I've got a '23 Touring with a "one man top". Besides the elimination of the center post, I see very little improvement over the earlier design. In fact I think the earlier design is much easier to put up and down since it only involves removal of a few pins. Everytime I want to put up or down the one man top it feels like the first time because it seems like you have to contort the frame in just the right way to get it to collapse. And I certainly can't do it by myself.
Has anyone mastered this doing it yourself? If so, can you post the procedure or even better, a video proving your skills?
The "One Man Top" is the biggest lie Ford Motor Company ever perpetuated on the American public.
I believe there is a step-by-step series of photos in the Ford manual depicting some super human who supposedly makes it look easy.
The Aug 1922 Service bulletins is shown below. The bulletins are available from the Vendors hard copy “Model T Ford Service Bulletin Essentials”, CD, and from the MTFCI DVD set, and also I think they may be on line but I do not have a link handy. They have a lot of good information that started in 1919 and covers the later cars in detail but is still helpful for the earlier cars also. The information below was posted previously.
If the top hasn’t been up or down much – having an extra person can make it easier. And you may need a drop of oil (or graphite) in a few spots (not much) on the hinge areas. Also be careful and watch out for fingers. The top irons can pinch and in bad cases can amputate a finger.
Respectfully submitted,
Hap l9l5 cut off
The big difference is that with the one man top, I can put it up or down by myself if I get in the back seat. I don't run the risk of scratching the paint. With the two man top, each man needs to be sure he knows how to do the job. If he doesn't get the pin in the right hole, he risks having the bow fall down on the side and scratch the paint.
Norm
I've tried this, and found it impossible to do without getting out of the car.
One man top....an oxymoron. Post a video if you have it "down pat". Doubt we'll see any videos
It's called the one man top because all you need to raise it or lower it is one man and his wife. That is what my wife claims.
Steven
They call it the "one man top" because no "one man" has ever been able to do it. My 23 touring car has it as standard equipment. I like it because of the visibility but nothing much else about them is noteworthy.
figure 81 looks extremely painful
That's one reason I like the Runabout. I can raise or lower the top with one hand while actually driving.
Steven has it exactly right. I always maintained that when Anja and I did it together, it was still a "one-man top." I will add that I have both raised and lowered it by myself on occasion, but both took a very long time and brought back to mind words that I thought that I had long forgotten....
The key is to have irons that are not bent out of shape. Our '24 is usually stored where the top has to be left down so I raise and lower the top by myself all the time. For raising it I stand in the back seat and pull it up until the bow end drops into the socket. Lowering it is even easier, you can do it all from outside the car.
I have put a lot of these tops on , when its right! its easy up & easy down charley
I am able to put my top down just like the ford pictures above show. Putting it back up is another story, but it can be done. It takes me 2 or 3 tries to get everything to line up correctly to put up with 'one man'
I lowered the top on the '23 Touring when I first got it. The garage doors too low. I don't recall having any problems with dropping it. Then, some months later, I put it up for a cleaning. What a pi***r that was! I know some silent film comic must have used it in a film. It must have looked hilarious. The big problem was I didn't know what I was doing because after a few wrestling rounds "POP" suddenly it was up like magic.
I'm with Joe, it is easy to lower but much harder to raise. I also agree with Hap, be careful you can pinch your fingers. I prefer to do it myself when raising so no one loses a finger. Tom
It's absolutely possible for one man to extend or retract a two-man top (albeit without elegance), but almost impossible to do so without scratching some paint — unless you temporarily wrap the top irons on the "other side" in two* plastic Zip-Loc bags, each.
*The thickness of only one Zip-Loc bag isn't sufficient to protect the paint.
Here is proof that it can be done.
Norm
Here is proof that it can be done.
Norm
Well I guess I new to try harder and from inside the car.
Does anyone know what they're referring to in the instructions as Gipsy curtains?
The Gipsy curtains that are referred to are the curved section that wraps around from the back and connects to the final bow. you can see it clearly on figure 78 above.
Not to be confused with the Gypsy curtains that ford sold as an accessory for the 26-27 cars.