1924-25 Roadster Top Rests (Saddles?)

[franklinman]

I've been away from the early DB's for many years and it looks like I'm back again. I'm in need of a pair of correct top saddles for a 1924-25 Roadster (should be the same parts). If anyone has a pair that they would part with that would be great.  If not, does anyone have an original pair that I could get some good photos of?  I realize that these things are probably very hard to find, and I may end up having to reproduce them, but that also means I will have to identify what they are and get good photos, measurements, etc. to make patterns, etc.

[franklinman]

I haven't heard from anybody yet on the top saddles.  Can somebody help here?  Even some photos and/or measurements would be a great help.  Hershey is coming up and

I'd really like to at least know what it is I'm looking for. Any help appreciated!

[KLF]

I have a number of sets of the hinged clamp style brackets however I don't know if that is what your car used. The picture is for a touring car but I believe I have some for a roadster

Ken

[franklinman]

Thanks KLF for your response.  I know that the DB Touring Cars used style like shown in your photos.  My problem is that I have seen a couple of photos of '24-'25 DB Roadsters and there are some that show this style and some that show a much simpler style, basically just a curved lower rest mounted to a bar coming out of the body, which I am assuming used a leather strap to hold the folded top down to the rest.  All of the photos I've seen thus far are of restored cars. I haven't been able to find any period photos showing original cars with top saddles or any factory references that identify what was supplied when the cars were new. I have been told that the rests were extra cost options and the basic cars were shipped with none.  My car, which is basically original, has a simple disc covering the hole where any saddle would be mounted, and I have seen that same thing in other photos as well, so that might be the case. Hence my confusion and/or lack of certainty as to what I need to be looking for. Thanks again.

[22touring]

Do you have access to the 1928 DB Master Parts Book for the 4-cylinder cars?  It tells the part number of the top rests used by each type of car, and shows a picture of each (wrong!  It only shows one kind).  There were quite a few different versions, and you need the correct top rest for your car if you want the top to rest correctly.  If you don't have the Master Parts Book, let me know and I will look up the correct top rests for a 24-25 roadster and scan it for you.

Edited September 19, 2018 by 22touring
mistake in original (see edit history)

[franklinman]

Many years ago I owned one of the reproductions that Bob Long made.  I think it was the 9th edition from 1927. Unfortunately it, along with all of my DB literature is now gone.  I'm planning on buying one from Myers (I think it's the same one, less the hard black covers that Bob Long's had on them. I don't know if Myers comes to Hershey or not and from their website it doesn't look like the current ROMAR Company still sells them. If it wouldn't be too much trouble I'd appreciate seeing a scan of what ;your parts book shows for the 1925 Roadster top rests.  That way I'll have some idea of what I'm really searching for come Hershey. You can email them directly to me at  marern1@comcast.net if you don't mind.  Many thanks.

[JayG]

I bought these a few years back at Hershey.  They were tagged as DB Roadster and th guy I bought them from said they were but...  Anyway I plan on using them on my 25. And yes Tom and Cindy Myers do attend Hershey.

 

[22touring]

The top rests were standard equipment until November 21, 1921 on touring cars and until January 5, 1922 on roadsters, so they were not standard equipment when your car was produced.  After they were no longer standard equipment, a lot of people never bought them.

 

From sometime during the first week of January, 1923 until July 9, 1924 (114" wheelbase cars) the roadster used a part number 14532 top rest on both sides.

 

Then from July 9, 1924 until April 4, 1926 (116" wheelbase) the roadster took a part number 19741 on the right and 19742 on the left.

 

The Master Parts Book reproduction just shows one generic type of top rest, so the pictures aren't going to be any help.

Edited September 22, 2018 by 22touring
mistake in original (see edit history)

[franklinman]

Thanks 22touring.  That information helps a lot.  With the parts book showing different parts numbers for each side, that pretty much eliminates the '25 Roadsters using the simple curved bottom rests (with leather straps) since they would be the same for either side.  I guess that means that I'm looking for the clamp style saddles, which by design are different (reversed) for each side.  I wonder if those part numbers are cast on the saddles? Well, at least there probably won't be that many of the smaller sized types as would be used for a roadster to choose from.  Thanks again.