Thread: Cloth Roadster Tops

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This thread is about 18 months old but shows some excellent craftsmanship and tech details from C9x. Everthing takes longer than I expected and I am still only about 20% complete on wiring my roadster but I recently put on the top irons and bows for the top. Then I started wondering about the possibility of side curtains and so this thread shows the neat idea from C9x of using lexan quarter panels instead of the so-called "Gypsy" cloth quarters. I am still musing over the side curtain design but I already know I don't want to drill any more holes in the windshield stanchions through that tough stainless so I plan to use just the two bolts on the stanchion for the windwings to anchor the front part of side curtains and thanks to C9x I have some tight clamps on the lexan windwings. The two bolts are pretty close together due to the 2" chop of the windshield frame. After looking at some of the pictures on this thread I put a plumb line on my back bow and see that I will probably not have a backward slant on my top even allowing for some padding. I do not understand how this happens with the chopped irons but maybe the Brookville rear bow is pulled in a bit; anyway it looks like near vertical or even a little forward slant for the rear. The next design problem is that I plan to use a custom top made by a local shop where I have seen good work on a '34 Dodge roadster. I have looked at Jeep zipper side windows and the picture I am attaching of a repaired Shay roadster redone at another (more expensive) local shop which has the quarter panels totally blocked out with zipper windows. In the final analysis I will just have to sit down with the top shop guy and work out what he can do but I favor some sort of zipper arrangement but with rear quarters available for visibility. One last update is that I have purchased a resto rear window frame from Brattons in Md. but I bought the slightly larger Sport Coupe window because it was $187 compared to $220 for the smaller roadster window. I have already had it fitted with 1/16" Lexan which makes it lighter than glass and the larger size will fit into the vertical gap at the rear bow, but now I will need those rubber bumpers on the rear sill to keep the window frame from scratching the paint when the top is down. Maybe visibility will be little better through the larger window?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

I scratch-built a Sid Chavers style top for my '34 roadster using 5/8" stainless tubing for the frame and Marine fabric called Seamark, a urathane-backed polyester, for the topping. My wife & I just finished a 3500 mile trip to the East Coast from Northern Ontario and I found that the top fabric had stretched a little. I want to re-do the top fabric over the Winter and was wondering what fabric to use, that wouldn't stretch. L-B's tops advertise a product called "Stayfast" Anyone have any experience with it. Any other suggestions are appreciated!
Mike

Tomorrow I'm going to attempt to install a bop top on my 32. I have a duvall windshield on the car. I have to admit I'm a bit nervous to drill and tap the duvall windshield, but I really don't have any other option. I've had the top for about 18 months but have just been putting it off. But tomorrow will be the day. Hopefully everything will go smooth and I don't end up drilling into the glass, or somehow ruining the windshield. I will try to take some pictures as I go along. Wish me luck.

Yes! Good luck with your project. I wanted to install a DuVall on my '34 but none was available and Speedway had no anticipated delivery date. Looking forward to seeing your pics.
Mike

Best of luck! I worry over every move and then say "just do it" but about half the time I mess up anyway!

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder