I really like the large louvers on the hood of Tim Cunha's old roadster. I like the angled outer row...and I like they way they line up with the louvers on the stock side panels. It's a very similar pattern to the May 1953 RnC cover car... I'd like to have a few more louvers in the outer row, like the 34 in the lower right... ...so I may have to go with a smaller louver to fit that on a 32 hood. What size do you think the above louvers are...5". I laid out rows of 4" on some 32 hood tops and they look smaller than these pictured. Does anyone punch 4 and 5 inch louvers any more? Any one in CA? I want to punch some 32 hood tops for my RPU. Any info would be a help. Thanks, Neal
Ask Scott at blue collar kustoms in sac he's got a pullmax with louvre tooling and can do any length louver. Check his posts for the 36 they just did nice louvers on it for sure. Hope that helps Dave Hitch
I'll check that out...but might kinda expensive? Better yet...anyone have any 32 hood tops with these funky old wide louvers that no one wants anymore? Neal
Btw most louver presses are about 3 in I dunno why but that seems typical of most guys setups. I know a couple of people that punch louvers but not long ones. Also presses are usually flat, they will punch a louver in a bit of a curved panel but tend to flaten the louver area out a bit. So find some that knows what they are doing. Also Scott is around $50 an hour and he likes pepsi! Dave Hitch edit I forgot the punched louver does the louver male die into a female die all in one shot which is flat so it kinda wants to flaten the area being punched. No big deal unless you get close to the edge of your where it curves down. While a pullmax dies are short like an inch long so I think it will do better on a curve for ya!
I have another hood exactly like my old roadsters, I THINK, in my shop. I will get it down and take some measurements. If you need to borrow it let me know. It is a very old hood top and came from an old roadster from in LA many years ago. I picked up another one because it had the same louver pattern. I just have to rummage around. I was saving it for my next build. I am sorry I am not totally certain because it has been many years now. I also have the custom matching sides for it I believe. I have not seen any modern louver size that matches it, but know some guys who could duplicate it with a custom die. The dash is from a 32 lincoln that was modified to fit the 32 ford body. Just a little trimming and a new top surround.
When I did the restoration on the Rods & Customs cover car (the Chuck Price Roadster) referenced above, Sir Michaels in Huntington Beach CA had the dies for the 4 and 5 " louvers.
That would be really cool if I could borrow one to try to duplicate the pattern/spacing. I will send you an email... The spacing doesn't match the original...not close enough together. Was it a limitation with the dies? If so, that would kill it for me... I was sent this link... http://www.pressbrakelouver.com/ TOOLING STANDARD SIZES FORM DOWN Stock American Style Tung. A=Length 4 5 6 8 B=Width 3/4 C=Height 5/16 D=Spacing Cut to Cut 1-1/8 I checked their measurements against the louvers on a stock 20 louver hood, and they are exactly the same. 3/4 x 5/16" louvers at 1-1/8" spacing...so you could punch 20 in a row on the top and have them line up with the side panels...just like this... I think I'm getting somewhere. Neal
It looks like Skrap metal can help you, but if for some reason he can't wide louvers like that are fairly common on swamp coolers. Some shops could probably do them for you. The reason that the out board rows on that hood are so short has to do with layout. If the guy that punched it went any farther forward with that pattern, he would have gotten into the roll that goes over the edge, and started flattening out the radius of the hood. Laying out wide louvers or lots of narrower louvers this is a common problem that isn't always addressed. Who ever punched that pattern was thinking ahead and did it well. Nothing worse than louvers "falling off the edge of the world"!
I measured the louver and they are 5 inches. I have the hood and sides if you want to borrow them or it sounds like Skrap can take care of you.
Yes the die faces were slightly bigger, Because of time constraints from the owner, we had no choice but to go this way. He said he liked these better and since he owned the car from 1959 on I guess it was up to him.
If you make or buy louver cutting blades for a bead roller you can cut louvers any width you want on any contour you want. Good luck with the steady hand though...
Along those lines, what about Aaron Minden? I remember him having some crazy lover pattern on the decklid of his coupe tapered big to small and probably cut with bead roller style blades or a Pulmax? Kind of like the Hilborn streamliner. Wasn't fully into the design, but the technique could give you what you want?
I have the hood sides that match that top. I was looking at the attached photo and see that this pattern is present on the photo. I bought the parts long ago from some guys in LA. who had been aroud some time. The first set I put the tops on my roadster because the sides lacked details. I wanted another set and a guy in apple valley traded me a stock set I had for another complete set. I am planning on using them on my coupe build. Now I want to find someone who can do the same style louver! I am in Monterey calif.
Louvres should be in proportion to the size of the surface area they are punched in. 4 to 5 in. is a big large. You can tell when they just don't look right.
Like you said.......It depends on the surface and what you like and are trying to achieve. The 5 inch on the top of my hood, the red car are right. To do a deck lid......well I suspect 5 inch will be ok.......but again..it may be too large and given the volume of what could be put on the lid......Could be way wrong. So I am agreeing with you and looking at all things as a possibility. That is what makes this stuff fun. Trying out different things. Listening to and ignoring what people say at the same time and coming to my own conclusion.