Projects NOT THE TYPICAL '30 ROADSTER BUILD

That is the understatement of the year!

 

Absolutely beautiful work on the top. Thank you for documenting the process. I have been studying your posts with great interest as this is in my future. Right now, I only understand about 1/5 of what you're doing, but it gets my gears turning for all the stuff I need to think about to make this work. Keep it up!

 

Thank you. Glad it can be of help.
Read you Bucket build thread and you do some amazing fabrication work. Subscribed!

 

You really have done great work on that top! I know as I did my own too. I have toyed with the idea of doing side curtains as well but that is really low on my list of things I need to do, and I don't really see myself needing them that much in NC to be honest. As an FYI I have a friend who does boat covers, tops, interiors, sail bags, and so on. I have been in his shop when he is doing boat stuff and there are heavy clear vinyls that he uses when making canvass boat tops that have windows in them. It might work for your side curtains as well. Nice work all around! Still following...

 

@GordonC Way back when I had a 31 roadster, the fellow who did my upholstery work suggested clear vinyl for the side curtains. They fastened to the front post, and to the top irons along the side. We used velcro to secure it to the inside of the top at the rear of the side opening. He sewed in a shelf that sat on the top of the door. We used to swing in the wing windows, so that the curtain would seal that up. To get in and out, open up the velcro, and maybe a snap along the side curtain, and pop our heads underneath and get in. Worked well. Just a contribution to the thread, bot a suggestion to change what you're doing with yours.

 

Thank you GordonC. I am in the same boat here in CA, I don't think I will ever use the side curtains and really don't see myself driving this roadster while raining.
I am mostly doing them to make sure I have them and make sure they work well.
I am afraid to want them at a later time and have issues with the canvas dye lot changing.
I was able to find a heavy duty plastic for the windows but unfortunately wasn't able to install a zipper as as I wanted. The size of the windows vs the radius for the zipper to work well wasn't working together.

 

I saw a picture on the web of someone who had done all clear side curtains and it seems to work well. I can see a lot of benefits to them.
I wonder how the original design of the side curtains worked back then -when new- at keeping the car water tight during a storm.

 

Ok, so the passenger side front curtain is all done. All fasteners installed and working well.
My Pops is getting really good at this sewing thing.



Keep your eyes on the mirror



Finished window height ended up at 6".
Happy with the outcome...I guess I had not realized how much chopping the top and leaning the windshield posts really changes the sizes/shapes of all the other panels, including the top.



Door fully opens at 90 degrees and the mirror and side curtain are working well together in harmony



A view from the inside...All 3 side curtain pieces done and in place! I can see how these will cover from the rain but not sure how water tight these are.

Ok, we now just have to do it all over again, in reverse, for the other side and the curtains will be done.
Of course, they will need a carrying case now. Lol!



Curtain Rod chopped vs stock height.

 

I can't wait to see it outside from a side profile or 3/4 view. I bet it looks killer!

 

Once I finish all the upholstery I will go back to finishing the last of the mechanical and hopefully get her all done.
Plan is to have her ready and on the road by next spring.

 

The driver side curtain is done and with that all the fasteners are installed. Amen!



...and with that, the top goes down....





No rubbing, no snapping...everything worked and folded nice and smooth.
Top boot is next and then all the upholstery will be done.

 

Beautiful design!.... Beautiful workmanship!

 

Thank you! I appreciate that.

 

That is really, really impressive! I think you might just have some customers if you're not too careful!

Can you provide a rough estimate of how much time it took you and your dad to figure it all out, pattern, sew, etc.?

 

Thank you!
I will share the hours by Friday. It didn't took as much as I think it was going to take.
The top took the least amount of time, the curtains were the 2nd most time consuming and believe it or not, the top boot really took the longest...that kicked our butt and it is still not where we want it.
I will share some details later.

 

Ok the top boot takes the winning ticket. It really kicked our butts. I think the lack of experience really came to show.
It seemed simple enough and I was following the shape of an original boot which seemed simple enough.
All the measurements grew which I was expecting, and the actual shape of the ends changed with the chopped top.

As with the top and the curtains, we did our paper templates and everything worked well on paper, yet I had my doubts. I found some denim material at a bargain price, so we mocked it up in denim to make sure it was going to work as templated. I had a feeling something was off and was afraid to ruin the canvas and at $60/yd, mistakes can get pricy.

Sure enough, once we finish the top in denim now it needed adjustments. I was confident since the denim was similar weight and thickness that the template was going to work much better...wrong!

Not sure what happened but once we cut it and stitch it on the canvas, the boot felt too big, so we ended up taking it apart and reducing some of the extra material.
The second round on canvas felt better but still off. Because of the chopped top, once folded, the top stacks higher, shorter from the rear projection, and shorter at the arms that connect to the body.
The rear window hangs kind of halfway between the tackstrip and the body so we made the bottom rear panel of the boot a bit wider to wrap underneath the window and protect the window a bit more when the boot is on.

3rd round was a charmed. The top looks better and got all the snaps to work well.



