The Ford Barn

Hotrodvideo · 07-17-2011, 07:10 PM

I'm putting a real '32 hood onto a '32 Brookville body and the contour of the hood and cowl doesn't match at the top.

Has anyone seen this problem before or is the Brookville body different than a real '32 body in that area?

The hood hasn't been on a car in 40 years so it might have lost some of it's shape?? Any help is appreciated.

Hotrodvideo · 07-17-2011, 07:11 PM

and YES the welting is on the firewall and the grille shell and the hood is latched down on all 4 corners!!!

Steve/IL · 07-17-2011, 10:36 PM

Does the revel of the hood tops line up with the belt line of the cowl when the hood is latched? Even the original style rigid cowl lacing can become too flat with age allowing the curve of the hood tops to flatten out. If the lacing is too thin at the curve of the firewall, the latches could exert too much force on the hood. I've done a lot of 32s and still haven't found reproduction grille and cowl lacing that works as good as the original stuff. The repro fiber type lacing is usually too thick and the rubber type is too soft to maintain the proper curve of the hood tops to the cowl and alignment of the hood revel to the belt line.

Could someone recommend repro lacing of any type material that works as intended?

Hotrodvideo · 07-17-2011, 10:42 PM

I have some original lacing that was on the grille shell and it looks exactly like the new stuff. The reveal does line up with the belt line.

DavidG · 07-18-2011, 03:28 PM

The original hard-core lacing used to be available from A&L, but their sources dried up (there are some environmental issues associated with its manufacture) and despite being willing to invest a substantial sum to obtain a supply source, Al Lepore could find no takers. The soft-core material available from the various sellers in the hobby will collapse over time from the weight of the hood combined with the downward pressure exerted by the hood latches. Sorry to be unable to offer a positive solution.

I understand that the belt and bottom mouldings on an original hood or on a off-the-shelf Rootleib hood will not line up with their counterpart mouldings on a Brookville roadster body.

BoxCar Tom · 07-18-2011, 05:43 PM

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I had the exact same issue on my 32 Ford roadster. The problem was not the body or the hood; it was the hood lace channel on the firewall. I fixed it by pushing (jacking) the channel up until I was satisfied with the hood/body alignment. In order to push the channel up I had to construct 4X4 wooden bridge above the engine so that I could exert pressure on the underside of the channel. Be careful make sure you only push on the front channel. If you lift the entire firewall you could distort the door alignment.

earlyv8 · 10-30-2013, 04:21 PM

Did you use Brookville's firewall? If so, my experience with the original cast aluminum and subsequent flat steel firewall did not elevate the lace channel at the right height. Compare an original firewall and you can see the difference.

Unless Brookville has changed that part of their firewall, I can't see how it can be modified enough.

In my case, I was using an original unmodified 5 window body and the flat Brookville firewall did not fit the cowl on the upper corners either. I finally modified an original firewall.

Best of luck.

07-17-2011, 07:11 PM	#2
Hotrodvideo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 316	Re: '32 Hood question and YES the welting is on the firewall and the grille shell and the hood is latched down on all 4 corners!!!

07-17-2011, 10:36 PM	#3
Steve/IL Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Central Illinois Posts: 370	Re: '32 Hood question Does the revel of the hood tops line up with the belt line of the cowl when the hood is latched? Even the original style rigid cowl lacing can become too flat with age allowing the curve of the hood tops to flatten out. If the lacing is too thin at the curve of the firewall, the latches could exert too much force on the hood. I've done a lot of 32s and still haven't found reproduction grille and cowl lacing that works as good as the original stuff. The repro fiber type lacing is usually too thick and the rubber type is too soft to maintain the proper curve of the hood tops to the cowl and alignment of the hood revel to the belt line. Could someone recommend repro lacing of any type material that works as intended? __________________ I've got the old car disease. Thankfully there's no cure!

07-17-2011, 10:42 PM	#4
Hotrodvideo Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 316	Re: '32 Hood question I have some original lacing that was on the grille shell and it looks exactly like the new stuff. The reveal does line up with the belt line.

07-18-2011, 03:28 PM	#5
DavidG Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: southeastern Michigan Posts: 10,101	Re: '32 Hood question The original hard-core lacing used to be available from A&L, but their sources dried up (there are some environmental issues associated with its manufacture) and despite being willing to invest a substantial sum to obtain a supply source, Al Lepore could find no takers. The soft-core material available from the various sellers in the hobby will collapse over time from the weight of the hood combined with the downward pressure exerted by the hood latches. Sorry to be unable to offer a positive solution. I understand that the belt and bottom mouldings on an original hood or on a off-the-shelf Rootleib hood will not line up with their counterpart mouldings on a Brookville roadster body.

07-18-2011, 05:43 PM	#6
BoxCar Tom Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Basking Ridge, NJ Posts: 591	Re: '32 Hood question Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) I had the exact same issue on my 32 Ford roadster. The problem was not the body or the hood; it was the hood lace channel on the firewall. I fixed it by pushing (jacking) the channel up until I was satisfied with the hood/body alignment. In order to push the channel up I had to construct 4X4 wooden bridge above the engine so that I could exert pressure on the underside of the channel. Be careful make sure you only push on the front channel. If you lift the entire firewall you could distort the door alignment.

10-30-2013, 04:21 PM	#7
earlyv8 Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 62	Re: '32 Hood question Did you use Brookville's firewall? If so, my experience with the original cast aluminum and subsequent flat steel firewall did not elevate the lace channel at the right height. Compare an original firewall and you can see the difference. Unless Brookville has changed that part of their firewall, I can't see how it can be modified enough. In my case, I was using an original unmodified 5 window body and the flat Brookville firewall did not fit the cowl on the upper corners either. I finally modified an original firewall. Best of luck.