considering a repro dash rail for my rpu

1930pu

1930pu

Senior Member
I am thinking of getting a repro dash rail for my 1930 rpu, and was wondering if anyone has used one and how good they fit, and any recomendations on where to get it, I imagine they are probably all made by the same people, but don't know for sure, thanks for all the help!!
 
i was told that the repo dash rails do not fit that great. never bought one personally
 
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Good originals are pretty tough to find and from experience I can tell you the repros do not fit well either straight from the box. An evening or two with a welder & grinder can make it work though.


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I think that Howells is the only one that makes this part. I bought one for my 30 roadster from a vendor that sells Howells parts. The vendor said it would take some work to fit the part. The vendor said that some fit better than others and if it wouldn't fit I could return the part for a full refund, shipping and all. The new part looked good at first glance but came no where close to fitting. Rather than cutting, welding and reshapeing, I sent the part back. I didn't want to ask the vendor to take back the part after I had modified it and still couldn't make it work so I just sent it back as I received it and got a refund . I've been a bodyman for nearly 50 years and I am use to making parts fit. I was finally able to make my original part work after much welding and patching. Good luck, I've been there.

I was getting desperate for a useable part, Nobody had a used one that was any better than the one that I had and it was junk. I did turn one down at a swap meet because it had suffered a botched up repair with brass.
 
On my Brookville repro roadster, the previous owner had painted the body and the gas tank separately without pre-fitting the tank. I had the pleasure of trying to install the original tank into the repro body with the repro dash rail. After much cussing and some blood I got it to fit without doing too much damage. At first glance I thought it would never fit, but I kept working at it and got it together without reworking any metal. Now a repro dash rail on an original body may be a different story.
 
I bought a repo about 13 years ago for my '30 Sport Coupe. Didn't fit worth a damn. Wound up welding and filling the extra holes on the original and finally gave the repo away. If I remember right, it was fiberglass.
 
Thanks for all the input, I have an original; but needs work, I guess I will start on the original thanks for all the help I get here!!!!!!!!!!
 
Even More Help?

I bought an open '30 that looked great until the tank started peeing on my trousers and the squeaking from the dash was louder than the engine. The fuel leak became dangerous so out came the leaky tank. The noise from the dash turned out to be the rail, stripped of its captured nuts. Like none left. Also was a generous skim coat of filler that crumbled when the remaining screws were removed. temporarily pulled the part off of my roadster and found many the original fine 5/16 fine threaded nuts to be cross threaded. Brookville lists a replacement rail. Found it has 1/4-20 nuts and could use some fill to deal with the irregularities. Most of the fit was filing clearance on the ends as I choose to ignore the blems. Brookville's part is useful but not a direct replacement. Not cheap. Having Fun, Fred A
 
The best way to fit the repro. dash rail is to buy the repro cowl and have the original firewall installed by them [ Brookville].I tried that 6 years ago and it worked out fine..Finding a good useable roadster.phaeton 1930/31 dash rail is as tight as a frogs butt. and that's water tight !
 
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