Coupe body wood questions

[trevorsworth]

Hi all, I'm building an old school banger-powered hot rod A (which I have a build thread on the HAMB about). We believe the body, a 1930 coupe, was drag raced in the late 50s or early 60s, but was derelict for a long time before being paired with a 1928 chassis, which was then involved in the Houston flood while half-finished before finally ending up in my garage.

This is my first classic car and really the first time I've gotten my hands dirty working on a car. I have a lot of work to do, but I have it running and stopping. My approach is to get the car to drive so I can enjoy it while I work on the body. My header wood is too far gone to securely hold the windshield - in fact all the wood pretty much needs to be replaced.

The car has a steel roof that was screwed to the top of the car long ago. While far from perfect, it looks cool, was done around the time period I'm recreating, and speaks to the history of the body as a slap-dash race car, so I want to leave it alone if I can. I suspect if I remove it (which will be an arduous task given the number of screws...) it will take an act of Congress to get it back in place.

I have two questions:

1) Do I need the top ribs - ie, are they structural or only there to support the fabric top?
2) Is there a way to do this without removing the top from the car?

Thanks in advance.

[KGBnut]

That wood, especially the header, give strength and form to the upper part of the car...the windshield, the doors, the wrap-around edges of the roof. The windshield hinge is screwed into that wood.

The header is tricky, but the rest of wood is not a bad job. The wood kits that are available are a pretty straightforward assembly. The reproduction header can need some reshaping on a belt-sander to get it to fit well.

The whole job took my father and me a weekend. We stretched the new fabric the next weekend.

I got my kit from Ford Wood.
https://fordwood.com/

Good luck,

Ken

[mercman from oz]

Question by Trevorsworth - What wood is needed in Model A Coupe

[Chris in WNC]

I sure like the look of that "top".
if I were working on a hooptie like this, I'd want to leave it intact.
Maybe work from the inside to McGuyver header wood just good enough to support the windshield......

[trevorsworth]

Originally Posted by Chris in WNC

I sure like the look of that "top".
if I were working on a hooptie like this, I'd want to leave it intact.
Maybe work from the inside to McGuyver header wood just good enough to support the windshield......

The easy way out would be to remove this top, fill the screw holes and revert to a stock roof. I'm in the process of removing all the old bondo from the body and closing up the few small rust holes it has, so it would just be another couple hours worth of metal work. But I really do like the look. It is just the right amount of podunk for the 40s/50s jalopy look, and it is something nobody would consider doing to a body this nice today, so I think will remain pretty unique.

Sadly due to water inundation all the wood is beyond saving. It comes away in chunks easily. Only three of the windshield screws make contact with anything and only two of them have enough material to tighten down.

I can't remove the visor easily (the top is screwed to it) but it looks like I can probably finagle the steel header panel out and work the header wood in from the front. But that still leaves the above door wood and the roof support ribs. Were I a better woodworker I'm sure I could simply make up some ribs that screw in from the bottom instead of the top - maybe I can find someone local to help out.

I can't be the only one to ever have a conundrum like this.

[Superhart]

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My 1930 Coupe also has a steel roof panel that has been nicely blended into the other panels so there are no seams evident. The steel roof looks factory and I like it. My car still has the wood slats under it to help the roof retain its shape and also to attach the inner roof liner and overhead console.