'32 Roadster door dovetails

Hotrodvideo

Hotrodvideo

Senior Member
Can someone with a '32 roadster send me a pic of how the dovetails attach on the doors?

I have a Brookville and no holes are drilled for those so before I start drillin' I'd like to see what it should look like.

Thanks!
 
There is a plate inside the door jam that needs drilled and tapped. Install the female dovetail first in the spot provided in the body jam, make sure your door is adjusted right and then mark the door where the male dovetail goes. The dovetails are there to stablize the door in the hole and not to bring the door into adjustment. Don't be surprised if the female dovetail falls apart down the road as their quality leaves a little to be desired.
 
How do you install the male dovetail? There are no holes drilled in the doors for those and no way to even get your hand thru the small holes in the door to put the nuts on.
 
btt because i'd like to know this too :o.

Although miles from being original i thought i might try nutserts. I'm thinking the thickness of the body of the male dovetail may be sufficient to ride over the nutsert. Apart from the originality factor though, the biggest drawback i can see with this would be the lack of adjustability that would be afforded with slotted holes. So maybe a simple loose, tapped plate inside the door is the way to go? But getting it in will be a challenge :confused:.

My doors have good alignment already but the dovetails will presumably keep them that way.

Also, what's the thread size on the setscrews? They're 24tpi (if i recall correctly) but not 1/4" i don't think, and so i believe are neither unc or unf. And my tap / die set doesn't accommodate them (HF, :o). So i need to identify in order to purchase tools or nuts - and being in the UK counter staff don't understand anything but metric these days.

Thanks in advance.

Chris
 
Back to the top for an answer on how to install the male dovetails....Please
 
Last edited:
The problem with the nutserts in the Brookville doors is that they are not recessed like they were on original doors. The result is that the male dovetails do not fit flush against the door sheet metal. The use of '33-'36 phaeton/roadster male dovetails solves that problem as their backs are recessed. While Drake and others used to offer the '33-'36 type, evidently they no longer do so and their catalogues just contain the flat '32 variety. Of course they claim that they fit '32-'36, but what's one more little white lie amongst friends?
 
There is a backup piece of metal spot welded inside the door. You can drill and tap for the screws. I just did this on a customer's doors.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top