28/29 CCPU Roof Tutorial

[G_Don]

Hi All,

Did some searches about adding the roof material on my 28 CCPU, but have a few questions.

So far I have the wood screwed into the body, I used wood filler on the seams to get them nice and smooth as I heard that any little seam will be visible on the long grain vinyl.

I used a cheap piece of vinyl off amazon that I stretched in the hot sun so it is like a drum and then stapled it to the inboard sides of the perimiter of the top wood.

I was under the impression that next would be chicken wire, followed by cotton batting that I would feather off to where the top of the wood starts to roll down. Which brings me to my first question.

1) Did model a pickups from the factory have chicken wire? I see both sides saying to use it and not use it when I used the search function?

If not is there any benefit to having chicken wire and would it keep the vinyl top from bulging up and billowing at speed (It's a hot rod that will be able to cruise 70+ on the highway though I don't plan to drive it much faster than 70/75mph.

2)Would chicken wire help with billowing fabric at speed?

After the base vinyl, chicken wire (if so), and batting I'm assuming the long grain exterior top material would be next? Done in the hot sun and saw a method of using office clips with weights (2L soda bottles) on the corners to stretch the material as much as possible.

3) Would the order be long grain vinyl followed by rain gutters, and then hidem welt OR "wire on welt"? Or does the welting go on before the rain gutters? Or is the welting only where the gutters are not, such as the front and back?

4) Is there any good tutorials about installing the vinyl top? I watched a long youtube video of a guy doing a sedan but its scarce about pickup trucks. I know a guy had made a tutorial from other threads I have seen on here but the link no longer works as the threads are older.

Links I saw :
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=333193&highlight=truck+roof

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=138083&highlight=truck+roof

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=107509&highlight=truck+roof

5) Would anyone be so kind as to share pictures of their 28/29 pickup roofs? Specifically the front, back and sides where the welting and rain gutters go? I heard there is a certain folding technique to do it correctly.

I really want the top to look as stock as possible, its a tasteful hot rod that looks very much like a regular model a.

6) Is the visor just sewn with the long grain vinyl on the outsides? Any good close ups of the visor wrapped in material? I have an original visor for my pickup.



Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Gordy

 

[wrndln]

There is no chicken wire used on 28/29 CCPU's if you want it to be like Ford originally did them. I don't know if you have seen a series of pictures ( about 45 or 50) that Marco T had on his computer. I have them I downloaded from his computer. It show how the original top was removed and a new top was installed.
Rusty Nelson

 

[G_Don]

There is no chicken wire used on 28/29 CCPU's if you want it to be like Ford originally did them. I don't know if you have seen a series of pictures ( about 45 or 50) that Marco T had on his computer. I have them I downloaded from his computer. It show how the original top was removed and a new top was installed.
Rusty Nelson

No I do not have those pictures. Is there any way you could send them to me? Either PM on here or to my email?

gpisani014@gmail.com

Thats the link I was referring to that I could not access as the website url is no longer valid.

Thanks!
Gordy

 

[Joe K]

Marco picture set IS the solution. It's on the 'net somewhere alone.


Joe K

 

[G_Don]

Any idea what this is? Is this wire on welting or is this a piece of metal garnish that goes on before the welting and gutters?

My truck most certainly does not have that. Lol

 

[wrndln]

Speaking of CCPU tops, The first thing that goes on is black canvas, before the padding. My question is: Once the canvas is secured on the 4 sides, should the canvas be tacked or stapled to the top of the roof bows? It would seem that securing the canvas to the bows would help prevent "ballooning" while driving at faster speeds.
Thanks for any helpful comments
Rusty Nelson

 

[G_Don]

Looks like this binding but this is only for 1912-1925 Ts it says on Snyder.

I'm wondering if fender welding could be used instead since the other stuff is discontinued or if the hide em or wire on weld would be a good substitute?

 

[G_Don]

Speaking of CCPU tops, The first thing that goes on is black canvas, before the padding. My question is: Once the canvas is secured on the 4 sides, should the canvas be tacked or stapled to the top of the roof bows? It would seem that securing the canvas to the bows would help prevent "ballooning" while driving at faster speeds.
Thanks for any helpful comments
Rusty Nelson

This is a good point. I put staples on each bow but towards the front and rear. I could see more staples along the bow really helping with the ballooning and I like your idea. I will probably end up doing that.

Gordy

 

[wrndln]

Gordy,
The material you have marked is similar to fender welting. That is what I plan to use before putting on the rubberized canvas and the hidem.


If you use fender welting be sure to get the type that has some kind of heavy paper material inside the bead. A lot of welting has a hard plastic tube inside the bead which makes it very hard to bend around corners.
Rusty

 

[Keith True]

I think I would go back to the black canvas,or something like that.I used black muslin that my trimmer friend gave me.He had seen a couple of street rods that the owners had used black vinyl for the first layer.They had bought it off the internet,cheap,and the reason it was cheap showed up after a couple of years.When the oils had all leached out of it being up there in the heat,under the good black top material,the vinyl crumbled.Luckily neither owner had installed headliners yet,so it just rained down on the people in the car.The bits were kind of charcoal-ey,you could crumble them into soot between your fingers.

 

[G_Don]

I think I would go back to the black canvas,or something like that.I used black muslin that my trimmer friend gave me.He had seen a couple of street rods that the owners had used black vinyl for the first layer.They had bought it off the internet,cheap,and the reason it was cheap showed up after a couple of years.When the oils had all leached out of it being up there in the heat,under the good black top material,the vinyl crumbled.Luckily neither owner had installed headliners yet,so it just rained down on the people in the car.The bits were kind of charcoal-ey,you could crumble them into soot between your fingers.

This is a really good point, somethinng I hadnt thought of. I ordered some regular black cotton canvas and some water proof canvas as well. We'll see how they feel but I live in socal so I'm almost leaning toward the regular canvas, as I'm wondering if theres a plastic coating on the waterproof version. I'm assuming if there is itd be the same problem as the vinyl.

Thank you.

 

[Keith True]

The top material is what keeps the water out.The underside needs to breathe.If you do get some drops under the top it will also need to get out,not be trapped by something watertight underneath it.Wet or damp cloth type material will dry,waterproof plastic sealed stuff won't.Anything trapped in there will just mold and mildew.