Roadster top upolstery

[bucket-o-rust]

I need to buy a 1930 Model A top upolstery kit for my 1930 Roadster. Can someone tell me the best company to deal with for a good complete kit. Seams as though alot of companies have gone out of business. Thank you.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

The best company is your only company at this time. That would be Mike at Classtique.

[4bangerbob]

I have found that A1 foam and fabric sell the stayfast material which is very high quality top material. https://a1foamandfabrics.com/product...12222351802460

[ronn]

one has to almost wonder if there would be any value in buying 2 of everything available?

I say this tongue in cheek, but soon you wont be able to buy anything........

dont see the suppliers growing, only consolidating or closing.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by ronn

one has to almost wonder if there would be any value in buying 2 of everything available?

I say this tongue in cheek, but soon you wont be able to buy anything........
dont see the suppliers growing, only consolidating or closing.

We as hobbyists have done this to ourselves. We have moved into being 'replacers' instead of 'restorers'. The tooling costs and the machinery required to reproduce many of these items exceed what the ROI is. When you have established companies going bankrupt trying to make it in a world of manufacturing Model-A parts with existing patterns or tooling, then something is wrong with the system.

The other thing that is hurting this hobby is we seemingly want to undervalue the Model-A. The costs of restoration (-even for the hobbyist) for parts, supplies, and materials alone are far exceeding the ROI for the vehicle.

And, from my vantage point it seems Hobbyists today really are not being good stewards of the cars they own, and as such these cars are slowing becoming "used-up" where most of them that are on the market for sale are requiring substantial work to make even somewhat reliable. Nothing is more negative for the collector car hobby than owning an unreliable vehicle.

[ronn]

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I agree with you Brent, but as Ive said before, why would one put 50k into a car that they cant even dream of getting half back?

as many times as we've debated the model A market, it is fair to say, model A's just havent escalated in value in the last 20 years and yes, everything "shouldnt" be about $, but it is, no??????????
yes a few folks will drop 100k in their cars for sentimental value, but that is a very slim few.....................

[Oldbluoval]

Brent is spot-on.
Also, a lot of what is still available is being produced by aging/retiring/dying/bankrupting/downsizing/minimizing makers.
If you’ll need it tomorrow….buy it today!

Ronn, it’s a hobby and pastime; not necessarily an investment.
No one plays golf, tennis nor travels to make money. Well, unless you’re a hustler! And there are hustlers in the old car hobby too I suppose!

[Merc Cruzer]

ARO Convertible tops and glass, they have been around since 1919!

http://www.aro2000.com/

[rotorwrench]

I've not used them but Smith & Jones has started a distributorship with Upholsteries by Dixie out of Kirchener, Ontario. S&J lists top kits is short cobra grain for the Standard or Haartz stay fast in black or tan for Deluxe.

[SAXBY2]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

I've not used them but Smith & Jones has started a distributorship with Upholsteries by Dixie out of Kirchener, Ontario. S&J lists top kits is short cobra grain for the Standard or Haartz stay fast in black or tan for Deluxe.

Dixie backlogged with orders until Jan '24

[ronn]

again I agree oldblue- just that most arent taking a bath on a model A to say they are enjoying the hobby.

we lose a few bucks, sure, but dont know many on this board spending 50k for a 25k return. we tend to be an older crowd and with that, Ill use the word "thrifty" though that wasnt immed what came to mind...... Ive sold parts and the majority want them for free,
not the minority.

[Jeff/Illinois]

I saw a Ford Raptor pickup truck at our local Ford dealership the other day and the list price was $85,000.

Throw in tax and all of that you are looking at 90 grand.

Now the top two vehicles in America that have the highest resale value of all vehicles are the F Series pickup and the Mustang.

Point being, even that Raptor truck is going to depreciate and the new owner will eat tens of thousands of dollars in depreciation.

Granted that new truck will do more than a Model A, but the Model A won't depreciate at the same rate! So there ya go

[Oldbluoval]

Ronn
I make some parts for specific body styles.
I’m always perplexed/confused/something when I have folks contact me and state “now I’m on a fixed income”! Like I’m supposed to discount/supplement? The parts I make are for certain high-end Model A’s.
I usually tell them they’re in the wrong hobby!! Unless one has restoration talents or settle for what they can do…..it can be the wrong hobby!
Costs are out of sight and worse the last couple of years!

[gdmn852]

Hello, I used an ARO top on my 1949 Buick, they were the only one that had the correct original type top , having the twist fasteners and side zipper on both sides. This car is also a good example of having more money in it than what is worth.

[ronn]

Correct me if Im wrong Old Blue, but you deal with rarer models such as the a400.

too me that isnt a common model A..........
you are the creator of "specialty" items.

a whoile diff topic in my book. same as Brent. Brent deals with a very specific clientele. not your typical ford barner.

so I guess the three of us are talking about totally different subjects.

