[rotorwrench]

What I know about putting a top on a 1931 Vicky wouldn't fill a thimble but I do know that all of the model A cars with the wood structure top (no sheet metal), which covers about all the coupes & sedan models, have some form of wire netting and heavy overlay to cover that large opening. The wire netting or chicken wire (whatever you want to call it) is generally tacked or stappled to the wood bows of the opening only. A layer of burlap material is generally used to pad the wire netting the another layer of heavy muslin material is placed over that. I'm not sure if the burlap is extended out to the metal recess or not but I know that the muslin would be. Some cars may just use the muslin but I don't know. It just depends on how it all lays out to keep the top flat all the way back to the valance or roof covering attachment at the rear of the top before the padding layer and the roof covering material are laid out. The cloth covering would be tacked down through those holes to keep it firm and tight but not too tight. A person wants it to stay nice and flat up there. If there is a ripple anywhere on there it will likely be detectable by a keen eye for such things. Most cars used a molding around there but that wouldn't work well with a leather back type. Any moldings would go around the outer edges of the final layer of top material to keep it tight and flat.

Hopefully another forum member with experience on the victoria body can help you further and confirm my statements here.