my DIY hardtop

Step 3: Ask Oly for measuring help

Step 4: Cut the hell out of this thing...

Looking forward to seeing progress. 

What about pictures and the build of the Bus??? Cannot wait to see the top fitted on your car. 

MangoSmoothie.ca posted:

Step 3: Ask Oly for measuring help

Step 4: Cut the hell out of this thing...

Your fab skills are nothing short of amazing in imagination and execution and a pleasure to view. Making the front of the VW roof fit a Speedster windshield top frame will be a hurdle for sure but I'm sure you'll find a way to make it happen. 

Thanks for sharing.....really a nice inspiration to see such beautiful work. 

I once did a beetle chop top it took three different roof sections to make it look right, cant wait to see this one !

Oh my god. Mango in the house. Now I can't even look anyone here in the eye after posting photos of all the amateur stunts I been trying. 

 Always good to hear from you Paul. Can’t wait to see your next project. If you need anything, I will be over here working at my own personal level of craftsmanship (Spraying my Coupe with Plasti Dip). 

Brian

This is gonna be fun to watch! 

Definitely in to see how this progresses!! Can't wait to see the final product!

Will watch with baited breath, Paul; I'm sure it'll look sic when it's finished!  You had a Ghia roof for this- did it not work out?

ALB posted:

Will watch with baited breath, Paul; I'm sure it'll look sic when it's finished!  You had a Ghia roof for this- did it not work out?

The hook has been set Al. See what happened there?

Ollie’s top was brilliant- it was probably the only speedster I’ve ever seen that looked as good “top up” as it did with the top down.

I’m sure yours will be every bit as cool, Paul.  

ALB posted:

Will watch with baited breath, Paul; I'm sure it'll look sic when it's finished!  You had a Ghia roof for this- did it not work out?

the seller flaked and i didn't actively look for another. 

Here is a shot from the bus article.  Cover of both mags.  1 shared, 1 exclusive cover (!)

i made some more cuts on the roof.  just running to a meeting, but i'll post pics when i get back.  Alan - yes, this will need lots of cuts to work.

On the bus: again awesome!

step 5: Cut the front of the roof off 1210mm from top of rear window opening.  Save metal for later (lots of good corners, etc in it)

step 6: cut the lower part of the rear window out and the two upper side window corners

i'm not 100% sure how "chopped" i want the back window to look.  i'm also toying with making it a pop-up/out

Ah glad you are sharing this roof project Paul its gonna look cool az & that bus & trailer is sick  

thanks Stan the man for your comment   

found another pic of the bus/speedy (bus is on air too)

Really cool, Mango!

As a suggestion, you might want to consider using the "as-is" hardtop as a male "plug" for a fiberglass/carbon version - save it for an alternative project later on down the road. 

The pop out window would be very cool.  You can here the AC engine and not reverberation on those cool days.  

making progress.  The jig REALLY helps.  roll the car out of the way and fab standing up!  perfect.

anyway...

Step 7: rough in rear window (21cms tall).  i had to make a bunch of cuts to get all the curves right.

Step 8: check with Oly on my measurements (thanks again bro!).  Bang on.  i am going to make the top slightly taller than his for more headroom (i'm kinda tall).

The good folks at Vintage Speedsters (Aron) are sending me some top bow clips.  i'm still not 100% sure how i am going to secure it on the front.

Remarkable  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1Mj2t9RnFg

You can get replica '55 VW rear window sections too -

That split rear window would be the ultimate!!! Imho of course ...

I think Chip Foose did a 356 a few years ago with a VW split window, or maybe it was an oval window.

i gotta be honest, that oval looks terrible and fights the lines of the 356.

Chuck Martin posted:

I think Chip Foose did a 356 a few years ago with a VW split window, or maybe it was an oval window.

He spliced an oval window into a coupe, Chuck. As expected, there was lots of controversy within the P crowd. I thought it looked pretty good. I think it would look great in a Speedster hard top as well (the copped down rear window doesn't look "quite" right to me), but what do I know...

FYI- Beetles came with split rear windows until early (iIrc March?) 1953 and the oval was replaced by the big window for the 1958 model year.

PS- a pic and everything! That's what happens when I proof read too many times...

Glass-action.com

Makes a fiberglass split window kit - even the rubber and glass are avail - $139 extra.  So if the top were made in fiberglass you'd have a fairly light weight top.

MangoSmoothie.ca posted:

i gotta be honest, that oval looks terrible and fights the lines of the 356.

 I concur.

Stan Galat posted:

MangoSmoothie.ca posted:

i gotta be honest, that oval looks terrible and fights the lines of the 356.

 I concur.

I'm piling on. Also in that segment of the  Foose show Emory was involved and gave them an outlaw badge to hang on it. They did some nice things to the car, the window wasn't one of them IMHO.

I don't like that window on a coupe and if I was to come into ownership of it, I'd change it back to traditional.  But after saying that I bow to the choice of whoever owns the car to do what he wishes with it. 

 Maybe one of those giant wind up keys stuck on the engine lid might improve it?

Reminds me of a friend of my brother's who bought a 1964 Corvette Coupe and hated it because of the split rear window - the divider bar was always blocking rearward vision.  

So.... He cut the bar out and finished everything off to fit a 1964 Corvette rear window and he was finally happy.

Until he tried to sell it and prospective buyers all wanted the divider bar in there.....

step 9: double check headroom.  i used a long plastic T-trim that i had kicking around from my bus build.  laid it on the roof and used a heat gun to make it the shape of the roof.  let cool, then taped  a 'tension' arm, and then checked headroom.  lots!

Step10: move to front.  how the frick am i going to make this attach.  started with cardboard at the same angle as the roof (see above).

traced inside to get curve of windshield (/windscreen)

Step 11: cut and transfer to roof.

i added another line (same) 1.5" closer to make sure i got everything right.  easier to trim again than to weld it all.

Top clips are on route (thanks Aron! @VS) 

i am going to start to focus on the front supports that will go down beside the windshield posts.

should be noted that the beetle roof is nearly the perfect width.  it's remarkable.

Dude. 

Remarkable indeed.  

Man, that's so cool.