VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 31 coach roof installation

We are ready to install a Hampton Coach roof covering on the 31 2 door, what is a good sealant to use ?....Thank You !!

Hello lynda,
I too have a 31 Coach awaiting a new roof installation. If a sealant is necessary, I think that I would look into Ultra Black. 3M or Permatex? Don't remember who makes it. If you care to see how this installation is done, check out ( abarnyard.com/Model A Ford Closed Car Roof Installation ). Useful tips and suggestions.

There are a few ways to do it. Some people use no sealant and others do. I do NOT use a silicone based product as it will easily peel off or lift off of a painted finish. Any sort of pressure (air, water) will also help lift the silicone from the painted surface. I mentioned air as lots of people us air to dry their cars after washing.
1. Windshield black urethane: This is an adhesive and will not only help hold the roofing material down but if put liberally enough on the perforated metal tacking area, help bond the metal roofing to the wood roof rails keeping the metal secure. The problem with the urethane is that is sets or skims over pretty quickly and doesn't allow for much nailing time. If you have 3-4 people helping put the material down and nailing, then you'd be OK.
2. Vinyl/Canvas Cement: I picked up this product in the local big truck parts supply house. I wanted something that stayed more liquid and tacky longer than the urethane as I often work alone. This product comes in a can and has it's own brush. I put one coat down on the tacking area and let it start to set up some then apply another coat to wet the area again. I've found it to work very well and prefer it to anything else I've yet used. All Points 85-1143 HH-66 Vinyl Cement

3. Installation tips: Use masking tape and heavy painters paper and mask off the upper roof right along the nailing area. If using the aluminum moldings, I lay the molding in place, screwing it down where it belongs to use as a gauge for the tape. The tape and paper protects the painted area. If using the supplied "hide-em" material, the process is basically the same other than having to estimate where the edge of the "hide-em" will be. If you only get small areas of masking tape under the roofing, it should pull out easily.

3A. Trimming the roofing material at the outside edge: DO NOT USE A RAZOR BLADE TO CUT DOWN ON THE ROOF! This will score the paint and cause a rust line. When you go to cut the excess roofing material away (done after the aluminum molding or hide-em is nailed down), take a new razor blade and curl the edge on a piece of plate glass. Working only one side of the blade angled on the plate glass will curl the edge up slightly. Mark with a magic marker the "up" side of the blade. With the curled edge up, you can lay the blade almost flat and slide it under the edge of the roofing material slightly and using another new razor blade, cut down through the material using the curled edge blade as a surface to cut against. You will need a whole box of razor blades.

Here's a tip I will only give to my fellow VCCA friends. I've had two local interior/roofing shops ask me how I'm doing my roofs and I won't tell them.

USE A STRETCHING FRAME: Make up a frame of furring strips to support the roofing material. The frame should be the full size of the width and length of the roofing material and allow just enough material to come up over the edge of the furring strips. Pull the material, outside face down on the frame, taught in the sun using spring clamps to hold the edges. Once the material is tight, wait a few hours and pull it a little more removing all wrinkles. When satisfied, staple the roofing material over the edges of the furring strips so clamps can be removed. Take some thin finish nails and nail them into the middle of the tacking holes on the car. Cut off the heads with nippers. I do about 3 on each side of the car, one at the back and front, one in the center of each side. I also do the same along the front roof line, and the back. You will be tacking the roof at the edges of the elongated holes that is why you put the finish nails in the center of the holes. I try and nail either to the left or right of the holes with consistency all the way around the roof. I then make tacking guide strips to locate all the tacking holes in the roof edge. These tacking guides have corresponding holes for the finish nails I put in the roof and have notches cut in them to align with the tacking holes in the roof line. I do the same on the front and back of the car as far as tacking strips. The front edge of the car roof gets nailed right on the metal edge and there are tabs on the metal that must be avoided when trying to nail the roofing on.

4. How to put on the roof: With the roofing in the stretching frame, the roof all masked off, alignment nails in, and the tacking guides all lined up with the tacking hole, apply the cement around the whole perimeter of the roof line. Let it dry slightly and then put on a fresh, wet coat. With the help of another person, lift the stretching frame with roofing above the roof of the car and look at the pattern on the material. Most often it is not straight and the frame can be twisted slightly to get the embossed pattern straight with the front edge of the car. Making sure the material is past all edges of the tacking area, lower the frame down so the cut off finish nails try and poke through the roofing. Push the frame down so the nails poke all the way through. Now put on your tacking guide strips over the same finish nails and start putting in tacks. No need to stretch the roof as the frame is doing it for you. You will find that the curvature of the roof makes it necessary to bend the wood frame down at back of the car. To make this easier, tack the sides and the front down first and then cut the roofing material away from the frame (close to the frame leaving a lot of extra material on the car). Have a helper pull the frame down and slightly back at the same time, then tack down the back edge. Once all the tacking is done, cut the material away from the frame and remove the frame. Put on your moldings or hide-em, and trim the roofing material as described above.

I know this sounds like a lot of work to set up but it will yield a fantastic looking roof with no wrinkles or bad areas. You do not have to do it this way of course it's just what I've found to be the easiest and best way for me. Originally they lifted the edge, looked for a tacking hole, pulled the edge of the material, and put in a tack. I'm sure many here on the VCCA have done it that way. It's up to you. I can supply pictures if you'd like of the frame, tacking guides, and most of the process I use.

Hello Chistech,
I would enjoy seeing photos of your roof material stretching frame as it would help to visualize and understand how it is used.

Can you send me pics? I’m just about to do this. Upchurchjason@gmail.com. Thanks.

Chistech did the roof on my 1929, VERY NICE job, looks great, clean install !!

Roof 1
Roof 2

Hello all, my last computer crashed and all those detailed pictures of doing the roofing are gone. There are some snap shots but no real detailed ones. My technique is kind of unique and I have not found another installer who does it anywhere close to my style. I just helped a fellow Olds owner (over the internet and phone) install the roof on his 32’ coupe. He used my technique, improved on a thing or two, and got his roof on perfectly. I can see what pictures I have and talk with people over the phone to help them if they want.