My Top Shrank

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2011: My Top Shrank
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donald Lyon on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 10:44 am:

The top on my '24 Roadster has strunk so much the door is bound up tight and the only way into the car is climbing over the door unless I unhook the top. If I heat the top with a heat gun will it just shrink back up when it cools? What do I do?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Brancaccio - Calgary Alberta on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:16 am:

I have a couple of suits that shrunk!!

Sorry couldn't resist.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick - (2) '26's - Bartow, FL on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:26 am:

I never had a roadster and have no experience with convertible tops, but I have been successful in stretching material. If you put a long spacer or smooth board say, 3/4" thick (with rounded edges so as not to cut the top) under each of the bows, secured in place with duct tape and then put the top up and let it sit in the hot sun for awhile, when you removed the spacers, I would think that it would be sufficiently stretched to where it needs to be to allow you to open the doors. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Floyd Voie, Chehalis, Wa on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:36 am:

Donald,

What is the tempature where the Roadster is stored?

If you do decide to use heat I would use heat lamps to warm a larger area and check it often ...you don't want to burn it! Bring it up slowly to warm.

Tops like to be stored it the up position.

Good Luck!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William Harper - Keene, New Hampshire on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:41 am:

Hi Donald,

I have heard of tops sometimes shrinking after they are 15 or 20 years old, becoming difficult to put up, popping out tacks, and perhaps starting to deform the wooden bows and even straining the irons. I have this issue currently with my touring car.
I am really surprised to hear that the tight top is deforming the body to the extent that the door is bound up and won't open. That might suggest that the body's wooden structural supports are in "less than good" condition, allowing the body to flex so much, or perhaps the body to frame bolts or the body brackets themselves are loose?

I doubt that the heat gun will offer any real improvement. How old is your top and was it installed correctly to begin with? Please "poke around" the body some more and keep us posted. This is intriguing. Bill


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Putnam, Bluffton, Ohio on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:49 am:

Sounds like it is time to replace the top.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By peter kable Kiama Australia on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 10:54 pm:

A lot of materials will shrink from their original size. The old guy who used to do work for the person I worked for always pre shrunk any material before he attempted to make the top.

Canvas ones were wet down with a hose others were put out in the sun and often cut and sown with some slack in them.

One of our members had a top made which shrunk so much it actually broke one of the top bows.

I think a heat gun might create more problems,heat it in the wrong place and it may make ripples,sags etc. I would wait to the middle of summer, put it out into the sun on a real hot day leave it a few hours and then tension it up with the straps as much as possible. Hopefully that will allow you to ease off the tension later and it will stay there or only move back a little.

Replacing the top would be the best solution ( and cost you) and if not done right may result in the same problem but I'm sure you can find another owner with a good top who can recommend a person to do it right.

Tops done right are common so its not a problem that is unfixable.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donald Lyon on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:08 pm:

The top on my Runabout is as tight as a drum, no joke! When I undo the holddown bracket and push the top up the windshield moves forward about an inch. I just bought the car 6weeks ago, it was stored the last 4-5 yrs in a farm shed. The top appears to be near new, in perfect condition except for the shrinkage. I'm going to try a couple of heat cycles with a propane heater and see what that does. Thanks for all ;your responses. I'll let you know in a couple of days what happened, Don.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Gregush, Portland Oregon on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:25 pm:

Oregon Sun Hahahaha. Would that be a small hint we live in NW Oregon.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Thursday, April 21, 2011 - 11:29 pm:

Take it out and drive it with top up and the back curtain closed as fast and as long as you dare. That should loosen it up a tad and maybe solve your problem.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Allan Bennett on Friday, April 22, 2011 - 05:57 am:

Peter Kable has the right idea. The top material should be pre-shrunk before fitting, especially canvas. Today canvas has a percentage of polyester in the yarn from which it is woven and this helps reduce shrinkage and is more rot resistant. However, my trimmer had me wet it down thoroughly and work it with a nylon brush to remove the size used when it is woven. Only then would he consider working with it. Even with these precautions, I sometimes resort to using the pliers on my multi- tool to get the last lift-dot done up on the side curtains.

Allan from down under.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Warren Mortensen, Ham Lake, MN on Friday, April 22, 2011 - 09:35 am:

Door? You open the door to get in and out? Well, I'll admit that my wife does that. <grin>

Let the car sit in the hot sun like others have mentioned. Often, I've left the top down & let the sun beat down on it in the folded position for a couple hours and then raise it. You might want to leave it up and loose (don't clamp the front bow to the windshield posts) for another hour or so and then work it into position.

Never store the car with the top down in the winter especially. I put my top up and install the side curtains before putting her away for the winter. The side curtains will shrink also if you leave them under the seat all the time.


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration