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Old 03-21-2015, 08:41 PM   #1
Cape Codder
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Default Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Does anyone know if Classic Wood Manufacturing makes the wood over the doors for a '30 Fordor in one piece or made in two pieces?
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Old 03-21-2015, 10:28 PM   #2
Mike V. Florida
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Classic Wood Manufacturing (336) 691-1344 (North Carolina)

Just in case you don't have it and you don't get an answer here.
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Old 03-22-2015, 07:48 AM   #3
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Cape check out the website

http://classicwoodproductsllc.com/model%20a.html
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Old 03-22-2015, 08:36 AM   #4
BRENT in 10-uh-C
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Two pieces. (Done that way for shipping purposes)
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Old 03-22-2015, 09:43 AM   #5
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

As Brent says, it was two pcs when I received mine.
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Old 03-22-2015, 11:34 AM   #6
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

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I've never installed wood in a Briggs body but a buddy has used their wood in a couple. I wasn't too fond of what I saw. Unless they have improved over the years, there is a particular issue with the inner roof rails which are along the roof opening. Instead of having a clean arc as they should, they had a dip about over the rear doors as I recall that looked to be about 3/16" at the low point. If left uncorrected it made the roof line look pretty bad.

Over the years I've spotted a few cars at meets (from quite a distance) that clearly had their roof wood installed. Due to that issue (assuming it's still an issue) and the fact that I'm not thrilled with the way they section them, I'd have to make my own if I was doing one.
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Old 03-22-2015, 03:45 PM   #7
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

I agree with Marco on the reproduction wood. I recently purchased a top wood kit for my '31 coupe and was very disappointed about the fit. I ended up taking my original wood to a local wood shop which they duplicated and fit correctly. Several years ago I purchased a top wood kit for my '28 tudor and it fit as if it were made by Ford. I sure hope that they have improved as I need to purchase wood for my '31 tudor. I don't know where my parts supplier got the wood for my coupe.......
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Old 03-22-2015, 06:31 PM   #8
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Thanks to all for responding. Sure appreciate it.
Brent - Have a picture of yours taken from the left rear and thought I saw a gap on the piece above the doors. Wish I had more pictures of it from different angles. I'm assuming you use Classic Wood products and if so is there any markings on the wood ?
Marco I have a friends set of wood for the Blindback, which I'm trying to copy, but no way of knowing who made it however, it sure does not look as though it has the lowpoint you described.
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Old 03-22-2015, 07:15 PM   #9
Marco Tahtaras
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

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Originally Posted by Cape Codder View Post
Marco I have a friends set of wood for the Blindback, which I'm trying to copy, but no way of knowing who made it however, it sure does not look as though it has the lowpoint you described.
If I recall correctly the inner rails were made of three sections but may have been only two. However the sections were joined with an aluminum plate slipped half way into the center of each adjoining piece. I've never seen anyone else do that.
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Old 03-22-2015, 07:50 PM   #10
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

I just finished installing a Classic wood MFG kit in my 1929 Business coupe and I must say the wood kit was perfect in all ways. I only had to make a few alterations. I called the manager with questions and he was very helpful I would definitely buy from them again. I feel the quality and workmanship could not have been better.
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Old 03-22-2015, 09:27 PM   #11
Marco Tahtaras
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

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I just finished installing a Classic wood MFG kit in my 1929 Business coupe and I must say the wood kit was perfect in all ways. I only had to make a few alterations. I called the manager with questions and he was very helpful I would definitely buy from them again. I feel the quality and workmanship could not have been better.

It's important that I be clear on this. What you describe is typical of what I hear about most models. The '30-31 models typically require work on the front header which has been the case with virtually all suppliers that have come and gone over the last 45+ years. The issue I describe is unique to the Briggs bodied Fordor models. I suspect there are also issues with all Briggs and Murray bodies as they are far more complex than the Ford bodies or slant windshield Fordor bodies.
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Old 03-23-2015, 10:52 AM   #12
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

we have used kits from several suppliers, classic being the "best". But it still needed to be adjusted, fitted and modified in places for a good fit. I have seen the top bow problem Marco mentions as well as some bows that arch too high relative to the others. In particular, we have almost always had to re shape the front headers in one way or another. In a lot of instances, its the changes in the body metal we are adapting to, especially if the car was wrecked and repaired at some time in its life.
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Old 03-23-2015, 12:00 PM   #13
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

It would (wood?) be interesting to know how much finesse the original installers had to do at Henry's factories. Sure, there was a standard, but you can't stamp out wood parts from a die like you can steel. Just wondering...
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Old 03-23-2015, 03:07 PM   #14
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

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It would (wood?) be interesting to know how much finesse the original installers had to do at Henry's factories. Sure, there was a standard, but you can't stamp out wood parts from a die like you can steel. Just wondering...
No but you can have a 'master' and use a pin router that follows the pattern. This method provides a much higher standard.


