Sardine rag tops aka rollbacks, info wanted.

Any one have any info on whats involved or a source of a kit?
I bought a 68 convertible and have restored the pan etc but he body is pooed beyond repair. I am thinking of going the way of the Sardine top since it seems a lot simpler and will give the open air top I wanted.
Any pics/close up would be appreciated.
Oh and yes I know that they look average 🙂
Thansk

Don't do it!
Buy an aftermarket rag like a britax if you have to but please don't butcher another poor beetle.

You should be able to find one of these for free!

as per above DONT DO IT


P L E A S E u will regret it

😂

Thanks guys, this is for a baja though and the sedan body is a baja already so..... no "real beetle" will be hurt in the making of this monster.
I wanted a convertible but that conversion is way too involved. I have had a rag top (big sunroof) beetle before but it's not really open enough.

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Whats wrong with that?

Does anyone on the forum have one they are willing to own up to?? I would love to see where exactly it was cut. Thanks

Brenton who used to be on here had one (volkswagenboy i think it was), It was a 71 super bug, cut that way for a sardine softtop. but the soft top was connected to the roof via those metal round clips and cut in the same fashion.

I don't think it was a kit, it came iwth his car which was an ex-movie world machine. I think someone just took a neat cut to the roof, lined the cut steel seam with a rubber U-channel seal, drilled holes every 200mm or so and fitted those metal round clips for the vinyl softtop.

There wasn't any roll bars.

wait... here's his thread. i see he didn't get rid of the rear window like your photo though. There are some pics in this for reference.

http://forums.aussieveedubbers.com/viewtopic.php?tid=55108&page=2

Oh! and by not cutting the rear window out, you odn't loose that supporting member just above the rear window.

Cutting that out might make the engineers a bit tight in the collar if that bothers ya.

Even with that left though his roof used to crack above the rear window regularly.

What it needed was the roof skin welded to the window frame to stop it flexing.
Most sardine tin conversions have that done along the sides.


I always thought those factory Mexican open air Beetles looked ok when the roof was open
The fun of a convertible with the structural intergrity of a hard top.
Pretty sure they are electric too from memory.




Shame they look crap when closed.

Rear vision doesn't look too good when the roof is down though.

Yogie

It's a thing of beauty

It was scarily perfect timing, this afternoon walking to the bus station from work in the rain a white 60's beetle with the exact sardine style roof (including vinyl cover with rear window gone) drove past. It had a red vinyl roof.