Another attempt at a Bimini Top...shelter in place made it possible!

[SJDave]

Passed the speed test this week, 95 mph with no flapping or whistling or any other issue. Time to powder coat all the steel parts and sew up the final version of the top.

Basic approach:
- Add 1/2" square tubing that sits about 3/16" above the windshield frame on top of 4 plastic spacers. Create 5 tabs in the sumbrella top that wrap in between the windshield and the 1/2" bar and Velcro to the underside of the top.

- Use some Driving light brackets off Amazon to mount another 1/2" square bar to the top of the rollbars. To account for the variation in distance between builds, an adaptor bracket connects the pinch clamps to the square bar.

- Weld 6 tabs on both bars that hold a rubber grommet.

- Fabricate six 3/8" diameter support rods running front to back; use 10mm gas spring ball studs to "pop thru" the grommets. Fabricate some aluminum adjusters to fine tune length of each rod for each build...mount ball stud on those. Weld rings onto these rods to guide 3 bungees that run side to side, and hold a tent pole fiberglass stiffener for the center so the bungee force has some resistance there from Rod flex.

So to install:

- Attach 1/2" bars: the front and rear 1/2" bars are cut in half, slide the internal square bar into the other side and attach in front with four 10-32 flathead screws into 4 square nuts in the windshield frame. The plastic spacers actually capture the nuts so you don't have to find the to get the screw started. In the rear, use two screws and two plastic knurled knobs.

- The rods are trapped in pockets sewn into the top, so pop in the ball studs on the center two rods the unfold the top left and right and pop in the other ball studs. Take 5 tabs in front and 5 tabs in rear and wrap over 1/2" bars and Velcro to the underside of top.

- Install stiffener, which breaks down in half. Wrap sides under and hook bungees onto three plastic pulleys to tension from side to side.

- Start taking Yoga classes so you can slip in under the top...doable but caution for snake bites!!

Buying quantity of 4 tops the material cost is $185 including top material. About 13 hours of labor to fabricate one set of parts. Friends wife is sewing the top, she said about 4 hours time.

I was rushing to get these 4 done for Huntington Beach get together in two weeks, now that it's September may have to slow down and see if there's more improvement to be made. But in a couple local drives, I love having a top on the car. No more wind buffeting, no more getting baked in the sun.

This picture is of white fabric for Hermans car, I'm using Ivory to match my Wimbleton White stripes. About 20 colors available on Amazon, about $12/yard 60" bolt width, you need 2 yards. Waterproof and stretch-proof Polyester.

[GTBradley]

Nice work! For what I can see, nice car too. Any pictures?

[SJDave]

Thanks, it just evolved after Freddie in SF got me motivated by giving me some parts that he was working with, then burned out...didn't have a clear plan when I started...lots of scrap laying on the shop floor now!

Car is going on 10 years on the road now, got some dings both overall stlll looking good, Street Rod Painter did the paint for me. I did paint the wheels Wimbleton White last year to match the stripes and fogged them with a clear metalflake spray from Eastwood. Added a closed PCV system after I blew the intake manifold rear seal at a Shelby Club track day...they required I wrap red shop towels around my valve cover breathers to run on the track. Well, I guess my blowby is a little high, it ended up pushing out the silicone sealer bead at the rear of the intake manifold. Cut my day short. Also upgraded to Billet fabricated Moroso valve covers, had the fitting Tig welded in by a local shop. I really like the catch can system, should have done this a long time ago...and now legal for Shelby Club Track Days.

Here's a video just before I blew the seal:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GV52ObFfWuU&list=FLdydJImO3N_Do3zHeMrW-YA&index=2&t=332s (Shot from Freddies car)

[SJDave]

Closed PCV with catch cans:126462126463

[GTBradley]

I saw that video not too long ago, I don’t remember where. It really gives me the itch to track my car.

[SJDave]

I saw that video not too long ago, I don’t remember where. It really gives me the itch to track my car.

It's tough to track them out here in CA with all the sound limits imposed, the Shelby Club seems to be able to get increased sound days, so I usually track with them. I did modify my FF sidepipes to install new baffle system and auger inserts, I can run either one or two 10" long auger inserts, for this day at Sonoma it was 95 dba limit, so I had to run two, that gets me to around 94 at full throttle, but probably robs 50 to 60 HP above 4000 rpm. For street I usually run with one auger insert, around 97 dba at full throttle. Enough to set off all the car alarms! Mine has IRS and it handles really well right out of the box, essentially the stock build for the complete kit, slight oversteer at the limit of adhesion. I run Hawk HP+ pads and they provide plenty of stopping power even without power brakes, in fact once they warm up pretty easy to lock them up. I've been running Toyo 888 tires for 8 years, love them for both street and track. If Hooked on Driving runs any events near you, I would recommend starting with them, free coaching in novice group. You pay a bit more but also get water, food and great classroom instruction between each of your sessions.

