I don't want to burden the forum with what I am doing but I do want to provide some references for people that do searches in the future to help them with their projects. I just finished installing the top on my C cab. I don't know if I did it exactly the way I should but here is the result. I used pointers given to me by others on the forum and I appreciate the help. I put 1 layer of 10# black muslin down first and tacked the edges. Next, I put down a layer of 1/8" cotton batting made for blankets (from the local fabric store). I cut this to fit just to the edge of the roof to prevent the "muffin top" look that I was warned about. The cotton actually sticks to the muslin to prevent sliding around. It is almost like Velcro. The final layer was the Ford grain roof material (from Lang's) tacked around the edges. To ensure good stretch, I put my bullet heater to where it would blow into the cab and heat the roof since it is fairly cold in the garage right now. I didn't over stretch it but it was quite warm and it smoothed out nicely. Last, I put Hidem welt on the sides and front (I still have to finish hammering in the tacks and burying them into the welt). The back of the cab has the top material folded under and finished with black headed upholstery tacks. A lot of C cabs seem to have had metal strips around the edges buy mine was like I described originally. Ford must have changed the process at some point. For each step of tacking I only drove the nails in about 2/3 of the way until I was satisfied with the result. I then finished hammering them in and then hit them with a small punch to get them as flush as possible.
Great job, Justin!
Thanks for sharing your installations tips along with great pictures.
Justin, not a burden at all and wish you would post more photos of your restoration. What kind of bed do you have? Great job and as truck owners know they are very difficult do redo because they did not get treated like a baby during their life.
Justin, Really informative post, thanks for sharing the whole process. Harv
Suggestion, in the first photo you show a clipped corner. That really should be tucked so there is no raw edges. It would make a little bump on ether side but not much.
Very nice job on the cab.
Yes, the corners on the duck cloth should have been tucked to the front. The vinyl is tucked on the side so I don't think that it would have been noticeable at all. Hopefully it won't tear or unravel under there.
Erick, I don't have a bed for the truck. I started with the cab, then bought a chassis, and have been gathering all of the other parts to get it all together. I searched for a photograph of the truck but was never able to find one that was clearly that truck. The picture below is of the barn that my father and I took the cab out of. If you look closely in the background, there is a truck that has a high probability of being my C cab but due to the poor picture quality I'll never be sure. As a side note, when we pulled the cab out of the barn in the late 1980's after many hours of digging through horse harness, old hay, and raccoon crap we put the cab in the same spot that the tractor in the picture is sitting. My grandmother's cousin was the last of the family still alive and living on the farm so my father had to dicker on price with her to get the cab. To show how rusted it was he shoved his finger through the cowl. Upon seeing that she was okay with letting it go for $150 if I remember correctly (I was only about 14 at the time). I kept that cowl with the finger hole to hang on the wall as a souvenir.
I thought that was the top materiel. My bad!
Gorgeous cab Justin !! You are, indeed, an artisan. I wish I had one of those hard-to-find- C Cab upper windshield frames!
Hi Justin, I have a 1925 TT with the enclosed cab and the express bed. I started with just the frame and bought cabs from the mid west and the bed came from outside of Harrisburg PA. I am in Vineland NJ 08360 and if you are looking for some parts maybe I can help. A few weeks back on Craigslist near the East side of PA there was a frame, rears and wheels.
Thanks for the comments. Erick, I am basically down to just needing a bed. I would like to have a Ford Script flatbed or an express bed (wishful thinking) but if I don't come up with one I'll build a wood bed for it. If you know of any nice ones witin a reasonable distance from western PA I would be interested.
1st i say nice job secondly i like these pics coz i be working on my tt c cab one of these days
I bought a c cab in colorado and it has the ford truck logo bed
Is this what your looking for if so drop me a line i be willing part with it as i going put a wrecker crane on it
Bob
Bob, congrats on buying the C cab. I wondered what kind of condition that was in. I am looking for a script bed but unless I had a way to reasonably transport it from out your way to PA it might be a little tough. There is a decent looking wrecker crane for sale up here in eastern PA on E bay...too bad Jim the hauler wasn't making a west coast to east coast trip. I would like to see the bed, however, so I'll send you a PM with my email.
Justin, I have an extra express bed disassembled. I have never had a P.M. sent to me but try it and I will watch for one.