Roof Decking Repair and Water Pump, other solutions

245

Comments

  • ESSX28-1 said:
    A magnet will show if steel or Ali
    I guess what I was really asking is if the headlight buckets are chrome or nickel plated? Sorry it was late last night at work when I typed that up lol
    Mine ‘34 Terraplane buckets are chrome plated. 
  • Toddh said:
    ESSX28-1 said:
    A magnet will show if steel or Ali
    I guess what I was really asking is if the headlight buckets are chrome or nickel plated? Sorry it was late last night at work when I typed that up lol
    Mine ‘34 Terraplane buckets are chrome plated. 
    Awesome thank you! I was just concerned if it was nickel usually it’s a thin playing and at that point Flitz is a good polish
  • This is the urethane I plan to use to seal the roof. I ordered some hidem from sailrite.com it was so cheap at .75¢ a foot, I just got some to see how it would look. If I go the other route I’ll use some gloss black silicone to do the roof to fabric transition. Also can use this urethane for rubber floor mats. But I think I’m gonna wait, I got some stuff to clean them up and if they get their shine back I’ll use just a small dime size spot to hold it down until I get some correct rubber so i don’t have to scrape a bunch off in the future. 
  • Careful with the aggressive polishes.  The plating is thin.  Suggest using Simichrome or similar polish tga
  • Toddh said:
    Careful with the aggressive polishes.  The plating is thin.  Suggest using Simichrome or similar polish tga
    I’ll look those up. Flitz is really good stuff, I used it a lot restoring old phonographs where the nickel plating is so thin on the Edison mandrels etc. just takes a lot of patience and towel changes to always have a clean spot. Even used it on contacts with a a tip! 
  • If they are the original headlights, the buckets are chrome plated.
  • While your doing your headlight buckets, consider polishing the reflectors.  I use dry powdered lampblack with a piece of cotton velvet. as it’s the best polishing for silvered mirror surfaces.  Do use anything more aggressive than that. 


  • Toddh said:
    While your doing your headlight buckets, consider polishing the reflectors.  I use dry powdered lampblack with a piece of cotton velvet. as it’s the best polishing for silvered mirror surfaces.  Do use anything more aggressive than that. 


    Imive never heard of that. Any experience with bar keepers friend on the chrome? 

    I had planned to get some things done today but it turned out to be a very busy day and had to go to work early. Hopefully I’ll get to get some things done tomorrow and Friday! 
  • Old Fogey UK
    Old Fogey UK Expert Adviser
    DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
  • DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    I had saw a post somewhere on a forum about BKF I think on here or other forum so figured I’d ask lol. I don’t think ima take them apart and polish the insides or anything yet I gotta get that roof done first! 
  • DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    So I’m a daguerreotypist, probably one of a few hundred practitioners in the world.  Part of the laborious process of preparing a plate for use is hand polishing a silver-plated copper plate to an absolute flawless mirror finish.  Trust me, I know how to hand polish silver using several progressive rouge grades to achieve the mirror finish the final buff is always lamp black using a German cotton velvet pad. That said, a chamois is useful in mid stages of polishing but if you have the least bit of embedded schmutz on said chamois, it will scratch the surface. 

    Hope this helps
  • Old Fogey UK
    Old Fogey UK Expert Adviser
    Toddh said:
    DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    So I’m a daguerreotypist, probably one of a few hundred practitioners in the world.  Part of the laborious process of preparing a plate for use is hand polishing a silver-plated copper plate to an absolute flawless mirror finish.  Trust me, I know how to hand polish silver using several progressive rouge grades to achieve the mirror finish the final buff is always lamp black using a German cotton velvet pad. That said, a chamois is useful in mid stages of polishing but if you have the least bit of embedded schmutz on said chamois, it will scratch the surface. 

    Hope this helps
    But what is lamp black ?
  • Just wanted to get out and get started this morning after taking a nap from work last night. 

    Started using a oddly prefect sized screwdriver and began scraping the old black sealant out of the channel…boy does it turn into a nice fine particulate in the air  :D  gets everywhere and in eyes! 


    I felt this was the perfect opportunity to pull out my vintage safety glasses haha. 



