MTFCA Forum

Learned to put the top up solo!

I’ve only been in the hobby a couple of years, and I don’t much like driving my ‘24 Touring with the top up (not to mention it’s canvas and has the wrong window), so I’ve only put it up a few times when it was raining on tour, and experienced help was always available. I’m considering the Polar Bear tour planned as part of the MTFCI Annual Meeting in Dayton in mid-January, where it would be a good idea to have the top up, but it won’t fit in my trailer that way, so I thought it would be a good idea to really LEARN the process by doing it solo. I tried a couple of times from memory but didn’t get very far. I then watched Mitch Taylor’s YouTube video, and got it done by myself in about 10-11 minutes. Don’t let anyone tell you a one-man top isn’t. The only downside to Mitch’s video is that I can’t get the theme music out of my head!

mbowen wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 02, 2023 2:21 pm

Learned to put the top up solo!

Mitch's videos are really helpful. I have only had "two man" top touring cars, so I can't speak to what it is like to take down or put up a later touring car top. For the first couple of years owning our 21 touring, My wife would always help me put the top up or down because we had a garage with a 7' door at the time. When I replaced the top on that car, I figured out how to put the top up and down by myself. It is really not that hard to put up/down a "two man" top by yourself once you learn how to do it. You do need to be in the car to reposition the front vertical bow when doing so though. I almost never had anyone help me do it after that.

After we sold the 21 and I restored a 1911 touring, putting the top up and down was almost as easy, but it does have a longer top bow that goes over the windshield. Still, it is pretty easy and quick to do it yourself, once you've practiced a bit. I've thought about taking a few pictures showing the process that I use to do so, but never got around to it.

Neal

Miles,

You're a better man than I am! Proud of you!

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 02, 2023 6:36 pm

Miles,

You're a better man than I am! Proud of you!

I don’t know about that Jerry, I probably just got lucky. It actually surprised me when it went as well as it did.

The only way I can get our 24 touring top up and down is to stand on the back seat floor boards and raise or lower it from there. Make sure all the top bow arm joints move easily. A drop or two of some kind of lube keeps its irons from pitching side to side and binding in the process. Once you do it a couple times, it can be done in a couple minutes. My only problem is I forget how to do it due to the long times in between raising the top. I too prefer it down. The polar bear tour will be fun. It’ll be chilly. That’s why we are driving the coupe. There will be several brave folks driving open cars. I’m just not tough enough I guess!

Winterized, and covered her up till Spring.

I, like Neal, can put up the top on my ‘11 touring by myself, fairly easily after some practice. He is correct that you need to be in the car - back seat for me, sitting then standing. It also helps to have strong wrists! I realized I would need to learn how to do this when I was hit with an unsuspected rain squall and was lucky enough to have several hands “on hand”. Those extra hands won't always be there. My wife and I developed a system of doing this quite quickly which is good because when I start yelling at her she just yells back so all is good . Tom makes another valid point; I’ve only owned my car for 8 or 9 months and I’m sure when I go to put the top up again, either by myself or with assistance, I will have forgotten several of the things that were starting to feel natural. Neal’s idea of pictures is a good one. If others think it is of value, I could make a video next season.

Sean Butler wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 02, 2023 11:44 pm

I, like Neal, can put up the top on my ‘11 touring by myself, fairly easily after some practice. He is correct that you need to be in the car - back seat for me, sitting then standing.

Like Sean said, you need to be standing in the back seat area when putting it up or down. Part of the time facing forward when you unpin the front bow from the forward pivot point on the car, and then turning towards the back of the car as you reposition it to go in the holes for it on the rear top bow. The last thing that I do is reposition the very forward bow to its stowed location on the front bow.

For me, the very forward bow is the last to be repositioned when I put it down and the first to be repositioned when I put it up. Sometimes I don't reposition it at all, but I do always use the straps to secure the top bows before driving.

It does take a little practice, and some gymnastics, to do it by yourself. I really don't like relying on someone without any experience helping me with the process, as there is a higher risk of a well intended helper scratching the car with the front top bow than if I'm doing it all myself.

