Custom Soft Top

[Claude]

Originally Posted by seanmcs

Just
wondering about the integrity of the body if the lid is chopped off.
Must need some reinforcement.

Sean

Having owned a 405DH for a while and sunk a fortune in the first stage of its restoration, I can assure you that the Bristol is remarkably strong. According to my restoration man in Connecticut, the butcher marks from Abbott suggest the car was built as a 405 saloon by a welder who belongs in the welding hall of fame, and then chopped by a sloppy blacksmith to become a drophead. He showed me the chop work, and it was primitive. Effective, but primitive. There also was no extra support bracing installed in the bodywork.

Keep in mind, the Bristol has a full chassis that provides all the structural integrity, unlike modern monocoque bodies that rely on the body to hold together. In fact, if you examine the car you will find that the body is held on outriggers... in the 405DH the spans were timber. The strength of the car is in the massive steel underneath.

Claude

[Claude]

http://www.villageforum.com/bristol%20406c.jpg

Photoshop montage of a 406 with Corvair Corsa roof. The rear glass may prove to be an interesting challenge unless upper window frame is retained.

Can you email me a better side photo of the 406? The club does not seem to have such a profile.

Claude

[seanmcs]

Claude:

Well I am familiar with the super chassis. But I still wonder if you
chop off the lid, the remaining metal will not be open to distortion/
vibration. The Alivs cars were built with that in mind and they were
fine. So, quite a lot of work in a 406 Bristol.

Sean

[Hydroglen]

It will depend on how the body is mounted / bolted to the frame. Typically
a body sits on rubber circular pads that in turn sit on the frame. There
is movement on the rubber pads and if the body is not rigid enough ( how
much is enough?) then the movement will cause doors to jam and paint to
crack. The door gaps will shift and not be parallel.
Dorien

[Peter.Kent]

I assume that the 412 has it`s substantial hoop between the removable roof
and the soft bit at the back is to keep the body/ chassis rigid. Given
that the chassis etc is much the same on the 406, perhaps that is needed.
P

[Jon McCarthy]

I was reminded about the crucial nature of hood design if Clyde takes the top off his 406 while I was dog walking this morning as a Cortina Mk2 Crayford Convertible drove past with the hood up. The design just screams compromise from every direction and is decidly unhappy in almost all area such as visibility, taughtness and so on. Frankly the original metal top is a far better design.

I remember that when the first Ford Ka was designed what eventually became the StreetKa was part of that design from the very start years before it finally emerged. At least that way its integrated. Sometimes these versions are designed and never see the light of day outside the company like the coupe versions of the Mk1 Focus - both of them!

I'd suggest that its a lot cheaper to draw and waste lots of paper or CAD images (has anyone done a proper 3D scan of a 406?) before you embark on the final version in the metal.

Notwithstanding that, what an adventure Clyde - good luck with it.

[TLF799R]

I think option 4 may not be a goer as I asked Toby to build me a Beaufort
at the AGM and he just groaned and held his head in his hands.

I didn't think that was a very enormously encouraging response! I think
there are 2 problems here

1 - He doesn't think I'm serious

2 - It will have to wait for my long anticipated lottery win...
I'll have to return to Kensington one day with a huge bag of cash and then
see what he says!

Philippa
p.s. I want it bright red with cream leather.