Bop Top ordered...any advice?

[joeybsyc]

Well, I finally bit the bullet and ordered up a new Sid Chaver's Bop Top for my roadster yesterday...Not cheap in any way, but after looking at every other top on the market I have no doubt this is the best looking one. Talked to Sid himself and he was a really nice guy. Told me it would be about 2 weeks for delivery. I already ordered the flush mount top kit from Rod Tops (which Sid told me will work with his top with a minor modification to the thread-in portion of the kit) I had Rod Tops make me a special kit with additional length to the pins, in hopes i can anchor them through the existing square steel tubing in my body. I also asked Sid Chavers to include a pair of the stock style mounting tabs just in case I decide the flush mount setup won't work. It seems the toughest part of the whole project will likely be getting my uphulstery panels off to access the inside of the 1/4 panel. Was wondering if anyone here has ever installed one of these tops or have mounted tabs into a car that didn't already have them? Once again this will be one of those projects that would be a breeze on an unfinished car, but will likely be hell to attempt on a completed/painted car...I figure it can't be any bigger of a task than the windshield was, time will tell!

[Offy]

I used a Topster II on my deuce and made a stainless steel flush mounting kit similar to the Rod Tops one. I think the Topster is comparable in looks to the bop Top and seals better. I personally think that the Time Machines Unlimited Rod Top is the top of the line but for 1/2 the price I'm very happy with mine.

[joeybsyc]

The Rod Tops one was just as expensive, but was my least favorite of all of them actually... when comparing the side profiles, the Bop Top has a nice "speedster" type profile, whereas the Rod Top has a notchy/blocky look to me, with too upright of a rear window. The Topster II doesn't come with any fabric or anything, so i guess you could have it made to look as good as a Bop Top if you know a good uphulstery guy... I considered that one too, but never got a reply back on some questions I had. Sid Chaver's replied within 5 minutes of my inquiry, and the kit comes complete with all fabric sewn, window installed, etc. The design of the framework is also nice and simple, and it comes with a handy installation video. I'd love to see some pics of your TopsterII and the mounting kit you made... some installation pics would also be great if you have any. -JB

Here's a Rod Top:



Here's a Bop Top:



To the casual viewer, they look similar, but I just think the Bop Top has a better side window opening profile with a nice sweeping curve, and is less angular than the Rod Top. Its hard to see in these pics, but the rear window has more of a forward lean on the Bop Top too, giving it a more streamlined look. This is a personal preference of course.

Another comparison is the framework... here's the Rod Top... seems like a pretty complex assembly of various pieces and parts, although it appears to be well constructed:



Compared to the Bop Top framework, which seems like a much cleaner and simpler assembly, using powder coated round tubing throughout:



I priced them both, and they were very comparable in price, basically a matter of personal preference. I'm sure if you could do your own upholstery work, the topster would be a bit cheaper than either one of these, but then if you have the capability to do that, you could probably build the entire framework yourself too...which I have also seen done with success. I'll be happy if I can get the fully assembled top on my car, let alone starting from scratch!

[John Palmer]

Just follow the Bop Top installation video and Sid's tab mounting instructions that I sent to you and you will be fine.

You should cover the work area on your body with "blue" 3-M low tack masking tape before you start the installation since your car is already painted. Mine is bare steel and I did not have to worry about scratches.

[joeybsyc]

Well, I got started on the project this weekend. As I stated in a previous thread, my car did not have mounting tabs for the rear portion of the top frame, so I had several options to add these tabs. I decided to go with a "flush mount" setup from Rod Tops, even though I am using the better looking "Bop Top" from Sid Chavers. I talked to Sid and he told me the Rod Top kit will work with his top, albeit with sone minor modifications to the thread-in clevis portion of the flush mount kit. It took a little modification to the inner lip of fiberglass behind the side interior panels, and the tab on one side needed mounted totally different than the other due to the fact that the inner steel "birdcage" was not welded in exactly the same position in relation to the body from one side to the other, but to make a long story short(er), I got it done... I still need to modify the oak header bow slightly to make it better fit my Vintique windshield posts, but hopefully next week I will have the top skin on and finished.... Here's some pics of my progress thusfar:

[joeybsyc]

Well, its done! Wasn't without some cussing and fighting, especially with fitting up the side support bars... and the junk Harbor Freight air stapler I bought for the job, but that was my own fault for being cheap. Overall I think it turned out pretty good, and would recommend this product to anyone considering a roof for their roadster. Here's a few completed pics.

[C9x]

Looks nice Joey.

Seems like more overhang on the sides than another Bop Top I saw . . . unless it was just the camera angle.

Got any pics of the windshield header and/or attachment points?

The Rod Top looks like a nice piece as well.

The thinking behind both these tops is that they will fold up and store in the trunk?
Or is it only the Bop Top that does that?

