Instructions for Fordor top wood kit

1930fordor

1930fordor

Member
I just bought a 1930 Fordor (Murray body) It came with a new wood kit for the top. All the wood pieces are numbered but there were no instructions in the box.

Should the wood kit normally come with instructions?
I would think the wood should be removed and installed in some order.
Should I brace all the corners and the center door posts and then remove all the old wood before installing the new wood?
Can anybody give me some tips before I start?

Thanks Doug
 
You might check the Murray illustrations at Fordwood.com. The illustrations might be of some help. Sorry can't help with the rest
 
Hey 1930fordoor-- Same boat I was in last summer when I got a kit for my pick-up. The wood was pretty straight forward, being a p.u.,but it came with about a skillion pieces of hardware. Well when I called the "ford parts supplier" he told me to buy Les Andrews # 2 book that showed the procedure. Of course, he'll sell it to me for 30 some odd bucks from the back of his catalog!! ---It took me a while, but I did it myself! Good luck!
 
I think Les book only covers the wood in the coupe, 2 door and pu. I will look and see and report back tomorrow when I get home.
 
I made all my own wood but I can tell you if you take it all apart and keep track of the pieces you will be able to match them up with the new pieces. After laying out and assembling the new floor frame start to reassemble the cowl area first up the front door post then work back. Cowl area is very important - it sets the firewall to radiator distance, the front header width and height (and door hinge alignment to door skins and cowl metal)

Caution-- if you are replacing the floor frame be sure to measure AND RECORD all relevent dims of frame to floor, to radiator mount holes and firewall to radiator mount holes.

If you need more help let me know. There are many more details I know.

Good Luck Bill G
 
I hope no one minds me doing a little selling here, But if you can use seven Murray Fordor window frames I have them. I'm asking $ 150. The previous owner aquired them and didn't realise Murray and Briggs were different. I got them with the car and am looking for a home for them.
Terry
 
I have priced the wood kits for my 1930 Town Sedan and am still in schock! At least $4000! I'm going to try fabricating the wood myself! Some I'll buy, such as the windshield Header. Too many Radii, angles Etc.
1St- Does it have to be Ash? Can maple or Oak be used?
2nd- How tight or loose can the bolt holes be?
3Rd- How much shrinkage has taken place in eighty years?
Just a few questions that come to mind for now.
Terry



Bill Goddard said:
I made all my own wood but I can tell you if you take it all apart and keep track of the pieces you will be able to match them up with the new pieces. After laying out and assembling the new floor frame start to reassemble the cowl area first up the front door post then work back. Cowl area is very important - it sets the firewall to radiator distance, the front header width and height (and door hinge alignment to door skins and cowl metal)

Caution-- if you are replacing the floor frame be sure to measure AND RECORD all relevent dims of frame to floor, to radiator mount holes and firewall to radiator mount holes.

If you need more help let me know. There are many more details I know.

Good Luck Bill G
Click to expand...
 
My floor frame was oak. Everything above that was maple. I have heard stories of different wood even soft wood like pine but I don't believe the softwoods were used. I replaced my floor frame in oak and everything above is ash because I had ash available.

There is not much shrinkage lengthwise in any hardwood and there is more shrinkage across the grain. No doubt 80 yrs has shrunk the wood but remember the sheet metal is what ultimately determines the fit of the outside skin. Make the wood fit the sheetmetal. My wood was extremely rotted but I used what was left to make patterns and the parts seemed to fit the metal.

Don't drill any holes till you have to. I used bolts where required more freely than screws. I used minimum screws to hold things in place until I was sure of the final fit. Where three screws were used in a joint I would use only one to save the wood for final tight fit.

Do not glue the wood parts together. They need to flex a bit as car rolls down the road. Also individual parts are more easily replaced. Make note of how strips of asphalt soaked fabric tape are used between wood and metal to prevent sqeeks.

Bill G
 
Installation is the reverse of removal.

Ford was clever with the wood. You may find some wood is actually laminated. I can not help but wonder if lamination was done to keep the wood more stable.

