[flats]

I have a 1934 Ply sedan. Someone installed a solid roof in it and not too well. It has several low spots and high spots as well as 3 inverted ribs. I have purchased a soft top kit that I want to put on it. I would like to leave the solid roof under it. Any suggestions other than a bunch of bondo to cover the ribs, etc. so they will not show under the pad and vinyl of the soft top? Thanks

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by flats

I have a 1934 Ply sedan. Someone installed a solid roof in it and not too well. It has several low spots and high spots as well as 3 inverted ribs. I have purchased a soft top kit that I want to put on it. I would like to leave the solid roof under it. Any suggestions other than a bunch of bondo to cover the ribs, etc. so they will not show under the pad and vinyl of the soft top? Thanks

How do you plan on holding the soft top on the roof. and keep it tight without the top bows that were in the car, when the hole was there.

The way I see it you will have to open it back up and use the top bows, to make it work and look good.

Bob

[flats]

I can do it that way but the top I have has a track that you shape and install with rivets or bolts just outside the top opening. You then remove it and install chicken wire, the pad, and then stretch the vinyl over that. Then the track is bolted or riveted through the vinyl. Then trim the vinyl on outside of track and then the track is covered with a piece of formed vinyl. I would just like to eliminate the removal of the metal roof and lay the pad and vinyl over that. I am now thinking I may be able to lay a piece of 18 guage metal sheet over the existing roof and it will cover the inverted ribs and stay rigid over the low spots. Thanks for the reply. I may have to resort to going that way after all is said and done.
flats...

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by flats

I can do it that way but the top I have has a track that you shape and install with rivets or bolts just outside the top opening. You then remove it and install chicken wire, the pad, and then stretch the vinyl over that. Then the track is bolted or riveted through the vinyl. Then trim the vinyl on outside of track and then the track is covered with a piece of formed vinyl. I would just like to eliminate the removal of the metal roof and lay the pad and vinyl over that. I am now thinking I may be able to lay a piece of 18 guage metal sheet over the existing roof and it will cover the inverted ribs and stay rigid over the low spots. Thanks for the reply. I may have to resort to going that way after all is said and done.
flats...

I'm not for sure but I don't know why a company would make a replacement soft roof to fit over a hard roof. With that being said I don't believe you are using the soft top as it was desighed. What you are saying you are going to do is how you would put on one with top bows, using the materials that you would use. You don't bolt the cloth to the steel top or use rivets, you would have to use one hell of a gob of tar to keep it from leaking, plus it wouldn't look very good. It is your car, you can do what you want, but if you want it to look nice do it right, either take the sheet metal out and put soft top in, or grind all the bondo out and repair and leave the sheet metal.

Myself I would grind the bondo out and see what I had. then go from there. It is all in how you want it to look.

[flats]

Bob, I know how an original soft top is installed. The soft top I purchased is an aftermarket style from an old established hot rod upholsterer. Google....Julianos and click on products...soft kits....and instruction button. It does show bows, etc.. I can see no difference in installing it over a hard roof. The attachment procedure with this kit allows that. Hey, I want it to look good too. Thanks for your input.
Flats

[35terraplane]

Originally Posted by flats

Bob, I know how an original soft top is installed. The soft top I purchased is an aftermarket style from an old established hot rod upholsterer. Google....Julianos and click on products...soft kits....and instruction button. It does show bows, etc.. I can see no difference in installing it over a hard roof. The attachment procedure with this kit allows that. Hey, I want it to look good too. Thanks for your input.
Flats

I know Bob Juliano very well, I believe his kit was made for the re-placement of the stock soft top. But it is your car do as you want, IMO it will not look right. Good luck. It might look good. You asked, I would not do it that way.

Bob