Hot Rods Louvered trunk lids

I drove the coupe to a cruise in last night and really enjoyed talking and answering questions about the car,one of the highlights was the gentleman at least 2o years my senior that actually owned a '32 B model sedan when he was a kid and his son who is about my age has a 29 roadster pickup with the radiator shell & grille from his dads old sedan.

As I was walking around I saw a nice Model A with a louvered deck lid and I remembered I have a old '32 trunk lid that I pulled out of a friends scrap metal pile a long time ago and the wheels started turning.

I wouldn't even consider punching holes in the trunk lid on the car but since I do have a less than pristine one what the heck,my friend J.Ed Horton has a old school louver press that does the 3" rounded edges.

Got any photo's of louvered trunk lids on coupes for inspiration? HRP

 

No.

 

Danny, when you do them try to fit a few more than these.

 

? If and when you get caught in the RAIN do they leak? How do you keep water out of the trunk? Just wonderin'.....Have thought of louverin' mine...........

 

i started a thread and showed how i got the inside of the deck lid protected.
here is the thread: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/deck-lids-and-the-men-that-louver-them.750934/

 

I have a good friend that has a 5 window that has louvers in the hood,trunk lid.and his gas tank,naturally the gas tank has a louvered panel welded to the tank,his trunk lid has a inner flat panel with holes in the lower edge to let any water out. HRP

 

This is the old style I like. HRP

 

I remember the old Bugatti louver sanding days so well, those samples look great Danny.

 

Danny
Stand firm when the negative Nancys start in how they are a pia.
There are three types of people about louvered trunk lids.
Those who hate them, those who have them and those who want them.
Hmmm, wonder if a Brookville lid will work on my Wescott roadster body.

 

Here is the deck lid that's going on my 32 5w.

 

<<<<<<<<<Not a coupe, but see my avatar.
It's a Brookville decklid. They sent it separated, inner and outer. A friend punched it and I sent it back to B'ville and they assembled it and shipped it back at no extra cost. I epoxied some thin aluminum strips on the underside of each row. Been water tight for 35 years, and it's been through more thunderstorms than I could count.

 

I can relate to sanding louvers,I remember sanding a 25 Louver hood ford my old tudor sedan,I sanded the inside and out,that adds up to 100 louvers and my hands were a bloody mess but they sure looked good.

I honestly believe louvers are a required taste,much like moon disc,you ether like them or dislike them.

As for louvers in the trunk lid I wouldn't think about doing that to the existing lid that is on the car but since I have a old rough one that is need of repair why not,if I decide to go in a different direction I am not the only Deuce coupe owned that likes louvers. HRP

 

Do it!

 

go for it Danny

 

The rounded louvers are the way to go. Here is an old coupe of mine.


How about the backing plates?

 

Mark,that coupe is a killer! HRP

 

Remembering a few rods in the old H. R. mags that had inverted louvers in the hoods, pointed down to scoop the hot air out. Don't recall many old rods having louvered trunk lids nor quick changes. Of course that was 60 yrs ago & my old memory is lousy.. Greg W

 

Doane Spencer's roadster had a quick change,it was built in '47. HRP



I suppose the louvers were more or less a carry over from land speed racing,a way to let trapped air escape. HRP

 

Bugatti GP car with normal louvers on top, longer reversed ones below them, bottom row was said to allow oil to drain to keep the drivers shoes dry. Bob

 

i have never understood why anyone would want to poke holes in the car. 200 mph salt car, sure. driver hell no. rain, dirt all over the inside, a bitch to wash, a bitch to paint, and people actually Pay someone to do it!

 

Here's mine.

 

We all have our opinion of what makes a hot rod and very few agree on everything.

I will admit that louvers are a PITA but if you don't get them you will never understand why hot rodders ventilate their hoods,trunks and yeah even the tops. HRP

 

Just the Brookville outer skin.....rivet it to the Tupperware inner skin, paint both sides of the metal to make it waterproof. Might need some sort of a drain in the bottom! Can't imagine how to prevent rust with an all steel louvered trunk lid.

 

mine

 

I am another one who doesn't get louvered trunk lids. I like hoods louvered, but unless it's a Bonneville car, I just don't get louvering the trunk, or the roof for that matter, with all the water and dirt issues.

 

Yeh, I suspect that has been done a lot.
Mark Westricks' car has a Wescott body like mine and it was quite inspirational.
I think Eric Vaughn punched these many years ago, pretty sure it was before Brookville went into production.



Sure wish I had gotten my Rootlieb hood blank and had it punched locally with the more rounded louvers like these, I'm not totally pleased with mine.
If not for that my trunk lid would be louvered also.

 

Because of the curved shape of the decklid, its tricky to lay out to get a good look. For hoods and decks, get some magnetic sign material to use when you get caught in bad weather or washing your tin to keep the water out, peal it off for the shows

 

Here's how I did my trunk. B ought the Brookville lid outer skin and inner structure apart.
Welded up the holes on the inner structure, had the outer skin louvered, painted both inside with Por-15, and assembled them. There are drain holes in the bottom of the trunk. No water leakage or dirt.

Mick

 

Rootlieb offers the rounded louvers, they're 3 inch and they call them Dry Lakes Louvers. You have to request them. They are much more attractive than the squarer commercial louvers. I just had a stretched hood done with them. What I like is there's no extra charge for louvers compared to 3.00 a louver my local guy charges to punch the same thing. If you ask nice they'll louver your deck lid for a fee.