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JohnG sent me a number of questions regarding the Golde Top sun roofs... Here are some of them..
* any "factory" installed Golde Top had the windbar in the front ?
From what Ray Oeschger told me, the '60 Tbird came back to the factory from the ASC/BOSCO company with the wind bar installed. It was not installed on the line.
* if the windbar is gone, the holes are still there ?
Alexander said that if the wind bar was gone, had been taken off by someone, the holes for attaching it to the roof and the supports should still be there.. If they were not there, it would indicate that the Golde Top was put on after it left the Wixom plant and they did not have the wind bar to put on. Or someone filled in the holes... I do not recall ever seeing a wind bar on any other car but a Tbird. I think it was something that Ford might have insisted on.
* the rest of the mechanism (mechanical stuff, top) is generica in a sense as it came from the nearby company and therefore might appear on other cars they modified ?
Yes, that is my understanding, that the Golde Top generally fit other cars, unless the roof was different. Golde and it's American subsidiary, made Golde Tops for many different brands of cars.
* the data plate on the car would have no indication that it was a Golde Top ?
The data plate did NOT indicate that it was a Golde Top. It showed it as a Model 63A, though other records indicated that a '60 Golde Top was a Model or Body Style 63B, not a 63A. If you click on the Home page and then the picture of a 1960 Squarebird, you will see that Alexander also says that the Golde Tops were designated as a 63B, but NOT on the data plate. Why, I do not know. Even that computer card that Alexander found in the roof of his Golde Top shows it as a Model 63A. Look at that page.
* Would the Build Sheet show anything?? Are there surviving Build Sheets from authentic Golde Tops ?
I think that the Build/ROT Sheet will show that the Golde Top is a Model 63B. They would have to know on the line that they were building a Golde Top and not a 63A. I will contact Bob Oeschger and ask him if he remembers the Golde Top being designated as a 63B on the Build/Rot Sheet. In the meantime.. Does anyone who owns a Golde Top have their Build/ROT Sheet? If so, what does it tell you for the Model? 63A or 63B? It will be up in the top part of the form.
Now all that said, what about the Windbar ?? What is it made of? Steel (tubular) or pot metal?? Are the stanchions pot metal?
I think the wind bar is made from tubular steel, and the stanchions also, but I am not sure. The person who knows, is John Draxler. I am attaching a picture of it off his website. If you look over on the left side you will see a link to 1960 Golde Top. http://www.tbirdranch.com/ I have tried to contact him this weekend, but he is out. He, probably knows more about this than anyone out there these days. I don't know why he never went into full production. Apparently, he made at least one, according to the pictures. Maybe because there is not much market for them, though I know a few people who are looking for one now. The problem might be that they are pricey, when you can find one.
I wonder how hard it would be to reproduce??
John Draxler knows..
I wonder how many legit Golde Tops have the windbar missing due to age or damage or whatever.
One or two that I know of, and maybe more. One of the guys in Australia for sure.
Where did Alexander's car(s) end up, anyway?
Alexander's nieces Kate and her younger sister are the owners of Alexander's two Tbirds. Alexander's sister, Marianne and her daughter Kate are on this Forum at times.. Marianne took over processing of the detent plates. Marianne tells me that once or twice a month, they get out the Tbirds and "exercise" them a bit. Alexander willed them to his two nieces.
Well, I hope this answers some of your questions! This information, along with what else has been posted about the Golde Tops, probably should be put in the TRL.
If anyone can add to the history of the Golde Top that is not already documented on this Forum, or on Tbird Ranch please let me know.
* any "factory" installed Golde Top had the windbar in the front ?
From what Ray Oeschger told me, the '60 Tbird came back to the factory from the ASC/BOSCO company with the wind bar installed. It was not installed on the line.
* if the windbar is gone, the holes are still there ?
Alexander said that if the wind bar was gone, had been taken off by someone, the holes for attaching it to the roof and the supports should still be there.. If they were not there, it would indicate that the Golde Top was put on after it left the Wixom plant and they did not have the wind bar to put on. Or someone filled in the holes... I do not recall ever seeing a wind bar on any other car but a Tbird. I think it was something that Ford might have insisted on.
* the rest of the mechanism (mechanical stuff, top) is generica in a sense as it came from the nearby company and therefore might appear on other cars they modified ?
Yes, that is my understanding, that the Golde Top generally fit other cars, unless the roof was different. Golde and it's American subsidiary, made Golde Tops for many different brands of cars.
* the data plate on the car would have no indication that it was a Golde Top ?
The data plate did NOT indicate that it was a Golde Top. It showed it as a Model 63A, though other records indicated that a '60 Golde Top was a Model or Body Style 63B, not a 63A. If you click on the Home page and then the picture of a 1960 Squarebird, you will see that Alexander also says that the Golde Tops were designated as a 63B, but NOT on the data plate. Why, I do not know. Even that computer card that Alexander found in the roof of his Golde Top shows it as a Model 63A. Look at that page.
* Would the Build Sheet show anything?? Are there surviving Build Sheets from authentic Golde Tops ?
I think that the Build/ROT Sheet will show that the Golde Top is a Model 63B. They would have to know on the line that they were building a Golde Top and not a 63A. I will contact Bob Oeschger and ask him if he remembers the Golde Top being designated as a 63B on the Build/Rot Sheet. In the meantime.. Does anyone who owns a Golde Top have their Build/ROT Sheet? If so, what does it tell you for the Model? 63A or 63B? It will be up in the top part of the form.
Now all that said, what about the Windbar ?? What is it made of? Steel (tubular) or pot metal?? Are the stanchions pot metal?
I think the wind bar is made from tubular steel, and the stanchions also, but I am not sure. The person who knows, is John Draxler. I am attaching a picture of it off his website. If you look over on the left side you will see a link to 1960 Golde Top. http://www.tbirdranch.com/ I have tried to contact him this weekend, but he is out. He, probably knows more about this than anyone out there these days. I don't know why he never went into full production. Apparently, he made at least one, according to the pictures. Maybe because there is not much market for them, though I know a few people who are looking for one now. The problem might be that they are pricey, when you can find one.
I wonder how hard it would be to reproduce??
John Draxler knows..
I wonder how many legit Golde Tops have the windbar missing due to age or damage or whatever.
One or two that I know of, and maybe more. One of the guys in Australia for sure.
Where did Alexander's car(s) end up, anyway?
Alexander's nieces Kate and her younger sister are the owners of Alexander's two Tbirds. Alexander's sister, Marianne and her daughter Kate are on this Forum at times.. Marianne took over processing of the detent plates. Marianne tells me that once or twice a month, they get out the Tbirds and "exercise" them a bit. Alexander willed them to his two nieces.
Well, I hope this answers some of your questions! This information, along with what else has been posted about the Golde Tops, probably should be put in the TRL.
If anyone can add to the history of the Golde Top that is not already documented on this Forum, or on Tbird Ranch please let me know.
RE: Production Info 
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