I went to look at a 1936 three window coupe today that had some interesting features. First of all it had a completely steel roof with no sign that it ever had a top insert, tube shocks that looked factory, a speedometer that read in kilometers per hour, and Rocky Mountain brakes. Did some 1936 three windows have top inserts and others have a steel roof?
I assume you are talking about a '36 Ford and, if so, all closed cars had insert roofs. The car you looked at was filled and if it looked stock, the person that did the work did a good job. I'm stll going back & forth on wether to fill my roof or install an inset on my '36 Ford project.
Yes it was a Ford, and no, the top was not filled as there was no sign of a lip, weld filler or hammer marks anywhere. I am thinking the car was from Mexico or South America as well.
A magazine article from around 1970, maybe RnC, featured the trip of some rodders going to Mexico and bringing back a 34 coupe with a steel roof. They thought it was a Mexican thing too. Might be like yours.
I have a 3w that comes from Mexico and the roof is filled.From outside there´s no sign of it at all pretty well done job but from inside the lip for the insert is still intact.
Yes, left hand drive. I also confirmed from a buddy of mine who imported the car that it is from Argentina. There is no sign of a roof insert lip on the underside of the roof.
watch the final shoot-out in the 1967 movie"Bonnie and Clyde"apparently Clyde had time between bank jobs to fill the roof on his 34 Ford four door!Wonder if it was someones old street rod they used for filming?
It been my understanding People that could pull it off or afford it did it its not a late street rod thing.
I have heard from several people that cars headed for assembly and sale in South America got filled roofs...no personal experience or evidence to confirm. This was done supposedly at Ford plants but was custom work, not a different stamping...I would expect to find inside evidence of lip cut away and a hand-done welded seam, not a machine weld as on standard body seams. If Argentine, there should be evidence of conversion from RHD done after its arrival here. Other S. American countries varied on that. KPH would have been right about everywhere except here and in Empire, and cars for Imperial parts of world would mostly have been of Canadian Ford origin. South American cars came from Ford USA (exports were mostly from New Jersey plant, actually) and would have had speedo and driver side based on the destination. My '48 Ford was built in NJ, with LHD and Metric speedo, and export toolkit based on its destination in China.
Not to be a smart ass,but I am the one who built the 34 for the movie,"Bonnie and Clyde"..It was just an old worn out 4 door that we installed a chev V-8 in for filming ,driving under its own power...was re-used in the second filming years later with Tracy Needham..I just taped oved the old bullet holes and repainted..in second filming they stopped the cameras and removed the tape so as to think new bullet holes...
I want to say this has been discussed on here before. If I remember correctly, it was about a 33-34 tudor that had come from south of the border. I believe it was determined to have been done after the fact because it was less hassle to fill the roof once, than keep replacing the material in the soft top insert. Then again, I may be way off on this one......... here's the thread I was thinking about. Seems like a lively debate! http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=274939
when I built my 33 5 window I left the insert for one reason. Also left the exposed hinges. When somebody asks me if its a glass car I say ever see a glass car with an insert in the top. nuff said.
I'd suggest asking your question over on the Ford Barn. Lots of guys over there that are really into the history of Fords.
Sorry, brief hijack: Did you work on any other cars for that movie, such as the Model A-based armored car? And was that sweet '33 Hupmobile Victoria that got shot up saved, or junked? Same question with the blue '32 Nash that was wrecked in the same scene? I'm sure the imcdb.org page for the movie would benefit from your inside info! http://www.imcdb.org/movie_61418-Bonnie-and-Clyde.html
Sorry,the 34 is the only one of the cars in the movie I did work on,,I did not hang around the set after I delivered the car on location..so dont know about the others.
The car was a hot rod with a 283 SBC hooked up to the original drivetrain. The radio in the dash was a 56 Ford I seem to think. Used to in a Wax Museum outside Ft. Worth.
Argentine Fords and other cars were sold with RHD until 1939-40. Then the country changed from RHD to LHD driving. Ford closed cars did not have one piece stamped tops until 1937. Any filled top is a modification.
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