Thread: Soft top installation

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I'm ready to install the soft top in my 33 tudor. The wood is nwe and the tack strip is good. I have an original style kit that came with the car but no instructions. An internet search only ame up with the instructions for a Juliano's kit which is decidedly different. I saw a great looking installation a few years ago at a run and the owner told me he had used a piece of 1/8 inch marine grade plywood, crisscrossed it with 1/16 inch skillsaw cuts so it would bend, and upholstered it. Has anyone else heard of this method? Can someone help me with instructions on how to do this so it looks great?

Thanks,
Dave

I'll try and get some pictures uploaded, but it's a standard 1933 Ford Tudor soft top insert. There are stringers, then (I'm told) chicken wire, padding canvas top, and a strip arounf the utside edge.

Three things I didn't see on your list are tacks, muslin lining, and molding strip. The chicken wire gets laid over the wood framework, then the muslin lining, then the cotton batting, then the vinyl material. You want the wire as close to the edges as possible but not so a stray end will poke through the vinyl later. One common mistake folks make is to over trim the batting which gives an uneven "lumpy" look around the edges. When installing the molding strip around the edge after the fabric portion is installed some folks like to use a sealant. That could make it more difficult if removal is ever needed again. The vinyl will stretch better when warm, and will be less prone to puckering in the summer time than if installed "cold".

Contact LeBaron Bonney 1-978-388-3811 tech line, tell them the instructions were lost and they should send you a new set, that way you'll have a printed guide at the ready.

Thanks Bob. I do have the tacks, muslin and strip. I'm calling LeBaron Bonney as we speak.

Dave