[joeybsyc]

The rear frame mounts onto the 2 tabs on the rear 1/4 panels, so the overhang would be directly dependent on the location of these tabs... mine are in the stock location, 3 1/4 back from the door edge, 3/4" out from the inside edge, with the center of the hole 1" above the top edge of the 1/4 panel, so to answer your question, the overhang you see on mine is what you should see on any bop top, if the tabs are mounted correctly. Here's a pic of the header bow and brackets being fit to the car... I have Vintique brand posts, and the tops must stick up past the top edge of the windshield slightly less than other 2" chop posts, because the header bow needed a secondary groove routed into it to allow the brackets to be able to bottom out on the top of the posts...I've heard of others having similar issue when using Vintique posts...no biggie, but thought i'd note that required minor modification. The side support bars also needed to be bent slightly to line up to my header brackets, but that's detailed in the instructions, as every car is a little different. The topskin is super well made, and fit like a glove...What's also cool about the Bop Top is that if you have any questions while your'e doing it, you can call and talk to Sid Chaver's directly, and a DVD is also included with the top... As for storing it, it comes with 2 nice canvas bags to store the header bow and topskin, and another bag for all the framework that pulls apart for storage... the cool thing is that you can remove the top at the 4 mounting points and lift the whole thing off the car as a complete unit and store it in your garage when you want to take the car out for a topless spin, and don't have to take it all apart every time you want to take off the top...I think both the Rod Top and the Bop Top store in the trunk, but the framework of the Bop Top is a much simpler and better looking design the the Erector set of assorted pieces and parts that make up the Rod Top. The side profile looks better on the Bop Top too IMO. (see photos of both above) I'd highly recommend this top to anyone looking for one for their deuce...it's not cheap, but its worth it.

[stylingZ]

Nice job Joey. The top really looks sweet and the fitment could not look better IMO! I only wished they made them to fit 30 Model A roadsters with Duval windshields. If they did I would have one for sure. Being able to either lift the whole top off for a quick ride without having to completely disassemble it is a real plus. What a cool looking garage too.

[joeybsyc]

Thanks for the compliments! As for a top for your A bone, give Sid a call, I bet he has or can make something to fit your car... his work is second to none, and with a few measurements provided by you, I bet he would do it for you. In fact, i wouldn't be surprised if he already has something that would work... I know he has Bop Tops for model A's, and he has tops for 32's with DuVall and SoCal windshields... I'm betting if you used the Model A top with the brackets and header he already makes for the Duvall, it would work.

[C9x]

Not sure about the Duvalls on the Model A's as far as the BopTop goes.

It should be able to work though.
I pulled the standard 32 top irons/oak bows for 2" chopped windshield off my 32 roadster and found it would be easily adaptable to my 31 on 32 rails roadster.
The only thing you have to do with it is to section 2" out of the front horizontal/longitudinal bar for it to work on the A.

It would probably work with the standard Model A windshield frame.
Not 100% sure there since I'm running chopped 2" windshield posts on standard 3-31 Model A stanchions.
A bolt-on swap for the most part - all that's required is grinding the stanchion so the post can go back and then welding the hole where you ground off the rear piece of the A stanchion.

30-31 A cockpit measurements are virtually the same as the 32.
The 28-29's are fairly close as well.
Only real difference between 31 and 32 is the 32 cockpit is 2" deeper.

It does look like the BopTop will keep the rain out fairly well when parked.
My stock style 32 top overhangs the side far enough that rain - and wash water - doesn't go inside.

My top folds, but even folded it sticks up a bit and for the runnng topless times I fold it, take it off and store it in the house.

[C9x]

Thanks for the pics Joey.

There's more to the front oak header than I thought.
The stock ones are a little narrower, but still stick out far enough to be a bit of a sun visor and also makes the windshield looked chopped more than it really is.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I have pics of the 32 top on the 31 as well as pics of the top folding on the 32....

[joeybsyc]

C9, I misunderstood what you meant by "overhang"... I thought you wer referring to the portion that overlaps the rear 1/4 panel around the rear... I now see you meant the sides and their relationship to the tops of the doors... I haven't actually gone as far as dumping a pail of water over the top, but it LOOKS like rain should roll off the sides and past the door tops. The edges of the sides sort of roll outward slightly too, to divert water away from the car as it rolls off. I noticed on the installation video that the top Sid was installing had a double seam along the sides, with an additional piece of piping sewn inside this seam which my top does not have... My guess is that the one in the video was made several years ago and he has since revised/changed the design of the stitching slightly... It appears the "old" way would work to make sort of a rain gutter to keep water out even more, but my top simply has a single stitch along the side, as seen in one of the above photos. Another thing I should note, is that the oak header is made to "float" in front of the windshield frame, with an air gap between the frame and the oak bow... I made a rubber seal to go between the bow and the windshield frame, which I hopw will serve 2 purposes... to keep the wind from whistling in between the header and the windshield frame, and to prevent the wood from marring the chrome of my new windshield frame if the 2 ever make contact going over bumps, etc. I'm very anxious to see how this thing does at speed, and what sort of effect the wind has on it. Seeing how I haven't really driven the car at all yet anyhow and have never owned or driven a street rod before, i guess i don't have much to compare it to. I'm sure I'm in for a totally new experience! Bring on Summer 2007...

[John Palmer]

There was a Bop Top fitted roadster at the 1932 Ford Petersen Show that had a nice set of fold-up plexiglass side windows. They were attached to the top's side rails with some Adel clips and folded in and pivoted up for storage. Not sure who's car it was or who made them but they looked like they would do the trick on a long road trip.

[joeybsyc]

Sid Chaver's makes a side curtain kit now for the Bop Top... It velcro's along the top and attaches with stainless steel brackets up front that go over the windshield posts and are held on with the windshield wingnuts. They're a cool $1000 though... The way I see it, a top with no side curtains is still far better than no top at all. I know its only ever gonna rain when my top is stored at home anyhow.