speedster top material?

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david deluca
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speedster top material?

#1 Post by david deluca »

Can anyone help with info as to what was the original material that speedster tops were made out of and is it still around? I was looking to put a new top on my 56 and I can not image that they put that fancy hartz material on a cheap model. I also wonder if vinyl would be a better material at speed rather than cloth. Anyone?
 

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Adam Wright
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Re: speedster top material?

#2 Post by Adam Wright »

D-
I think there is some debate on this. I recently got in a high bow Speedster top with a vinyl top. The old guy swore it was the original top.
Any original owners out there.
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Roy Lock
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Re: speedster top material?

#3 Post by Roy Lock »

I recently looked at a 58 Speedster with a vinyl top. The owner told me it is a Robins top. In the late 70's I owned a 60 Roadster with a Robins vinyl top. There was an option then.
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Bruce Baker
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Re: speedster top material?

#4 Post by Bruce Baker »

Adam Wright wrote:Any original owners out there.
If Mark Pribanic can contact FOG member Bob Dewey, perhaps he can answer what was on his '58 Speedster that he bought new, as I forget what was on it when he brought that to me and if it was the original material. Mike Robbins (not of top covering fame, of course) may know what was on his when new, also. Bill Jones may remember from his days of new 356 distribution and ownership.

My first Speedsters came with black vinyl tops, but they were already at least 8 years old. I replaced more as the '60s wore on with cheap vinyl tops from J C Whitney. (Who put them up anyway?)

Do the parts books say? I'm home w/o the books, but two very nice Speedsters were at the Paterek shop when I visited three weeks ago. I teased that the tan one being steamed to remove wrinkles (and be jusssst SO!) must not have plans for ever going down, contrary to Speedster doctrine, but both were cloth.

I have always assumed that original tops were cloth and on Speedsters seriously shown in PCA events over the last 38 years, no judge has 'corrected' me.
 

david deluca
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Re: speedster top material?

#5 Post by david deluca »

Adam, Bruce Thanks. I quess it is one of those things for me. Kinda like seeing a leather interior on a speedster you know? Hartz cloth just does feel right
 

Bruce Baker
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Re: speedster top material?

#6 Post by Bruce Baker »

Dave, the book says "540-561-082-00 Top covering with plastic window- state color," so you just need to get your favorite color of ...... vinyl? Nah, the drawing shows stitches, like it's cloth.

(of course for the tonneau, it does state that is "leatherette")
 

Max Handley
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Re: speedster top material?

#7 Post by Max Handley »

Bought a 58 one owner Speedster in 1971.....all original 48k mi, Black Hartz cloth top.
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Bruce Baker
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Re: speedster top material?

#8 Post by Bruce Baker »

I haven't been doing this myself for a long time and now sub the tops out, but I just recalled the name of the fabric......the better top fabric is Hartz Stayfast 'G' (wonder why, ha) if a domestic source, Sonnenland if it's German. Cotton weave laminated on a rubber layer with a tan herringbone weave as the sandwich's bottom and a silver-ish headliner for Cabs used to be available which we used scraps of for 356 speaker grille cloth.
 

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Michael Doyle
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Re: speedster top material?

#9 Post by Michael Doyle »

My initial thought is all early Speedsters came originally (and only) fitted with a heavy grain vinyl top. With Speedsters being made for 5 years ('54-'58) the Haartz cloth top may have been also offered in the later years. It's a good question. -MD-

Jon Warshawsky
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Re: speedster top material?

#10 Post by Jon Warshawsky »

For Speedster #82191 (early '56), the original top material was probably black fabric. The top was removed long ago and set aside, because the car was bought to race and fitted with a tall roll bar.
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S.J. Szabo

Re: speedster top material?

#11 Post by S.J. Szabo »

No authority, just a dollop of logic:

It seems that vinyl was more in keeping with the Speeder's role as a lightweight stripper price-leader as required by Hoffman. And I can't see the Factory spending any more than they absolutely have to..... and few could pinch a phennig like Porsche.

Cloth was too expensive (and unnecessarily heavier) and was more appropriate to the high-zoot (and more expensive) cabriolet.

About a penny and a half worth (and I don't make change).....


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