My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

...maybe better said as what SHOULD be behind the seat...

My coupe seems like an odd duck when trying to find other coupes with the same behind the seat orientation...

This basket-case has been a challenge, I couldn't have gotten this far without barn help. This is where I started:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/a...4-jpg.1971584/

I've made some progress since that picture, but re-assembly has been a challenge, especially in this area as it seems the coupes here have the one package tray support, where mine has two. Most have a support from the floor to the bottom of the qtr window, where mine shows no trace of ever having those.

I've included a few pictures? I have tack strips from the door jamb to the package tray with a wooden support in the corner, that was somehow attached to the floor? (my coupe didn't have a floor...), I am assuming the wood in the corner is in the same plane as the tray supports. I'm not sure if the wood shown attached to the two package tray supports are supposed to be located inside the car or on the trunk side...

Any help would be greatly appreciated, pictures would be great if someone has the same details in their '40... how does stuff go together? what parts am I missing?

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I can't answer your question but what a job saving that 40 body. Congratulations for your efforts at preserving a car that most would not have seen worth the trouble.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

Thanks!

I've got some parts that I've no idea where they go! So soon I'm going to show pictures of them all and have the barn tell what they are and where they go! Could be interesting!

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I agree.... I lived in Maine in 1976 and 77 and My 600 dollar scout dropped it's fuel tank on the road on our way home from the movies. It's a great state and I would live there again, but I'd ship in a vehicle from Arizona because the shipping is only a grand......

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I believe the car you have is the business coupe with the fold down "jump seats". Many people also refer to this car as the "Opera Coupe". I do not own one to offer pictures of. Hopefully someone with that model car will chime in and be of more assistance. Good job saving that car.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

Definitely a business coupe. The two braces dropping down from just below the roof are the tell tale signs.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

OMG ! Do you have a nick name of "Super man?" I would have saved the chassis and scrapped the body. You are sumpin else to attempt that project.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

Will this help? This is a 5 window coupe with the package shelf. No back seat. No jump seats.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I found a picture! and an article!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/t...floors.790952/
http://i50.tinypic.com/28inmt0.jpg
From what I can tell: I am missing two horizontal metal side supports, a piece of wood that is where the package tray is that ties the nailer strips together, the wooden uprights ARE on the inside, My aftermarket floor is NOT a good fit for a business coupe as the step is in the wrong place, too far forward... it looks like the supports under the window are practically vertical and there is no package tray. The black bracket on the floor under the qtr windows must be for the jump seats...

I bet the jump seats are very, very hard to find...

...I'll have to think about whether to assemble the back as if it's a business coupe, sans jump seats and with the floor step in the wrong location... or just go with the package tray. I think I'll have to go with the latter since I have, and what was a tough find to find any stock coupe seat, a tip up front seat back seat for a non-business coupe

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

The front seat for the business coupe is the same seat as the tudor including the rear foot rest. The rear seats do show up on ebay, but often seem to be missing hardware. The floor of the business coupe also has hardware for the mounting of the seat hinge.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

White64.....I have some jump seats if you are interested....Good condition in Mass....

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

White64, really nice job you did with that trunk section. I'm in that same process this coming winter. Again nice work. Here is our 40 deluxe coupe trunk section.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I have a 40 coupe with the jump seats in it and as you can see in the photo taken from inside the cab the seat level floor extends back to the other side of the spare wheel before it steps up to the trunk level.
A previous owner placed the spare wheel in the middle and put the surround around it which one day will go.
The car still has the pieces of timber screwed to the floor to fix the upholstery panel behind the jump seats to it.

http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attach...1&d=1406895698

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

WHAT A GREAT PICTURE!

I never knew there were wooden pieces on the floor! And I've never seen pictures of the seat brackets!

In hindsight I wish I had spent the additional money to get a reproduction floor (someone said they make them for business coupes...), but at the time I had a long way to go before even thinking about what coupe I had, and took the cheap way out.

I always thought the shabby looking metal extensions on the bottom of the supports under the back window were added to mine by a previous user, but now they look like a factory modification..?

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

47Merc: If possible please post a bunch more photos of those jump seat brackets and the surrounding parts (wood and sheet metal) as a historical resource for others to see.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

A couple o' pics! DD

http://thumbs2.picclick.com/d/w1600/...ce-Pair-Of.jpg

http://thumbs.picclick.com/00/s/MTIw...air-Of-_57.jpg

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

Here is a shot I got from ebay of what appears to be a padded band, a backrest of sorts?

The upholstery seems quite simple

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I believe the Auxiliary Seats as Ford called them folded in from the side wall of the interior. On the 1941 Ford they folded forward from the back wall. The 1941 has a padded back rest which is 6" high. Also, my '41 seat "pin" is round with a rubber tip. It is my understanding that Ford received complaints about passengers facing inward on the '40 and changed the design.
I have a '41 with these seats. I have never ridden in them but have been told by those that have that they are very uncomfortable.
Another nick name besides Opera Seats was Mother in Law seats.

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?
 

I would suggest that you take a look at some of the aftermarket vendors such as Dennis Carpenter. Here is a link to his truck floor: http://dennis-carpenter.com/trunk-fl...7-BC341D3AC534 I recently bought my first 40 coupe project and it has been a real challenge finding build/assembly info for these cars. I approached one old timer at a car show and asked him where he learned about his 40...he said that "that was something your old man shoulda taught you when you were a kid"....nice. I am 66 years old and have been building cars for at least 50 of those years, that was not a response that I expected. After I looked at his 40 a little closer I could see why he had little to offer in the way of advice. Good luck...

Re: My 1940 coupe, what's behind the seat?