Original decklids for T and A roadsters may not be in the holy grail of parts catagory but it seems that there are none. Did they all rust out or just get damaged beyond repair? Was there a fad at one time to remove them and toss em? It is extremely rare for one to come up for sale and when it does, it's gone immediatly. You find all sorts of original bodies for sale yet the decklid is always absent. I've been searching for two years to score anything usable for my 27 T, without any luck. Just the inner structure would be a great start. Someone must be hoarding them all. Who are you.
I paid way too much for my 26/27 roadster lid that needs lots of help, just to get a stock inner. I've talked to Chris at Salt Flats Speed Shop about making some. To make it worth it for both parties we'd have to get multiple people interested. He's capable of replicating a stock decklid, for sure.
http://www.fordor.com/ Howell's Sheetmetal These guys repop T and some A part form deck lids to door skins!
Back in the day ( depression era times ) ... the deck lids were removed to make a truck ... out of the coupes. Owners built a wooden ( or metal ) box to go in the area were the trunk had been.
^^agreed Also, during WW11, T's and A's were already old cars and many of them were converted to pickups. Decklid removed, donated to scrap drive. Box fabricated out of wood and inserted into area that once was a trunk. Presto..a truck and farm trucks were eligible for more generous gas ration stamps than passenger cars. Well, that's my theory anyway..............
Anyone who questions the fate of all of the lost deck lids has never had the experience of climbing aboard an inverted hood or deck lid at the top of a snow covered hill and launched themselves toward the bottom. After a day of this sort of activity throwing said deck lid into the trash would be the only logical outcome. As to what became of the other 3 I haven't a clue. Frank
Frank,,,I hate to admit this but when I was about 12 years old my friends and I confiscated a 40 Ford hood leaning against the back wall of my grandfathers barn that probably belonged to my uncle and used it for sliding down the hills in the snow. We spent quiet a bit of time with a sledgehammer flatting out all the louvers in the hood,,this is the first time I have thought about this in almost 50 years. HRP
There is a shadowy group of hoarders that for years have been roaming the countrysides at night gathering all the lids and storing them in barns waiting for younger hot rodders to ask about them so they can say no leading to posts on forums wailing about the lack of lids. It's that or they were used as rock or human sleds,take your pick.
I've used old refridgerator doors for sledding but not old car parts. And yes,the Howells repops will probably do fine. I'm leaning in that direction.
i think this was because trucks were sold mor fuel than cars i have sean a lid or 2 on old building for water diversion over walk in doors
I to am in need of a deck lid for my 27 T coupe. Chadillac made one from scratch it turned out real nice. I think i will try to build my own also............PINCHER
Yup! Quite spooky as I was just talking about this issue with my hotrod mentor the other day. There is something weird going on here. I don't think its the pickup treatment as you would just unbolt the whole turtle and slap on a deck. I bought one from Howells as trying to get an original in NZ is impossible. My lid hinges were intact albeit rather rusty so it appears to have been unbolted rather than ripped off or rusted away. Check the hinge area to see if there is evidence of a violent non-consensual removal or a calculated dismembering. Kume
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