Thread: Bop Top ordered...any advice?

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Windwings help quite a bit.
These are 1/4" Lexan - trade name for Polycabonate - in Vintique re-pro mounts.

As do quarter windows.
The ones shown are 1/8" Lexan and were prototypes.
The 1/8" Lexan vibrates and buzzes due to airflow.
Use 3/16" and no problems.

Mounts with two slightly longer than normal stainless sheet metal panhead screws with flat washers into the oak bow and an 8-32 stainless allen head with flat washer and nylock through the oblong hole near the bottom of the stainless top iron piece.

Next project for the 32 - now that winters almost over - a pair of swing down side windows.

I don't expect to seal the cockpit off all that well, but one of the secrets to running a roadster in cold weather - 16 degrees F being my personal best - is keeping the big drafts out and using a heater, which I have.

Joey, I have a bop top on my 32 and love it. I later sent and bought the side curtains at 1000.00 a pop . here in Iowa I get plenty of use out of them.
They look pretty good and do a good job of keeping the weather out. With the curtains on and the heat on shes rather comfy

Hey Les, how does the top do with the wind at highway speed? I made a seal for the top of mine where the header bow meets the top of the windshield, not sure if that will help anything or not... curious as to how the air flows in and around the top and interior when driving down the highway.

Joey: I have very little wind if any coming between the top & windshield.
As far as wind effects on the top , theres very little the top does not baloon
up like the newer cars do. I do have wind wings made of real glass, that shurly helps. I can wear a cap or hat in the car and dont have to worry them blowing off. I have no seal on my top because the top and windshield have to slide on one another with the flexing of the car

You may want to look at the Lebaron-Bonney windshield/top seal.
It's the round windlace looking piece that runs along the backside of the oak header.

A lot depends on the aerodynamics of a particular car, but I find the wind blows rainwater in circles on the flat windshield until it gains enough weight to run down and off to the sides.

I use Lexan for windwings since the stock size ones are overly heavy and in cold weather they tend to work their way out of the clamp and down.
I made a set of stock size - taking the 2" chop into account - Lexan windwings.
They blocked off too much wind to leave em on in the summer, so the size in the pic was chosen after a little trial and error.

The top has real glass, but imo it's too heavy and I should have replaced it with Lexan when I installed the top.

How do wing windows attach to the windshield posts? I don't really like the look of them, but if they can be temporarily installed and removed without hassle, i might consider a pair for long trips...

Joey: Thats the bad thing, the back of my windshield frame is drilled and tapped to mount the wings. It would be ugly without them unless you had some sort of plugs to put in the holes

My 32 windshild posts were ordered with windwing holes.

I ran for several years without windwings and the drilled & tapped holes are not bothersome or particularly noticeable by others.
A stainless button head allen would plug the hole nicely if it bothered you.

The pics show the re-pro style windshield clamp.
They're well thought out, just screw them in to the depth you want then tighten the recessed locknut.

One thing with the shorter than stock windwing glass is that entry and exit with top on is easier than with the stock length wndwings . . . and I ain't that fat . . . 6' and 195#....

Thanks for the pics... I think I'm gonna skip the wind wings, at least til I try it for awhile without.

One thing you'll find when running a top is that you'll need to weatherstrip the doors.

Tops create a low pressure area in the cockpit and suck in air from the outside.

If you have louvered side panels - in my book they're a necessity, and no criticism of your car intended here - the hot air from the louvers comes in the door gaps.
More in the front vertical gap than the back, but at highway speed there's quite a bit of hot air coming in.
Airflow out of the side louvers is 20-30 degrees over ambient at city speeds.

A cowl air vent helps more than most think.
It's a real boon on a hot day.

Putting a cowl vent on the 31 is on the list of things to do....

My car currently has a smoothie hood on it, as this was what came with the car when i bought it... someday i may have the sides and top louvered, or replace the sides with stock style louvered panels, but for right now I'm done spending money with reckless abandon. I'm not even sure if my hood is a Rootlieb or a Hagan for that matter (anyone know how to tell?) In any case, i decided that I don't like the look of the wind wings, even if they do offer some wind protection...I really don't want to drill out my posts for them anyhow. I do want to put some door seals in my car though...just because it seems weird to me that there are none in it now... (I'm used to 60's musclecars, which all have a ton of weatherstrip everywhere.) any pics of what you have for seals in your doors C9?

how is the top doing after having it for this lenth of time?

The top is perfect, I don't even take it off... it keeps the wind completely out, with no additional wing windows, side curtains, etc. Looks as good as the day I put it on, and doesn't blow around, flutter, or anything. My buddy followed me on the interstate and said it looked like a solid "carson" top by how little movement it had in the wind. Did i mention I love it??

I just ordered a Bop Top and it looks like I have the same posts on my car as you have on yours and I did not understand the problem you had with the brackets, the secondary groove, and so on. Could you explain it more to me. I'm a novice at this stuff.

Originally Posted by turquoisetom

I just ordered a Bop Top and it looks like I have the same posts on my car as you have on yours and I did not understand the problem you had with the brackets, the secondary groove, and so on. Could you explain it more to me. I'm a novice at this stuff.

Tom,
Welcome, but you need to know that the thread you're commenting on is dated thirteen years ago, last updated 10/10/2007, and joeybsyc last visited the site back in 2016. I'm not saying you won't get a reply, but the chances are pretty slim. Perhaps someone else has experience and can help.