29 cabriolet top done

R

Russ B

Well-known member
My binding is tan as is the top material, rather than the tan olive drab rubber interlined fabric. My original photo of the car from 1930 shows it did not have a darker binding material as seen in a number of cabriolet tops, and as was expected on the post mid-1929 cars. Mine was apparently a mid 1929 car with a 8/1/29 dated motor/frame number. My dad bought the car new in early November 1929.
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I used a polished SS windlace holder rather than my painted original one. I think the SS or chrome is proper for the 1930 and later.

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Special, proper ends were obtained for finishing the hidem and binding at the triple hinge.

As the car is not at all a restoration, I used Bedford Cord, a 1930 cabriolet fabric for the door panels. It was a good color match for the top and for the Naugahyde type seat fabric.
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I took a "selfie" photo using the door for reflection, almost as good as a black paint reflection.
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Original paint was Andalusite Blue. I used the Andalusite blue PPG Envirobase line formula and then did several test panels with slight variations from the original PPG formula to slightly cut back on the black and the violet. In most light the chosen formula is indistinguishable from the original. I call it Andalusite Blue No.5. The pin stripe color is One Shot Process Blue.
 
31Abone said:
Where is your gas cap ?
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As I said, the car is not at all a restoration. a number of modifications have been made from the original. I have chosen photos fairly carefully to try not to offend those who only want to see restorations on the Ford Barn. ...but I thought the photos of the top would be of some interest to a few.
 
Looks very nice, I need to do this for my Cabby,I'm not offended by custom jobs ,just looked a bit different at first glance...who did you buy top from ?..sc
 
31Abone said:
Looks very nice, I need to do this for my Cabby,I'm not offended by custom jobs ,just looked a bit different at first glance...who did you buy top from ?..sc
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LeBarron Bonney. It was about a year and a half ago, a sale, maybe 10% off, I don't recall. i kept the main piece laid out flat in a room the whole time to avoid wrinkles. ...probably better to buy just before installation.
 
Beautiful car.

A suggestion for photography.

Do it in the shade. Direct sunlight throws off the deepness of the blue. I learned this from Marcos. There is a night and day difference in the look of the car and the hue of the dark blue.

I have something close to a Lombard blue which (not in my case) should look almost black when in the shade, but blue in the direct light. For pictures the car shows up better when not in direct light.
 
Kevin in NJ said:
Beautiful car.

A suggestion for photography.

Do it in the shade. Direct sunlight throws off the deepness of the blue. I learned this from Marcos. There is a night and day difference in the look of the car and the hue of the dark blue.

I have something close to a Lombard blue which (not in my case) should look almost black when in the shade, but blue in the direct light. For pictures the car shows up better when not in direct light.
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In this case the sun was by far the best choice as he was trying to exhibit the new top and not the paint! Wayne
 
I noticed that you attached the interior door panels with screws & grommets. Was this done that way originally? Is yours a Murray or Briggs body?

I ask because my '31 Cabriolet (68-B Briggs) interior used finishing nails with the heads covered by the panel fabric. I would much prefer your setup to allow for easy removal/access to the window regulator.
 
mngreen said:
I noticed that you attached the interior door panels with screws & grommets. Was this done that way originally? Is yours a Murray or Briggs body?

I ask because my '31 Cabriolet (68-B Briggs) interior used finishing nails with the heads covered by the panel fabric. I would much prefer your setup to allow for easy removal/access to the window regulator.
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If its not show or fine point, do it his way. Nobody will ever know but you and it looks professional. Wayne
 
mngreen said:
I noticed that you attached the interior door panels with screws & grommets. Was this done that way originally? Is yours a Murray or Briggs body?

I ask because my '31 Cabriolet (68-B Briggs) interior used finishing nails with the heads covered by the panel fabric. I would much prefer your setup to allow for easy removal/access to the window regulator.
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I believe all cabriolets were Briggs Bodies.

I am not certain about the screws versus nails. Most likely it was originally nails, based on the 68B door panel photo on Page 11-6 of my old judging standards. I chose screws because they were typically used in modified old cars in the sixties. I also need the better access they provide. A few pages earlier, the older JS shows a sport coupe using screws in the door panels.

One of the last changes I made during final assembly was to use new reproduction window regulators. Turns out they were no improvement at all compared to my heavily worn out originals, and they feel likely to break at any moment. I will likely rebuild my originals and replace the new ones. Using the screws makes this easier.
 
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