Sport Coupe Roof
 

Anyone have any pics of their SC roof, naked and with skin? I bought what is supposed to be most of the wood kit, and I have no clue where any of it goes! :O
car is a 28

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

There are illustrations here:

https://fordwood.com/sportcoupes.htm

The price list links have descriptions to go with the numbers.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

What year car do you have???

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The Fordwood diagram gives a basic wood installation. Volume 5 of the MAFCA series on "How to Restore Your Model A" has a good run down on all the pieces. This link is to a previous question of the same nature.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...port+coupe+top

The B Terry Restoration web site illustrates a Business Coupe top that is similar except for the port hole & no landau bars. I hope you have your rear bow braces, landau bar bits, and the belt rail metal molding. The molding is near impossible to find and the repro landau bars aren't made like the originals. A fellow used to fabricate the belt molding but the one I've seen didn't quite look like the original in shape.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I have a ‘28 Sport Coupe. All my wood is A OK. I would like to see what is involved or how difficult it is to install a new top. Should I buy one from a Model A parts wholesaler or see what a local soft top business shop has to offer? I’m also, looking for the most reasonable (money’s savings) cost.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

If you can, checkout other restored Sport Coupe tops before you commit to either installing your self or having a top shop do the work.

The top is always up. If not done correctly, it will definitely show. It is what a Sport Coupe is all about.

The correct material and padding is very important. Not every local top shop can do it right.

Good luck.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The instructions with the top I purchased mention it being one of the most difficult tops to install. From precision cuts to tacking patterns to rear flap setup it does appear to be an involved installation. In some areas your tacking or stapling through multiple layers..Im doing every function of the rebuild,from engine to paint ...to the top.Its going to be interesting..

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The top on a Sport Coupe is the one place I would recommend spending money to get it right.

Great paint job, nice interior, and mechanicals done completely.

The top is where the eye will go. Needs to look right.

Enjoy.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I’m also, looking for the most reasonable (money’s savings) cost.



This is no place to cut corners...;)


TOB

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

My car is modified, I went with Harrtz stayfast fabric. The kit was right around 1000 bucks.. installation? volume 5 of the MAFCA series estimate 40 to 60 hours, but I don't think they used a kit. My bet is 24 to 30 hours, figure labor at 125 an hour, so basically its a 5k top.. phew.. I'm reasonably savvy bought an air stapler and Im going to take my time..

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The last time I had a Sport Coupe top done was in the early 90’s. Don’s Auto Interiors in Cortland, New York did the work. At the time they were known for doing quality tops and interiors on antique and classic cars.

We went with tan whip cord, not from a kit. All the top wood was also recovered. Car was there for three weeks. Cost back then was over $2,000.00.

We still have this car. It’s never been outside over night, never been in the rain, and we keep it covered when not being used. Also kept in heated garage.

The look of the top is what we hear the most from people. Whether at a car show or just parked. That’s what the Sport Coupe is all about. The TOP.

Good luck.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I agree with the importance of the look,its critical..but thecost is a factor as well. Putting 5k in a top is out of whack with the cars value.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The car is definitely not getting a $5K top. It will be lucky to get a $500 top. At some point it got a barnwood roof with copper trim. Id like the added headroom the original style top affords, and the wooden roof is rotting away now.. Something 'period correct' and in the style of the car is more what I'm after. http://imgur.com/gallery/2A8H4Kl

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

A friend had a tin top on his...looks like a tinsmith did it..followed the top lines perfectly. Im not restoring my car for show,I'm doing a ground up for me..so far I'm happy with the job I've done,and I'm sure I'll be happy with the top. I like your car Beer,its a survivor model a

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Here's mine...she aint no prom date either

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

My friends tin top..I was going to go this way till I hit 4k at the indian casino :)

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Good looking, I see why you say “she’s no prom date”. Nice hot rod.

Enjoy.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Classtique Upholstery's Sport Coupe top kit is likely the only kit available right now. It should come with all the cardboard filler materials, strapping, interior covering trim cloth, top material, trim welting, and full instructions. Classtique inticates that it comes with the basic hardware for installation but I don't know if any hardware like snaps, welt tips, or the support wires are included. Landau bar stuff is available even though the bars aren't OEM like as I mentioned before but they can be made to work OK. Back light glass & frame pieces are likely available reproduction. These kits are all at or over $1,100 less tax by current listing depending on top material choices.

The old whipcord is a thing of the past currently. Two colors of Haarz Stayfast and two colors of vinyl are all that available in their info. A person can purchase and fabricate everything that is in the kits but putting a zippered rear curtain together and a few other odds and ends would require a walking foot sewing machine and some patterns. Paper patterns could be fabricated from the frame work but a person needs to know the width of the rear flap.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I have a classitique top,all needed hardware and soft goods along with two types of welting, snaps and tacks..harrtz stayfast black..including instructions and shipping just at a grand..Mike at Classitique does good work and is man of his word.