I tried for 3 hrs yesterday to mount one of my new Goodyear tires on the rim. No go! Two rim sreaders, two wood blocks cut to fit the rim and a jack, still no go! Pretty much destroyed the rim. Now these tires are early 90's vintage but very soft. After defeat, I went in the house.

Today I went to the shop and installed all four tires on the rims and mounted them after searching my pile for another good rim. 3 hrs start to finish.

Mamma said there would be days like that.

Getting the 09 ready for the Christmas parade this weekend if the weather holds out.

Rims zinc plated and new tires installed. Nice day for a photo op. My freshly shod 1924 Runabout.

Moved cars around getting ready for more snow.

Thanks to a friend coming over last night and braving the cold, I was able to get the throttle linkage sorted out and finally the carb can go to full closed and full open! Little steps to hopefully having a better running T next year!

Gave ol' Gracie an oil change, filled her gas tank full, added Stabil, ran the carb empty, put her battery on a maintainer, detailed her body, put her up on jacks, covered her with her cover and with a loving pat, promised to see her again in the Spring.

Hi Miles, Thanks for the reference to my video - it's definitely a pleasure to make the videos and even better knowing people are getting something out of it

To answer the original question, this month, I entrusted my Model T in the hands of my sister!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVK2Ev7sGaU

Enjoy

mbowen wrote: ↑

Sat Dec 02, 2023 2:21 pm

Learned to put the top up solo!

I’ve only been in the hobby a couple of years, and I don’t much like driving my ‘24 Touring with the top up (not to mention it’s canvas and has the wrong window), so I’ve only put it up a few times when it was raining on tour, and experienced help was always available. I’m considering the Polar Bear tour planned as part of the MTFCI Annual Meeting in Dayton in mid-January, where it would be a good idea to have the top up, but it won’t fit in my trailer that way, so I thought it would be a good idea to really LEARN the process by doing it solo. I tried a couple of times from memory but didn’t get very far. I then watched Mitch Taylor’s YouTube video, and got it done by myself in about 10-11 minutes. Don’t let anyone tell you a one-man top isn’t. The only downside to Mitch’s video is that I can’t get the theme music out of my head!

IMG_3434.jpeg

Took some time to clean up the 1927 Roadster pickup I bought back in June, Winter project. Got a good helper too!

I want to thank our Model T vendors and their supplier of body panels. I was closing in on finishing this 25 Touring and pulled the body, again, to install two new reproduction splash aprons after hammering, dollying and shrinking wavy spots in the originals for days to no avail. I tried to keep every panel on this car original but after painting and then installing these aprons today I couldn't be happier.

Ive been working on rebuilding my transmission with the help of a fellow club member.

My wife and I delivered Christmas cookies to our friends and family when it was 28 degrees out, top down and bundled up!
Helen, our Model A, received her front Christmas wreath. Hazel, our Model T, received her spare tire Christmas wreath.
The weather here in Cincinnati has been snow free so far.
2,137 miles driven in 2023, our second year of ownership. Happy New Year!

After 3 delays for rain we finally got to drive the 09 in the Christmas parade.

Then Christmas eve we put about 60 miles on the backroads of Tennessee in the 27 touring.

Jarrod,
Your car Christmas decorations look nice. Glad you were able to put a lot of miles on the car. You beat my last year's record distance by about 125 miles and you work, which I haven't done in nearly 25 years.

Incidentally, I haven't found the snow tire chains yet. They have to be here. There are two bags of them. We haven't had any snow yet this year. We did have ice, which brings out the salt demons.

Art Mirtes

Hey Art!
Thank you, Hazel sure does present well with the wreath on the spare tire. I tried to drive her as much as I could, even to work on several Fridays. I'm holding out hope that you find the snow chains eventually! We haven't had snow yet, but they are forecasting it for this weekend. We'll see how it goes. Happy New Year!
Jarrod

Art M wrote: ↑

Wed Jan 03, 2024 7:56 pm

Jarrod,
Your car Christmas decorations look nice. Glad you were able to put a lot of miles on the car. You beat my last year's record distance by about 125 miles and you work, which I haven't done in nearly 25 years.

Incidentally, I haven't found the snow tire chains yet. They have to be here. There are two bags of them. We haven't had any snow yet this year. We did have ice, which brings out the salt demons.

Art Mirtes