'24 coupe top

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: '24 coupe top
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Holcomb, Watertown WI on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 09:27 am:

Does the top on a '24 coupe use chicken wire under the padding? Also, I have been told conflicting information as to the type of top material, long grain, short grain, pebble. What are the common opinions?
thanks,
Brian


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rick Goelz-Knoxville,TN on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 09:36 am:

Brian, they did not have the wire under the padding,but it makes for a smoother ,stiffer top.

Rick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 09:36 am:

Originally Ford didnt use chicken wire. Some recommend it to make a tighter and smoother top which is does help in that regard. As far as top material goes sometimes you use whats avaliable and mostly its the long grain. But for me it boils down to how close you want to keep it 'original'. You cant see the chicken wire after everything is installed so thats OK for me. My 24 Coupe has the long grain on it as thats what came with the kit I bought. Was it original? Probably not but it looks good and period correct to me. My opinion.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Holcomb, Watertown WI on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 09:57 am:

I'm just trying to make it look good, and as correct as possible without breaking the bank!
I guess I'm on the same page with you John. It may not be 100% but its close. When I got the car last year, it had been parked in a shed since 1962 and it had long grain on it when I got it, along with chicken wire.
Now, I bought a Cartouche kit. it came with long grain, foam pad, and white cloth. Am I correct that the chicken wire goes first followed by the cloth then the foam and finally the long grain?
Brian


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 10:06 am:

Here is a How-To link for coupe roof, this one uses the chicken wire method too.

http://www.cimorelli.com/projects/new_roof/newcouperoof.html


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Halpin on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 12:55 pm:

Unless you live in farm country, don't be real surprised when you go looking for 'chicken wire' when some kid in a hardware store gives you a lost look. Apparently, it's known as 'poultry enclosure' these days.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 02:34 pm:

Brian, You didnt say if you were going to replace the headliner or not but if you are put the headliner in FIRST and then the rest will go on from there.
Again it depends if the headliner is still decent since the car was in a shed. I replaced the headliner in my 24 Coupe and also the headliner as it was pretty well gone because of age and wasp nests.
I used the link that Dan has to give me an idea on how to do the headliner and it did help.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Brian Holcomb, Watertown WI on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 03:33 pm:

John,
Yes, I replaced the headliner. I got it from Classtique, it fit perfect!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Sosnoski on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 04:05 pm:

There was no chicken wire used in the Model T bodies. If you want to use it or not is your choice, but Ford did not use it.

The correct top material is a hard question to answer. It appears that they were using the Cobra Long Grain, Cobra Short Grain and possibly another pattern known as the Madrid Grain (which is what is used on the later open car seats). I don't know exactly how they were using this, if there was a change at some point to the different grains, or if they were just using whatever was available. The material specification just says "leather like grain", per the engineering sample.

It's important to understand that the grain patterns produced today are not exactly the same as those produced during the Model T era. So while the Cobra Long Grain is correct, the long grain pattern available today does not look the same as the original. The actual pattern is the same, but the current material has the grain embossed much more deeply than the original. In my opinion, the Cobra Short Grain gives the most "correct" look.

The pebble grain as far as I can tell was not used on the closed cars. It was only used on the open cars.
Dave S.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By joe bell on Tuesday, May 29, 2012 - 04:33 pm:

Brian,
I used the chicken wire on my fordor and unless you staple every hole you will have a high spot, I will never use it again, I am afraid some day it will poke through. Joe


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By kep NZ on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - 01:54 am:

What did they use instead of chicken wire?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Sosnoski on Wednesday, May 30, 2012 - 12:55 pm:

Nothing. The top bows were covered with a layer of muslin, followed by a layer of cotton batting, followed by the top material.

Dave S.


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