[GTBradley]

Yeah, there’s at track here called High plains raceway and it’s in some beautiful rolling hills and near nothing! Hopefully no noise limits!? I have my FFR side pipes in paint and will swap out the GasNs when I track it.

I’ll look for that Hooked on Driving but with one roll bar I’m limited to lead/follow instruction, or so I hear.

[GFX2043mtu]

I never under stood noise limits at a race track. To me it’s like imposing noise limits at a gun range. What’s the point, let people have there pursuit of happiness. I’m totally for reasonable regulations like quiet hours tho. I’m just glad none of the tracks in my neck of the woods are like that. A lot of us guys would never pass tech at a race.

[SJDave]

I never under stood noise limits at a race track. To me it’s like imposing noise limits at a gun range. What’s the point, let people have there pursuit of happiness. I’m totally for reasonable regulations like quiet hours tho. I’m just glad none of the tracks in my neck of the woods are like that. A lot of us guys would never pass tech at a race.

I agree...seems like expensive housing has been built closer and closer to the tracks in CA, those folks tend to control who gets elected at City Council positions. It's just sad that the track was there 50 years before the housing started closing in. Having said that, on BIG Race Weekends, there is NO sound limit...but SCCA and NASA have to conform to the sound limits on the local racing and HPDE days.

It's messed up for sure!

[SSNK4US]

That is actually pretty cool! Nice job!

[MPTech]

SJDave, that is a fantastic looking top. How long does it take to install and does it break-down and fit in the trunk for storage?

I've been thinking about building some kind of top for a couple years, the sun can be killer and I had skin cancer a couple years ago and my wife worries. I've considered a couple different methods for the front/windshield attachment (I think that's the challenging part) and this is something I never considered. Very ingenious and simple!

Is this something you are considering selling or sharing the the plans for others to build? I'm very interested.

Super job and your car looks great too! Thanks for sharing with us.

[Jeff's First FFR]

Passed the speed test this week, 95 mph with no flapping or whistling or any other issue. Time to powder coat all the steel parts and sew up the final version of the top.

Basic approach:
- Add 1/2" square tubing that sits about 3/16" above the windshield frame on top of 4 plastic spacers. Create 5 tabs in the sumbrella top that wrap in between the windshield and the 1/2" bar and Velcro to the underside of the top.

- Use some Driving light brackets off Amazon to mount another 1/2" square bar to the top of the rollbars. To account for the variation in distance between builds, an adaptor bracket connects the pinch clamps to the square bar.

- Weld 6 tabs on both bars that hold a rubber grommet.

- Fabricate six 3/8" diameter support rods running front to back; use 10mm gas spring ball studs to "pop thru" the grommets. Fabricate some aluminum adjusters to fine tune length of each rod for each build...mount ball stud on those. Weld rings onto these rods to guide 3 bungees that run side to side, and hold a tent pole fiberglass stiffener for the center so the bungee force has some resistance there from Rod flex.

So to install:

- Attach 1/2" bars: the front and rear 1/2" bars are cut in half, slide the internal square bar into the other side and attach in front with four 10-32 flathead screws into 4 square nuts in the windshield frame. The plastic spacers actually capture the nuts so you don't have to find the to get the screw started. In the rear, use two screws and two plastic knurled knobs.

- The rods are trapped in pockets sewn into the top, so pop in the ball studs on the center two rods the unfold the top left and right and pop in the other ball studs. Take 5 tabs in front and 5 tabs in rear and wrap over 1/2" bars and Velcro to the underside of top.

- Install stiffener, which breaks down in half. Wrap sides under and hook bungees onto three plastic pulleys to tension from side to side.

- Start taking Yoga classes so you can slip in under the top...doable but caution for snake bites!!

Buying quantity of 4 tops the material cost is $185 including top material. About 13 hours of labor to fabricate one set of parts. Friends wife is sewing the top, she said about 4 hours time.

I was rushing to get these 4 done for Huntington Beach get together in two weeks, now that it's September may have to slow down and see if there's more improvement to be made. But in a couple local drives, I love having a top on the car. No more wind buffeting, no more getting baked in the sun.

This picture is of white fabric for Hermans car, I'm using Ivory to match my Wimbleton White stripes. About 20 colors available on Amazon, about $12/yard 60" bolt width, you need 2 yards. Waterproof and stretch-proof Polyester.

