Hot Rods Roadsters with Black Tops

Guys - as I'm working on my roadster, I've been trying to lock down a color for the top. The car is going to be black, with most likely an ox blood red interior. I'd like to do a black top (to not add another color to the mix), but I struggle with it because from all the old photographs - posted here, Montgomery's books - I just don't see any.

Did people have black tops back then? I'm looking for some old photos as examples....I'm not looking to see what's on new builds.

Thanks

 

I recently put a top on my '32. Decided on tan, the black tops I've seen are hard to keep looking clean, dust, bird droppings, water stains, ect. I personally like black tops but my car is a '50s style and it wouldn't look right black. Don't recall seeing any black tops on early hot rods, could have been some though.

 

Here's my black nylon material top, snap up rear window.

 

I'm pretty sure the originals were a mottled gray colour. I know the one on my brothers 32 rpu was. He has since put a black one on and it looks fine.
rodl
Twin Pipes n Pin Stripes

 

Here's 1 4 ya

 

Not a roadster ,but has same effect , black on black....

 

Haven't really seen any old pics with black tops. However this 31 has a black top and is right on.

 

Here's a new top on an old banger................

 

And so far not one pic. Whats your cut-off date, mid-fifties? Give me a specific time frame, and i will see if i can find a find photo or not.

 

yeah....I'd say the cutoff is mid to late '50s.

 

I've done both tan and black. On the last car I did with tan Hartz cloth it seemed like it stained really easy and was a bear to keep clean, I've since seen that Hartz makes a tan with dark fiber strands mixed in which may be easier to keep clean. I really liked the black tops but you need to keep a lint roller with the car.

 

krylon32 is right on, the hartz cloth is neat but the bug guts really are a pain, and a Calif. duster doesn't work so they are not easy to clean. Driving the car a lot is just a lot of work.