The Third Top

Convertible or Removable Hardtop?

Early Thunderbirds usually came with a removable fiberglass hard top.  For a little extra money you could substitute a convertible top that folds up and stows behind the seat. completely disappearing from view.  For still more money, you could get both tops.  Today, if you are in the market for an old t-bird, you will see some advertised as having "two tops", meaning that the car comes with both the convertible and hard top.

"Nell" never had a convertible top.  While it could be quite handy in a pinch, the stock convertible top is notoriously heavy and complex, and difficult both to erect and stow.  The eisenglass (plastic) rear window gets permanently creased when the top is folded behind the seat for any length of time, and it is perilously easy for someone to inadvertently tear the fabric if they open the linkages in the wrong sequence when erecting the top.  All things considered, it is considerably easier to remove and replace the hard top than the convertible top.

I'm fine not having a convertible top.  Instead, I have a small folding cart for the hard top that I can stow in the trunk on long trips.  That way I can take the hard top off when I arrive at my destination, and stow it in a hotel room while I explore the countryside.  I stowed it in his living room when I gave my Uncle Toronado a ride to breakfast last week.

At home, I stow the hard top above the t-bird using a home-made hoist arrangement in my garage.  This makes it a simple one-person operation to remove or replace the top.

 There is a third kind of top for early Thunderbirds.  The tonneau was a dealer installed option in '56 and '57, and some '55's were retrofitted with them.  In fact, I have seen an ad for a '56 t-bird advertising that it came with "three tops", which included the tonneau!  It is very handy if, like me, you prefer driving with the top off, but want some security and modest weather protection when you park.  It is particularly good for keeping dew off the seats when parking at night!  Most tonneaus are split, so that the driver's side can be opened by itself when not carrying a passenger.   This helps the heater keep the driver's legs warm, and keeps things from blowing out of the passenger side of the car.

When I was a lot younger, I traded my motorcycle for an MG midget.  The MG had a tonneau, and I used it all the time!  I think it made the car look more sporty.  I decided that I wanted a tonneau for Nell, so I bought a kit.  It was available in the same color as the dashboard, and I figured that would look good.  I thought about paying Upholstery Guy to install it, but after reading the instructions I figured I could handle it myself.

The back edge of the tonneau fits under the rear garnish rail, at the back of the cockpit.  Per the included instructions, I removed the rail and carefully punched holes in the rear flap of the tonneau to fit the bolts in the rail.  I then carefully applied a layer of yellow weatherstrip adhesive to the rear deck where the garnish rail goes.  With the help of #1 son, we lined up the holes in the tonneau flap with the garnish rail bolts, then fitted both back in place, thus cementing the rear of the tonneau cover to the rear deck.

 The next step was to install the "male" snaps on the top of the garnish rail, doors, and around the windshield trim.  The instructions were very clear on where to position each snap, but I did feel a little uneasy drilling through the door!

Rear snap installed on the garnish rail

Two snaps had to go in the top of the painted door.  It felt a little funny drilling into the door!

12 snaps go on the lower windsheld trim above the dash.  After I marked the positions for the snaps, I had to remove the trim pieces to drill them.

A shot of the windshield trim snaps installed.  Yes, drilling these holes permanently alters the trim, but I think it is worth it.  Besides, this is the way the dealers installed the tonneau covers back in the day...

The center snaps are actually posts

With the male snaps installed in the car, I then had to install the corresponding female snaps in the tonneau.  I started with the center posts, which serve as a reference for the rest of the snaps.

 With the center snaps done, the instructions recommended using chalk on the male snaps, and then stretching the tonneau over them to mark the right position for the female snaps.

 This worked very well!  I was able to then use a hollow punch to make holes for the snaps.

The female snaps are two pieces, with the outer piece acting as a rivet. 

I was lucky to already have an appropriate tool for installing the snaps.  I had never done this before, but it turned out to be pretty easy.

The center punch starts to flare the center rivet in the snap.  The dish-shaped thing I found in my wife's sewing kit for installing snaps.  It keeps the top of the snap from getting smushed when hammering the rivet.

This is the same rivet tool I used to install the window guides in the door pillars.

This rivit tool just fit!

Perfect snap installation!

Here are a few celebration shots.  I really like the way that it turned out!  The entire installation only took a few hours.  When not being used, it folds nicely behind the seat.

My cousin told me today that me that he is planning a memorial party for my Auntie in two weeks.  Perhaps I'll be driving Nell back to Uncle Toronado's house.