Carson Top

To give the Carson Top greater strength, steel braces are welded along the frame work

After returning from WWII, Glen Wall settled in Whittier, California, and found himself drawn to the booming post-war custom car scene. In the mid-1940s, while working at a car lot, he bought this 1939 Ford convertible, already chopped and fitted with a Carson Top. The car’s sleek, low stance turned heads everywhere he went, and before long, people started offering to buy it. That’s when Glen realized he could turn customizing into a business. He began sourcing 1939 Ford convertibles, chopping the tops himself, welding the posts, and having them leaded and primed before taking them to Glen Houser at Carson Top Shop for a padded top. Black was the best-selling color, and his cars featured fender skirts, Appleton spotlights, Buick trim details, sunken license plates, and dual exhaust. Looking back, Glen told Sondre Kvipt of Kustomrama in 2016 that he estimated building and selling around 20-25 custom cars before chuckling, "But that’s a conservative number." This 1939 Ford was the first, and the one that started it all. Photo from The Glen and Forey Wall Collection.

Jimmy Summers of Hollywood, California, built one of the most influential customs of the 1940s, a radically restyled 1940 Mercury. Channeled 6 inches and lowered a total of 8 ½ inches, the Merc featured reshaped fenders, a sectioned hood, and a hand-fabricated grille reminiscent of a 1939 Buick. It sported a chopped windshield and a tan Carson Top, giving it a sleek, elegant profile. Restyled in 1946, the car’s first iteration was finished in a stunning Ruby Maroon lacquer, applied in 60 coats, and meticulously polished to perfection. In May 1947, Popular Mechanics featured the car, bringing Summers’ craftsmanship to a nationwide audience. According to the article, Summers hand-built about one car per week for customers, solidifying his reputation as one of the era’s premier customizers. Photo from The Jimmy Summers Collection.

Dick Owens of Redondo Beach, California, had this 1940 Mercury convertible restyled by Barris Kustoms after returning from WWII. A veteran of the Battle of Guadalcanal, Dick came home, married his girlfriend Betty, and got right into the booming custom car scene. According to Betty’s brother, Harold Johnson, Dick already had the Mercury in 1945, and it was in grey primer at the time. Sam Barris handled the chop, sometime between 1945 and 1947, giving the car a sleek, lowered profile. The running boards were removed and replaced with filler panels, the license plate was recessed into the trunk, and a padded Carson Top was added by Glen Houser. The car also featured fender skirts, and Hollywood Flipper hubcaps wrapped in blackwall tires. Photo courtesy of Tina Bergeson.

A Carson Top is a padded non folding top designed and built by Carson Top Shop. The first Carson Top was designed and built by Glen Houser in 1935. This top was built for a 1930 Ford Model A Convertible. Carson tops were made between 1935 and 1965.

The essence of the Carson Top is a metal framework. The bows were usually welded to the convertible bow in the front. A layer of aviary wire, (smaller than chcicken wire) keeps the padding from sagging. The top is then covered with burlap, padding, and then outer canvas. The outside material is normally of a convertible top sports material. All buttons were covered with a flap and roll. The interior of the tops varied, most were coordinated with the car's upholstery. According to Motor Trend April 1953 you could by then get the tops in blue, green, tan, maroon, and white fabrics. The top could be made with a variety of different rear window designs. They could either be purchased with the standard open type window in either plastic or glass, or in the popular wrap-around Coupe de Ville design in heavy or light-weight plastic.

The price of a Carson Top depended on the style of windows, and the style of interior upholstery. In 1953, a top with the open style windows and a plain interior starts at $200 for any car over a 1942 with the exception of the foreign cars. American autos older than 1942 usually ran about $175. 1936 and 1937 coupes were smaller and cost only $155.

Click here for more details about how the Carson Tops were made. Rik Hoving has provided more then 250 photos from the restoration of the Ralph Jilek 1940 Ford

Sources

Motor Trend April 1953
Rod & Custom August 1991