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DA9E8494-C768-4D90-A289-3B59A07D4A82F2F02F9A-7225-4465-BDF4-21BD5B1FEE58So, while it’s rainy here I’ve been tinkering and making a partial scissor frame for my hood. Mainly I just wanted it to fold up better than having that huge tongue of canvas flopping around when it’s stowed. And, while doing that, the hood has been on and off a few times. And it occurred to me that it wouldn’t be desperately hard to have it attach inside of the body rather than on the tonneau studs, like on a real speedster. Looks like it would need fixing inside the tub - probably just snap fasteners. That would entail reversing the existing snaps on the hood canvas. Then, to fill/bridge the gap between the hood and the tub, a flap of additional hood material sewn below the window - here’s an original as an illustration. But before I think too deeply, has anyone else done this and are there any pitfalls? I can maybe see the profile altering slightly, and perhaps the slightly altered length would mean a small trim to the canvas? 
it could be an interesting winter project...

 

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Last edited by Tonyvan
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WOLFGANG posted:

This looks it sits on top of the rear deck - not inside of it (like Miata).  There are no snaps for the top as you wanted.  I think this is the way Beck did Lane's red Beck.  I assume it has a hidden metal strip that is clamped to the rear deck. Snaps are there for the tonneau.

1957 Porsche 356A Speedster

@WOLFGANG I like this look. I wonder if with snap expose can be converted to no snap expose. 

Looking at it all a bit further, then it seems it’s inside and on top. There’s a hoop running round inside the top of the tub, over which the canvas threads. This is then clamped in place with simple tabs. Then there’s a flap on the outside of the hood that covers the gap between tub and hood. And then yes, the studs are only used for the tonneau. It doesn’t seem difficult to do - bend a tube/hoop to fit the tub, fit and get an upholsterer to sew on the flap. The existing material can be folded in to enclose the new hoop.
The primary advantage would be that raising the hood could all be done from inside the car, with only the snaps behind the door needing to be fastened. 
I think I’ll have a go soon...

If I remember correctly, like Wolfgang assumed, there is a bow attached to the top bows, that hugs the rear deck with a bolted tab in the center.  The bow is sewn into the top material.  The rear of the top sits on the deck when the top is retracted.

On some Thunder Ranch cars, a dress molding (fiberglass) sits on top of the rear deck, held in place with bolts.  A piece of heavy but pliable plastic is sewn into the back edge of the top.  When the top is put up, the bolts holding the rear molding are loosened, the plastic is tucked under rear molding and the bolts tightened.  When the windshield clips are connected and top bows are up and locked, it tightens the top no snaps used.

Hope this helps.

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