Repair panel suggestions.

M

Martinbuilt

Senior Member
I've got my sport coupe tub set up on a steel table with casters. Much rust repair is needed on the subrails and trunk area.
A few months ago, I bought some triangular braces from Snyders and have only now looked at them.
My car is a '29.
The size and shape of the new ones are way off. Are there different braces for different years?
I hate to cut these up, but it may be necessary to get the tops lined up.
I'll include a photo of the tub, and new brace clamped in.
 

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I know that there are two different corner gussets available. They don't explain well which one works for which application. Likely a difference between trunk and rumble applications. Folks find this out when converting one way or the other.
 
Here's a picture that I saved from somewhere that might help. I think it might be best to get the subframe replacement in place as a starting step. Mike's Affordable shows that the Sport Coupe and Cabriolet use a different one than the Roadster/Coupe version for all 1928-31's.

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attachment.php
 

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The 28-29 lower panel is shorter than 30-31. I think you were sent 30-31.
Correct on cabriolet… I don’t think it’s available; I usually have to make them if missing or really bad
 
Thanks for the info. Mine were really tattered, that photo is pretty helpful. I might be able to pie cut this new brace, and change the step at the top if I can't find something that fits.
Depends on whether the bottom tabs are wrong too.
I'll check Mikes.
 
Looking at the crumbs, I'm almost positive my car needs the cab/sport coupe version.
At least I learned something. Hopefully, they are in stock. Mike's website allows you to buy things, even if they don't have them.
I ordered a waffle tool and a rivet buck in April and only found out they were backordered when I called.
 
Mike’s is way down my of vendors. If Bert’s, Snyder’s, Bratton, Tams, Arizona, Wescott don’t have it….I’m sure it can’t be “got”!
 
Thanks for that list. I hadn't heard of half of them.
I called Mike's this morning. Although they were showing "out of stock" the c/s guy went looking and found a set. They should be on their way tomorrow.

I'll post something when they arrive, so we can see how they fit.

Also, Bratton had the waffle tool I've been waiting months for. All in all, today was a win.
 
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So.
This might be of interest to some. Often, on these forums, people post questions or start a project and you never find out how it gets resolved.
My cab/sport coupe panels arrived today from Mike's.
They almost fit, some of the holes line up..
I'm not super-impressed though. When compared to the coupe/roadster braces from Snyders, there's significant difference in quality.
Finish is okay, but the Snyders panel is .062" (very close to the original) and the new one only .036" thick.
Probably fine, but it's a big difference.
There are a bunch of attachment points, but I think that curved trunk panel is fixed to this piece. I don't know how much stress that puts on it.
This car is not going to be judged, ever, but I want it to be solid.
Should I use these new panels, or cut up the others so they fit?
I should be able to return whichever will don't use.
 

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What gauge metal do they appear to be? Mic them if you can. Those should be at least 18 gauge…20 is too thin, imho. The holes not being exact is not a big problem…just make the holes work.
 
I did mic them. The charts I found online shows 16ga for the snyders panel, 20ga for the new panels from Mike's.
I'm inclined to make the heavier pair work.
 
I put a micrometer on the one in the right side of my 29 Sport Coupe and it measured closer to 15 gauge at 0.069" but it has paint on it. Ford rolled their own sheet metal so the parts don't always match the common US gauges. 16 gauge would be close enough.

I looked at the pieces that Snyder's sells and they match the ones that Brookville sells. They are unfinished and would require trimming, drilling, and adjustment to match the ones in my Sport Coupe. The ones in my coupe look like the ones from Mike's but they are certainly thicker metal. They appear to be made to work with either the curved panel (rumble application) or the trunk rear pan. There are drilled hole's that could be used either way.

It seems that Brookville was trying to make parts that could be modified for any of the different applications. Some mods would take more work than others but it likely could be done with the right tools and skill set.
 
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I usually make them of 18 or 16. They are pretty captive with other panels. But the deck lid indirectly puts pressure there and needs support. 20 is just too thin
 
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