Roof top question - Pic

[burner31]

The previous owner had installed a new top kit, but the front edge is missing something, I know that a bead or trim or something goes over this front edge.
What is missing and how would I install it?

[Bill Underwood]

There is a piece of metal trim that goes gutter-to-gutter
It is available aftermarket
Looks like your top has been improperly filled outside the top material
Don't be surprised if the header is bad and won't hold the tacks to install the meta trim piece

[Tom Wesenberg]

With a good solid oak header be sure you predrill the nail holes for the front metal trim. The first one I did, I didn't drill the nail holes, and wound up with a bad aluminum trim, which I had to scrap.

Once all the nails are properly set in the aluminum trim, you use a hammer and wood board to roll the sides together to form a tight seam over the nail heads.

[burner31]

Bill/Tom:
First let me say thank you for your help.
The header is solid (no rot) and the leading edge of the roof material is nailed down, should that NOT have been done without the trim, if so, is there a trick/tool/method to get the nails out? Without destroying the roof/material.
http://www.macsautoparts.com/ford_mo...edan-only.html
The linked item seems too be what is missing, is it pre-bent to the shape of the roof, and does it get nail through the metal all the way down to the gutters? Also does the moulding nail down into valley/depression? I'm not grasping the installation, how would it be a smooth transition down to the gutters? Dumb questions I know, had the Model A for less then three months, but I am learning. One final dumb question, what is this rod just below the top of the windshield, and what is it for/do? (only one coming from the passenger side.)

[Roger V]

Should be a steel tube leading to the vacuum wiper.

[Purdy Swoft]

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Not being really well familiar with the slant window cars,It looks like some custom work has been performed on the metal parts on the front of your roof . If you are not interested in a show winning correct car you can just install a molding to cover the edge of the top material . You can get a metal moldong add drill and install it with small screws. There is a two piece style molding. There is a retaining strip that installs over the top material and another metal piece that snaps over the retainer strip to hide the nail or screw heads, which ever may be the case . There is a split aluminum molding that can be installed and after the nails or screws are installed the split molding can be pushed or hammered together to hide the nails or screws. Both of these metal moldings will need to be bent to the shape of the roof and cut to proper length .. The easiest way would be to use hidum welt . Hidum welt can be installed with nails or small screws and folded back to hide the nails or screws. There are chrome or stainless parts to install over the ends and corners. Looking in Brattons catalog, there are several styles of moldings to choose from, depending on how picky or correct that you want the car to look .

[Marco Tahtaras]

As Bill noted, someone filled the original gap as shown in the first pic below.

[Big hammer]

Removing tacks/nails I have used diagonal cutters to pick heads up and then used end nippers to pull them out, can be a real pain :-(

[Purdy Swoft]

If the roof pieces have been welded, even if the wood is bad or if the wood is still good , small flathead screws will hold better than nails and will be completely hidden when the moldings snap together, even drip rails .