35-36 Pickup/Truck Cardboard Interior Panels

O

OldGold360

Well-known member
Hello. I’ve been optimistically hoping by now that someone would be offering the proper cardboard interior panels for 35-36 Pickups and Trucks but that optimism is fading fast and I’ve been considering taking on this project. I do need all the panels for my 36 Pickup and I’m sure there are others that do as well. I know there are ABS panels available but plastic isn’t going to be my first choice if there is a way to create the proper cardboard panels. The problem is I have not been able to find any info on the panels and what would be correct in terms of shape, thickness, texture, etc. Aside from these details, the panels are pretty simple since they are flat, with exception of the headliner. I see that the ABS headliner has a compound shape but I’ve been told the original headliner could lay flat. I haven’t had any luck finding any good photos of original headliners so I’m not sure if that is true or not and how that works to shape the corners.

As much as I would like to tackle this project without asking anybody for help, I’ve unfortunately exhausted all my resources and now have to lean on the fine folks at FordBarn for help. If anybody has any info, or better yet, original panels or a NORS kit for a 35-36 or even a 37 Pickup or Truck, I would be interested in purchasing, borrowing, or renting whatever you may have. Pictures and info would help as well.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.
 
I have all of the Ford Engineering Drawings for all of the interior cardboard parts for 1935 and 1936 trucks and pickups. This includes the 4 door types (each has different hole configurations), the toe boards, cab corners and headliner.

I also have several original cardboard panels to use for research but aren't good enough for a quality restoration. All of these parts can lay flat, but the roof back corners are heat or pressure molded so there's no way for them to flatten out without damage.

I also wanted to create reproductions of all of these panels in cardboard, but decided to go with the ABS material. The ABS parts aren't great but they are workable and no one had an alternative for the firewall. Before they closed, Cartouche/MACs sold vinyl covered cardboard interior parts. These were good but the headliner was the 1939 style with seams so it could made from flat sheets and I didn't like they way it looked. I got the last set they sold but never installed it as I hated the headliner.

Send me a PM and we can talk details. Also, pics of all these parts are in my book.
 
I thought about doing the same after not liking the plastic panels. I could not find a source for the "chicken tracks"
cardboard. Art
 
The original material used by Ford was thick embossed black-colored cardboard. The embossing process must have been done, I assume, by a supplier with a big roller press. The cardboard material and the process to emboss it are apparently no longer available. Cartouche simulated it with vinyl glued to cardboard which is a rather poor substitute as any exposed edges exposes the cardboard-vinyl sandwich. The ABS at least has a solid edge and nice pattern but is a bit shiny and a bit hard to fit (at least in my experience). I wish there was a better solution.
 
Look for someone with a very large format 3D printer. Should be able to re-create the pattern ok, with an ultra-fine nozzle and detail each part should only take a month or two to print.

OK a bit sarcastic, but may be practical in a couple of years.
 
Thanks for the replies. It would be nice to find the material that already has the correct texture, but I do have a large roller press that can be modified to create an embossing, assuming I can find out the correct pattern and that I can successfully make or modify the roller to perform this operation. I know this is not going to be a simple process with the headliner being the most difficult, but I am up for potentially wasting a lot of time and money to see if I can make it happen. I know it is not going to happen overnight. It might take a year or more to see results but I feel it would be worth it. I just need to gather information to be able to start planning this and I appreciate all the support.
 
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