Thanks WHN,she's all model a,modified..A powered right now,have a diamond B and a V8 trans to go in front of the mitchell OD as we go along.Just picked up glass fenders too..figure double the power of stock,modified flathead touring rig..

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Dont suppose you could measure the rear hoop, that sits at the 45* angle? thats what I'm missing, and i can probably scabriacte a useable one if I had dimensions.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

its definitively not getting an $1100 top either. By the time I get that to Canada, after duties and taxes I'm paying almost a weeks wages for the thing...
My neighbour does auto and boat upholstery and tops, so I'm going to furnish him with beer money to supply some vinyl and incorporate the glass plate thats in the wood currently.

thanks for the link Chudwah, it was exactly what I needed!!!!

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Main bow is what thats called,there is a top bow too..gimme a bit I'll run up some measurements..

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Total running length main bow : 80"
Length of main bow leg to top of main bow
measured square : 27"
Length of curve,main bow top to leg 10"

Bow is set at 45° angle to the B pillar,the 'square' measurement give you the actual height of the bow to the legs, the ten inch curve is actual curve connecting the leg to the top. I lined my original bows with flat bar to stiffen them,old glue joints dried out..would be easy to fab rectangular tubing to replicate the bow

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Here's some pictures of My 28. Hope it helps. A tough model to get info on. JP

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Please correct the landau irons = they are on the wrong side & upside down.
I have a 1930 sport coupe retired show car that I have owned for 59 years.


Jerry

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Yup1

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Yup2


Passenger side should look like letter S and backward S on driver side - fake center knob toward back of car on both sides:

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

TinBasher - Those are a great help!!! any pics of the front? My car is missing the visor, will the front wood install ok without it?

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The header wood is the tack strip for the top but there is a metal cover that fits over the front part of it and the visor fits forward of that. The visor is a removable piece with the screws on right and left side. The visor is covered with the top material on the 28/29 models.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

This may be a repeat try the COUPE BOOK from MAFCA

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

A friend of mine has had his sport coupe for 50 years. He talks about a coating called something like "peroxiline". Anybody heard or know of some such liquid product used to treat sport coupe tops?

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

It's a form of lacquer like paint. I'm not sure what chemical properties were for certain but it's a lot like airplane dope except with more plasticizer affect. For fabric covered airplanes, there were clear nitrate dope for good shrinkage and the same with aluminum powder pigment added to reduce sun penetration. There was also a Butyrate form that was a lot less flamable and could be sprayed on for final color coats having different pigments added and more plasticizer to reduce long term shrinkage. The pyroxylin has less nitrate content and is soluble in a mix of ether and alcohol. This likely kept it flexible with a less tendency to shrink over time like nitrate dope tends to do.

The last use of pyroxylin was with book cloth used as book binding covers for hard bound books. This stuff is getting harder to source though.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I got the full kit top for a 29 from Classtique, Mike is the best always will to help, the only problem i had was the posts on the inside top for holding the rear window up, they didn't, Mike said that they were correct for judging but were not judged holding the window open as they were know to not work, so I cheanged the inside ones to some orginals I found that did work but had I know I would have had him put whats called a commen sense twist lock set in the top and the rail that holds the window closed, IF your not being judged.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The back light frame & glass is heavy. The Cinch fasteners are getting harder to find. A person would have to specify if wanting common sense twist lock fasteners for the rear curtain

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

The Ford Model A book by DeAngeles, et al has photos of the tops for various years. We did a '30 with the Le Baron kit years ago which only offered a creme color canvas material. The orig. '30 was a gray Pyroxline lacquer coated type drill fabric which was shiny. (marco tahtaras website show a sample.) For weather purpose, one might want to consider a vinyl or haartz type. Sometimes the top seams can leak so those may need attention. Also, the kits if used should have the original wire stiffeners under the top materials to keep the top taught from the center bow to the front..

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

They did use the wires on both sides to help support the curved transition area at the top edge of the cardboard formers. Thin springy strips of sheet metal were also used between the door top wood and the front wire and between the #2 bow side brace and the rear wire. My 29 had the rusty remnants of the strips still attached to the #2 side braces.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Here's my 28 Sport Coupe. It took me a long time to find the correct brackets for the top. But it is good now. Here's a couple of pictures

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

Coming right along. Looks excellent so far. A person can always tell those earlier 28 models by the front corner braces above the windshield. Some didn't have the #2 bow side braces either but I would use them just to increase the strength of the structure.

Re: Sport Coupe Roof
 

I am working on my sport coupe also. I appreciate all of the pictures. Could anyone get the measurements of the 2 back straps that run from the beltline up to the #2 bow? I see they are supposed to be made out of 1 1/4"x1/8" strap, but I can't find the length. Also a measurement of the location from the center of the beltline. Thanks.