There's not too many ways to make a more dramatic change in the appearance of any car than to bring the top down a few inches. This change can also It can also make or break the whole build-up. Too much taken out or bad proportions can ruin a car real quick. If you're building a coupe and whack too much you just might have to go searching for another body or at least a donor top. You also need to really have a handle on your metalworking skills to lower the lid. That is unless you want to drop the top on a roadster.
Yet another reason the roadster guys can gloat. A roadster can be chopped in under two hours and if you end up not liking the finished product it can be put back to stock in even less time.
Although I've always liked a mildly chopped coupe I don't think I would ever cut an original unaltered '32 or '34 coupe. But when I started looking at the '32 roadster that's been in my family for almost 50 years and on the road for 30 in basically the same configuration I got the itch to give it a different look. While attending the Hot Rod & Restoration trade show in Indy a year ago I saw a new top that caught my eye. Apparently this new top by Time Machines Unlimited caught more that just my attention because it ended up winning the Best New Product Award.
I liked it because inside and out it still retained the look of a folding top that might have been on the car years ago. This worked well with the roadster's early build-up. The top is designed to work with both a stock body with the stock top mounting posts and fit around the original raised wood tack strip that runs behind the seat. It can also be used with aftermarket bodies without a mounting post by installing their Body Grommet Kit that provides a mounting point.
The instruction booklet that came from Time Machine Unlimited with the top was so complete and well illustrated (some of the best we've seen) that there's no need to just rehash it here. Instead we'll highlight some of the features of the top and a few of the things it took to install one on this car.
I ordered up a new 2-inch chopped windshield frame, a pair of stainless steel windshield posts, and the necessary wing nuts and rubber from Speedway Motors and then stopped by The Glass House for a windshield to fit. Once I had everything I needed I headed down to see Randy Clark at Hot Rods & Custom Stuff, one of the main dealers for the Time Machine top and followed along as they showed how easy it was to give the old roadster a new look.
When we were done the roadster had a whole new look. After driving the roadster with the new top I was pleased to find that it not only looked good but functioned well. Air turbulence was kept to a minimum inside the seating compartment and the top was not flapping around. I have a few more changes in mind now for the roadster that should give it several more years of service and style.
Here's what we're starting...
Here's what we're starting with. The roadster has been together in basically this configuration for almost 30 years. The stock height top is a Lebaron Bonney over stock bows.
Our first stop was to see...
Our first stop was to see Mike Cox at The Glass House to get our new Speedway Motors 2-inch chopped windshield frame filled with glass. Our frame was laid out and the inside area was marked out and then enlarged approximately 1/4-inch on all four sides.
We had our choice of clear...
We had our choice of clear or tinted glass. Since this is a traditional car we went with the clear. The glass was placed over the pattern and Mike scribed it using a straight edge along the top and sides and then did the bottom curve freehand.
Once the glass was cut and...
Once the glass was cut and the edges were sanded, Mike checked the fit to the frame to see which gasket it needed to hold it tight. We didn't have much of a gap so he wrapped the edges with electrical tape providing just the right amount of hold. The glass was slipped into the frame and the top of the frame was secured in place.
Here you can see the difference...
Here you can see the difference in the tinted (left) and the clear on the right. The glass is laying on a piece of cardboard, which accounts for the darker appearance.
With the windshield ready...
With the windshield ready to go we headed down to Hot Rods & Custom Stuff to get the new Time Machines top installed. The new Speedway stainless steel chopped posts and windshield bolted right up to the original stanchions.
Our first step was to make...
Our first step was to make sure that the distance from the top of the posts leaned all the way back to the rear edge of the doors were the same on each side. Time Machines recommends this distance be 27 7/8 inches, we were within a 1/16 of an inch. (If you're looking at that steering wheel thinking that it doesn't look very traditional, you're right, it's getting changed soon.)
Before we starting installing...
Before we starting installing the top bows, we protected the painted area of the body with some masking tape.
The first pieces of the top...
The first pieces of the top mechanism to be installed were the header bracket assemblies. They slip over the top post and are locked in using allen head set screws that index into the stock hole on the posts.
An A-rail clevis was installed...
An A-rail clevis was installed on the front of each side bow's top side rail. The clevis is adjustable fore and aft by loosening the two allen head screws to help compensate for minor differences in the top post measurements. Each top rail was then attached to the header bracket by slipping the clevis on and installing a quick pin through it.
Each side bow was then carefully...
Each side bow was then carefully extended until the B-pillar met the top mounting post on the body and then secured with a carriage bolt and wing nut. This is where you need to be careful not to allow the rear of the bow to flop down onto the body and damage the paint. Having an extra set of hands helped but some towels would work equally well.
Once the two cross bows and...
Once the two cross bows and the rear beltline bow were installed (they just snap in place) the rear of the top was slowly let down to check where it was going to rest. This roadster still has the stock tack strip for the stock top and was not going to be removed. Most aftermarket bodies won't have this, which may make fitting easier. The only parts of the top that came very close were the rear uprights.
We were able to bring them...
We were able to bring them back a little by loosening these allen head set screws and adjusting the rear beltline bow back some.
With the side bows in place...
With the side bows in place we were able to install the header bow and press it firmly down against the header brackets to mark the holes to be drilled. Once we drilled the needed 1/8-inch holes we secured the bow with the supplied screws.
Now came the time when it...
Now came the time when it was really going to start looking like something. The top comes pre-sewn and ready to snap onto the rear beltline bow. This top has the standard plastic rear window but a glass one with a chrome frame is optional as is a zip-out back panel.
The hardest part of the whole...
The hardest part of the whole installation is keeping the top tight as it is secured to the header bow. The first step here is to find and mark the centerline of the header. The top comes with a small V-notch cut into the front to indicate its center point.