'39 Stainless side trim -- Drake vs Carpenter?

50Fraud

50Fraud

Member
I plan to use '39 side trim on my phantom '40 convert (shown in post #19 of this thread: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122229).

Both Drake and Carpenter offer repop stainless for this application, with a few differences. Drake does not catalog the upper hood side trim at all, while Carpenter does; the prices -- while in the same ballpark -- differ between the two, with Drake being cheaper for some parts while Carpenter is lower on others.

I would be tempted to buy the cheaper trim from both vendors, but I'm not sure they will match in profile and color; alternatively, I could buy everything from Carpenter (who does catalog every piece) but I don't know if his quality is comparable on trim parts.

I'm aware that people have complained about service from both vendors; I've actually had consistently better service from Drake.

Another question: Drake catalogs two different part numbers (and different prices) for convertible and 2-door door trim, but I thought that the two were the same length. Can anybody tell me what the difference is between the two? And does anybody have experience/recommendations regarding the trim from these two vendors?
 
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The 39 convertible coupe rear 1/4 trim piece is about 6 inches longer than the tudor.
I thought Dales made the repro trim, rather than Drake or Carpenter.
Also it used to be said the repro trim vee down the middle was not as pronounced as the originals.
 
Thanks, Swoop. I should have specified that the DOOR trim is the one that mystified me. Two different prices and part numbers from Drake; Carpenter shows the same for both.

I don't know about Dales. Who are they? Is it possible that the two companies I named are both buying them from Dales?
 
swoopNZ said:
The 39 convertible coupe rear 1/4 trim piece is about 6 inches longer than the tudor.
I thought Dales made the repro trim, rather than Drake or Carpenter.
Also it used to be said the repro trim vee down the middle was not as pronounced as the originals.
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Are you speaking of Dales Mfg. in OKC? I've never been a happy camper coming out of that store. DD
 
swoopNZ said:
Also it used to be said the repro trim vee down the middle was not as pronounced as the originals.
Click to expand...

This is certainly an important consideration. Anyone else have any specific experience on this point, and does the sharpness of the vee differ among the various vendors' products?

Since my car is a fake anyway, the softer vee would be a minor upset, but I certainly wouldn't want to mix parts from different sources if they had different profiles.
 
The repop stuff is most certainly thinner than the authentic as well. Plus, being a much poorer grade of stainless than the authentic, you will not be able to get the polish on it like the authentic. With the fairly good availability of the authentic stuff, might you consider buying that?
 
Yes, I would consider buying gennie parts. I had imagined that original '39 trim would be a bit scarce, and would of course involve additional expense for polishing. From your comment I guess it's fairly readily available?

I have mixed original and repop trim on my '50, and the difference was not noticeable. Is the situation different with prewar stuff?
 
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50Fraud said:
Yes, I would consider buying gennie parts. I had imagined that original '39 trim would be a bit scarce, and would of course involve additional expense for polishing. From your comment I guess it's fairly readily available?

I have mixed original and repop trim on my '50, and the difference was not noticeable. Is the situation different with prewar stuff?
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It has been my experience that the repop trim is considerably thinner than the authentic. So much so, you had best be very careful installing it. Also, I find it difficult at best to match the "glow" I can get from polishing the authentic.
I suppose if you are replacing all of the trim with repop, it would not be noticeable.
Rear quarter trim for convertibles is difficult to locate. Sedan and coupe trim comes up on eBay with regularity.
 
Thanks for the advice. Because my car has sedan doors, I shouldn't have a problem there -- although I still don't understand how the 2dr sedan and convertible door trims are different. My quarters are shorter, as on a convertible, but I think we may have to cut the trim short at the fender anyway. I could probably use coupe quarter trim and shorten it at both ends.
 
50Fraud said:
Thanks for the advice. Because my car has sedan doors, I shouldn't have a problem there -- although I still don't understand how the 2dr sedan and convertible door trims are different. My quarters are shorter, as on a convertible, but I think we may have to cut the trim short at the fender anyway. I could probably use coupe quarter trim and shorten it at both ends.
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The door trim is the same whether a Tudor sedan or a convertible coupe.
The curve of the rear quarter trim is quite different between the Fordor and Tudor. I don't believe you can simply cut it shorter...
 
50Fraud said:
I plan to use '39 side trim on my phantom '40 convert (shown in post #19 of this thread: http://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=122229).

Both Drake and Carpenter offer repop stainless for this application, with a few differences. Drake does not catalog the upper hood side trim at all, while Carpenter does; the prices -- while in the same ballpark -- differ between the two, with Drake being cheaper for some parts while Carpenter is lower on others.

I would be tempted to buy the cheaper trim from both vendors, but I'm not sure they will match in profile and color; alternatively, I could buy everything from Carpenter (who does catalog every piece) but I don't know if his quality is comparable on trim parts.

I'm aware that people have complained about service from both vendors; I've actually had consistently better service from Drake.

Another question: Drake catalogs two different part numbers (and different prices) for convertible and 2-door door trim, but I thought that the two were the same length. Can anybody tell me what the difference is between the two? And does anybody have experience/recommendations regarding the trim from these two vendors?
Click to expand...

I beg to differ, :confused:I find both hood trim pieces upper and lower?? page 450 of Drakes catalog ?? I bought all my trim from Drake, 39 deluxe ?? ...OLD....BILL :cool:
 
Kube said:
The curve of the rear quarter trim is quite different between the Fordor and Tudor. I don't believe you can simply cut it shorter...
Click to expand...

I didn't say anything about a Fordor. I presume that the curve of the quarter trim is similar between a convert and a coupe, although the convert would be shorter at the front by the 6" difference in the length of the doors. I was saying that I could use the COUPE quarter trim, and shorten it at the front to approximate the convertible part.

OLD...BILL said:
I beg to differ, :confused:I find both hood trim pieces upper and lower?? page 450 of Drakes catalog ?? I bought all my trim from Drake, 39 deluxe ?? ...OLD....BILL :cool:
Click to expand...

Well, that is interesting. I was shopping their online catalog, and the upper hood trim is absent there. Based on your comment I just looked at my 2012 print catalog (page 406 in that one), and there it is. Thank you.
 
Kube said:
The door trim is the same whether a Tudor sedan or a convertible coupe.
Click to expand...

I would think so, but Drake shows different numbers:

91A-7720934 Cvt Cpe RH
91A-7720935 Cvt Cpe LH
91A-7020934 Tudor RH
91A-7020935 Tudor LH

...and in the online catalog, the prices are $40 Cvt, $35 Tudor.

I wrote them an email asking the difference, and why the absence of the hood trim from the online catalog. We'll see what they say.
 
From the Ford Body parts List book Feb 1939

RH Tudor door moulding 91A -7020934 40.74" long
RH Convert coupe door moulding 91A - 7620934 40.53" long.
Pretty close.

Rear 1/4's

Coupe 66.94"
Convert coupe 60.74"
Tudor 57.91"
Quite a difference.

As Kube says genuine convertible rear 1/4's are hard to come by.

Chris.NZ.
 
50Fraud said:
Yes, I would consider buying gennie parts. I had imagined that original '39 trim would be a bit scarce, and would of course involve additional expense for polishing. From your comment I guess it's fairly readily available?

I have mixed original and repop trim on my '50, and the difference was not noticeable. Is the situation different with prewar stuff?
Click to expand...
Here ya go! The entire set, authentic and NOS.
eBay #111235022929
 
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