    This is very tedious stuff, so went and grabbed one of my Merchant Service pipes that’s been sitting on the rack, grabbed some LJ Peretti and went to work! Might take a while lol

  • Toddh said:
    DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    So I’m a daguerreotypist, probably one of a few hundred practitioners in the world.  Part of the laborious process of preparing a plate for use is hand polishing a silver-plated copper plate to an absolute flawless mirror finish.  Trust me, I know how to hand polish silver using several progressive rouge grades to achieve the mirror finish the final buff is always lamp black using a German cotton velvet pad. That said, a chamois is useful in mid stages of polishing but if you have the least bit of embedded schmutz on said chamois, it will scratch the surface. 

    Hope this helps
    But what is lamp black ?
    Lamp black is the powdered carbon residue from an oil lamp.  You can purchase from a chemical supply house. 

  • DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    I had saw a post somewhere on a forum about BKF I think on here or other forum so figured I’d ask lol. I don’t think ima take them apart and polish the insides or anything yet I gotta get that roof done first! 


    That might have been my suggestion you are referring to. 

    I did clearly indicate that it is not used as an abrasive along with elbow grease but rather to make a paste of it and gently apply more as it evaporates. The active ingredient is Oxalic acid which is also used in wood cleaner/bleach. If you want to avoid the abrasive BKF. 


  • Okay guys! So I made some progress today and removed the sealant in the channel. Used this little screwdriver and it worked wonders, along with this little tool idk what it was but it had a bladed hook on one end and a point on other. The trim looks to be in great shape while some spots rusty. 

    The racks are so small and there’s so many! I believe that’s gonna be a paint in the ass to remove. I got some great advice from Eric Harrtz, along with some articles he sent to assist with info. Really nice of him to talk things over with me! Here’s some progress pics:

  • DON'T use Barkeepers Friend on chrome ! Use a proper chrome polish.
    Don't use polish at all on the reflectors. I don't know what lamp black is, I lightly rub my reflectors with a piece of dry very soft chamois leather using no pressure.
     I will email you privately on the procedure for removing and installing headlight lenses - it's a very tricky job !
    I had saw a post somewhere on a forum about BKF I think on here or other forum so figured I’d ask lol. I don’t think ima take them apart and polish the insides or anything yet I gotta get that roof done first! 


    That might have been my suggestion you are referring to. 

    I did clearly indicate that it is not used as an abrasive along with elbow grease but rather to make a paste of it and gently apply more as it evaporates. The active ingredient is Oxalic acid which is also used in wood cleaner/bleach. If you want to avoid the abrasive BKF. 


    Well tbh, I did experiment with it, that’s exactly what I did. I removed one of the ashtrays from the door, and basically made a paste with it. I put it on with a soft cloth and basically just dabbed it for a few min and it came out great. Im gonna try my best with my ADHD to focus on this roof and get it done cause it’s KILLING me not driving it lol but I think tonight when I can’t work outside ima bring my variable buffing motor in that’s just for this kind of work and see how good I can get it :)
  • I am interested in the  repair/restoration of your roof top.  I have a 32 Essex Terraplane coupe roof which I want to recover with marine grade vinyl. This car is not an antique car true restoration but a modified hot rod.  Purist forgive me but the car was  a bare chopped top body shell when I got it. I did not cut it up !
      I have scored the internet for information on installation information for these soft padded tops common to early cars before the mid 30's . Most info comes  from the Fords.  From what I have found is that the metal trim you are referring to is called a tack strip .  At the bottom inside of the tack strip is wood which the tacks are driven into and a sealer is placed over the tack heads which you dug out with a screw driver.  The tack strip is fastened to the roof insert channel with with large copper ( 12 GA) wire staples  through the tack strip down through the slotted holes in the roof then folded over underneath the body sheet metal. The only reason I know this is my body came with some of the tack strip remaining. The tack strips replacements are unattainable I will try to post pictures latter. If you are Interested in the wire-on welting ( hidem ) there is a You Tube video on the Labaron and Bonney channel ( company gone out business as you probably know by now). I  have not decided on using the wire-on hidem or the other regular hidem for my installation.  i will probably use chicken wire  support ( the Ford way ) instead of muslin cloth. I  am a long  ways from doing the job.   
      I thank you for all the pictures you have taken of you roof and urge you to continue as we have no other real written information pertaining to these tops that I am aware of.
      If you could provide pictures of the wood crossbows/structure when all top materials are removed would be greatly appreciated. I have no wood structure left in my body for a visual reference.  Good luck.  I think we are both up too and can handle these roof challenges.