I want one!

[SJDave]

SJDave, that is a fantastic looking top. How long does it take to install and does it break-down and fit in the trunk for storage?
I've been thinking about building some kind of top for a couple years, the sun can be killer and I had skin cancer a couple years ago and my wife worries. I've considered a couple different methods for the front/windshield attachment (I think that's the challenging part) and this is something I never considered. Very ingenious and simple!
Is this something you are considering selling or sharing the the plans for others to build? I'm very interested.
Super job and your car looks great too! Thanks for sharing with us.

Yep, why didn't they tell us about sun exposure in the 50s, 60s and 70s....every time I go the my doctor she always has the liquid nitrogen handy. Partly my motivation for the top also.

Time to Install:
- Attach front bar, attach rear bar (8 minutes)
- Pop in Rods and velcro top with 3 bungees attached (3 minutes)
- Install stiffener and hook on bungee loops (2 minutes)
(So about 13 minutes to install. To take off probably half that time)

Storage:
Yes, all parts break down to fit in a pouch, that she is sewing up also, 3" tall by 10" wide and 32" long. Has a velcro pocket sewn into hold the the windshield spacers, 6 screws, and 6 knurled plastic 1/4x20 knobs. I'll post some more pics when we get the pouch and do a video of the install / tear down. Only tools you need are two small hex wrenches.

Yes, I am willing to share the design, just PM me you Email address and I'll send all my part sketches with dimensions; welding jigs sketches and pics; full Bill of Material with purchase details. I ended up buying most hardware and material thru McMaster Carr due to convenience and fast shipping, but you pay about 1.5 x more than you could if you shop around. So the material cost could drop to $120 if you went into volume production and sourced the materials from manufacturers direct or distributors. ** I would be willing to make some of the smaller parts for you, especially the plastic spacers/square nuts for the windshield, can't buy and impossible to fab unless you have a Milling Machine. Also the Amazon Driving light mounts require new holes drilled and steel inserts pressed in, a slight cut along one edge for clearance and the I.D bored just a little to fit a 2" rollbar. For the newer 1.5" rollbars they come with rubber inserts to fit perfectly on that size, no machining of the ID required.

It would be great if one of the forum vendors that has connection to a machine shop would pick up the design and offer them for sale, just not practical for a home hobbyist to pull it off. Be glad to supply all the information FREE. Many years back I sent Mike Forte my design for the external hydraulic clutch mod to a standard clutch release lever so you didn't have to pull it out to use his release arm. He adopted it and has sold many kits with it since, but this is not exactly in his ballpark.

I don't think a guy could make a profit selling these, people just won't pay enough cover the low volumes, I think others have tried to make a go of it in the past and gave up. The real problem is the labor to do all the machining yourself, about 13 hours for 1 set. I am lucky enough to have a pretty complete machine shop in my garage, but all manual, no Computer control. So it is labor intensive to make multiples of the parts. A local friend in the Shelby Club runs an injection molding company nearby, he suggested he sink a couple extra cavities into an existing mold to make the plastic parts, that would be huge in bringing the labor down. The support rods should be done by a shop with a NC screw machine with milling capability. Threading the 3/8 rods takes a long time manually, and flatting the ends and tapping for the ball studs. Same for the ball studs, automatic screw machine could crank them out cheap.
The front and rear bars aren't that bad once you have them bent, you guys are going to laugh at me but I have no "slip roll" or bending equipment, so I taped four rods together, taped them down to some foam I had sitting around, and drove over them with my Suburban with that tire at 55 psi. Amazing, almost perfect 8 foot radius! For the rear bars, I used a couple 4x4 blocks of wood and a full propane tank for the BBQue, just kept tapping it until I got the radius I wanted....really not that hard as it turned out.

I think if you set out to make 50 sets, you could probably offer the top for sale for about $600 and make a decent profit....but I don't think people will spend that much, but I might be wrong.

[rich grsc]

So, $600 for a Bimini top, or $3600 for a convertible top. I know which one I can afford. :cool:

[Rockon]

I agree - I'd spend $500-600 for one as well. I like the openness of the car and we try not to drive in rain anyway right? So its just about baking in the sun and keeping the unexpected downpours out.

[SJDave]

Received all the raw steel parts back from the powder coater, man that sure makes them look good! Treated all the Aluminum parts with Metal Prep then painted them with Eastwood Diamond Clear...look pretty good. Cost $55 for one set in California, best price I could in the Bay area. This brings the part total up to $250 excluding any labor to fabricate.

