I'm thinking of purchasing a replica soft top for my 1955 T-bird. Prestige Thunderbird Inc. in Santa Fe Springs, CA makes, sells and installs then for $2,595 plus tax. Does anybody have an opinion on the quality and functionality of these tops? My other option is to buy an old 55-57 soft top and restore it with new material etc. What do you guys think?

Steve

I've had both the Prestige and an original. When I bought my bird in 1999 it just had the hardtop. Living in Seattle that really limits your top off trips. So I bought the Prestige top. I later met another guy (Les) who still has one.

The Prestige top is different in design and looks a little different when up. It comes without the stainless front header. Les added the header to his, but I don't know what that involved. It's lighter in weight than the original, and mine was kind of a problem to put up. The side joint over the windows wanted to collapse when bringing the top forward. You could pinch it in a bit, but I solved that be using some double sided Velcro 1/2" by 3" or so to tie it in position. I let me go from one side to the other and put the top up alone.

The originals (mine's rebuilt and recovered) is much heavier, and at least as hard to deal with. Both tops had the spring arms (the Prestige unit has theirs, the original an original). I could have managed the Prestige without it, but I can't manage the original. Part of that's just me, I'm 70 and about 160lbs with some back issues. 20 years ago, no problem.

Both tops were a lot easier to put up or down with 2 people. Both tops had some leaks in heavy rain and wind noise. But no significant difference in my case. Les toured extensively in his bird (one trip was Seattle-Chicago-Rt 66- Santa Monica-Seattle). He drove top up a lot (had AC, wife couldn't tolerate a lot of sun) and it worked well for him. I sold mine to another friend with a bird, and he was happy with it (especially his wife who didn't like wind in her hair). He was also happy.

I came across a usable 57 soft top 10-12 years ago and bought it, did a little work on it and used it. The vinyl and window were old and worn, I had it redone in Hartz cloth with all new weather strip maybe 5 years ago.

I probably wouldn't spend the money on an original again unless I was doing a full restoration on "special" bird, E code, F code, or one the rare colors for a 57. Again that's just me.

Down, they take up space behind the seat and may limit the travel. If you aren't real careful (read 2 people)it's easy to pinch and tear the vinyl/fabric putting them down. They aren't anything like a modern convertible, they're just a step above side curtain tops really.

The rear swing arm controls placement and a lot of fiddling is required to get it right. Moving one side affects the other, so as a one time deal you end up going back and forth and up and down till you get it as close as you can. If you've got a hardtop also, you've got to make sure both fit, and that compounds the problem.

I think CTCI has a article that address just the top. If you can find that, it's worth a read.

But they work and I wouldn't be without mine.

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

I’ve bought a few parts from Prestige and it’s all been high quality. Has anyone or does Prestige offer Hartz cloth? They always look high quality when up on other cars.

56 Vic, B'Ville 200 MPH Club Member, So Cal.

The stock convertible top on a 55 TBird is one of the most poorly engineered mechanical contraptions I have ever seen. If you want to see what two monkeys and a football look like, watch a couple at a car show put one up and down.  My wife and I have it down to less than six curse words and we consider ourselves experts.   Not only is the top easily torn when this is attempted, but the seats are as well.   There is no end to the carnage.  When stowed, the top prevents the seat from going all the way back. If you are 6 feet tall or more, it's a very tight fit.  Personally, we think the car looks better with the top left up.

$2,600 seems like a lot for a convertible top.  I assume that is the price for the frame as well?  The quotes I am getting for a new canvas top installed are around $1,000.  My frame is perfect, if you want to call it that.  I like the canvas material on my top.  I don't like some of the plastic tops I have seen.  I would be interested in input from other TBird owners on how they deal with this issue.

You're doing better with your wife than I am. When we start I remind her if I'm talking to her I'll say "Honey". Otherwise I'm talking to the top, and I'm no where near 6 words. The price from Prestige is top, frame and appropriate latches. IIRC, the swing arm was an additional item.

I went to a hot rod upholstery shop and ordered a top from Hartz and picked the color out of the sample chart. I'm not concerned with "stock" (my engine's Old Ford Blue, I didn't like the red in a Thunderbird Blue Engine compartment.)

