Hard Top lift 1955-1957

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57tbird57 said:
yup. i used a motorized hoist from harbor freight and 2 tie down straps. if you look at my older posts you will see pics of setup
Click to expand...
I purchased a small 110 volt winch from auto supply store with a remote control.
climbed into the attic, built a pad for winch which of course would support weight of top, ran power to it ,dropped cable through drywall ceiling of garage, made a sling out of soft webbing.
Disconnect the clamps of hard top then just push the up button. Works great. I use it for my 2016 Jeep Wrangler top also.
 
Manual lift - works great and doesn't distort the weatherstripping
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My wife and I have to remove the top every spring. Then in the fall muscle the top back on the car. The OEM tops are heavy. I have seen the different hoist mechanize systems that the T Bird owners have thought of. Some are clever and some are like a Octopus hanging from the ceiling.
 
I will never discount the ingenuity our classic T-bird lovers. When I had the headliner and seals replaced, I asked if there was any problem using the 3 point strap and pully hoist, he had no objections, If everything is in good shape. So now I can lift the top and drop it single handedly.
 
When I used my hard top hoist, I made protective covers that I put over the side and rear weather strips where the hoist straps would contact. I got this idea from CASCO's "ThunderEnlightening" newsletter.

The attached article is from the Shop Tips section of CASCO's October 1997 "ThunderEnlightening" newsletter.

doug7740
1955 Thunderbird Blue
hardtop-protective-covers.jpg
 
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This is a prototype. I'm sure that someone's done a better job. Total investment thus far, $20,023.00.
What I found to be the key, was getting the weight centered under the hoist at the rear. Then, using a 5 gal bucket,
supporting the front and taking out the slack. Lifts level and is easily controlled. I thought maybe somebody would find this helpful.20230730_142916.jpg20230730_142940.jpg20230730_142948.jpg
 
According to spec the top weighs around 85 lbs. years ago this was not an issue but now at 70…it’s too bulky for my abilities. The top hoist worked so well for me that the only thing I did was to pick up an 11 gauge box tubing 10’ long to span across The roof trusses and slide the harbor freight winch onto it. The 1 1/4 square tube slides onto the winch mounts and can slide left or right into position. On sale around $90.00, it plugs into the 110V wall outlet and has a wired remote control,for up or down

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