35 Convertible Sedan rear wood help

[rgtharley]

I am trying to fit the wood pieces into place on my 35 Convertible Sedan. A few years back when I was beginning to search parts for this car, I found a supplier who made the "package shelf" wood, along with the side pieces, and the rear door support legs. I am not replacing those door support pieces, but the rest of the wood is being replaced. There were no illustrations that came with the new wood. Much of the original wood was disintegrated when I pulled this car out of a field, so I am having some difficulty figuring out just how the most rearward piece fits in relationship to the vertical metal support that comes up the middle of the rear sheet metal. Does anyone have pics of how the wood is trimmed to fit around this metal? I realize this is a rare car, and not many of them are still around, but I'm hoping someone else crossed this bridge recently, and can help me out! My body guy had the car for four years making it perfect, and it looks amazing, so I really want to make it right!
Thanks!

[32Bee]

Check your private messages.

Peter

[carolina-bob]

Here are a couple of pics that may help. The belt rail parts were made using my old wood as patterns.

[rgtharley]

Hey Bob!!
Thanks so much for the pics!! It almost looks like there is a seam in the middle of the horizontal piece. Mine is one piece, and I kept thinking that the wood went between the body and was sandwiched by the vertical metal support in the car. It looks like this is not the case. Now I see I have to counterbore the wood piece, can you tell me what the fasteners are? Got one other response by PM, and that guy is doing what I'm doing, so I need to email him to get his pics too! Thank you again!!
Bob T

[carolina-bob]

It was 10 years ago when I put in the belt rail so my memory isn't so good, but I think it was 5/16 X 1-1/4. I have a lot more pics of both the old wood and the new one if you need them.


Bob

[Don Rogers]

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Here are some photos from my restoration 30 years ago as well as a few photos that were sent to me. Hope they help.

[Don Rogers]

Here are some more.

[rgtharley]

Don,
Thanks very much for the pictures. They do help, yet look somewhat different from the wood that I have. I can't recall who made it, as it has been a few years, but I'm going to take some pics and post them, and hope I can get some more opinions. The sheet metal piece was not on the wood for my car, so that is something I needed.
Thanks again!
Bob

[rgtharley]

Don, how close does that body re-inforcement bar come to the inside of the rear sheet metal? This may be why I am confused, as my vertical piece is several inches away from the inside sheet metal.
Thanks!
Bob

[carolina-bob]

The rear portion of the belt rail is bolted to the reinforcement bar and then you pull the assembly tight to the rear sheet metal. The reinforcement bar will come very close to touching the rear sheet metal. The left pic show the new belt rail pieces in place. The center pic is my original belt rail that was replaced. The right pic shows the belt rail as it is being drawn up to the rear sheet metal.


Bob

[rgtharley]

Bob,

These are great! After digging around in my garage, and sifting through boxes, I found the remains of my original wood, and the metal piece that goes on the face of the wood. Now my question is, how did you pull that belt rail up to the sheet metal without messing the body metal up? I think it's just little tack nails through the body, isn't it?

[Viv W]

Hi, I did the wood on my phaeton body and it is very similar in some places. When you fit the wood back into the body it should be a very snug fit, almost to the point where you have to shoehorn it inside. If fitted in correctly there will be very little gap between the outer sheet metal and the wood, perhaps a sixteenth of an inch max. The outer metal was originally nailed onto the woodwork using probably 3/4 in nails, tacks I don't think will be strong enough.
I used about 6 C clamps to pull the outer skin and the wood together gently, without clamping too tightly, so that you don't bend the panel. You also need to pull the woodwork upwards at the same time as you nail it into place, in order to allow the wood to sit above the outer panel evenly.
Viv.

[danliveshere]

Hi Bob. It’s nice to see another 35 cs under restoration. I’m following this post as I too have this wood work to complete. Dan.