MTFCA Forum

I have read a lot of posts about top installations, but I am unclear on these points which are appearing as I start the installation of my Classtique top. I purchased this kit 10 years ago and did not unpack it for a couple of years. I have been advised that it will have creases in it for life, but that is a chance I will take.

WIND-BREAKER
My old top had a wind-breaker that spanned completely across the front bow. The new wind-breaker does not span across the front bow. Old and new wind-breakers together: Asking for experience here: Is the shorter style wind-breaker enough, or do I need to have sections sewn on to span across the bow to prevent air coming over the side curtains when they are installed?

REAR BOW ANGLE/HEIGHT
I have read that the rear bow should be plumbed even with the tack rail on the body, making the rear curtain perfectly vertical.
I have also read where the rear bow should be angled further back, which would make the rear curtain lean slightly rearward.
I welcome comments from those with experience in this area.

You have the windbreaker on wrong. It should be on the bottom side of the front bow and wrap around the front and back of the bow. The flap with the snaps should hang down in front of the windshield to block the wind between the windshield and top. Snaps are for the side curtains to fasten to.

The rear bow should not be plumb with the body.

My advice would be to stop and get some good instruction befor proceeding.

The windbreaker on my 1924 top is like the shorter one that you have in your "new" kit. It has a snap on each end that the side curtain snaps onto to help seal that corner.

I chose to angle my rear bow such that a plumb bob hung from the rear bow fell one inch behind the body sill. I'm happy with it, but two inches might have been even better, IMO.

I recently installed a top on my ‘26 Runabout. I started with Cartouche and finished with Classtique.

The windbreak you show straddles the top of the windshield frame and the Vee is supposed to line up with the windshield wiper hole in the metal frame. There is no snap on the outside corners; your side curtains install on the back side of the stanchions and never touch the windbreak as they did in 1925 and earlier. I made the mistake of buying a Cartouche top for my car years ago and not installing it. The issue was not creases, the front corners were made wrong and I could not get it to fit. When I called Cartouche, they told me tough luck; it was my fault for not installing it upon receipt. One side of the material was so short it would not reach the front bow. The material on the other side was gathered into a box corner and it also didn’t fit the front bow.

Ultimately Mike from Classtique saved me by providing me with a new correct fitting top deck.

As for the angle of the back bow, I also used a plumb line. Then I adjusted the angle slightly so the edges of the triangular side panels were parallel with the rear bow arms. Plastic clamps came in handy here.

I hope you have better luck with your Cartouche top than I did.

Just for the record, my top kit was made by Classtique, not Cartouche.

Thanks for your input. So it sounds like matching the angle of the side irons to the cut of the top's side panels is the way to go. This puts my rear bow 1 1/4" rear of the body tack strip.

The rear curtain should follow the trajectory of the back of the seat back outer panel.

The backward rake of the top should match that of the rear body panel and it should be the same or very close to that of the windshield.

Aha! Now those are real visual clues. Thanks!

Eric,

Sorry I mixed up the manufacturer. The rest of my advice is still sound.

The long grain in the material of the "original " windbreaker you show is not original as used by Ford, so having it fitted is a later error.
The front corners are a little more difficult to make tidy. More than once I have seen the material drawn down firmly and tacked to the bow, which makes the bottom hemmed edge low. Then the top material was cut backwards for 3-4" so the bottom edge can be lifted back into line, and tacked into place. The cut and the tacks are then hidden by the binding. Tom's corner looks like the cut step has not been done, so there is a tuck to get the bottom line in place.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

Allan, without removing the welt, I will assure you I did do the horizontal cut back per the instructions. I too looked at the photo and feel it’s the angle making it look that way.

I will also add that my Son dawdled this year and missed the cut for the OCF. He and his missus will be babysitting this car, this year at the Old Car Fest. Inspections of my upholstery and questionable paint will be tolerated.

It’s fitting that he sit with it since he’s the one who dragged this car into my shop twelve years ago. I plan to write an article about this albatross and hope the Club will publish it.

Apologies to Eric for hijacking his thread.

Couple of pics from an install by Eliz,when she owned Classtique.

Wrap the front bow with vinyl first, the other bows get wrapped with cotton bow drill.

Then fit the windbreak to the front bow, note the slot for the wiper arm.

The place top cover over the top pads after the rear curtain and gypsy are fastened to the rear bow and rear tub tack strip. The rear bow angle is usually set by the top irons when fully extended, but have a bit of overhang, for rain run off and to keep the brim of your hat from hitting the rear curtain

Good period picture showing the rear closely following the rear body tub angle.