A Homemade Roof Insert? Can a Guy Build His Own Model A Top at Home? BHG Ep 123

In this episode I build a homemade roof insert style top for my old Model A Hot Rod. I really needed to fill the hole that these old cars came with originally, but I don't have the tools to make a skin out of sheetmetal. So, I built a removable top out of some 3/16" plywood, foam, and vinyl. Check it out, let me know if you have seen this done before. Thanks for watching!
Do me a favor, and hit the Subscribe button while you're here-
Contact Joe:
Email: [e-mail]
Instagram: bad_hombre_garage
Facebook: Bad Hombre Garage
Thanks for finding my channel! This is a follow-along series while I work on projects, though some may consider it a rat rod build or hot rod build series. There's plenty of how-to, though I'm not an expert! Watch and you tell me!
I'm just one dude in a two-car garage building hot rods and living the American Dream! Follow along- Let's build this community!
Rock Intro 3 by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Your Intro by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommon...
Artist: audionautix.com/

[@pkerit308]

If only you had used elevator bolts thru the plywood and the top bows before the vinyl cover, the top would be flawless. Caulk it for rainy drives

[@BadHombreGarage]

Good call! I’m going to redo it with hidden bolts. One of these days… thanks for watching!

[@BigMikesHooptyBarn]

I just found your channel and subscribed. I'm currently working on getting my 1931 Plymouth back on the road and this video showed up in my search for building a roof. Great car!

[@BadHombreGarage]

Cool! Welcome, I hope my channel is helpful, or at least entertaining for you. Send me some pictures of your car, I’d love to see it. Email me at [e-mail]

[@glenmiller3783]

Insert turned out great Joe

[@BadHombreGarage]

Thanks!

[@nickoff7825]

Nice work. I did mine with long metal strips on the sides and also for for the front and back I just welded studs to the strips and mounted with the studs going inside with some nuts that hid my bolts.

[@BadHombreGarage]

That’s a great idea, thanks for sharing.

[@DesertRatFabrication]

Joe i think the roof turned out fantastic, looks great, if you didn't want the bolts to show you could have went with T-Nuts they pound in flush to the plywood and you can run the bolt up from the bottom, great to see you putting out videos, i'm a big fan, awesome you get to spend time with your Dad, how is his truck coming along, have a good Sunday and talk to you soon

[@BadHombreGarage]

Thanks Mike, yep I think I’ll redo the covering in that roof one of these days but next time I’ll take the time to hide the bolts. My Dad’s truck is looking awesome! Wait for my next video- it’s of the shakedown run we did with it. Good to hear from you!

[@DesertRatFabrication]

@@BadHombreGarage ok Joe I will be waiting for that one, have a great Sunday

[@miker7294]

Very nice. Cool all done by yourself! You could have used blind nuts and cut bolts to fit. But the button look looks cool as well.

[@BadHombreGarage]

Thanks!

[@JimDesbruslais]

should have used t nuts which hides the bolts the nuts go into the 3 ply leaving you a 6mm thread screw in from inside the car bingo no holes in the vinyl.

[@BadHombreGarage]

I like it! Great idea, thanks.

[@j-ridecustoms]

Just subscribed .. I’m building a 35 Chevy at the moment & I used a jeep roof it worked out well ..

[@BadHombreGarage]

Cool, thanks for subscribing! What kind of Jeep roof did you use?

[@j-ridecustoms]

@@BadHombreGarage I used a 1986 Jeep Cherokee roof

[@BadHombreGarage]

@@j-ridecustoms cool

[@fastback1245]

Your car looks awesome keep up the good work nice job

[@BadHombreGarage]

Thank you!!

[@lilorbielilorbie2496]

The only thing that I would have done different is they make some bolts that have a flat head on them. So I would have drilled the holes and put the bolts on then the foam and then the vinyl. I'm sure that those bolts have a technical name but I don't know it. Maybe someone will. The head looks like a big washer. When my Model A gets to this point I'll have to remember your trick for holding down the front of the top. Pretty slick.

[@BadHombreGarage]

I like that idea. I tried to find those bolts but couldn’t in the short time I took for this project; maybe I’ll redo it sometime. I don’t like how thick the foam is, so there’s a chance I’ll redo it one of these days. Also, one issue I ran into was not being able to get the very front bolts in with the front of the top slid into the front part, it was too much of an angle so I just drilled it through.

[@NZMOPAR]

Coach bolts

[@BadHombreGarage]

@@NZMOPAR thank you!

[@lilorbielilorbie2496]

@@NZMOPAR Thanks man. I new that somebody would know what they are called. I went to my local Tractor Supply store and they don't carry them. There is another hardware store in town that carries some oddball stuff so I'm hoping that they might have them. I also thought about furniture nuts. You drill a hole in the wood and then press in a washer like deal that has a part that has threads in it then screw the bolt up from the bottom. I hope that makes sense.

[@randiegadberry5448]

I believe the bolts you are looking for are tee-bolts. A lot of woodworkers use them. You drill a hole and put the tee_nuts in the hole and then the bolt installs from underneath the plywood.

[@jaysrodsjay3593]

what did you use to get the bare metal to look like that thanks

[@BadHombreGarage]

@@jaysrodsjay3593 I used a surface conditioning tool with the red drum. Then to keep it looking good I use Gibbs penetrating oil. It supposedly does not ruin a guys chances for painting the metal later.