Truck based woody

Not into spending big money for a vinyl top kit from some woodie outfit. What would a small town company use if they were located near a resort in Colorado in 1947 and a resort hotel ordered a cowl/chassis from ford and hired them to build a 'depot hack' to pick up their clientle at the railway station? I envision an army tarp stretched very neatly and carefully and perhaps many coats of black paint. I think maybe roll on bedliner brushed fore and aft. I doubt this would leak. We need to keep in mind it's not what 'Henry' did here, it's what a small time boat builder/coachworks/out of work gypsy wagon builder would have done to complete the task in 1947.
 
Snouts out said:
You might use roll rubber roofing,painted with MP1 sealent.MP1 is flexible and won't leak!
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Thanks for the tip. Does the roll rubber roofing have a trade name I could look up? Have you used it before and would it conform to the compound curve on the rear corners? I predict that will be tough area to get right no matter what I use. Sorry if I sound like I'm always being super cheap on this build, but I'm still playing catch-up from the long recession in the building trades. It's better than it was five years ago, but not like what I'd gotten used to. Someone recently made a comment about his cars being 'rolling IRAs'. I liked that. Well, it's 4:30, coffee's on and it's out to work on the woodie til my employee shows up at 8 and reminds me it's time to go to work. :rolleyes:
 
GB, the vinyl stuff might not be that expensive, compared to canvas and the coatings necessary to make it waterproof. The compound curves will be tough regardless of what material you use. Great project.
 
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I've been following this thread with interest and commend your obvious skills! I purchased my top material from Ed Clarke the "woodieologist" in Larchmont NY 35 years ago. It is short grained vinyl over canvas similar to a Model A. I installed it per his instructions and it still fits tight as a drum today and still looks new after 50K miles in all kinds of weather. My point is explore the options but keep in mind that the top will show as much as the finish paint. Check Lebaron/Bonney they still stock the material. Sometimes you got to stretch a little...JMHO Bill
 
Thanks Bill. I know there are areas where I can stretch a buck and some I can't. I bought nice Eastern maple for the frame even though I was tempted to use the softer and far less costly Western big leaf maple which is sometimes available from small local mills. I'm glad I spent the money now that time has passed. Roof material just might be the same.
 
Goodyear makes roofing rubber. I delivered urethane insulation for 20 yrs. it was used commercial buildings, mostly flat roofs. The rubber goes over it. I think it lasts 50 yrs right out in the sun. If you want to try it I have some pieces I think are big enough for your roof. Shipping is on me. If I ever get to Washington..... Take me for a ride.... MARK
 
flatford8 said:
Goodyear makes roofing rubber. I delivered urethane insulation for 20 yrs. it was used commercial buildings, mostly flat roofs. The rubber goes over it. I think it lasts 50 yrs right out in the sun. If you want to try it I have some pieces I think are big enough for your roof. Shipping is on me. If I ever get to Washington..... Take me for a ride.... MARK
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Wow! I just ran in from the shop to check email. I'll pm you at lunch. How thick is it?
 
Loving your project. Cant wait to see how you handle the doors and windows.

PS: I like your idea of a canvas roof. I recently saw a restoration on a train car and that's just what they used. Whatever you go with I think you need to use something with a texture. The rubber roofing that I have used before just wouldn't look right IMO.
 
38bill said:
Loving your project. Cant wait to see how you handle the doors and windows.

PS: I like your idea of a canvas roof. I recently saw a restoration on a train car and that's just what they used. Whatever you go with I think you need to use something with a texture. The rubber roofing that I have used before just wouldn't look right IMO.
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If it would adhere, I could coat the rubber with bedliner applied with a stiff brush for the fore and aft texture. We know that whatever they use to glue the seams on this stuff will stick to it. I'd love to play with a scrap of it before shipping. I am open to helpful comments on my project.
 