Here's the outcome

miker
55 bird, 32 cabrio F code
Kent, WA
Tucson, AZ

http://forums.y-blocksforever.com/Topic111986.aspx
Hopefully this link takes you to the topic I started when I had problems with the top from new. They eventually credited me the labour costs and sent the parts to do the work. It cost them quite a bit for their sloppy quality controls.  Maybe just by coincidence nothing was happening until I started posting on forums about the issue.
As mentioned, the Tbird tops are a poor design. I found that I still get full travel on the seat but it can't be tilted back as far. They are a pain in the arse to put up and down, taking care not to pinch the material or do damage elsewhere. To put up or down behind the seat I push the seat all the way forward and straddle the tunnel to lift it on and off the rear deck. I think Corvette probably had the better design with the flip up panel and compartment that the roof folds into.
I bought the soft top because I wanted to have the choice of top up or down while I was out. I went the canvas at much greater cost as I feel it looks so much better. The hardtop is cumbersome to put on and off and I had stick with what ever I  left home with, with the hardtop.
In saying that, I am reluctant to put the soft top up or down on a whim because it is such a pain to operate. I unzip the window so that it is not folded when top down and wrap the top in a sheet to protect it. It is a pain to realign everything and zip the window in when putting it back up. I can spend 10min-15min putting it up or down. It is a shit of a job.
It was quite an expense to purchase the canvas roof and get it back to Australia. Knowing now how much hassle it is to operate, I'm not sure if I would spend the money again to have one. I do think it looks classy when up though.

Just to add to that. They are also noisy at higher speeds as they don't have the insulation of a modern roof so they drum a lot.

I had a Prestige top on my 56. Framework wise, it is a completely different top..  It attaches to the Ford swing bar ok.  Uses all factory hardware for bolting down.  The above mentioned problem when raising the top is what I found.  It has a flap over the windows to keep the rain from coming in, and the flap is a little difficult to get on the outside of the window when outside of the car with the windows up.  That being said, it is a very serviceable top, looks nice although not the exact  copy of a factory top.  A non Bird owner would not know the difference.  I had it on my car for a couple of years, including a trip across country and it kept me dry through some horrific rain storms.  It was easier to raise it over a stock top.  Mine was white vinyl.
When I restored the car I went to a later factory top because that what I wanted, not that the Presitige top went bad.  The Prestige top was still in very good condition and I sold it for almost what I had into it.

There is a company named Jewel Parts that offers a top that is very close to the original tops so I understand.

I think whatever top you will buy is really a two man operation to raise, especially if stowed behind the seat although I can do it by myself.  A lot of time I will lay the top down on the rear deck baby carriage style.  This makes it a lot easier to raise.


54 Victoria 312;  48 Ford Conv 302, 56 Bird 312
Forever Ford
Midland Park, NJ

A word of caution when just leaving the top on the deck. I did that after someone suggested it to me. It was there for about a day and the paint polish stuck to the back window. It was not easy to get the polish off and it effected the window clarity. The window still looks good, but before that happened it was crystal clear.
 I could put a cloth there to protect the window but the car just does not look as good as when you have the clear deck and trunk/boot. After all I have the car because of its  gorgeous lines, so I don't leave the roof on the deck.
If you are not so worried about how it looks with the roof down then leaving the roof on the deck is a much easier option.

Thanks for the feedback.  I thought I was the only one with TBird top nightmares.  The top on my car is not original.  It's black canvas and looks OK from ten feet away.  It was a couple of tears that have been repaired with patches from the inside. For a driver, it's not bad.  I am thinking about using a dye to freshen it up.  Has anyone tried that?

I will be replacing it in the near future.  If I can get someone to install a new canvas top, it will stay up most of the time. I'm 73, so getting in and out is a challenge.  I use the head duck leg pull technique and it works OK.  When I'm 80, if I can still drive, I will probably keep the top down all the time.

The look of the TBird with the convertible top up is very classy.  I have a hard top also. It makes the head room even tighter, so I haven't had much experience using it.