One of the most rewarding aspects of our hobby would have to be hitting the highway and putting some miles on our hot rods. But if you hit the road often enough, chances are you're going to run into some questionable weather at one time or another. For some, a little rain doesn't exactly spell disaster, but when we're dealing with early tin, most of the luxuries afforded to us by modern automobiles are nonexistent. An early Ford coupe wasn't equipped with a great set of windshield wipers to begin with. Throw a chopped top into the equation and the wipers probably got vetoed when it came time to put it all back together. But all you coupe guys aren't going to receive a bit of sympathy from those roadster brethren. These are the guys who usually end up completely screwed when Mother Nature unleashes her fury out on the highway.
Lack of trunk space is probably the number one reason most roadster owners don't have a top for their car. While it is possible to stow it under the decklid, the area is usually already cramped with luggage, some tools, and maybe a couple chairs or blankets for the show. The only other option would be to leave the top attached to the body mounts and folded down. There has been a problem in the past with most fold-down tops being a bit too cantankerous for the majority of rodders, as well as not being available for many models.
Mick O'Keefe, our fellow Australian rodder, ran into this problem when he was designing a top for their '34 Ford roadster Utes (SRM, August 2005). Stock aftermarket top irons were close in design, but lacked the simplicity and lines he was after. The design he came up with resulted in a very universal application. By moving the top tubes up or down on the side arms, the top can be raised for stock windshields or lowered for chopped cars. Although the top iron kit was designed for the wider '32-34 roadster body, the width of the tubes and of the wooden header board can be trimmed to allow fitment to other models, such as early Model As, Ts, and other makes as well.
The installation and fitment of the kit on a Deuce was simple and took less than an hour to complete. We decided we wanted our kit to fold down when not in use, but the kit can also be tightened up and removed as a single unit, similar to a one-piece lift-off top. Once the irons are trimmed and fit to the car, the kit can remain assembled and be sent off to the upholstery shop of choice.
Those who have driven their roadster in the rain know nothing can replace a top when the heavens open up, but even road noise and heat and sun exposure can be lessened by the addition of a top, adding hours to the amount of time and enjoyment spent on the road. Check out how easy the top went on a '32 Ford roadster, and see if it will work for you!
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Here's the kit as it comes out of the box. The side-folding mechanisms come preassembled and the straight tubes and the hardwood header board are slightly longer than needed. The kit comes painted flat black with stainless steel hardware, and the header bow is unfinished with no holes. |
Mick positioned the header board into place to check the length and trim if necessary. |
The header board was right on the money for the '32 windshield, so we marked the holes for the side-mount hardware and drilled and mounted the board to the side-folding mechanisms. The header board comes undrilled for those windshields that are narrower than a stock '32. |
The top bow bends can be mounted in a couple different positions depending on the windshield height and personal preference. They attach to the side-folding mechanism with the stainless hardware provided and are color-coded to ensure correct installation. |
The first step is to bolt on the side-folding mechanisms to the stock body mount and windshield post mounts. On most Fords, this is a straight-forward process, but on Model Ts and other makes, this may require some modifications. |
The windshield mount attaches to the header board with two screws and secures the top to the windshield using a wing nut. |
The top bow bends can be mounted in a couple different positions depending on the windshield height and personal preference. They attach to the side-folding mechanism with the stainless hardware provided and are color-coded to ensure correct installation. |
The drawing provided with the instructions shows the relation between the locations of the top bows and the windshield. |
Once each straight tube is cut to length, the body mounts are loosened to allow the sides to spread out and the straight tube to be slid into place. The body mounts are then tightened up and the tubes are held securely in place. |
This sketch shows how the top bow bends and the straight tubes connect to the folding sides. |
The kit's installed and ready to be sent out to the upholstery shop. The kit can be folded down and left on the car or it can be tightened up and removed as a one-piece, lift-off unit. In the fold-down position, the top is actually flatter than stock and most aftermarket fold-down tops. |
The kit's installed and ready to be sent out to the upholstery shop. The kit can be folded down and left on the car or it can be tightened up and removed as a one-piece, lift-off unit. In the fold-down position, the top is actually flatter than stock and most aftermarket fold-down tops. |
With the folding sides, the header board, and the top bow bends in place, the length of the top straight tubes can be determined. Make sure the body mount bolts are secure when this measurement is taken to ensure the sides are secured. |
With everything in place, you can see how the top bows can be adjusted to suit just about any open car, stock or chopped. |