Technical Model A Coupe Rear Window/Roof Panel

I will give you your money back if you aren't happy. Make it work.


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I think you did good, of course I have not seen the body but you don't get much for $400 now days. Just keep at it and it will be fine.

Glad you got it.

 

saw this today at the swop. $120

 

I drove up and picked up that pile of Model A parts on Sunday. Here are some pictures of what I got. Sorry for the crappy pictures, I used my i-Phone and there were lots of shadows. Anyway, as you can see, they're definitely rough.

 

The panel that started this whole thread can be seen still attached to the left quarter panel. I don't think there's much there to save. The right quarter panel is in the best shape but requires repair at the front of the quarter window (or a nice chop) and in a few other spots. The left quarter panel is rotted pretty bad at the top of the quarter window and the corner of the roof. I may have already found a repair piece for that from another Hamber that had listed some stuff a month or two ago. I've also got some leads on that rear window panel from a couple guys in this thread. The cowl section is pretty rough too, the front subrail extensions are pretty rotted away and there were some angle iron body mounts welded to each A-pillar. I think I should be able to work with this cowl unless a nicer one comes along. I've only got the driver's door but I think it looks pretty workable. I'll need to be on the lookout for a passenger door. I'll also need to watch for a visor, the header panel behind the visor, that thin strap between the windshield posts, miscellaneous brackets and braces, and obviously a deck lid. This thing will never be a show car but maybe it can be a pretty cool rod. I piled all the parts into a more aesthetically pleasing pile, and if I would have had a lawn chair, I'd have got in it for my first "ride". Once I get a few more parts together and get them cleaned up, I might start a new thread on my struggles to put this thing together.

 

As I mentioned before, you can do this.
You will need to disassemble the entire body by drilling out spot welds on cowl and cutting old bolts holding panels together.
I soaked my panels in molasses after they were all taken apart.
After that, you start with one panel and slowly attack it. One small bite at a time. Before long you will have all the panels looking good and then it's just a big erector set. I'll try to dig up some pics if you'd like or you can track down my build post on here with the word Phoenix in the title. You can see my panels and the process I went through.


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You have more than half of the desired panel, so you could cut it in half and make a mirror copy from that. Not easy, but doable IMHO.
Depends on your skill level, @jackalope is VERY skilled.

 

yep or try citric acid for a bath , ask at a local brewery if you have one (the get it in bags for cleaning), do one thing at a time, finish it then put it aside. Maybe start with the cowl , that should keep you amused for a few weeks

 

Guy just listed a REALLY nice rear window piece, in the classifieds.
He's in Minnesota so you'd have to figure out shipping.

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/30-31-ford-coupe-rear-window-panel.1060197/

 

Thanks to everyone for all the replies, tips, leads, etc. I ended up getting a very nice panel from a HAMBer here in Florida that was extremely solid, it's the best panel in my pile of parts right now. (Thanks Toqwik). A very little hammer and dolly work and it'll be like new. I think now I'll be shifting my focus to trying to locate a '30/'31 Coupe passenger door, a deck lid, and any of the multitude of subrails and interior quarter panel braces that I don't yet have. My b-pillars are also a little rough and I'm going to try to figure out how to fix them or find replacements. I may also give a couple pieces a molasses bath to clean some rust off and see exactly what I have to work with.

Thanks again for all the great input.
K.C.

 

Sounds like you're on your way. If you need anything just give a shout. Use a submersible pump if you go molasses route.



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I have a beat up driver door for a 30/31 coupe and a passenger door for a 30/31 sedan that needs lower patch.
Sedan doors are longer for these years.


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B pillars are not that nasty of a fix...
Because the pillars have lots of stamped nail holes, you can figure out what is needed to repair the bottom few inches of your pillars by getting measurements off another HAMBER'S car and using the distance from a certain nail hole to the lower rivet hole to build your's...
Have not seen reproduction lower patches for B pillars...

 

Im just beginning to shape a whole coupe roof right now out of new steel. I was having too hard of a time finding parts, too. Besides the fact i want to say I did it.....

