sewlow
Bitchin' Stitchin'
Wow. Been a while since I posted in here.
Was kinda down & out for about 6 months. Still slow.
Old injuries coming back to haunt.
Anyways, here's one of the latest.
'58 T-Bird top.
These are a lot easier to install than say a Camaro, Chevelle or Mustang.
These get tacked on from the outside. No crawling along in a trunk, folded up under a parcel shelf.
I learned how to do these many years ago. One of the first jobs I ever did on the side of my daily job. Had a great teacher.
We were doing these for a guy that restored 7-8 a year for his own customers. After a while, between us, we could get these out in under 4 hours. Book says re-&-re time of 12 man hours. Of course that's what we charged!
Anyways...
Forgot to take pics from the beginning.
I had already gone through the frame, plus all the switches, relays & hydraulics. Have to make sure that that's all good before the install.
This was the 2nd start on this job.
Customer bought the top years ago. Lost the box. What Co. made it? Dunno.
Called the retailer. They haven't sold tops in years. When they did, they used 3 different manufacturers.
I need this info! I need to know the rear bow height. The distance from the body to the center of that last bow.
Every manufacturer uses their own spec for that. This is from where every other measurement on the top is based.
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Well, the owner has another one of these, among other vehicles. (I'll get to that in a bit!)
So...take a measurement off of that one.
And...WRONG!
Had the bow pads on, (Those long inner pads that go on first.) only to find that the rear bow height was too high. The rear window won't fit. Too short!
Crossing my fingers didn't work!
Had to order up some new pads.
Only one of my 3 local suppliers had a set. The only set in town!
So 2 days later, & 2 days of thinking about how the hell I'm gonna get that bow height right, I'm back on the job.
You can see in some of the pix that there is a split along where the top gets tacked to the bow.
Hmmm...
Take a measurement from the lower front corner of the top at the 1/4 window to that split.
Another from the rear window opening lower corner.
Set that bow to where I figure it should be right, while allowing for the stretching & pulling that's gonna come later.
Kinda sorta an edumacated geusstimation.
The pictures start from where I have the pads & the window installed.
It fits.
So far.
Had to heat the window up a lot! It's been folded up for over 10 years! Still 3 fold wrinkles in it, but the top will be up all winter & that along with a couple of days out in the hot sun next spring & she'll be good.
Here's the top just thrown over the frame.
Doesn't look like much now.
Did some more measuring, just to make sure. All seems good!
The 'inspector'!
At this point, I have the top just tacked in place at the 1/4.
Now the heating & stretching begins.
Have to pull that corner at the bottom of the window opening around to a factory indication dent in the tack strip.
Getting there. Starting to look like my measurements are gonna be right!
(Still not patting myself on the back quite yet, though!)
Was kinda down & out for about 6 months. Still slow.
Old injuries coming back to haunt.
Anyways, here's one of the latest.
'58 T-Bird top.
These are a lot easier to install than say a Camaro, Chevelle or Mustang.
These get tacked on from the outside. No crawling along in a trunk, folded up under a parcel shelf.
I learned how to do these many years ago. One of the first jobs I ever did on the side of my daily job. Had a great teacher.
We were doing these for a guy that restored 7-8 a year for his own customers. After a while, between us, we could get these out in under 4 hours. Book says re-&-re time of 12 man hours. Of course that's what we charged!
Anyways...
Forgot to take pics from the beginning.
I had already gone through the frame, plus all the switches, relays & hydraulics. Have to make sure that that's all good before the install.
This was the 2nd start on this job.
Customer bought the top years ago. Lost the box. What Co. made it? Dunno.
Called the retailer. They haven't sold tops in years. When they did, they used 3 different manufacturers.
I need this info! I need to know the rear bow height. The distance from the body to the center of that last bow.
Every manufacturer uses their own spec for that. This is from where every other measurement on the top is based.
What to do, what to do, what to do?
Well, the owner has another one of these, among other vehicles. (I'll get to that in a bit!)
So...take a measurement off of that one.
And...WRONG!
Had the bow pads on, (Those long inner pads that go on first.) only to find that the rear bow height was too high. The rear window won't fit. Too short!
Crossing my fingers didn't work!
Had to order up some new pads.
Only one of my 3 local suppliers had a set. The only set in town!
So 2 days later, & 2 days of thinking about how the hell I'm gonna get that bow height right, I'm back on the job.
You can see in some of the pix that there is a split along where the top gets tacked to the bow.
Hmmm...
Take a measurement from the lower front corner of the top at the 1/4 window to that split.
Another from the rear window opening lower corner.
Set that bow to where I figure it should be right, while allowing for the stretching & pulling that's gonna come later.
Kinda sorta an edumacated geusstimation.
The pictures start from where I have the pads & the window installed.
It fits.
So far.
You must be registered for see images attach
Had to heat the window up a lot! It's been folded up for over 10 years! Still 3 fold wrinkles in it, but the top will be up all winter & that along with a couple of days out in the hot sun next spring & she'll be good.
Here's the top just thrown over the frame.
Doesn't look like much now.
Did some more measuring, just to make sure. All seems good!
You must be registered for see images attach
The 'inspector'!
You must be registered for see images attach
At this point, I have the top just tacked in place at the 1/4.
Now the heating & stretching begins.
Have to pull that corner at the bottom of the window opening around to a factory indication dent in the tack strip.
You must be registered for see images attach
Getting there. Starting to look like my measurements are gonna be right!
(Still not patting myself on the back quite yet, though!)
You must be registered for see images attach
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