Thread: I think we see the finish line!

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Thanks everyone for the compliments, I'll pass them on to Dan. Although he is kind enough to say he and I built this car, the truth is, he did 99.9% of it. I was there to help lift heavy stuff, push it outside for painting, and sweep up sometimes, but he is the one who has hung in there for all these years and had this vision. No matter how I tried to get him to rush things sometimes, he wouldn't take any shortcuts. To say I am proud of how the car is turning out would be an understatement.

Bob, good suggestions on the striping. He is hoping to hook up with Skratch (the pinstriper who did my 23 and Don's 23) to have some subtle work done, and I will mention the wheels to him. As for the top, not familiar with the Lee style top you cite...........do you have any pictures?

The top he is planning will be done in a traditional style, with stitching around the side window opening, down the sides of the top, and around the rear window opening. He has ordered a 32 glass back window and frame from LeBaron Bonney and is going to have the upholsterer put that into a zip out rear window flap. The material came in, it is an off white to match the firewall and seats. Here is a taped up version of what profile he is shooting for. (if the back were slanted more it would hit his head when driving)

Don

Nice shape Don.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Thanks everyone for the compliments, I'll pass them on to Dan. Although he is kind enough to say he and I built this car, the truth is, he did 99.9% of it. I was there to help lift heavy stuff, push it outside for painting, and sweep up sometimes, but he is the one who has hung in there for all these years and had this vision. No matter how I tried to get him to rush things sometimes, he wouldn't take any shortcuts. To say I am proud of how the car is turning out would be an understatement.

Bob, good suggestions on the striping. He is hoping to hook up with Skratch (the pinstriper who did my 23 and Don's 23) to have some subtle work done, and I will mention the wheels to him. As for the top, not familiar with the Lee style top you cite...........do you have any pictures?

The top he is planning will be done in a traditional style, with stitching around the side window opening, down the sides of the top, and around the rear window opening. He has ordered a 32 glass back window and frame from LeBaron Bonney and is going to have the upholsterer put that into a zip out rear window flap. The material came in, it is an off white to match the firewall and seats. Here is a taped up version of what profile he is shooting for. (if the back were slanted more it would hit his head when driving)

Don

Thanks Steve. It is pretty much what it had to be. These rpu bodies are tight on space and Dan wanted the standard length Brookville vs the fat man version, so that sort of dictated the size of the top. We have shown the upholsterer every picture we could find in magazines of tops Dan likes, and Dan has been very specific about where he wants the stitching and snaps to go, so it should turn out ok.

I think Dan used my 27 as a test mule. He let me get my upholstery done first so we can see if the guy does nice work, before Dan takes his car to him. BTW, I keep wondering how my work is coming......he is supposed to have it done this week and I am really anxious to see it in professional upholstery for the first time in it's 20 year life.

Don

that was very astute of him

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

Thanks Steve. It is pretty much what it had to be. These rpu bodies are tight on space and Dan wanted the standard length Brookville vs the fat man version, so that sort of dictated the size of the top. We have shown the upholsterer every picture we could find in magazines of tops Dan likes, and Dan has been very specific about where he wants the stitching and snaps to go, so it should turn out ok.

I think Dan used my 27 as a test mule. He let me get my upholstery done first so we can see if the guy does nice work, before Dan takes his car to him. BTW, I keep wondering how my work is coming......he is supposed to have it done this week and I am really anxious to see it in professional upholstery for the first time in it's 20 year life.

Don

Don - I really like that top opening shape - it looks very similar to mine - I dislike the standard OEM style 'A' top .

There is a little problem with peripheral vision and with my full fenders/running boards, a bit of contortionist work getting in and out, but maybe you and Dan are not quite so tall. I've only had mine on once since the final assembly just to try it for appearance and vision sake, so haven't developed the 'in-out' technique yet.

Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

As for the top, not familiar with the Lee style top you cite...........do you have any pictures?
Don

Pickups are always a bit difficult because of the back angle and short side. Often a top looks better when the back angle of the window opening matches the very back slant. A bit of a dog leg as an alternative might add some interest and make that side panel look less bulky (but of course, all of this is personal taste). I said modified because of the limitations of the way the bows are shaped on Dan's top mechanism. Here are a couple Lee style tops (not too sure the second one is his or a copy, the stitching doesn't look as interesting). He was big in Pasadena in the '40s and '50s. Baskerville's car had a Lee top also if you can dig up any pics of that.

That Lee top is very similar in design to the OEM 'A'