Hi lads. I'm new on this forum, writing from France. I own a 32 roadster that i am updated to make it as period correcte as possible regarding the poor job that has been done here and there on the car by the guy who built it. I want to install the Vintique Inc cowl and radiator lacing kits instead of the foam s...t that was glued in there, the best possible way and i can hardly find tutos or tech tips with pictures showing how to proceed, the tools to use and so on. I have a small idea of the way to proceed though but i don't want to mess the parts as it's difficult and expensive to replace them from here. Does anyone have previous post references or links i could refer to, that would be really great. Thnks a lot. Rod.
Read thru this post from FordBarn. It is old, but will give you ideas' https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=22772&highlight=cowl+lacing
Take heed of Krylon 32's comment about the lacing being too fat. I've found crushing it in a vice works well, but some kind of roller (clothes mangle?) would work. Heck, I've got such an item outside my home as yard art, and it's seriously traditional too! Shame it's inoperative. Did Geoff have a hand in that car? Very much his style! Chris
Howww, thank you rodders friends, i wasn't expecting answers so quickly !!! I have now thanks to you what i was looking for. Didn't know what to do with the 2 screws, now this issue is solved. Thanks very much, i'll post some pictures once it's done. Regards. Rod.
Hi guys. Here's a few pictures of what i manage to do so far with the lacing kit. Difficult to find specific tools here but i think it's not too bad and really much better that what was installed by the "professionnal builder". I haven't done the operation on the shell has i want to have everything perfectly lined up first. But what's been sticked on it sure doesn't look very late 40's mid 50's period correct. But now the problem i'd like to fix is to get the cowl to flush the best possible way with the body. To do that i had to leave some of the rubber pads below the proper lacing kit otherwise the cowl sits too low at some places and too high at other !!!! That's the reason why i didn't finish the job. It's very obvious and annoying specialy on each sides of the4 parts cowl as seen on the picture. So my idea was to heat with a torch the lip of the firewall where the lacing kit fits in so as to bent inward or outward that lip to raise or lower it thus avoiding the use of rubber pads below the lacing kit. I don't know if it's the best way to solve this issue, don't know how the professionnals do that when needed. It's quite surprising that the cowl doesn't fit very well the Brookville body. But the cowl might not be from Brookville but from Rootlieb i believe. Could that be the reason why it doesn't mount perfectly or somebody with Brookville body and cowl had the same problem ? I see cars with prefectly lined up cowl and body so there must be a solution somewhere. Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot. Have a good week. Best regards. Rod
I have to agree that installing the cowl lacing is a huge challenge for the most of us tinkering in our garages . My OEM lacing was flat as a pancake ! I don’t know how well the OEM panels fit exiting the factory . We maybe trying to duplicate something that was never there with new car fit . I just don’t have an easy answer to a fix , your dealing with a tough deed here .
On my Model A, I riveted/glued the lacing in the middle first, then worked outwards/downwards with a small plastic mallet. This flattened the lacing, but also stretched it. When I was done, I trimmed the excess lacing and riveted/glued the ends.
Surely the fitings in the 30's were certainly not perfect. The problem i have though is that even with no lacing, the sides protrude already so i'll have to find something. Thanks guys.
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