Making your own wood can be VERY time consuming and may require the purchase of some good wood working tools. The base cost of the wood stock may also get pricey. So in the end you will have spent a huge amount of time and way more money then you expected.

Obviously, if you access to wood stock and a good set of tools then the costs come down. You will still have to invest a significant amount of time.

In any event, as I found out with building my cabriolet. You must start with a level straight frame and build up from there. Have you mind set to take it apart and put it back together many times. Always screw the wood and metal down tight, basic mock ups with a few vice grips is not the same and screw you up.
 
Doug -

We have just finished replacing all of the wood in a '29 Briggs, so the process should be essentially the same. While the car is still intact, the caveat to take multiple measurements is a good first start. From there, we initially replaced most of the wood in the doors, but used the original remaining wood where possible to insure an accurate fit. Next we set the cowl and began working the floor back from there (the notches for the center posts were not cut until after the tub was in place and we were certain that all alignment issues had been resolved. If you are able to take picutes of either your car or another car with all of the wood intact, this may also help to resolve questions down the road that will no doubt surface upon re-assembly.
 
(Hit the wrong key and sent the post before completing my comments...) We installed the front doors in order to begin to determine the placement of the rear section by inserting the center posts and then strapping the front doors, center posts, and rear doors together to begin to get a rough estimate of the rear tub. We also removed the braces that were rivited to the body so that we could string a wire across these dimensions to pull the body flex up tight. Its amazing how much sag and flex there is inthe sheet metal before the wood is attached. As a side note, we used sheetrock screwws or something similar to set general placement, and then removed them or depending on the joint, ran them up tight for the final fit. Once the floor section is determined to be correct, we moved to the body wood and finally the top. We also completely fitted all of the wood before tearing everything down and coming back up with final gluing and screwing. The process is not difficult, just very time consuming and will require several test fits before the final gaps can be determined for doors and final alignment of panels. One area that we did go back and "re-do" once the final fit had been completed, was to disassemble the center posts assemblies and take an additional quarter-inch off the sides of the wood post. This allowed for more clearance between the doors and the post(s). I may have some patterns for floor sills etc. if you need, but regardless, please let me know if I can give you any guidance (based on my experieces) as you progress through this phase of your restoration.

Good Luck --

Dick
 
Boy, I'll glad I'm working on a S/W sedan! I had to replace only the roof wood, and the kit worked out pretty well.

Doug
 
Thanks for the quick replies. I also just ran into a book (How to Restore Your Model A Volume 4) and they had an article on replacing a wood top on a Victoria.

From what I read so far I don`t need to brace the top but take a lot of measurement before I take it apart.

Then I would do the front header first then the side rails, rib rails, ribs then the rear header last.

Can I take out all the top wood out with out bracing?

Thanks Doug
 
On mine, the top wood had the chicken wire and was removeable after I removed staples attaching wire to front header. With top wood out you are left with a rectangular structure- front header, back header, and two side door headers. This will keep the body door post etc in place without separate bracing. I did make hardwood sticks up with bolt holes at the ends to place across existing joints so I could check the position of the new joints. This is not coming across very well without a picture or a one- on- one explanation. 717-880-6077. We are not far apart if you are in Phili area. Bill G
 
Thanks Bill, that makes perfect sense. I live up in Campbell River BC Canada. I guess I better add my location to my profile.
 
I don't know where I got the idea you were nere Phili. Must have been one of the other posts. I have books and magazines up to my chin and I know there is no literature on restoring early 4 dr sedans with the wood frame and upper works. We are on our own for the Briggs and Murrey bodies. $4000 is about right when you add up all the sub kits. I am told interest in 4 drs is relatively new. A few years ago everyone wanted tudors and coups and that was all you could buy parts for.

Call me if you need help.

Bill G
 
I like the Fordor and I am looking forward to getting it on the road. I bought a Tudor (body only) last year and I have a lot body work to do on that car, you can see the progress here on the Tudor. The Fordor doesn't require much body work.
 
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