Register now to get rid of these ads!

Convert Model A PU cowl into a Roadster Cowl???

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by RPU Rick, Jun 16, 2011.

  1. RPU Rick
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 164

    RPU Rick
    Member

    Just how insane would it be to alter the windshield posts on a 30/31 Model A Pickup cowl to accept Roadster stanchions? Thus converting a Pickup into a Roadster Pickup!

    Thanks in advance.

    Rick.
     
  2. need louvers ?
    Joined: Nov 20, 2008
    Posts: 12,903

    need louvers ?
    Member

    I've never done it, but I have looked at as a realistic possibilty for a customers car at on point and decided it was not cost effective. Lots of little differences between roadster and closed car cowls. I'm not saying it can't be done, and if I had to convert one, '30 '31 looks the easiest, but man getting it right is going to be work. My thought has always been that it would be easier to set one up for a Duvalle type 'shield where it wouldn't have to look dead on stock...
     
  3. RPU Rick
    Joined: Mar 9, 2006
    Posts: 164

    RPU Rick
    Member

    Good info, in fact, I have given that very thought (Duvalle) a lot of....thought!

    Rick
     
  4. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    I've got that same question -- I'm doing a speedster and I have a 28-9 pickup cowl that has the tops of the cowl posts hacked off -- one of the posts has a hinge twisted and the dash rail is beat. I'm within an hour of Berts Model A in Denver. Would roadster cowl posts and a roadster dash rail do the trick ?

    Duvalle would be cool but its expensive and then there is the gas tank
     

  5. The first problem will be that the forward door jam on the pickup is vertical. This jam "flows" into the door on the roadster pickup. The second problem is that you will need to thin the door to make it look right. You can balance a quarter on the roadster pickup door. If your door from the pickup ends up looking like you can balance a can of coke on the top of the door it won't, in my opinion, look right. On the plus side the door from the pickup will be wider making it easier to get in and out. There have been several nice looking "coupsters" on HAMB recently, you should check them out for ideas. If it was my project I would buy a metal reproduction roadster pickup body and start from there.

    Charlie Stephens

    IMG_4201.jpg IMG_4202.jpg IMG_4200.jpg
     
  6. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    This will be a speedster -- just a cowl with windshield, gas tank, guages etc and then a pair of speedway bomber buckets -- no doors or other body parts to deal with, just the cowl and windshield ---

    I'm just thinking that since the dash rail is beat, one of the cowl posts has a tweak in the middle at the lower hinge that is possible to fix but will be a bear --- and both cowl posts were hacked off just above the gas tank -- maybe a used (or new) roadster dash rail, and a pair of used (or new) roadster cowl posts would give me a place to mount a windshield --- I'm just wondering if that's all or of there are more parts needed to give me a place to mount a windshield like a roadster.
     
  7. mike bowling
    Joined: Jan 1, 2013
    Posts: 3,560

    mike bowling
    Member

    Build something out of spare parts: '30 closed car cowl, '33 (?) PU rear panel from the trash, fake doors
     

    Attached Files:

    Rex_A_Lott and patmanta like this.
  8. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    cool -- an A bucket -- but doesn't answer my speedster question. Had my windshield posts been left alone I would have done the same windshield treatment -- unfortunately the posts on mine look like a metal beaver chewed them off an inch above the cowl surface.
     
    Last edited: Nov 17, 2016
  9. rottenleonard
    Joined: Nov 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    rottenleonard
    Member

    I built this speedster with a pickup cowl and one of our Hallock windshields.

    20160623_075149.jpg 20160630_113443.jpg 20160630_113450.jpg
     
  10. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,182

    wheeldog57
    Member

    If I may, this is a question of time and experience. Would it be cost effective to put MANY hours into a closed car cowl vs buying a roadster one? For me, I love fabbing shit up but not everybody does. . .or can
     
    dan griffin and mike bowling like this.
  11. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    Very Cool Speedster -- That windshield is awesome -- but I'm using the stock gas tank.
    I just thought that since the cowl posts unbolt I could swap them out for roadster ones
    to be able to mount a chopped and leaned back stock style windshield instead of just
    grinding down and capping my beaver chewed posts and going with the WWI flying ace helmet.