      
  • 32huson said:
    I am interested in the  repair/restoration of your roof top.  I have a 32 Essex Terraplane coupe roof which I want to recover with marine grade vinyl. This car is not an antique car true restoration but a modified hot rod.  Purist forgive me but the car was  a bare chopped top body shell when I got it. I did not cut it up !
      I have scored the internet for information on installation information for these soft padded tops common to early cars before the mid 30's . Most info comes  from the Fords.  From what I have found is that the metal trim you are referring to is called a tack strip .  At the bottom inside of the tack strip is wood which the tacks are driven into and a sealer is placed over the tack heads which you dug out with a screw driver.  The tack strip is fastened to the roof insert channel with with large copper ( 12 GA) wire staples  through the tack strip down through the slotted holes in the roof then folded over underneath the body sheet metal. The only reason I know this is my body came with some of the tack strip remaining. The tack strips replacements are unattainable I will try to post pictures latter. If you are Interested in the wire-on welting ( hidem ) there is a You Tube video on the Labaron and Bonney channel ( company gone out business as you probably know by now). I  have not decided on using the wire-on hidem or the other regular hidem for my installation.  i will probably use chicken wire  support ( the Ford way ) instead of muslin cloth. I  am a long  ways from doing the job.   
      I thank you for all the pictures you have taken of you roof and urge you to continue as we have no other real written information pertaining to these tops that I am aware of.
      If you could provide pictures of the wood crossbows/structure when all top materials are removed would be greatly appreciated. I have no wood structure left in my body for a visual reference.  Good luck.  I think we are both up too and can handle these roof challenges.

      
    Hey 32hudson! If you’re interested, I actually have a YouTube channel I’m revamping into a series on tackling different projects etc, and my first multi-part series will be removing/replacing the top! The link is here: https://youtube.com/channel/UCXFkYDCYPzF6QlEkoe6eVew

    I will also be updating this thread as well! 
  • Also, there may not be “correct” replacements but you can get C-channel aluminum and bend it that will work the same I’m sure. Mine isn’t stapled from what I can tell so far just tacked with super small tacks. You’ll see in video. 
  • Yes I have read about the aluminum and challenges in bending it.  I think I  will be making a tack strip from layers of ABS plastic glued and cut to shape as I had seen in a thread /post on the Hamb. I not trying to be authentic  just interested in getting the job done economically and within my skills. Always open to suggestions though.
  • Roof pictures
  • Tack strip picture
  • 32huson said:
    Tack strip picture
    If you posted a pic I don’t think it worked lol
  • Really ??  I posted 4 pics . I can see them right above your last comment.
  • I think your pulling my leg Tim .   LOL.
  • 32huson said:
    I think your pulling my leg Tim .   LOL.
    My name is Jacob lol and I’m serious look! 

  • Okay so I got the rear seat out, vacuumed up a bunch of dirt etc. i noticed the floor and bolts have a slight surface rust so I sprayed some kroil on the bolt heads just for preventative maint. How do I access the sending unit for gas tank? Is it under that oval shaped cover in the very back that’s held in place with two screws? After I check that out and install the seat belts, I was thinking of taking something to rough up the floor and coat with some por 15 just to be safe, the underside has already been cleaned and painted…looks brand new under the car lol I just wanna make sure the inside stays the same. Here are pics. Sorry for the weird wet spots on the bolts that’s the Kroil I barely put any but you can see how it penetrates! 


    Not sure what the cloth cover down there is for.
  • Also, cleaned up 2 of the 4 ash trays from interior. The front two were empty but the back one still had 1930s ash in them along with old match sticks! Lol 

    I was too lazy to grab the buffer and bring it into the house cause it’s too cold lol so I just use some old mothers chrome polish I had laying around, 0000 steel wool and a rag. Not my ideal materials but it worked for now. I think when I get back from church tomorrow I’ll pull out the variable buffer and get to work. I also ordered some Quick-Glo…there out of my state of Louisiana so I figured I’d try it. Saw it on Jay Lenos garage…ehh blew money on worst stuff lol here’s some pics. I also coated the lids in paste wax. 

  • Tack strip and roof pictures. The large holes are for the wood cross bows fasteners. The smaller holes for the tack strip  hold down staples