I purchased a body that I was told was a coupe that had the top removed in the 50's to make it a hot rod. After checking the vin I find it is a 1931 Cabriolet. I build hot rods and this car body was to be put on a pinched 32 frame. My question is to you is the body rare enough that I should sell the body and move on to another body? The body is no gem I could bring it back to stock condition easy enough or chop it up into the planned street rod if it is not worth anything.
1931 Cabriolet Body
- Thread starter amx180mph
- Start date
flatford39
Senior Member
Cabriolet's sub frames consisted of mostly wood. What kind of sub frame does your have?? Do you have doors??? They should resemble roadster doors but only with window regulators in them. Not sure what you actually have but a 31 cab is a very desirable body style and should be reserved.
Pictures would help an awful lot.
Pictures would help an awful lot.
flatford39
Senior Member
I am also curious about this vin number you reference. You state you bought a body. Did you get a frame as well??? The vin is stamped on the frame and I am not sure how you determined it was cab from that number. I am sure others will chime in.
James Rogers
Well-known member
If the windshield posts slant back, don't cut it up, it is rare. If the door posts and windshield frames are straight up it is not so rare.
Grapejuice
Senior Member
I would definitely sell it and choose another body style. It may not be the rarest, but it is definitely desirable. It is also relatively flimsy.
If you're anywhere near North Texas, I have a '29 Special Coupe body that has a rough roof on it. It really needs to be chopped off and turned into a hotrod anyway.
If you're anywhere near North Texas, I have a '29 Special Coupe body that has a rough roof on it. It really needs to be chopped off and turned into a hotrod anyway.
The firewall passenger side has a body number tag the tag has a number 161-28350 Briggs Mfg Co Detroit, Mich. The doors do have tracks for roll up windows. The sub frames are gone but that was a plus for me since my plan was to put it on the 32 frame allowing me to build all new sub frames. I have attached a picture of the tag.
Thanks for all the input
Thanks for all the input
Attachments
Kevin in NJ
Well-known member
You have the more common straight window cabriolet I believe they made like 25,000 of them off the top of my head. Cabriolets are one of the exceptions. They frequently get over $25,000 on the market when done (used to be over $30k but I am not sure today). You can restore a cabriolet nicely and not get more into the car then it is worth.
Only about 6000 slant window cabriolets were produced. There are about 400 known to exist today.
To answer your questions.
Depending on what you have you could have something that a restorer would want. Does it have any of the cabriolet specific top parts or most of the original wood? Lack of cabriolet specific parts affect its value as they are challenging to find.
It is not rare enough that it would be a great loss if it was rodded. The usual problem with rodding is they are a wood built up body. They take a lot of work to do them in metal and they do not turn out very good. Out of the 10 or so I have seen only 2 looked good. One was a high end pro job and the other was a slant body bolted on the typical rod chassis. In both cases the bodies were left intact, not chopped or channeled. The others were done like a roadster which just does not work.
The cabriolet was a top of the line body. Somewhat stately. You bought one to say you could afford a nice car. A roadster was the bottom of the line car. I think it needs to be rodded with that idea.
My opinion,
You want to keep the high end unique features. You want a top that works and door windows that work. You now have a year round car that you can not get with the roadster. Clean up the lines, lose the landaus and away you go. Look at the 32 cabriolet lines for an idea. You will also want to taper the rear top forward some. They were originally straight up and this will require that you taper the belt wood so you do not get a line.
The big problem you get from the aesthetic side is the windshield posts.
They stick straight up. So if you drop the front they they tilt too far forward and kill the fast look. Keep the body more level and set up the chassis less like a straight line power car with the front dropped and more like a high HP driving machine. Go for handling and comfort and you capture the high end cabriolet in a rod. I think the car done right will command a premium. You will need to put the body on a very solid frame. The cabriolet body is very flexible which is why they had landau bars.
If you rod it, please send me some after picts so I can see what it looks like.
Anyway, my 2 cents.
Only about 6000 slant window cabriolets were produced. There are about 400 known to exist today.
To answer your questions.
Depending on what you have you could have something that a restorer would want. Does it have any of the cabriolet specific top parts or most of the original wood? Lack of cabriolet specific parts affect its value as they are challenging to find.
It is not rare enough that it would be a great loss if it was rodded. The usual problem with rodding is they are a wood built up body. They take a lot of work to do them in metal and they do not turn out very good. Out of the 10 or so I have seen only 2 looked good. One was a high end pro job and the other was a slant body bolted on the typical rod chassis. In both cases the bodies were left intact, not chopped or channeled. The others were done like a roadster which just does not work.
The cabriolet was a top of the line body. Somewhat stately. You bought one to say you could afford a nice car. A roadster was the bottom of the line car. I think it needs to be rodded with that idea.
My opinion,
You want to keep the high end unique features. You want a top that works and door windows that work. You now have a year round car that you can not get with the roadster. Clean up the lines, lose the landaus and away you go. Look at the 32 cabriolet lines for an idea. You will also want to taper the rear top forward some. They were originally straight up and this will require that you taper the belt wood so you do not get a line.
The big problem you get from the aesthetic side is the windshield posts.
They stick straight up. So if you drop the front they they tilt too far forward and kill the fast look. Keep the body more level and set up the chassis less like a straight line power car with the front dropped and more like a high HP driving machine. Go for handling and comfort and you capture the high end cabriolet in a rod. I think the car done right will command a premium. You will need to put the body on a very solid frame. The cabriolet body is very flexible which is why they had landau bars.
If you rod it, please send me some after picts so I can see what it looks like.
Anyway, my 2 cents.
Thanks for all the input your link was great and the link to Bob's pics were also very helpful. We laughed at the wood sub frame on a boxed frame and a Hemi we did not realize that was factory. The car was a real hack job but I have revived most of the body except I am missing one lock pillar. My plan was to scrap both pillars and build stronger ones with a bear claw latch kit. All the wood is scrap as the torque from the engine tooth picked everything he actually welded the doors shut to control the twist. The body is a sweetheart compared to what you dealt with but had some issues once I cut the doors open. That is why cutting up the firewall, chopping the windshield posts shorter just seems wrong. Thanks again Dale
Mike V. Florida
Well-known member
I (and I'm sure others) want to thank you for taking the time to post your question to determine a value before continuing.
I hope that the body finds a home with a restorer.
I hope that the body finds a home with a restorer.
Jason in TX
Well-known member
May we see a pic of the body? We have a few cabriolet fans here!!