Projects 1929 ford special coupe trim

I am really needing some some help with what to do about the belt line trim on my 29 special coupe. I am not covering the top but need to run the trim. I have no ideal how it was attached originaly. I'd love to see what other people have done with these coupes. My plan is to just paint the entire car with no upholstery on the top.

 

If you mean Sport Coupe it will look unfinished without the top being covered.

 

The special coupe and sport coupes are totally different roof

 

yes...special coupe and sport coupe two different things. to be honest , the special coupe is not my favorite

not sure what you are trying to do, but here is a picture

 

it was a nailed on trim piece, painted body color originally. I did my roof in Hartz cloth, and has the upholsterer just make a bead along the bottom, then I made trim to match under the windows.
I did a tech post on my roof, maybe I can find it...

 

here it is
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/model-a-special-coupe-roof-photos.392165/

 

Thanks millers garage,

 

I feel your pain as the beltrail trim strip is the same as the business coupe. Dad has a Special coupe that only half of that moulding still exists. So at some point we may be in search of two of these. About 5 years ago a person in Co. was reproducing these. He was trying to sell enough of these to make a new and improved die, but finally gave up. I do not think anyone else has stepped forward to make them yet. Rod

 

Thanks for the photo 36-3window, that is one of my alltime favorite Model A body styles, always called it a Leather Back. Bob

 

What are you doing for the rear window? If you aren't covering with "leather" then you will have lots of fab to do around the window and the corners that were nailed to the wood. Might as well plan on fabricating your own trim strips too. You'll never find an original trim strip set for sale.

Having said that, I had a set for sale a few years ago. I found the pile of trim strips laying in a swap meet stall and bought them for chump change. I don't remember the exact amount, but I did sell them for big $$. I've never seen any others for sale before or after.

 

Boy oh boy can they look good though..

 

granted , they can look good....just that i like the looks of standard coupe better. the top material ends just like a Tudor sedan.

just so everyone knows , this is what a standard coupe looks like

 

I was in this same boat too with mine. First off, I ended up using a rear window section from a sedan and cut it down to size. Then to fabricate the actual trim I believe I used 1/4" x 3/4" flat bar. Lots of cutting, welding and grinding but the final product turned out very well and wasn't all that hard to do. I can double check the dimensions tonight and post some pictures as well.

 

When I got the car someone had tried to fix the original window opening, and was repaired very badly. I welded in a window section from a standard coupe and now just have the trim to deal with. I have a mint trim strip but don't know how to attach it to look good. I'm thinking about fabbing my own strip. I want it to look more like a standard coupe.

 

I'd do what Fixxxr did and make a new strip from bar stock, then weld it to the top. If you shape it right it will look just like a standard coupe. Then sell the original lower trim strip to a restorer and it might pay for all the steel and welding wire you use.

 

I checked and it's actually 1/4" x 1" flat bar that I used.

 

As far as I know the belt trim that goes behind the cab is the same between the Sport Coupe and the Special Coupe since they both had soft trim back there and needed something to hold it on. It was originally a two piece assembly with the first piece being the retainer that was nailed around the back and then the outer strip snapped in place over the retainer. They were thin steel so most of them evaporated into red dust after 20 or 30 years. There was an old guy reproducing the two piece version but he gave up several years ago. I've seen one of his and they weren't quite the same shape as the OEM part was. A person could massage on them to fit better but most of the old timers just use the aluminum half round extrusion material since it it easier to form by hand. They then drill holes & counter sink for flush head screws. The screws are set deep then covered with filler & painted over. I've seen a bunch of them done this way.

 

I think I got it figured. Thanks for everyones help

 

I had the trim but it was nailed thru when I got the car.
When it was time to install I added more holes to even out the spacing and drilled and tapped # 6-32 button head screws.