I am going to use an analogy of home construction as a comparison. When a new home is built, it is the quality & fit of the framing lumber ( 2x4s ) that ultimately makes a good drywall job. Some folks can look at a wall and see it wavy and 'out of square'. Others cannot tell any difference and just happy there is a resemblance of a wall there. Some drywall finishers even use extra mud to hide the poor craftsmanship. The wood infrastructure of a body is much the same. When a piece in a "kit" must be adjusted so another piece can fit, it goes without saying that something has been compromised. To some this is bothersome, ...to others they take the attitude that it is covered anyway.
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Old 03-23-2015, 08:20 PM   #15
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Brent, The usual cause of bad drywall jobs is the use of "Hem Fir" versus "Doug Fir". The Hem fir twists and warps as it dries out, The Doug fir stays put. Don't ask me how I know! At the time of construction, I knew nothing about construction or the BOCA or CABO Codes and the framer was a "friend".
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Old 03-23-2015, 10:43 PM   #16
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Quote:
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It would (wood?) be interesting to know how much finesse the original installers had to do at Henry's factories. Sure, there was a standard, but you can't stamp out wood parts from a die like you can steel. Just wondering...
From the drawings I have seen the spec for the wood was +-.010 inches.

Not much finesse needed with that kind of spec.
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Old 03-23-2015, 11:16 PM   #17
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

All wood pieces and kits need to be trimmed to fit correctly. They do not come from
the supplier for a perfect fit. I replaced every piece of wood in my Briggs 155-D, 1930
Model A Deluxe Town Sedan. It required a great amount of time and effort, but it came together and made a very solid oak framework. Measure and fit, measure and
fit. I used a Cubel wood kit from Utah.

It is all a matter of "PHYSICS", if you can figure out the “Physics” you can make it work!
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Old 03-24-2015, 07:59 AM   #18
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

Having made some of the wood in my Briggs Town Sedan (My profile, "My A) I may be able to shed some light on some of this. First of all, Henry worked to .010 but with wood that was dried very well. I have miked some pieces that had nominal ( 1 1/2, 1 1/4 etc) and found them to be still on size. This shocked me! After 80+ years and six years in a leaky barn, it was still, not only within spec, but on size. My personal belief is that an awful lot of Ash is sold for Oak. This is a good thing (my opinion) as I think Oak is far overated. British car builders stay away from Oak altough they loved it for their sailing ships. Even The venerable Morgan company still builds it's car bodies from Ash.
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Old 03-24-2015, 11:16 AM   #19
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

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Having made some of the wood in my Briggs Town Sedan (My profile, "My A) I may be able to shed some light on some of this. First of all, Henry worked to .010 but with wood that was dried very well. I have miked some pieces that had nominal ( 1 1/2, 1 1/4 etc) and found them to be still on size. This shocked me! After 80+ years and six years in a leaky barn, it was still, not only within spec, but on size. My personal belief is that an awful lot of Ash is sold for Oak. This is a good thing (my opinion) as I think Oak is far overated. British car builders stay away from Oak altough they loved it for their sailing ships. Even The venerable Morgan company still builds it's car bodies from Ash.
Terry

One thought. I know when we steam bend, we are looking for "un-kiln dried" (air dried w/ high moisture content) material to steam bend. I guess what I am saying is I know we do not want 'very well' dried wood for this, and since many pieces were bent back in the day, do you really suppose they wanted it dried very well?
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Old 03-24-2015, 07:37 PM   #20
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Default Re: Wood from Classic Wood Manufacturing

I'm sure Henry has a spec-and I enjoy knowing it was a close 0.10". But having a spec and having pieces that were mass produced, mass handled, mass shipped and mass assembled may have been much different. Of course, today we have far better production tools-CNC's laser guided tools, etc, but what we don't have is a population that really knows and understands the materials they are working with. I'd bet anything that the men who put the wood into car bodies "knew" wood.
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