Technical Model A cowl assy

Building up a model A cowl out of 4 dead car remains, patch panels both home made and commercial.
As you can guess I have some alignment issues.
When assembling do you use and beading, welting, or sealant between the bolt on panels?

 

I'd use both welting and a sealant. I have just welting and if it rains, it leaks just a little. Some day I'll fix it.

 

Well,I hear it ain't raining much there

 

I know on some I've taken apart there's "welting" which is fairly thick ( like around the radiator shell that the hood sits on) and there's some material that's not much thicker than cloth that goes between the tank and the top of the firewall. It looks like it may be impregnated with tar or something to make it rot resistant. Post the question on "Fordbarn" and ask the restorer crew-- Just don't let on that you're a hot rodder! But then again you are keeping the banger.... good luck with it ; the cowel looks great in the pictures you posted.

 

Normally welting goes on between the A pillar and gas tank and then on down the side panels. Between the side panel and gas tank no wilting is used, so get a good fit here and use a sealer.

 

Actually it's currently the coldest winter in 50 years, lots of snow above 400 metres and and just had a few mornings at -4 degrees c.
Feel like moving back to North Queensland (very hot part of Australia)
So much for climate warming,,,

 

Thanks all

Might just use a windscreen type sealant. Looks like the side panels, cowl feet, firewall and tank are close to fitting but will need to rework the door pillars.

 

Ford used friction tape in a lot of metal to metal areas to keep squeaks to a minimum. There are several types of welding, some good some not so good. Bob

 

Because of the way the bodies were designed to flex in the old days and the condition of the roads welting was needed to stop the metal from rubbing against metal and squeaking big time. On my roadster I pushed out the edge of the gas tank, Hot Rod no inner tank, to the piller. I massaged everything to fit snug so I get no water leaks. And I can tell you I have need in some rain!!!!

 

I used very thin,less than .060" insertion rubber,but you can't bolt it all together
really tight as you will pinch down the bolt areas and in between them it will
pucker/bellow it you know what I mean.
I wouldn't use the windscreen type sealer until you know for sure it's the last time
you will be assembling the cowl.Use a thin strip of whatever until that time for mockup.

 

Yes will only use sealant once I have finalised fitting and clearance issues, might look at using rubber between the panels as well.
Looks like I should be safe to weld up the firewall and side panels together.
But have a day's worth of reworking the door pillars (slice and welding)