Woody top replacement

[Kube]

Originally Posted by 38woody

Is there anywhere I could find an original piece of trim for the front of the windshield from someone reputable. I've been scammed twice on this site while looking for parts. Most recently a couple weeks ago by someone claiming to have parts I put a post looking for.

There was a company that made both the front piece and the gutters (right & left) at one time. I no longer recall their name. They were expensive I suppose but the quality was impeccable.
In the long run, they were a bargain.
Rest assured, you will NOT find "good used" parts. The front piece was some sort of soft metal and pretty much rotted away through the years.
The reproduction appeared as an exact match but was made from mild steel.

[GB SISSON]

Treehouse woods?

[sawzall]

38 woody

I have a feeling that front "trim' on your car MIGHT actually be the correct item HOWEVER the "plastic" that you indicate "snaps in" may be a subpar substitue that is causing the confusion.

If you carefully remove that "plastic" (only) we can better determine if that front trim is correct

assuming I am correct, and IF you have the correct part, you need to treat that item "like grandma" because . IF what you have is correct, it is irreplacable.


the plastic strip only fills the center of the trim and covers the nail / screw heads on the trim that goes between the steel cowl and the roof material. when you remove the top material (the vynil) this part must be removed along with 100's of screws / nails that hold this entire affiar together.. the "black plastic trim" on your car (when removed) will expose those fasteners.

[deuce_roadster]

When I did the top on my 40 wagon in 2013, like others have said, i let the black (only color available) sit on the top for a while, rolled out the car on a day that was to reach 90, had helpers to pull across from each other tacking the front but not driving the tacks home, pulling from the back and temporarily tacking after the first stretch. Then after it sitting in the sun, working the sides with helper working a foot at at time, pull the tacks and stretch it some more. It will stretch a lot. Like Kube said final fasteners should be stainless with a well adjusted tool to not drive through the soft material. Again, rear corners last. My 40 has steel rain gutters that were formed to the top outside stringers and when top was attached, the rain gutters were screwed on using #4 screws with square drive to go into the new maple. Only after you are staisfied with it all, trim the excess off the bottom.
SEM makes a vinyl dye you can spray on the top to make it brown. You need to THOROUGHLY CLEAN THE BLACK VINYL AS PER SEM instructions, mask off the whole car and shoot the top. Another Barn member sent me a 1 sq inch of original brown top to match. When I did mine, brown and short grain were discontinued. I had looked at Nick Alexander's original 40 woodie at a National meet as a guide. I have not lost any points on the top the times I had it judged. Good luck, it is not a trivial task.

[deuce_roadster]

One of our RG members was having correct gutters made to his 40 deluxe woodie. When I found out about this, I called the guy making them and prepaid for another set since he had a correct car to form them to. The car being used has multiple times scored above 995 on EFV8 concourse judging. This was a long time ago as I got my gutters years before I actually needed them as I knew how big a problem it would be to make them. The piece across the front was included for the $1650 price. I had these made in maybe 2001 or so and were made somewhere in Oregon. They are very long for a 40 as they come down the A pillar. I had heard the person who made them passed away maybe a year after he made my set. I finished my car in 2014.

[38woody]

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Thanks for all the help. I have taken the plastic off the front trim and it is a modern aluminum piece. Its not correct but it held that top for a lot of years so I will probably just reuse it.