1926 Roadster Rocker Panel Question.

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2008: 1926 Roadster Rocker Panel Question.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Travis E. Towle on Friday, October 17, 2008 - 10:59 pm:

1926 Roadster - rocker panel below doors.

I had a body guy replace these rocker panels with new repos and he CUT the line in RED all the way through in all 4 areas. Was it supposed to be this way?

IF NOT how do I fix this now? I was thinking about using kelvlar renforced bondo and then grinding the seem so it is a sealed seem.





Travis
Topeka, Kansas


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace on Saturday, October 18, 2008 - 09:15 am:



View of early '26 body, mfg Nov 1925. These bodies used a zinc sill plate screwed to the door sills. Note panel running on subframe to rear of car has no junction seam, later bodies have a seam just past the runabout tub on this panel.

The later bodies used a formed in place sill plate with Ford script embossed in the steel.

Your pics show I think the inside of the sill area? If so, there should be no cuts, filling would be a good idea.


This is a '27 body with patches for rust, and damage so not every thing is correct. Built this body for just a fun tour car. The lower sill panel is the Howell's part, fitted over the subframe rail. and later to be covered with the '26 version alum sill plate with Ford script that Howell's also makes. An original '27 would have the one piece steel sill panel in this spot.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Arnie on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 08:42 pm:

Dan:

The seam to the rear of the "bun panel" has been a question of mine for many years. I am not talking about the seam by under the rear of the front door in what is today called the rocker panel. I am talking about the one to the rear of the "Bun Panel".

I have seen both a lap seam of the metal that would be covered by the rear fender, as well as a seam that is farther forward and has a metal embossing (vertical line) where the two panels come together. I went to the Benson Research Center (July 2008)and could not locate the original drawings for those parts. (I was hoping to find a drawing revision that would show both styles, but no luck!). Some people tell me the part that does not have the vertical embossment at the junction is just people incorrectly doing body work. Patch panels tend to indicate one style is for pickup trucks and the other for Roadsters (Macs #TM381 and #TM382). Can you shed any light on this?

Another question is how do you know your body is an early 1926, mfg in Nov 1925? I have what I think is an early 1926 but have no way to identify the date of manufacture as the engine is a replacement. Do you have another way to identify when the body was made?

Now a different topic! My 1926 Roadster does not appear to have holes to mount the turtle back to the back of the rear of the body. Said another way the turtle back has four holes to mount the base of the turtle back to the frame. The turtle back and body do not appear to have the two holes on each side in the verticle portion near the left and right sides of the body. I would add pictures but it is already assembled. I looked at your pictures and could not tell if you have the two holes in the body on each side in the vertical ends of the body. Perhaps you can take another picture of that area. Not having the two vertical holes on each side to mount the turtleback is one of the reasons I think I have an early 26 Roadster. Perhaps the relative movement of the body and turtle back resuled in adding the four extra mounting bolts (just an assumption on my part).

Also I could not find a serial number stamped on either side of the frame making me think it is early. One problem is the frame has a rear crossmember with a hat section which is the later style. However inspection indicated that the rear crossmember was bolted in place which is incorrect, so I am back to thinking it is an early 26 Roadster.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 09:01 pm:

I think your Roadster was originally a pickup. The ones that came from the factory as pickups did not have those holes.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Arnie on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:06 pm:

Norm:

The interesting part is that both the turtle deck and body do not appear to have the two vertical holes near the end width of the body and turtle deck on each side. I do not see any evidence of welding up any holes in the turtle deck so I assume that the turtle deck did not ever have the two vertical holes on each side of the vertical front portion on the turtle deck. I wounder if any other turtle decks are out there without the two vertical holes on each side. I am trying to determine if I have an early turtle deck and that a possible improvement was made in later models to more firmly tie the turtle deck and body.

Arnie


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:13 pm:

Arnie

Bruce's book shows some of the body difference from the early to late runabouts and tourings.
Such as notch bump out at door hinge sill near dashboard, later bodies didn't have it. 4 holes at the stanchion, early body has only 3. Door cast zinc fittings, later body doors have raised metal rim around the side curtain hole. Inside pad riveted to cowl to pad the gas tank, later bodies used a cardboard pad and no rivets thru the cowl into the engine compartment....the list goes on and on.

My T was original unmolested, early Nov '25 mfg, and has all the early features. No frame stamp of the motor on the frame, rear cross member with flanges but without holes for spring clip as later frames had.


Underside cowl with gas tank removed, note chalk mark number from factory worker, woven fabric pad is riveted to cowl, later body had cardboard panel to pad the whole tank.

Early door with zinc fitting in curtain rod hole


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Arnie on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 04:29 pm:

Dan:

I better ask one question at a time and number them!

1. Does your body on each side at the back end have two holes to mount the turtle deck?

2. Does your turtle deck on each vertical side at the end of its width have two horizontal holes to mount the turtle deck to the body in addition to the 2 vertical holes on each side by the floor to mount the turtle deck to the frame?

3. Does the bun panel have an embossed end or just a flat end that goes over the steel panel over the rear side body rail? I ask this as I seem to be the "Lone Ranger" with this configuration around here, but I believe that other vehicles were made this way.

And a comment, I thought that the rear crossmember was early with only an inverted U shape and late with a hat shape. Please explain what you mean by "without holes for spring clip?

Mr. Tom Carnegie indicated to me that the later vehicles had the steel gas cover by the windshield that had two rest stop positions in the later models, and only one stop position in the early models. How many stops/positions does your gas door have?

Another difference is the early doors had small holes on the inner panel and the later doors had bigger holes on the inner panels. Also the door latch was different, and the door hinge mounting screws in the door had different access.

Arnie


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 10:07 pm:

Arnie

My '26 is a runabout pickup, it is a factory/branch made pickup, Nov '25 production.
1. No
2. No turtle deck. (it only has a pickup bed)
3. No
4. One position gas door
Pics of rear crossmembers


The upper is the '26 frame and the lower is a later '27 with the added flange with holes for the rear spring clip bolts to pass thru.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Arnie on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 12:19 pm:

Dan:

Thanks for your reply. I forgot the rear spring clip was what held the spring to the frame rather then the little clips that hold some of the spring leaves together near the ends.

By saying factory/branch made pick-up what does that mean? For example, the inverted "U" in the body panel behind the seat, should have the inverted "U" if a roadster, but not have the embossed inverted "U" if a pick-up per Bruce's book. (I think this now is in question, so I'm not so sure anymore!)


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