30/31 deluxe phaeton

[Richie R]

After I eventually finish my 29 RPU I plan to start putting together a 30 roadster/2 door phaeton to make a weekend family car.
Have picked up a Australian RHD (well Canadian) 30 roadster cowl, quite rare in this country and in great condition.
Wanting to make use of this cowl assy with Tudor rear body section to make my version of a 30 deluxe phaeton.
My question is doors and fitment, is the Tudor rear section the same length as the deluxe phaeton?
If I use repo roadster doors will the length be correct without they need to splice in extra material in the doors?

 

[Arlen]

Somebody with more experience on the Dlx phaetons I'm sure will chime in but I can tell you that the Dlx phaeton was a completely different everything from a Tudor sedan. Roadster doors won't fit either. Dlx phaeton doors were longer than the standards. I know anything can be done but this sounds like a really hard project. What are you planning as far as a top?

 

[Dave Mellor NJ]

The belt moldings are different between 30-31 open cars and closed cars. Closed cars have a 1/2" half round on top of a 1-1/2 " half round molding. The open cars only have the 1-1/2" half round molding. You'd be better off looking for a roadster body as they're so much more common. When tudors are cut down they usually keep the full cowl and the full fronts of the doors.

 

[tbirdtbird]

Arlen is right on the money.
The Dlx doors are quite wide, else you would never be able to get into the backseat, which is hard enough to do even with the very wide doors.
As far as I know the door hinges, the doors, the B-pillar striker, the body, the rear valence, the top, and possibly the door handle are different than any other A

 

[Mike V. Florida]

Have picked up a Australian RHD (well Canadian) 30 roadster cowl, quite rare in this country and in great condition.

May I suggest making wood body station wagon or even a depot hack using the cowl.

 

[Richie R]

May I suggest making wood body station wagon or even a depot hack using the cowl.

Hi Mike
Yes thinking of that also, i do like the wood station wagons.

I would also build a 4 door tourer/phaeton but finding original steel 30 or 31 rear section in Australia is near impossible.
I have come across quite a few improved A Tudor rear sections (imported) and thought that might be a option to combine with my cowl.

 

[Richie R]

I had a look at a few. If it was cut at the top moulding and bent around I think it would work, doors are the issue as a few had said.
The rear body work for me should be easy enough for my to do, adapting the doors would be my issue as I am not so great working with flat panels with a flux core mig.

 

[Tudortomnz]

Why not try & locate a ''touring'' rear to mate to your 1930 cowl. There were a lot of tourers made in Australia & many were ''trucked''. Alternatively, why not build a Ute basing it on one of the Aussie designs?
A 1930 Tudor body [ never available new in Australia] converted to a 2dr Phaeton would be a real Frankenstein. The cheapest & roughest genuine RHD Deluxe Phaetons are sometimes available from Argentina but expect to pay a fortune to restore it.

 

[Tom Wesenberg]

I agree with making anything wood bodied, rather than trying to make a 2 door Phaeton.

IMHO trying to weld anything with flux core MIG would be a challenge.
I'd sell it and buy a gas shielded MIG or better yet a TIG welder.

 

[Richie R]

I agree with making anything wood bodied, rather than trying to make a 2 door Phaeton.

IMHO trying to weld anything with flux core MIG would be a challenge.
I'd sell it and buy a gas shielded MIG or better yet a TIG welder.

It can be done, just finished fitting new patch panels to the bottom of my 29 door posts and repairing the broken off stanchion posts, quite happy with how it came up compared to what I started with. (See avatar)
Biggest problem is the extra heat that shrinks the side of the weld, and too easy to blow through.

It can run gas but I am too tight with money so persist with flux core for now.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

I have come across quite a few improved A Tudor rear sections (imported) and thought that might be a option to combine with my cowl.

I had a look at a few. If it was cut at the top moulding and bent around I think it would work, doors are the issue as a few had said.
The rear body work for me should be easy enough for my to do, adapting the doors would be my issue as I am not so great working with flat panels with a flux core mig.

Here is a few pictures for some inspiration. While I am not saying it would be impossible, I think you will be in for a real challenge going the direction you are envisioning. I actually have all of the dies necessary to reproduce a 180A rear section and doors. The issue I think you are going to have with a Tudor is nothing is the same. Examine these pix and I think you will see what I mean.

.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

...and the wood infrastructure we fabricate in-house.

.

 

[BRENT in 10-uh-C]

...and a few more.

.

 

[Dick Carne]

Richie -

Rather than take on this extensive of a project and perhaps "butcher" a tudor sedan in the process, why not consider one of the fiberglass deluxe phaeton kits from Gibbons. Here is their web-site: www.gibbonfiberglass.com

I also believe that you can get new top irons, and of course the windshield and staunchions are currently being produced as well. Perhaps the hardest thing to find may be the front seats - not sure if Gibbons makes the rear valence panel either, but you might check. Obviously a pieced together car would not have the same appearance or value (but probably not much more than a home made huckster of sorts), and certainly a fiberglass version would not have the same value as an original 180-A, but I think that you and your family would be much more pleased with the end result.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

Dick

 

[Brother Hesekiel]

It costs about $1,8K to get a body from SoCal to the Gold Coast or Melbourne. Given that you can get a 100 percent rust free body that doesn't need a year of metal surgery, is that really such a deal breaker?

 

[Richie R]

It costs about $1,8K to get a body from SoCal to the Gold Coast or Melbourne. Given that you can get a 100 percent rust free body that doesn't need a year of metal surgery, is that really such a deal breaker?

No it's not such a bad deal, have now owned 4 early Mustangs, 3 imported out of SoCal (still own one a base T code) and 1 out of St Lewis
All I can say, never get any steel out of the rust belt
Anyone have a 30/31 phaeton body less cowl available from SoCal?

 

[Barry B./ Ma.]

My friend has a 31 deluxe phaeton he wants to sell with a Wescott fiberglas body and a new top for $9000. That's a good deal and it has a new Mitchell O drive. Don't know how much shipping would be.