[Terry, NJ]

Originally Posted by BRENT in 10-uh-C

We as hobbyists have done this to ourselves. We have moved into being 'replacers' instead of 'restorers'. The tooling costs and the machinery required to reproduce many of these items exceed what the ROI is. When you have established companies going bankrupt trying to make it in a world of manufacturing Model-A parts with existing patterns or tooling, then something is wrong with the system.

The other thing that is hurting this hobby is we seemingly want to undervalue the Model-A. The costs of restoration (-even for the hobbyist) for parts, supplies, and materials alone are far exceeding the ROI for the vehicle.

And, from my vantage point it seems Hobbyists today really are not being good stewards of the cars they own, and as such these cars are slowing becoming "used-up" where most of them that are on the market for sale are requiring substantial work to make even somewhat reliable. Nothing is more negative for the collector car hobby than owning an unreliable vehicle.

Brent, Trying to sell my 1930 Town Sedan for $ 9,750 has opened my eyes to the truth. I don't have an exact accounting of all the parts I put into this car, but I estimate between $12-13 K and Not a nickel for my labor! New engine , new wood, and new paint! New seat wood. But unless they can steal it from you, they don't want it! Yes, there's a lot to be done, but at least it doesn't need a new Schwalms engine ($6000. +) New Classic Wood (about $4000.) and new Paint , the "Drabs, Chickle and Copra" This car moves under its own power. No one but me can see the value in my free work and the parts I've put into this car, I don't get it! Talk about ROI !
Terry

[Oldbluoval]

Sorta like the “four blind men describing an elephant”??
Likely so!

[ronn]

indeed! good analogy.

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Terry, NJ

Brent, Trying to sell my 1930 Town Sedan for $ 9,750 has opened my eyes to the truth. I don't have an exact accounting of all the parts I put into this car, but I estimate between $12-13 K and Not a nickel for my labor! New engine , new wood, and new paint! New seat wood. But unless they can steal it from you, they don't want it! Yes, there's a lot to be done, but at least it doesn't need a new Schwalms engine ($6000. +) New Classic Wood (about $4000.) and new Paint , the "Drabs, Chickle and Copra" This car moves under its own power. No one but me can see the value in my free work and the parts I've put into this car, I don't get it! Talk about ROI !
Terry

IMHO, the two main reasons why is; -first, most people have no idea what is involved in doing restoration work ...on any car. To do it themselves they do not own the proper garage for it, nor the tools required, nor even the stamina to see a resto project through. All they have for motivation is watching YouTube videos where most content providers speed-up the process and they edit out their struggles or the mundane parts. (Actually, that is probably smart on the content providers part because the viewer does not want to watch 'real-world' in a video. )

Second, the hobby has lost many of its participants who chose to own a Model-A for the enjoyment at whatever the cost. As Ronn keeps eluding to, because folks are not willing to set aside their 'thriftyness', to me that just means many likely do not have the disposable income to really afford being in this hobby. I remember Bill and I discussing this several years ago and he said something to this effect that "There are many people in this hobby that cannot afford to be in this hobby and probably should be collecting baseball cards instead." To prove this point, look at what he said about a hobbyist on a fixed income wanting a discount. That is nothing more than someone being 'cheap' and I think that is part of what has hurt the Model-A hobby in the last 3-4 decades. From my experience in repairing vintage cars, I don't see that mindset coming from guys that own other lower price level orphan cars or other marques of cars.


Terry, it has been my experience that your car will be worth more in pieces than together. Disassemble it and part it out and you will likely get close to a decent ROI!

I may just prove this point in the next month or two. I have a deceased customer that we had restored a '30 Coupe that is 95% completely restored ...with new wood, new Bedford upholstery, straightened frame, rebuilt rear end, rebuilt front end, rebuilt brakes with new cast-iron drums, new Stipe shocks, H&H inserted engine w/ an IB330 cam and 6:1 head, Volvo O/D transmission, F100 Steering box, show-quality Black urethane paint, dual sidemounts, 6 red powdercoated wheels with Goodyear tires w/ metal-stem tubes, etc. etc. It was to be a car the owner wanted to tour anywhere in the country with. It is a $90k+ restoration that I purchased from the estate, and it takes $30k to clear me out on it. While I would sell it for what I have in it, to avoid the hassle I can part it out and look at what it will bring.

Another such example which several people here saw the pieces for sale at the Luray and Gilmore swap meets a couple years ago. I struggled selling my late father's Coupe that had an older amature restoration for $10k. I did the same thing where I disassembled it and parted it out because I was tired of being low-balled. It brought more money in pieces than what I was asking for it as a complete running/driving car. I sold the Miller overhead off of the B motor to a guy in Florida, and just the body to a guy in Maryland, and those two items alone brought what I was asking for the complete car! Explain that!!

[Oldbluoval]

Brent, again, is spot-on.
There is a great resource to this hobby that does exactly what he eludes to.
He buys running, driving cars and uses part time minimum wage labor to disassemble.
He usually more than doubles his money on the part sales
The folks that buy the parts are building cars that are much like what he disassembles. But they have twice what they can get out of it.
Go figure that too!