Here's a few pictures, frame assembly mounted on car. You can see the Ball studs popping through the rubber Grommits in a few of the photos, the outside two rods are captured with a 1/4x20 thumbnut as the bungees that run side to side tend to pop the ball studs out over time.

You can see that there is room to mount the mirror to the windshield under the front bracket and the sun visors, no problem.

Ok, waiting for the next top revision to be sewn up, I'll post some more pics when I get it installed. Hope this Rev B is the final version.

A friend is starting to put all the parts in Solidworks, but he's not real fast, so maybe have Solidworks files to share in about 4 weeks. I have hand drawn sketches available if anyone wants them, just PM me and I'll send pictures of them.

Stay safe and get all those little nagging projects done on our car before summer!

[GWL]

Looks like another winner.:)

George

[EZ$]

Dave,
I'll definitely be interested in this, but I've got some things I need to finish first. If you could email me a set of your sketches that would give me something to go through between projects. As a note, you mention the plastic parts, and that they would be difficult to make. Depending on the type and hardness of the plastic parts, I may have found a way to make these in house. I was actually looking at creating rectangular tail light lenses that don't have the issue of being a reflector in the bottom half and not letting enough light to pass through. It would solve the intensity issue for anyone that wants to do a two bulb rectangular tail light.
Email is rick@lyricfloors.com

[SJDave]

Dave,
I'll definitely be interested in this, but I've got some things I need to finish first. If you could email me a set of your sketches that would give me something to go through between projects. As a note, you mention the plastic parts, and that they would be difficult to make. Depending on the type and hardness of the plastic parts, I may have found a way to make these in house. I was actually looking at creating rectangular tail light lenses that don't have the issue of being a reflector in the bottom half and not letting enough light to pass through. It would solve the intensity issue for anyone that wants to do a two bulb rectangular tail light.
Email is rick@lyricfloors.com

I'll get them scanned tonight and Email to you to review. On the small plastic parts, I am willing to machine those for you, I have some jigs made up that they go pretty fast. So you have 4 windshield spacers, 4 bushings for the two outside rods that screw on, and 6 anchor pulleys for the bungee cords. Also reworking the Amazon roll bar brackets, and the flat aluminum adaptor bracket are simple and quick if you have a mill, so I am willing to do those for you also.

If you want to come down to Santa Clara to check it out after I get the Top from Hermans wife, we can do that! Probably a week away.

[EZ$]

Dave, that sounds great. I'll watch for the drawings, and wait for you to let me know when everything is ready to go. Just as a note, I am going to have a full width roll bar. It's one of Frank's, (frankeeski), with the brake lights in the roll bar for a high brake light. Do you think the top would block the lights on the roll bar? I'm sure if they did that there would be some way around that. Thanks.

[SJDave]

Dave, that sounds great. I'll watch for the drawings, and wait for you to let me know when everything is ready to go. Just as a note, I am going to have a full width roll bar. It's one of Frank's, (frankeeski), with the brake lights in the roll bar for a high brake light. Do you think the top would block the lights on the roll bar? I'm sure if they did that there would be some way around that. Thanks.

Perfect!
It would no block the light, the top will sit about 1" above the top surface of the rollbar. The full width rollbar should work just fine with the top design, I don't see any problems right now.

[SJDave]

Installed the REV B Top yesterday afternoon, much improved over the first attempt, but a couple small issues to correct in the pattern to remove some excess material around the front windshield spacers and Driver side rear of the Top. Now that the frames are adjustable and virtually identical once installed, we can lock down the Top pattern, so Herman's wife is starting on the two Black tops this week and a briht white for his car. Then she is retiring from Top sewing...it's a lot of work and she doesn't have an industrial sewing machine with a big table to move the material around...so a lot of stop the stitch, cut, rethread go again.
Sierra Canvas in Bakersfield is interested in producing the Tops, but they need a local car to work with. So I've agreed to supply a 5th frame to install on Rodney Archer's beautiful car there in about a month, then were going over to SC to go thru the design, modify the pattern if needed, and he will produce a dark Marine Blue Sunbrella Top for Rodney's car. Going to look great on his car.
No forum vendors have expressed interest in picking up the design, so I am proceeding with finishing Solidworks drawings and sending the parts out for quote to see if it is viable to produce and sell. Plan would be to partner with Sierra Canvas to produce the Tops, I sell frames they sell Tops, they stock almost all the Sunbrella colors and edge bindings so not a big deal to make custom Tops and even stripes. It will be 8 weeks before the plan becomes clear, but if you fabricate your own to my plans SC can definitely make the Top in about 6 weeks time.
Here's a couple pics of the Rev B Top installed, I'm going to shoot a video showing the install this week and will post when done.

Cheers!
Dave