The Rooftop Insert - The Tops In Tops

Shrinking the flange makes a bit of a mess of its edge, hence the reason Bill oversized it. With the insert fitting as it should, he trimmed the flange to give it a consistent flange

The flange inboard the channel serves as a good means to attach the top. To use it, Bill measured its distance from the centerline, installed the insert, and with a 3/16-inch drill, bored through the top and the flange in one sweep.

Bill removed the top, pushed flat-head 10-32 screws into the holes in the channel, reinstalled the insert, and plug-welded it to the screws. Drill the holes as straight as possible; otherwise the insert will put up a fight on the way out.

With the top insert out, Bill bored the holes to about 3/8-inch. This way the top studs won't catch on the holes.

The bottom side of the channel flange isn't absolutely flat and tightening a nut against an uneven surface can tweak the insert skin. So Bill bent fender washers that better conform to the flange.

Depending on the channel depth and width and the flange dimensions, Bill uses several seal types. Bill used Bob Drake materials, but companies like Metro Molded Parts and Steele Rubber offer a staggering array.

To make the insert for his Deuce Tudor, Bill used the same technique but with different details. For starters, the Deuce tops have a narrower and shallower insert channel.

He doesn't know from whence the '36's insert came, but Bill can tell you that a '57-58 Ford top skin fits a Deuce sedan like it was made for it.

Given its greater size, the Tudor's top insert relies exclusively on the interior wood. Sandwiched between the wood and the skin are closed-cell foam strips reminiscent of pipe insulation.

To attach the top Bill sheared 2-inch-wide, 5-inch-long strips, drilled one flange, and welded the other to the top inboard about 1/8-inch from the side rails. He drove screws into the wood and then safety-wired the top to the screws.

Bill recently built a top insert for Rich Greiner's '33 Ford coupe. In the absence of a suitable top donor, Bill got an insert from Steve's Auto Restoration. The channel differs from both the Deuce and the '35-36 in the sense that it's both wider and more shallow, and doesn't have the fat lip.

Trimmer Jamie Rice padded the top and clad it in a durable vinyl. All finished and installed, the only telltale that it's not original is the lack of edge welting-a problem with a simple solution.