1934 Ford sedan Roof kit , help please !

Rascal

Rascal

Member
I Am about to install a cartouche [Macs] 1934 closed car colonial roof kit over a new hood bow kit .
the instructions included in the box don't mention where the white Cotton - muslin sheet goes ?
is it under the sponge padding or on top of the padding.
I have installed new Bird netting over the hood bows
and am ready to proceed , but ?? any advice will be appreciated,
many thanks.
 
white cotton muslin?
sponge padding?
bird netting?
I put a LB top insert on my 34, and I've never heard of these terms. Sponge - really?
Obviously, I can't help. JMO

Some comments, though...
I used a bow kit from WoodArt - great kit, VERY hard wood, perfect fit, super quality.
The rear-most bow, in my opinion, was a little 'proud', so I trimmed about 1/4 off of it, to make the top line flow better with the body.
I used a very heavy-duty chicken wire. Cut very carefully, with uniform gap all around, because my car uses the chicken wire for an antenna. Stapled in place, and all staple holes had to be pre-drilled - very hard wood.
After that, I followed LB instructions - denim first, cotton wadding next (which I don't believe has any cotton, I think it's maybe a dacron material), and on top, the top fabric.
I skipped the sealing - my car is a fair-weather car. I figure I can come back and seal it later, if I want to.
Next, I re-installed the original metal molding, using thru-fasteners to secure it to the metal top channel.
Finally, I trimmed the excess top material, very carefully, using fresh & very sharp blades in a utility knife, and being very careful to not touch or nick the paint.
It came out looking as professional as any top I have ever seen.
 
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The term muslin in this country is refering to a plain cotton fabric that is very similar to denim without the color or stiffness and it is used to help pad the chicken wire that was originally used in a lot of these old cars from the era. Muslin had different meanings in other countries. It was a shear cloth used in Europe for many generations and is not the heavy cloth we think of here in the US. Cotton wadding was used as the pad back in the day so foam is a relative newcomer to the current materials used in the old cars. Padding is essential to keep everything tight and looking good long after the job is done. Many trimmers and some early manufacturers used a sturdy waterproofed canvas in place of the chicken wire that is used to keep the shape of the toppings over the wood bows. Ford used the chicken wire for a radio antenna in some of the early 30s cars so it can't be replaced in those situations.
 
Rascal said:
I Am about to install a cartouche [Macs] 1934 closed car colonial roof kit over a new hood bow kit .
the instructions included in the box don't mention where the white Cotton - muslin sheet goes ?
is it under the sponge padding or on top of the padding.
I have installed new Bird netting over the hood bows
and am ready to proceed , but ?? any advice will be appreciated,
many thanks.
Click to expand...
Send it back and get one from "LB". You will like it better and it will be like original. Easy to install and has good instructions.
 
jerry grayson said:
Send it back and get one from "LB". You will like it better and it will be like original. Easy to install and has good instructions.
Click to expand...

Hi, iam about to go the same route and need a reference for a good roof top kit for my 34 Ford coupe.
Who is " LB" ? Any contact details ?
Regards Randolf
 
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