A few more final assembly...
A few more final assembly items, and we are ready to hit the road with Project American Heroes. The car promises to be a crowd pleaser and, hopefully, a great source of help to the Armed Forces Foundation. Check out the website at its new ++ address: www.projectamericanheroes.net
Project American Heroes has chronicled the build of Cars inc.'s 1957 Chevrolet bel Air Convertible. Resting on a state-of-the-art Roadster Shop tri-Five chassis, and propelled by a Smeding performance 572 big-block motor and tCi transmission, the '57 promises exceptional ride and performance. but all that performance and driving pleasure would be severely hindered if we didn't have a safe and secure place to sit, so let's get to the interior and convertible top installation.
The months of the build of Project American Heroes has proven that these Cars Inc. convertible bodies are an incredible contribution to the old car hobby. Expect to see many of these '57 ragtops being built over the next few years. However, there are fears surrounding the convertible top mechanism. The thought of hunting down convertible top bows, tack strips, bushings, hydraulic cylinders and hoses might scare away even the most committed restorer from headaches.
Kent Biedenharn and Lonnie...
Kent Biedenharn and Lonnie King of Twin City Upholstery came to The Roadster Shop to install the Cars Inc. StayFast convertible top and the Cars Inc. interior. The rear tack rail was first examined for fit, which proved to be excellent.
No need to worry. Cars Inc. has come to the rescue by offering all the necessary convertible top parts necessary for Tri-Five Chevys (and many other Chevys as well). Completely assembled as delivered from Cars Inc., the top bow assembly produces superior convertible top operation that is quiet, smooth, and flawless.
Draped over the Cars Inc. convertible top bow assembly is a StayFast canvas top and rear glass window. The top features a black canvas exterior with a corresponding interior black fabric. Also included are: the canvas convertible top, brass zippers for the rear glass window and hide-em welt, chrome vicar clips and nails, a vinyl strip to re-cover the header, and a pair of long pads and side pads. Follow along as we install our Cars Inc. StayFast canvas top and custom interior, led by Twin City Upholstery geniuses Kent Biedenharn and Lonnie King.
 Kent and Lonnie position side...  Kent and Lonnie position side pads to rear tack rail and Cars Inc. convertible top bow assembly. These pads must be correctly located in order to insure a tight fit for the canvas. |  With Kent and Lonnie happy...  With Kent and Lonnie happy with the fit of the rear window, the StayFast top is attached and spread across the convertible top bows. |  Satisfied with the rear fit,...  Satisfied with the rear fit, the front of the top is trimmed and attached to the convertible top header panel. |
 The Cars Inc. StayFast top...  The Cars Inc. StayFast top is a beautiful black Mercedes style cloth that looks spectacular. Side pads are installed on both driver and passenger side by Kent. |  As Kent says, "The rear window...  As Kent says, "The rear window must be perfect," and so they continually tug on and adjust the material, working with it to stretch tightly across the Cars Inc. bow assembly. |  Though the fit is close, Kent...  Though the fit is close, Kent and Lonnie are not yet satisfied with a few wrinkles at the rear C pillar, so the top will be removed and adjusted for a tighter fit. The work area is masked off to avoid any unwanted damage to the House of Kolor Majik Blue pearl paint. |