[122s]

getting the chop top closer and closer to being finished, now i cut out the center of the roof..

the plans are for down the road, to have a sliding rag top, but for now, i might just do some sort of white button on top. after i build a frame to go around the opening to support future plans, & all the bodywork on the roof & pillars are done.. then from the bottom of the windows up, will be painted all white. interior chassis of that area will be painted white also..







driving this car around Long Beach just got a bit more interesting..

one of the only places i found online for a rag top "kit" were selling them for VW busses, and were around $600 a kit.. anyone know of any DIY sliding rag top sites? or have any tips?

[Dork]

http://www.streetbeatcustoms.com/Ragtops-Sunroofs/

They have a lot of different sizes of sliding rags. Although they are more expensive than the VW ones you already found.. As far as DIY sites or kits I have no idea.. Car looks sweet though.. Going to be different and really cool. Keep it up.

[F&J]

Ok, since some people are getting sued on this site for making comments, I need to use "lawyered up" terms.

I did put a new streetbeat slider top on a VW bug for another person. "IN MY OPINION" the top was hokey, looked ridiculous (if you chose the "standard" installation procedure rather than the optional installation procedure), did not operate well at all when sliding it, and the handle was so p*** poorly designed that it refused to function with the mickey m**** latch shaft. This was in 2002, so perhaps "my opinion" is outdated as I never tried installing another since 2002.

Geez, I even had to protect myself against defaming a famous cartoon character


You know what? This is horse**** when you can't even warn a fellow hobbiest about crappy junky stuff that costs way way way too much. I am crabby now.

[Dork]

I have heard good and bad about those particular ragtops. I have seen a pretty big one put in a blazer that looked sweet. I have also seen pics of some others that fit like poop. I have no idea if they changed the design or not. I do know that they seem to be way to pricey.

[ragtopsonline]

go to my site and i will give you a better deal than streetbeat. Ragtops are great almost all my vehicles have had one.
-Chad

[122s]

im going to of course go for building my own first.. attempt to save myself some kind of money..

i've been to home depot several times and have looked around for brackets/rails/etc that would work.. and the best thing i have so far is to use the type of rail & wheel set like how some older house sliding closet doors are.

how it's a rail that bolts/screws onto the wall, then hangs about 1/2 an inch down, and has a wheel that rides in the slot like a train track.

either modify the bracket so i can weld a rod on the ends, or remove the center axle of the wheel, and find a way to run aluminum rods through them. keeping the height of the rods that would hold the top as high as possible.

i'll look for an image of what im talking about, or if i cant find it, i'll take some pictures with my camera phone when i get to a home depot.

what type of material is usually used for tops? im looking to go with a white top, so is there some special canvas that i can find at some carpet store? michaels? etc?

[122s]

something like this.. it has 2 wheels on it, so in a way, it would keep from binding. one side moving, one stopped, so it'll keep it easy to roll..





the i now need to find the rail for it. and i can modify the brackets so it's more of an L bracket, so i can have some rounded hex head screws on top to hold these rails onto the roof. then at the very back end, have some type of stopper which i can remove so i can easily have access incase i need to remove the ragtop..

[ragtopsonline]

We use either a vinyl or a "stayfast" or sunbrella" canvas. Both are water-proof. I think the canvas looks better myself.
-Chad

[liteweight]

Looks great!!!What are you using for the windshield???Are you cutting glass,or using Lexan??

liteweight

[122s]

currently using lexan, but as of now with months of use, dirt/dust/etc on, trying to wash off but gets right back to dirt to wipe off, it's getting pretty scratched up. just annoying now.


custom windshield is in the $1500 range.. and i just dont have that type of funding right now for a windshield.. if i had that $1500, it'd go towards the air ride..

[liteweight]

I don't want to hijack your thread,but I'm looking for someone to cut a curved glass windshield for a chopped 55 F100 project.Like yourself I've used Lexan in the past & it got very annoying to look thru after time.This project is in the planning stage rite now & I'd like to soarce out a glass piece before I cut the roof.

Liteweight

[122s]

i wouldnt really be able to help with that, im sorry..


only tip i've gotten from folks is to have your original windshield, and take it to a highly reputable shop to have them modify it to fit. that's where fitting the car to the windshield comes in. instead of doing the car first, then getting a windshield to fit the car..

[liteweight]

As a kid,I always loved the way those mid 60's Volvo wagons looked,& since have wondered what they would look like rodded. Never imagined a cut roof tho.WELL DONE !!!! The porportions are perfect.

Liteweight

[home brew]

As for the sliding top have you thought of going to a wrecking yard and looking for a sliding bed cover from a pickup and then modifying it to fit?

[122s]

Originally Posted by home brew

As for the sliding top have you thought of going to a wrecking yard and looking for a sliding bed cover from a pickup and then modifying it to fit?

never thought about that.. always figured of creating it out of new pieces i would find at home depot & hardware stores..

do u have an image of what ur talking about? a sliding bed cover from a pickup? only thing that i can picture is one of those hardtops for a pickup that has struts that props the rear of it up..



i got the material for the roof today. $40 for 2.5 yards long, and enough to cover the roof from drain to drain.. white exterior, waterproof & made to withstand weather.. it's normally used for boats & such..

now, the idea of using buttons is still in my mind.. but im afraid that the buttons may tear through this material, and now also, i have to build ribs, and have them sewn onto the cover, i plan on using the original holes that were used by the ribs that held & gave shape to the original headliner.

gotta find these rubber caps, and find some metal rod that would fit through them, cut them to size, make sure the roof has good shape, then it should be closer to getting done!


more bodywork to be done today & the next week to get it done. i'll be shooting the upper half of the car white myself by the end of next week..