There are still some wrinkles in the pictures but those come out once you fit the rear panel underneath the top.
A lot of work for something I might never use...but again, one of those things that I rather do now just in case I ever needed.
This one drove my dad and I crazy. We wanted it to look as close as to an original one as possible and we paid the price for it....I am glad it is done.

 

My pops is enjoying the upholstery part a lot. Enough that he made these arm rest for both doors.
Nice and simple but pretty beneficial. Canvas in the outside, soft nap material in the inside and a metal flat bar on the bottom/inside part of it to keep some weight on it.
It secures to the stock body sockets....This one I will be using for sure. I like to rest my arm on top of the door when driving...

 

Question,
what does that flap of roof canvas do that is inside of the windshield at the top. It has snaps and goes side to side,
my top has it too and I can't figure out what it is for. Please post a pic if you can.
By the way, you guys have done a beautiful job, something to be proud of. I wish my Dad was still around to help me on mine. You are a lucky man to have him help you on yours.

 

Snaps to the outside surface of the windshield frame. Not directly on top.

 

Jake that flap on mine snaps to the inside of the windshield, at least that is what I did with it. Tried to get a picture but a black top in a dark garage doesn't come out too well! It prevents air from blowing directly in over the top of the windshield.

Roll of the dices really nice work to finish that out with the boot and arm rest/pads for the door tops. On mine I made my top removable by using posts and receivers from head rests. I welded the receiver into the quarter and used the lower half of the head rest rod and welded a flange to it that the top bracket bolt goes thru. If I decide I don't want the top up or even on, takes me 2 minutes to remove the whole thing and leave it in the garage. I saw the idea on here somewhere. Works slick.

 

Just remembered what I did for mine, car has long been sold off(wish I had it back). The frame was brand new and I didn't want to drill and/or tap holes in it for the fasteners to the top material. I cut and fitted a length of black semi-rigid plastic pipe(think water lines) to the top of the frame. I slit it lengthwise. Marked where it lined up with the fasteners in the top flap, and added the proper fastener to the split tubing. I think I used pop rivets to secure them to the tubing. Lined the inside of it, to cover the rivet head, and prevent scratching the chrome of the windshield frame. Whenever I ran without the top assembly, I could pull those lengths of black tubing off, and it looked clean.
No pictures, did this 35 years ago!

 

Thanks for the responses.
Great idea with the plastic pipe trick! I will try that.
I went back and looked at previous picks above and now I noticed the snaps he added to the front of the frame. Wish I had noticed that before, it explains everything.

 

Hi Jake,

Thank you for the kind words.
As others have noted, the windshield flap is meant to keep wind and rain from entering the cabin.
Think of the flap as an upside down letter "V". It hangs over the windshield bar and one leg of the "V" snaps to the front outside of the windshield, there are 5 snaps, and the other side of the "V" just hangs loose on the other side of the windshield, inside the car. It runs from side to side covering the top of the windshield.

Hard to take pictures of it but here it goes. Hope this helps



You are looking up the winshield, outside, from left to right.
You can see the first snap, top left corner in the picture. Once you snap all 5 snaps the canvas is nice and tight.



This is what it looks like from the inside. It just hangs loose and runs from side to side. I am yet to add a rear view mirror and wiper motor but the flap just sits over those two.

 

I see the benefit of removing the entire top and I see myself going down that path once I get my roadster on the road.
There is something about a roadster with the top removed that I really like.
I've already been thinking of ways to remove it, use a pulley, and just leave it hanging off the rafters, at least during summer.

 

That is a very creative idea! Those snaps are not that attractive with the top down.
When I was drilling and installing mine, with the glass off, I was thinking how stressful it must be to install them with glass on and the frame all put together.

 

roll, look at the various ways they deal with convert hard tops. Usually a light pulley setup with a properly sized support framework so it doesn't flex while off and can be lowered carefully to avoid scratching paint. I'd include a bag to keep it wrapped while in the rafters.
https://www.top-hoist.com/
https://www.smarterhome.com/collections/specialty-lifters-1

 

Thank you for sharing. I really like that.
Easy enough to where I see it in my future.

 

Where did you go!? Cpl months since the last post. I sure love this build, read it front to back 3 times now

 

@roll of the dices , I just re read the pages on upholstery and interior. Did you happen to mention what kind of leather you used? Upon researching for my car, I have found many many different kinds, not sure if it matters?

 

@ModelAMitch , I took a local collage course on upholstery a while back. The instructor covered getting material from a reputable seller, and that there was a wide selection of grades and prices. For the most part, it was a case of 'get what you paid for' in the field. He stressed that it should meet automotive standards for use. Of course, I had to ask "What about that old leather sofa out on trash day?"
He said that it was rated for light, occasional sunlight (UV) exposure, and that free wasn't cheap enough considering the time and effort to do a nice job with the proper thread. Yes, the thread is special too.
There are a bunch of threads here that ask about various suppliers and materials.

https://www.jasonmills.com/automotive-fabrics-upholstery/
mentions the flammability standards.