WANTED-LOOKING FOR 26/27 TURTLE DECK LID

[BRADLOWERY]

I'm restoring a 26 roadster. I have a deck lid for the Turtle deck, but I'm looking for a mint one. Does anyone have a really nice one that is dent free?

[ModelTWoods]

Howell's Sheet Metal, used to reproduce them. I don't know if they still do. You might check with Lang's or Snyder's to see if they still have one in stock. I have checked both of their catalogs and don't see metal reproductions are available. If an original is needed to please you, they don't grow on trees, but occasionally, one pops up.

[Adam]

‘26-‘27 coupe & roadsters are all steel bodies and popular with hot-rodders, which makes them even harder to find. Unfortunately, that deck lid is probably the single most valuable part of the body. I’ve seen some very beat up originals that were still solid sell in the $800 range. I know of one that had 4” rusted off the bottom that went for a couple hundred.

[JTT3]

Brad & Terry, Brad you should just re-skin the lid. It will be the least expensive option. Terry is Howell’s still open? Before I retired I’d drive by Howells when working in Houston & south Texas. They were always accommodating & would let me walk through their inventory to pick up items I needed but I was surprised at the size of the building. It was smaller than I had imagined including the staff. The craftsmen were always busy making some of the parts as needed or anticipated for that month. I believe they sell mostly on eBay now though truthfully I haven’t looked for sheet metal in a few years. I believe the best bet to get what you want Brad is to have someone you know in Texas to go to Howells and see if they will sell you a skin for the roadster lid. I bought a complete lid years ago from them & it was about $400 then. The biggest expense in that production was the subframe of the lid but you already have that. You may even look for someone in your area that does metal fabrication and taking the lid with you to that place they could look at it & tell you if they could produce the skin. Many places that specialize in older vehicles or custom cars will have a fab shop. Best John

[ModelTWoods]

Brad & Terry, Brad you should just re-skin the lid. It will be the least expensive option. Terry is Howell’s still open? Before I retired I’d drive by Howells when working in Houston & south Texas. They were always accommodating & would let me walk through their inventory to pick up items I needed but I was surprised at the size of the building. It was smaller than I had imagined including the staff. The craftsmen were always busy making some of the parts as needed or anticipated for that month. I believe they sell mostly on eBay now though truthfully I haven’t looked for sheet metal in a few years. I believe the best bet to get what you want Brad is to have someone you know in Texas to go to Howells and see if they will sell you a skin for the roadster lid. I bought a complete lid years ago from them & it was about $400 then. The biggest expense in that production was the subframe of the lid but you already have that. You may even look for someone in your area that does metal fabrication and taking the lid with you to that place they could look at it & tell you if they could produce the skin. Many places that specialize in older vehicles or custom cars will have a fab shop. Best John

John, I have not heard of Howells closing its doors ( although I suspect there are some T owners who wish they would ). Since the metal Roadster deck lid is not listed in either Lang's or Snyder's catalogs, I suspect they don't make them anymore. Snyders offer a fibrglass lid, but that would do for a purist.