Thread: 1926 t sedan top

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I am building a 1926 t sedan. I want to use something besides the stock material for the top. does anyone have a suggestion?

Originally Posted by chucksue

I am building a 1926 t sedan. I want to use something besides the stock material for the top. does anyone have a suggestion?

I can't help with your question, but wanted to welcome you here. Hope you find what you need, and stick around through your build. Would love to see some pictures when the time's right.

What I would suggest is take some patterns of the curvature of the roof and then hit the wreckers yards to find a station wagon or car roof that is close to the patterns. Once you find one that suits rip the whole roof off through the pillars so that you have a reasonably solid structure to handle. With careful marking out then cut the desired piece from the donor to fit into the T Sedan. It sounds real simple when one types it but sadly, it is a big job but a well satisfying job once done.
Welcome too if you are new here.

I was thinking about thin fiberglass or .050 thick al.

They use to seek ol' van roofs, might have to fill a few luggage rack holes. Welcome

Originally Posted by chucksue

I was thinking about thin fiberglass or .050 thick al.

I recall on an episode of Bitchin' Rides (Kindig It Design) they were fretting with a metal piece and Dave jumped in and in short order made a fiberglass insert that was perfect. I would think that fiberglass might be easier than the aluminum sheet to form the compound curve?

Fiberglass and/or aluminum may show cracks later due the different expansion rates, jMHO,

Originally Posted by 36 sedan

Fiberglass and/or aluminum may show cracks later due the different expansion rates, jMHO,

The fiberglass panel I mentioned was a "floating" insert, so it expanded/contracted on it's own, apart from the metal of the roof panel. Valid point if one were bonding them together....

You can build up a thin plywood piece under the roof and fill it in with quik setting plaster---flie'sand it to the shape/contour you want and then lay waxed freezer paper over it and start glassin it-go to boat/marine supply places for the glass stuff

That is clever, you could also use the plaster cast to verify and correctly fit a metal insert..

The roof on a 1926 Model T is nearly flat. I would think a sheet of 18 gauge sheet metal could be used to cover the opening without a lot of shaping required.