29 Std Coupe New Top Question

[jdupay]

I have read every roof install post, I think, as well as Marco's awesome website and I am not sure about one thing.

First disclaimer, this is strictly a driver, no points car here. I am more preserving my car more than restoring it. It needed a new top. The wood was in good shape so I did not want to mess with it.

I am putting in the chicken wire and I noticed that while all the side rails are 1/8" "or so" below the metal edge the front wood rail is just about flush with the metal. It looks to me like at some point, someone fabricated this piece of wood as a replacement piece. So now I am concerned that the edge of the chicken wire will create a ridge in the top. Where does this wire end normally?

[jdupay]

No thoughts on this one?

[2manycars]

Chicken wire is not absoluty necessary in a coupe. The black duck cloth (light canvas) would be sufficient to hold the cotton batting, then the roof material over that. Padding only over the open area, not on the side curves. Some say that only sedans had the wire, but I have done coupes both ways with equal results. Your choice.

[KGBnut]

I did a '30 Standard Coupe some years ago. I vaguely remember some spots like you described. I think I just slipped the chicken wire under the metal parts of the roof all the way around. I didn't want any chance of an end wire poking through the new roof fabric. I paid special attention to those ends as some of them were sharp...making sure I knew where each one was pointing.

It's been about four years and it has never leaked, and I drive it in all weather, including some pounding rains.

Ken

[jdupay]

Thanks for the help!

[jdupay]

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Originally Posted by KGBnut

I did a '30 Standard Coupe some years ago. I vaguely remember some spots like you described. I think I just slipped the chicken wire under the metal parts of the roof all the way around. I didn't want any chance of an end wire poking through the new roof fabric. I paid special attention to those ends as some of them were sharp...making sure I knew where each one was pointing.

It's been about four years and it has never leaked, and I drive it in all weather, including some pounding rains.

Ken

This is pretty much what I did. I went around and pushed each end down to make sure it wasn't poking up and in some cases added staples. Across the front I used my air stapler to staple those ends and this made them flush with the wood surface, so I think my concern about a ridge across the front is gone. Thanks for the confirmation.

[Dennis Pereira]

Originally Posted by jdupay

I have read every roof install post, I think, as well as Marco's awesome website and I am not sure about one thing.

First disclaimer, this is strictly a driver, no points car here. I am more preserving my car more than restoring it. It needed a new top. The wood was in good shape so I did not want to mess with it.

I am putting in the chicken wire and I noticed that while all the side rails are 1/8" "or so" below the metal edge the front wood rail is just about flush with the metal. It looks to me like at some point, someone fabricated this piece of wood as a replacement piece. So now I am concerned that the edge of the chicken wire will create a ridge in the top. Where does this wire end normally?

The header I used has a ledge for the wire on the back side.

[jdupay]

Originally Posted by Dennis Pereira

The header I used has a ledge for the wire on the back side.

Thanks that picture was very helpful. As I suspected my wood doesn't look like that. I think my solution will work, if I had it to do over again and seen that picture, I could have routed a ledge like that easily.

[RRW]

Just curious, not about your top.
Are you related to Billy DuPay from Webster?
I was in the roofer's union with Billy and Joe DuPay.
Moved to AZ when I retired.

[jdupay]

Originally Posted by RRW

Just curious, not about your top.
Are you related to Billy DuPay from Webster?
I was in the roofer's union with Billy and Joe DuPay.
Moved to AZ when I retired.

No we are not related that I know of. My family is all from Ohio.