    Since there will be no doors or body other than the cowl -- door fit is not an issue
     
  12. mike bowling
    Joined: Jan 1, 2013
    Posts: 3,560

    mike bowling
    Member

    If you've still got SOMETHING to work off of, I'm sure you could make up posts?? Those pictures I posted have windshield posts made up of scraps- a little flat stock, some channel and some floor sweepings. A stock post is twice that size
     

    Attached Files:

  13. wheeldog57
    Joined: Dec 6, 2013
    Posts: 3,182

    wheeldog57
    Member

    Some model t stanchions are wide at the bottom. I chopped up a $20.00 swap meet pair and made them work on my 29. They still need some work but that's the fun part, right? 1479405393909.jpg poor pic but you get the idea
     
    mike bowling likes this.
  14. rottenleonard
    Joined: Nov 7, 2008
    Posts: 1,993

    rottenleonard
    Member

    Do you have a picture of it? never seen a pickup cowl post that un-bolts.
     
  15. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Two commentators. This guy has a '28/'29, the other one has a '30/'31.
     
  16. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    [​IMG] [​IMG] Hopefully these pictures come thru -- the 28/29 pickup posts were not unbolted
    they were hacked off and now I'm having to figure out something for a windshield.
     
  17. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I can't see them. Can anyone else?
     
  18. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    I can't even see them LOL -- it just says IMG IMG -- how do I pull a file from my hard drive and post it ?
    When I click "more options" an "upload file" button appears for about half a second and then goes away
     
  19. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Go to the empty box where you would type a message. Type your message.

    Look outside the box, below, to the right, and find the button that says "UPLOAD A FILE". Click on that.

    That will bring up a dialog box that will allow you to browse for the file yon your computer. Find the file you want to post double-click on it. That should attach it. You will then have a choice to have it display as a thumbnail, or full image. That choice will appear in the "under banner" that appeared, attached to the message, with the file name and preview of the image in it.

    If the image is of an incompatible type, or too large, it may not work. Give it a shot.
    hrxp-spring-2008-1929-ford-roadster-pickup-28.jpg
    I posted this because it is a '28-'29, and I am about 2-miles South of Alviso, right now.
     
    Last edited: Nov 21, 2016
  20. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    OK it was the network at work blocking the "upload file" button here are the stumps that are left where a pickup windshield post used to be
     

    Attached Files:

  21. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    I believe you have enough metal to build up the area you would need to attach a roadster windshield.

    I will post some pictures when I get home.
     
  22. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    Okay, here is the scoop on a '28-'29:

    I can say that the crown at the top of the fuel tank where it meets the lower/outer windshield frame (not the dash rail, that's a separate piece) is the same on a roadster as it is on a closed cab pickup.

    I cannot say if the curvature of the top of the lower/outer windshield frame is the same on both.

    In both cases, that piece is riveted to the door posts:
    A '29A RPU stretch I worked on:

    [​IMG]
    Shown with dash rail removed. This will give you an idea of what is different:
    [​IMG]
    My 29A CCPU:
    [​IMG]
    Here is a detail of the door hinge post where it meets the windshield. You have this. You can see the two rivets here that I can see in your picture. That is the area where the roadster windshield stanchions fit. I believe that is the principle, if not the only area that you would need to rework to get them on.
    upload_2016-11-21_19-19-41.png
    I I would get a roadster windshield frame, and just work out what is "missing", and make it.
     
    kidcampbell71 likes this.
  23. gimpyshotrods
    Joined: May 20, 2009
    Posts: 23,264

    gimpyshotrods
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

  24. studebakerhawk
    Joined: Apr 29, 2010
    Posts: 47

    studebakerhawk
    Member
    from Colorado

    Thanks -- that gives me some idea what it's supposed to look like
     

Share This Page

Register now to get rid of these ads!

Archive

Copyright © 1995-2021 The Jalopy Journal: Steal our stuff, we'll kick your teeth in. Terms of Service. Privacy Policy.

Atomic Industry
Forum software by XenForo™ ©2010-2014 XenForo Ltd.