Tar in rumble lid

[mrtexas]

I'm putting together the pile of parts that used to be a 29 roadster until I decided to paint it 4 years ago. Today's job was to weld in two washers into the oversize holes where the rumble handle goes thru the rumble lid. Once complete I couldn't get the hook the handle turns to reach out far enough to catch on the rumble latch plate.

I was poking with a screw driver inside the sheet metal and discovered that there was about 1/8 inch of hardened tar under the top of the latch mechanism. After I removed the tar, bingo the latch fit much better. It looks old and I'm wondering if anyone else has discovered the same?

The tar was at the bottom where the rumble skin is folded over the inner panel at the bottom of the picture:

 

[peters180a/170b]

Was it tar or a glob of paint?. thats what i have found. And boy is it hard to get off.

 

[mrtexas]

It was black tar.

Was it tar or a glob of paint?. thats what i have found. And boy is it hard to get off.

 

[MAG]

My coupe deck lid had something simular under the latch. It looked like some of the sound deading (?) stuff (paint?)that is inside the doors. And it had to be scraped off.

 

[Barry in St.Paul]

You'll find the same black gooey stuff on the inside of the doors, or at least I did.. I assumed it was original Ford sound dampening material, though kinda surprised it would be in the deck lid... a previous owner could have sprayed some in there too, I suppose.

 

[pat in Santa Cruz]

since you're in Texas, its probably from the BP oil spill. I hear that stuff is everywhere.

 

[TinCup]

If it wasn't for tar my whole rumble seat area would fall apart. I know what you mean that stuff is everywhere.