Hi GB;
Been following your adventures from the git go. Not sure you would be interested but I have a 47 truck V8 & ****** 3 speed matching numbers that I would be willing to let go. The bad is the block has a crack about a 1" long 1/2 way down # 8 cylinder. I had the machine shop mag & pressure test it. They epoxied the crack for the test & it tested ok. This is torn down & cleaned & will need a rebuild & bore job. Not sure you want to fool with it but thought I would let you know. The other bad is I'm in Az now & won't be up to Oregon till some time in April. Should you want pics send me an E mail @ rdiegan@gmail.com. I also have a 53 merc block & 4" crank.They both(47 V8 & 53merc) have std. bore now & I have about $1100+, invested in both engines & ****** & machine shop the machine shop bill was $350. Lots of parts like flywheels,starter & timing covers,pans,clutch & PPlate,generater,intakes,& waterpumps&heads &stock cams & lifters. pretty much two complete engines & one ******.
Beings that I'm 82+ I doubt that I will ever get to use them so they are going bye,bye.

Regards, B-O-B
 
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Thanks. I have a couple of decent engines that I'm working on, but do need parts and pieces and a 3 speed 1/2 ton truck ****** and driveline. I plan to go to the Portland swap meet in April. I went there 25 years ago, but have only been to two swap meets since. Raised 4 kids and weekends were always sports etc. They are all grown now and all live in Seattle, so now I can do what I want, within reason!
 
I actually have some EPDM rubber roofing and some Herculiner textured bed liner. I could try it out for you to see if it sticks. Just let me know.
 
38bill said:
I actually have some EPDM rubber roofing and some Herculiner textured bed liner. I could try it out for you to see if it sticks. Just let me know.
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I'd like that. I picture applying with a course brush. Maybe even follow up with careful 'grain' strokes with an old fashioned whisk broom. Or rolling it on and chasing with the whisk broom. I'm hoping the material isn't too thick. I plan on holding it down on the edges with a rain gutter. I have seen it in aluminum for 'canned ham' travel trailers. Sometimes called J metal. It would get painted black. When I first started this project by sawing the pickup's cab off, I was being pretty casual about the details, but after so much labor and trial and error design, I have become more uptight about the finished product. I really want it to look as if it were built in the 40s. If I went with the rubber and it's quite thick then it might not need padding or anything under it. Not too familiar with soft tops. Thanks again for all the help! Edit: Maybe a scuffing with 80 grit before the bed liner. Like we do before patching a tube. Nothing like a little bit of 'tooth' for adhesion.
 
I'll give it a try and get back to you. The Hurculiner has rubber partials in it so as its rolled on it leaves a nice stippled finish. I'm pretty sure that you would need some kind of backer to prevent the roof stringers from telescoping through. Here's a photo of a ice fishing house I built. The rubber membrane is glued down with contact cement to a 1/4" plywood sheathing. The edges are wrapped over and stapled to the side and the cut edge is covered with an alum trim. My roofing came with seams in it every 10'.
fishhouseroof.jpg
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Just measured my roof covering for width. It's 66" wide. From LeBaron/Bonney they still stock it. About $25./yd plus shipping!Took a pic now lets see if I can upload it...Bill
 

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I just measured my roof. 63 1/2" gutter to gutter. So 66" would give just barely enough to hold onto for stretching. Working alone the length was hard to measure, but 128" would be ample. Got a start on welding up my steel pillar to roof stringer brackets this morning. I'm waiting for the 3m 5200 sealant to cure on the driver's side maple frame before fitting the last sections of maple in place. Never a dull moment around here.....
 
rustynutz said:
Most common rubber membrane is .060 thickness although .040 is available.
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Mark said the material is about look and feel of an inner tube but a lot thicker. I just held my digital caliper at .060 and .040 and it looks about like a truck inner tube in thickness. Therefore the thickness would be about right. It's outside of the box and would need some texture to it, but everything I do seems to be outside the box. At 25 per yard, the Lebarron Bonney material would be about 200 bucks and that won't break the bank and it's a known commodity. I might clean a square of innertube material and try some preliminary tests. In the meantime I made some progress on my steel brackets last night and this morning. Maybe finish the gusseted brace at the B pillar after work. It will get a curved triangular gusset similar to one I see in that location on a photo of a '47 station wagon woodie.
 

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