 

I have that panel for sale right now in the classifieds.

 

Like the pile....
It looks to need "Subfloor Extensions" and "Toe Boards",
there are not many savable lower parts left on affordable cowls around here [ME.]...
they sell the repros as both pieces for both sides...Half dozen or so Rivets anchor them in the car... may be some short tack welds ? ...memory says $240 for both sides...
pix... yea...

 

Those pieces have gone up. I think they are over $300. Anyway, make sure you will need them. I bought some only to cut 75% out.


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https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/3-model-a-coupe-door.1060752/

 

I have been reading with a great interest your predicament. I picked up a nice pair of 1930 coupe doors for $850, not because I needed them but because in Australia that is dirt cheap and a good investment. A couple of months later a 29 sports coupe rear half came my way along with a rough 28 roadster front half, chassis and 30 hood. I suddenly found I had the makings of as coupe and as of Tuesday I finally collected a 30 closed cowl. I now find myself in the same situation as you, needed a rear window section and roof panels as well. The difference is that I have all the metal shaping equipment and steel I need to shape up the panel, but no measurements to work from. Anyone who says there is not a market for Model A closed panels is kidding themselves. Especially in this part of the world. The cheapest coupe body I have seen locally in the last couple of months was around six and a half grand and most are listed for between 10 and 14 grand. Good luck putting it all together, I will be following closely.

 

I thought this thread had died, at least for awhile. I've collected quite a bit more stuff for my pile and hoped to have a good update when I get time. But, since you revived the thread, I've collected the following for my project:

'38 Ford pickup tranny (complete, 3-sp. top loader, series 48 case).
'46 Ford flathead (complete from carb to pan, fan to back of the 3-sp trans) Tranny gears may end up in the '38 case.
'30/'31 Ford Model A passenger door (from a HAMBer, Thanks theberg).
Model A rear crossmember. (Also from a HAMBer, Thanks 55onefifty).
'35 Ford dash, ash tray, and waterfall (an Ebay find with the glove box welded shut, going to try to undo that).
'36 Ford banjo steering wheel (actually a Bob Drake repro, never mounted, $75 off of Craigslist).
'39 Ford rear end/wishbones/torque tube - complete drum to drum.
'39 Ford front axle (no wishbones, but complete with spindles and brakes).
'35 Ford hub caps (2 only, still need 2).

Now that I type it out and read it, I feel pretty good about all the cool junk I've collected and am getting close to actually start mocking up some parts so I can get it up on wheels and start assembling the body.

I saw a recent post here where someone mentioned that Brookville Roadster gives HAMBers a discount and will deliver stuff free to whatever event they're going to be at. I contacted Kenny at Brookville Roadster and he confirmed, so I am trying to scrape up some money to have them bring a set of coupe subrails with all the cross rails and the rear cross rail under the rear of the body to the Turkey Run in Daytona this November. He said they can assemble the parts in their jig and configure it for a Model A on a '32 frame. I just need to be careful what I buy between now and then so I can order the subframe and get it delivered. This would be a great platform to start building my body on.

Anyway, as soon as I can, I'll update with a few pics. The steering wheel is killer, actually might be too nice for my project, it looks like an NOS wheel.

I'm still looking for some stuff and if anyone knows of the following for sale, I may be interested. Still need:
Model A front crossmember.
'35 Ford hub caps (only need 2).
'35 or '36 speedometer and other gauges.
'35-'40 Ford X-member.
'39-'40 brake/clutch pedals and mount.
'32-'34 or a '37 Ford pickup grill.
'30-'31 Ford Model A coupe door hinges (I have the 2 lower drivers side and the cowl half of 2 lower pass. side).
'30-'31 coupe roof brackets, quarter and rear window garnish moldings, and door handles.
Model A deck lid.

There's a bunch of other stuff I need but can't think of right now. Anyway, just a few more parts and I might be able to convert this to a build thread.
K.C.

 

not perfect [angled offset]...
but you can flip those hinges from side to side...