MTFCA Forum

Over the last few days my wife and I joined seven other couples and their Model T's for a tour in Mid-Michigan. This was the first outing with my new top. We encountered some light rain and for the most part stayed dry which was nice. One leak occurred where the rain fly on the top of the windshield lifted up creating a gap. I'd like to put some fasteners on the top of the windshield frame to hold the flap down. I was thinking of riveting two or three "common sense" fasteners to the frame. My question is, can you install the mating fastener in the vinyl fly without a special $96 tool?

Any other suggestions?

In this photo my Touring is in the foreground during a stop at an Amish farm for homemade fruit pies (Yummmm!)

In my opinion, you would be better off removing the rain-flap installing a "wind-breaker."

1917 Fords had neither but, later, two-man tops did eventually have a wind-breaker starting around 1920.

Here is an example of a wind-breaker on my dad's 1917. He made and installed the top himself in 1951 using the original top as a pattern. There was no comparable leatherette top material available at that time so he used Haartz convertible fabric.

Otherwise, another trick that Mark Cameron uses on his 1915 touring (no windbreaker) when it starts raining is to stick length of square, gray firm foam rubber between the bow and the windshield.

Click on the photo to enlarge.

Anybody have a picture of a windbreaker that they can post?
I am not sure that I understand the difference between a flap and "windbreaker"

Thanks,

Dave

Are the pictures in this link reliable as to difference?
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1512607655

Dave - the photo of my dad's touring that I posted shows what I call a "wind-breaker" on the first bow of the top. I don't know what Ford Motor Company called it if they called it anything at all. Click on the photo to enlarge.

Tim Juhl's photo shows what looks like a loose, rectangular vertical flap that hangs over the top the front of the windshield. It is different from what I posted. Click on Tim's picture to enlarge.

I just replaced a top on my 21 Touring that came from Carters some 45 years ago. It had the rain flap that folded down the front of the windshield. My new Classtique top did not have it. Here are a couple of pictures. It had snap fasteners at each corner for a side curtain. Would not be hard to make yourself it ypu do a lot of rain and snow driving.

Thank you both!

Dave

I've attached a photo that may better explain what I was talking about. First of all, my Rip Van "Wrinkle" top was in a never-opened box under my rear seat when I bought the car. The box was from J C Whitney and had a 1989 postmark. I have no idea who actually made the top but I'm sure it wasn't JCW. After I spread it out in the Sun the wrinkles disappeared and the top appeared like new. I decided to go ahead and use it.

The piece that goes on the underside of the front bow has a "rain flap" like John described. No fasteners at the ends but a little flap and snap where the windshield wiper would go if installed.

The problem comes when the wind starts to lift the piece the flap is attached to so water can come underneath. I used masking tape to hold it down on the windshield frame and that worked. I just want something more permanent. I thought of using twist fasteners since they would look more "period" and be easily disconnected should I want to fold the windshield down to let some air in.