Floorboard question

W

wrndln

Well-known member
I am making some planked floorboards for my 28 special coupe and early 29 phaeton. They use the same floorboards that has the emergency brake handle in front of the gear shifter. I have a question about planked floorboard dimensions. I have pasted in a link to Steve Watrous' drawings that show the dimensions of various model A floorboards, below. Anyway, looking at the width of the floorboard at the widest part (rear of car) it shows 32" which I believe is correct. However, the dimension from the left side to the center of the shift tower cutout is shown as 16 5/32" (lower left corner of drawing). This means the shift tower is 5/32" off center toward the passenger side. I would have bet a lot of money the shift tower was in the exact center of the car (i.e. of the floorboard), with the center of the cutout 16" from the rear edge and not 16 5/32" like the drawing shows. Does anyone know if this is correct? I don't want to cut the hole one way and then find out it is off by 5/32". I don't currently have a car that has the transmission tower in place that I could easily measure. Measuring the distance from the passenger side of the shift tower cutout to the outer floorboard edge and doing the same for the drivers side would provide the information I am looking for. If they are 5/32" different, Steve's drawing would be correct. Any help would be appreciated.

http://stevewatrous.com/pdf/ford/a35131-c-sht1of1.pdf
 
I'm not sure why this drawing has such complicated dimensions. I just happen to have an original floorboard out this a.m. from a 3/29 coupe (center e-brake car). The top edge dimensions left to right are 12 and 5/16" from the top left corner to the left edge of the cutout and 10 and 1/4" from the right edge of the cutout to the top right corner. This is also the same measurement as the original floorboard in my 14K mike original late 10/28 fordor. Hope this is of some help to you.
 
Measuring from a Nov '28 (by engine no.) roadster original floorboard:

Width at bottom 32 3/32

Height 17 3/16 (Appears drawing is wrong edge of bevel)

Squaring down from the drawing cutout-both sides of the R1 23/32 circle to the bottom and bisecting, I get 16 1/16 left side and 16 1/32 right side.

Go back to center of shift cutout, go up to the horizontal jog to the right, draw a horizontal line side to side, I get 12 3/4 to left side of cutout and 12 3/4- to right side from square corner.

From center point at bottom to first screw hole either side; to left is 8- and right is 8+

Cuts on original boards are a bit crude, so measurements can vary slightly.

Harold Parizek
 
Thanks so much Steve, Harold, and Dudley. I believe there is about a 1/8" to 5/32" offset from you guys' posts and Steve W's drawing. It appears Steve Watrous' drawing it correct. I had always thought the shift tower was centered. I didn't want to make the floorboard and have it not fit right. It is more time consuming to make than I had thought.
Thanks again.
 
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I PM Rusty, I'm wrong. I redid it off a NOS empty lid and it shows that it is square.
I will redo the NOS lid in the mill with digitals Monday( shop next door to me) and
report back.

Dudley
 
Does anyone have a copy of the original floorboard drawings, top and bottom boards, for a 31??
 
I thought the floorboard centerline was figured out - should be shifted to the passenger side about 5/32" as the center of the shift tower hole. If you click on the link in the previous post by Dudley, you will see a strange thing. On the later floorboard with the diagonal battery cutout, the centerline where the shift towers hole is cut is exactly in the center i.e. 16" in from the rear side of the floorboard. What gives! The early floorboard drawing shows the shift tower cutout at 16 5/32" in from the drivers side for the shift tower. I can't believe 28/29 (early floorboards) and 30/31 (late style floorboards) shift towers would be in different locations. Can anyone explain the difference? I never before noticed the centerline dimension on the later floorboard on Steve Watrous' website until now, as I never needed to make a later style floorboards.
Rusty Nelson
Lakeville, MN
 
Thanks D.J. I saw those ones. I'm looking for a copy of the original drawings. I have seen the original floorboard drawings published somewhere but I don't remember where. Maybe someone knows?
 
Just removed the shift tower from the mill, it is within .010 side to side, its NOT offset.
I looked at A & L catalog, it shows floor board prints for $1.00 specify year. I know
the tin piece is off set, for the center e-brake. Best guess, Rusty, to get the boards
out of the car?

Dudley
 
Dudley,
I have a copy of the A&L blueprints for 28/29 floorboards. They are not that good. They are not Ford blueprints. It is missing some dimensions and other dimensions are slightly different than I think they should be. I think Steve Watrous's drawings are better. I can send a copy of the blueprint to you if you want to see it. I went ahead and made the cutouts for the battery cover and shift tower. I used my bandsaw with a 1/8" wide blade. It worked real well, going really slow. I finished the cut edges with a sanding drum kit I bought years ago. The drum goes onto a drill press. It quickly cleans up the small vertical saw marks from the bandsaw. I just hope the floorboard fits when I put in the car with the transmission and tower in place. There is only a little more than an 1/8" offset, so I decided to just go ahead and cut the shift tower hole offset slightly.
Rusty
 
Rusty,

Check your email. Now, were did you find the T & G boards, also I thought they had
different widths....you know what I mean?

Dudley
 
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