Info Request: 30-31 Sport Coupe

[Boxcar]

I'm in need of 3 measured references for a 30-31 Ford Sport Coupe. There's not enough of my car left for the typical Wescott measured diagrams to fulfill my needs. I've attached pics of my needed reference areas for clarity. I'm asking that all the references are from the outside of the skin to the corresponding outside. Anything other than that...I am unable to consider accurate from the standpoint of this car. With this info I'll adjust the body and brace off before moving forward with the build. I just fab'ed my wheel wells and have them colecoed in position...but will hold off welding till I get this rear half straightened out. Any info is appreciated.

There are 3 points of interest:
1. lower b piller, pulled from the top of the subrails from right to left, outside. (pic would not load)
2. Upper b piller pulled from the (center) of the large top beltline bead, outside (pictured)
3. Lowest corner, just forward of the rear wheel-well opening, outside (pictured)

R/ Boxcar

[Bob from Northport]

I have a 30 Sport Coupe totally disassembled preping for paint. It is an original car owned by only two people. I am not quite sure what you need. I can take photos and measurements. Be as specific as you can.

[Kevin in NJ]

It has been my experience that the numbers from another car are not important.

You set the cowl on a straight frame and make the quarters fit the doors with even gaps. The wheel wells will likely need the fenders, front and rear, and running boards. The beads of the fenders must line up straight.

Keep in mind I started a 68C with no original wood so I needed to build the body as I went. I started out by asking for numbers like you are, but in the end I found out they did not matter. The parts are sort of self aligning. You stand back and when they look right then they are likely right.

Later I found out that what I ended up with by making it look right was fairly close to factory dimensions.

[rotorwrench]

All of the steel body Fords have a given structure for each design. Just like a house or any other structure, it all starts with the foundation. In this case, the foundation is the body sill or subframe members and its floor support structure. The cowl and rear quarters attach to that structure in specific places and all of it attaches to a straight & square frame with associated body block support pieces & bolts.

If a person is piecing one back together then all of it should be fit together before final attachment or riveting. This will include the doors & deck lid to get the best fit overall. Wood bows can also be fit during this process. Patch panels can be tack welded but keep in mind that the fit may have to be adjusted prior to final welding.

I use a lot of clecos, screws, magnets, clamps, and pieces of metal to hold stuff together during this process. I start with minimal attachments for fit and add all the rest after this fitting is good to go. This way I can correct for things being off base with minimal repair work prior to tying it all together in a more permanent way.

[Boxcar]

Bob...PMd you

R/
Larry

[Boxcar]

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All

Appreciate the references but I failed to mention that this car currently has less than 10% of its sub-rails remaining and will not see those again. So the 'building' nature of the references you mention, while applicable to a traditional build. I am a small departure from that traditional build. I will apply all the mentioned fit and finish steps that you all have described as it advances from this very rough starting point. This will be a channeled car (over the frame) and next sub-rail assembly is the one I'll fab for it (in support of the channel). I just made a set of wheel wells for it and want to square up the back half before I weld in the new wells. The car is in two pieces at the moment...the cowl and the rear quarters. Need to stabilize the patient before surgery. Reaching out for these three thoroughly described measurement references.

1. Outside Lower b piller, tape pulled from the top of the subrails from right to left, outside.
2. Outside Upper b piller, tape pulled from the (center) of the large top beltline bead, outside (pictured above)
3. Outside Lowest corner, just forward of the rear wheel-well opening, outside (pictured above)

R/
Boxcar

[Bob from Northport]

Boxcar- will phone tomorrow

[rotorwrench]

When a car is channeled, you are still going to have to follow a build on the basis of the substructure you fabricate in order to have a good foundation. You can throw all the original specs out the window since you are starting from scratch on a custom build. Even if it ends up a coupster, the doors and deck lid will still have to fit the body that you end up with.

[Boxcar]

rotorwrench... thanks,

You continue to reiterate your point. I do not disagree. However, you also continue to miss my point. But that's ok. It goes without saying that building a 30's auto without an original/re-pop set of subrails to serve as a fitment baseline reference can prove challenging.. I'd also assume that this is very unconventional method for this particular forum...

And with that, and a tip of the hat, I'll bid you a ,good day Sir.'

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

Originally Posted by Boxcar

rotorwrench... thanks,

You continue to reiterate your point. I do not disagree. However, you also continue to miss my point. But that's ok. It goes without saying that building a 30's auto without an original/re-pop set of subrails to serve as a fitment baseline reference can prove challenging.. I'd also assume that this is very unconventional method for this particular forum...

And with that, and a tip of the hat, I'll bid you a ,good day Sir.'

Not necessarily. While you may feel it is challenging, the advice they are giving you is spot-on. The only additional advice I will give you outside of the great advice you have received above is to tack-weld the doors and quarters to the cowl to begin your project. Use strips of sheetmetal to tack-weld the panels together with the desired door gaps. Then level and square the entire unit on a jig. Begin fabricating the sill section to fit your frame. Once completed, remove the tack-welds and the sheetmetal strips and metalfinish smooth.

IMHO, what you are about to do is WAY easier than fitting reproduction sills to a body. The reasoning is with restoration, you must replicate to an original specification or standard. In creating sills, you build to your own design.

[Boxcar]

Thanks Brent, I can see value in tacking before I build the channeled subfloor. I can use that. I did get my numbers from a fella that was willing to lend a hand.

Bob...thanks again!

To everyone...appreciate the assist

R/
Boxcar

[Bob from Northport]

You are welcome