Hiding convertible hardware

Gordon or Lane (?) covered the top frame conduit with wire shrink wrap (assume 1.2 or 3/4") to give it a finished look.  Even just the las 1.5' feet would make it look less kit car.

I like that idea! I painted it, but it easily scratched off, ...

Adding that to my TODO list, too!

That was me.  3/4" unshrunk tubing applied with a 1" overlap on the ends, then shrunk with a heat gun to the tubing diameter and trimed the ends after heat.  The stuff I used was moisture sealing and chemically inert. 

Makes it look finished and seals it against rust (I lived within 50 feet of brackish water for Pearl's first 10 years and no rust is evident on the top bows).

Now the bad news.......I got that shrink tube as scrap from a project where I worked back then and I think 3/4" shrink tube is going to run you about $2 bucks per foot or more.  Doing both top bows should cost you around $40 bucks.

Just so you'll know.  It's more expensive than paint, but far more durable.

$40.00 -- Good looks -- Sold

I had mine powder coated. They look good so far.

I looked on ebay and they have 25' rolls for less than $20 - even comes in colors - yellow, red, blue, clear in addition to black. 4-5' pieces are available but suspect it takes 5 1/2' or more. Powder coating can be cone in near chrome powder coating - I bet its more than $40 though.

I don't remember what I paid for powder coating. It might have been less than $40. I did black. I was bummed that I had to shorten one after it was powder coated.