34 2 door sedan

[Billbwi]

I need some help on my top wood. I ordered the top ribs from ford wood but there is a 1/2 x 1 trough around the perimeter and I don't know what goes there. I thought maybe some sort of tack strip but there is a series of 1/3-20 rivet nuts in the groove that looks like wood should be attached. Any pictures out there that will help me get this right? I wanted to attach a picture but I couldn't figure out how to do it

 

[Billbwi]

Here's the picture

 

[DavidG]

No wood there, but rather a U-shaped channel that was riveted into the depressed area. Within that channel was a tack strip originally composed of pressed waterproof paper. (There are plastic tack strips available today to serve that purpose.) The top material is tacked or stapled to those plastic strips and another smaller molding is attached on top of the fabric with a rubber insert to cover the tack heads.


This subject has been explored several times herein recently and you should consider using the "search this forum" capability to view those exchanges as a number of them had informative photos included.

 

[Billbwi]

Thanks Dave I'll try the search bar

 

[JSeery]

The nut plates are for the wood ribs that go across from side to side. There is a U-shaped metal piece that acts as a locator/washer that goes around the wood rib and into the nut plate. The photo is a coupe, but same general setup.

 

[petehoovie]

Here's the picture

 

[cas3]

here's what your missing

 

[rich b]

There are also braces that run from the over door & window wood to the underside of the roof bows. A '34 has three of these braces on each side (picture is a '33). Picture of cut section shows how the original tack strip fit in the roof stamping. Plastic tack strip can be riveted in as a replacement. The repop finish strip is aluminum and takes a bit of work to get the curves bent right.

 

[T Scott]

"J", In your photo it shows the chicken wire completely filling the roof opening. Is this original? If so, how is it fastened? If it is fastened to the tack strip it runs over the raised edge of the channel and would cause visual bumps through the top fabric. I think Digger discussed this problem when he did his 34 a number of years ago. Also as I understand it, if the chicken wire touches any part of the metal body it renders it ineffective as a radio antenna.

 

[DavidG]

T Scott,


You're correct, originally the chicken wire did not extend beyond the wood as it would, as you noted, render it useless as an antenna which was its secondary function.