there’s space next to him

 

I suspect that would require either a very long commute, or a divorce.

 

I've done both and don't recommend either

 

My buddy who is

let me know if drive out, I meet you there just to eyeball your roadster. I have to return some samples too

 

Okay

 

Well heck, since you put it that way

 

Wish I could. The owner retired and closed the shop 15 years ago.

 

Thank you.

 

@sdluck

Hello,

The traditional look of @deanlowe and his custom top is cl***y. The whole idea of a top is for inclement weather or for those back East, sunny days… ha! But, driving in one with the standard fold down top created noise in my friend’s roadster. At the time, it was a roadster with all of the cool factors built in place. The top made a little noise, so what… After all, it was part of the aura of an open roadster.

I even rode in one with sides attached in place. Talk about feeling of being enclosed like a sardine… But, again, it was a roadster experience. The wind does flap material around. There is no getting around that factor in the simple folding top units. I would sure like to ride in that cool yellow RPU, just because it is a nice build and care was taken to make it so… Yea! Dean…

Jnaki

Here is an option that so far, no one has tried and it is a pure fix for those noisy top on road trips. It still looks like a normal top, but what a surprise. Easy to attach to the Phaeton in the photos and light enough for a couple of people to put it into place. With your skills, creating the California Top in a smaller version to fit your RPU would be a walk in the park or garage in your case. Since I helped lift the Phaeton version in their shop, it was not bad for two people. But, a smaller top with two people is doable and perhaps, single handed, too.

Back in the 20 something days, my wife and I were taking road trips all over So Cal. One or actually many road trips were to Santa Barbara and the Goleta area in the Northern end of the city. We were fortunate to meet and follow a build 200+ miles away almost every two weeks or when some major thing was happening. The build was excellent and despite the weekend vacation/photo journey, it was well worth the trip. The coastal drive never gets old and who wouldn’t want to stay in Santa Barbara for the whole weekend?

The top was in its construction stage and then several weeks later, a fully upholstered top material was added and now an on again/off again position was used. The design was/is one of a kind and has not been used in any build of note.

The options are to make a mold of a smooth Model A top and use that for the base to adjust to the RPU base. Or use someone’s normal folding top for a mold shape and go from there. The normal angular side design, would look like an RPU. With the smooth lowered one piece top shape, it might look like a chopped Model A truck.

NOTE:

The early photos of the roadster pick up show a puffy style of hard top. That look is fine, due to the available option of taking it off when one wants to enjoy driving around in an open air roadster/RPU. Unless, of course, you are making a one-of-a-kind show car.

A long time ago, I wrote and took photos of the process and creation of the “California Top.” It was a replacement for the folding top normally seen on a Phaeton. With the bulky mess no longer sitting in the back when open air cruising is needed, it looks like it is/was a factory option. A smaller measurement to fit your RPU would be done to match the smaller space.

The California Top is a different look at the bulky Carson Custom Car Top. It looked great on a 1934 Phaeton and did the similar job as a Phaeton top, but with some rigidity, lightweight enough to take off for some open air cruising. In the full size Phaeton, there was no buffering normally ***ociated with a canvas folding top while moving, so there is that.

If you decide to make a smaller version for an RPU, it would probably be light enough for a single person to move it off of the installation. We picked up the larger Phaeton unit and it was amazingly light weight, but of course, a lot longer.
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/friday-art-show-5-6-22.1263314/#post-14473448


When the idea of a hand-made custom top was created for a 1934 Ford Phaeton, the design suddenly took front and center. It was light enough for two people to clip it on and install/remove the California Top. So, it was not that much different than a manual fold top that just sat on the rear area.
It was a lot cleaner in design and function.

These are some newly found original color slides from a mystery box left at the bottom of a file box we recently cleaned out. These were from an original photo shoot back a long time ago in Goleta, Ca. From the back of an El Camino with my wife driving and me shooting was an experimental way to get some clear action shots with the background slightly blurry, but the Phaeton in focus.



As the old TV ad used to say: "Try it, you might like it..." or something to that nature...

 

thank you.

 

might try King Kovers in Fremont. don't see a lot of Hot Rods over there but they have been in business forever.

 

Thanks

 

Bttt

 

Contact Magoozi and drive down to Champions in TJ. It's traditional.

 

Try Super Auto Upholstery Hayward Ca.