My 50 roadster pickup build

[oldman3]

I have an old Autocad system on my old PC that I use for drawings. I drew up the structure I wanted for the top, based on the mockup. This way I knew what angles I needed to cut my pieces to form the shape of top.

[oldman3]

A few days later and here is most of the aluminum structure welded in place. I've never welded aluminum before, and it's not easy, and mine welds look like ****. What I did was convert my MIG to weld aluminum. You have to use pure argon, I also had to use .030 aluminum wire (the .023 just bunched up in gun). When you first start it isn't hot enough, but does OK after you get going. I just ground out the real bad stuff at the start.

[oldman3]

View from the back, if you look at the left side you can see how I have the new roof sloping inward, and not going straight up.

[oldman3]

When I got the top fabed, I knew I had a problem with the initial header and door piece layout. Before I go on, if you look at the door piece you can see where I welded in a piece of metal to fill in where the old molding used to be.

[oldman3]

May be hard to see the yellow tape, but this is the new design layout for header and door piece.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Now I'm on the passenger door, but you can see the metal has been cut for the A pillar and header.

Pic 2 Metal removed.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Part of header material removed.

Pic 2 More header material removed and trying to figure out new design on the A pillar.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Made new inside piece that door will go against.

Pic 2 Here the new metal has been added to door. After I cut off the old curved part I had to dig thru the old door upper parts to find a straight piece to install.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Here is the new header and door design with top it position.

Pic 2 Close up with the wood window up. Now the header, door, window and top all meet at a nice point.

[oldman3]

Here is the top with the aluminum sheet installed on the structure. I used .050" aluminum to make the cover.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Front view.

Pic 2 3/4 view.

Pic 3 Full front view.

[oldman3]

Most of my info on this top came from an article I read in one of the rod magazines (can't remember which one, but I think it was on a 32 F**d roadster pickup) about size of material, etc.

Well about 3 months had passed during this time, not all in the shop, but time doesn't stand still. On to the next job.

[Indian113]

Jim, did you use rivets or screws to put the top together on frame? Love the door latches simple yet unique.

[Russell Ashley]

Been following this thread for a while now. That is totally cool! Nice work..

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Indian113

Jim, did you use rivets or screws to put the top together on frame? Love the door latches simple yet unique.

Yes I used rivets, put a little dough over them, primered, then had it covered with closed cell foam and contvertible top material. If i had a Tig welder I would have tried to weld, but not with the Mig.

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by Russell Ashley

Been following this thread for a while now. That is totally cool! Nice work..

Thanks, appreciate you following the build. Jim

[xpickup]

oldman3, I love the convertable top. I often thought about it if I ever found cab with a damaged roof. Looks good.

Shannon

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by xpickup

oldman3, I love the convertable top. I often thought about it if I ever found cab with a damaged roof. Looks good.

Shannon

Thanks, appreciate it.

[OrrieG]

Cool mini-Carson top!

[oldman3]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Cool mini-Carson top!

Thanks, Jim

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Anyone who has one of these old trucks, knows how hard it is to get the hood to fit even close. Since I had a large gap at the cowl, I chose to add steel to the cowl and have a nice gap at the hood. In spots the steel was as wide as 1/4" and others about 1/8".

Pic 2 passenger side view

Pic 3 about center.

[oldman3]

A few days later, here is the cowl and header in primer.

[oldman3]

Pic 1 Hood, cowl, windshield area and top of doors in primer.

Pic 2 Here I've sanded, and it's ready for another coat of primer.

[oldman3]

Here I've got the dash in primer.

[oldman3]

Now I've moved to the running boards. This is the back running board bracket, it didn't fit right to the 54 running boards, so I cut, bent and welded it back (both sides).