LaBonney out..now what?
 

i restore an old car or two and i was putting off needing atleast the cards or panels for a 1932 Ford Cabriolet. im putting my own version of material in but they were going to be my "go to" for the panels to upholster. All i see out there now is Cartouche and dont know much about it and they seem limited as to what you can get. Is there anyway to still get anything from LB or can anyone suggest a better alternative for me now. Thanks in advance. Please just give me you ideas on how to solve this

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

LB is done, nothing but a memory now.
I am finishing 2 '34 Fords, both have LB kits, and both have pieces missing that they never sent.
I ordered the Cartouche samples and none matched the OEM '34 Ford material.
I was fortunate enough to find the mohair source that LB used thanks to David and others here on the Fordbarn. I was able to order enough of the rose beige material from Hirsch Auto to finish both cars.
A local upholsterer was willing to pick up the baton and run with it. My Victoria is done and the 2 -Dr is waiting for the seats and door panels to come back.
These will be my last projects. The costs involved in building no longer add up.
You can buy just about any car you want these days for half the cost if you were to do it.
The Mecum/Barrett Jackson, etc. auction resultsarereally eye opening.
I still want a '34 sedan delivery and a woody before I croak, but will wait to buy them done.

Sorry, but I don't know of any alternative for what I was building other than a local custom upholsterer. Here in Calif. the prices start at 10K for a bare bones interion and go up quickly from there.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

On the A site many use............Classtique. FWIW
Paul in CT

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Classtique and Cartouche, both aren't correct, close but no cigar. For a car that is not being judged, it will work but don't expect LB quality. On the Woodie Station Wagon side of things the 66" wide roof material is not available anywhere. Amazing how much we miss LB already.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Since you are using your own material, you can theoretically order a copy of the original engineering drawings of the trim panels that you need from the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn. The panel foundation cardboard is no doubt available from a variety of sources and your local upholstery shop can make what you need armed with the drawing(s) and the foundation cardboard.

You'll need the part numbers of the panels that you need which are available in the '32 body parts catalog.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Boy this is a said reminder of how restoring cars is going. Available decent parts are getting rare. Back to doing custom work.


I'm guessing in 10-20 yrs I'll be at a show and some guys is telling me that a 32 ford had a sbc stock in it. Because he saw it in a movie called American Graffiti.



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Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

True about it is cheaper to buy than to build. I have been collecting parts for a 32 roadster hiboy. 59 AB engine with a 39 box. Even that is cheaper to buy than build. How do you put a value on the time you spend in the shop building stuff. Welding the exhaust system kind of sucked. Most everything I have done I have enjoyed. and when you finish a section, like the duel exhaust, you get a good smile.

I have a friend that looked at what I have accomplished recently and he mentioned that I will never get my money out of it. He is a great guy. He has been on 7 or 8 cruises. I asked him if he will ever get his money out of them. Nope. Just a bunch of photos.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Although not a restoration vehicle. Lot of us are builders. Its just as fun to be in a shop working on it, maybe more so then driving. No shame, its just what we do.


Like you said... If i quit golfing can I ask for my greens fees back? Better then a bar.



Life in the end is just about experiences, family, and friends really.





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Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

The last thing I want to do is look at is a RAT ROD . But those guys are having a great time.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Ya it's complicated. It's a choice. Be a hard core ratter or a restorer. Had a streetrod builder friend call my 38 a rat rod because it was not painted (no one here). Lines are blurred but easy to see.


Guess I just do what I do, I like the restoring of cars. I don't care about the rest. like golf. It's easy to spend way more money on a street rod, almost every-time.

I should add that I'm sympathetic and empathic. Very much so. Do what you like.

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Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Biggest critics have done nothing.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

My first build was a Model T (see avatar) That is me in the car parked next to the Servel Frig in 1963

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

to what? I like what you are doing! It's a period correct hotrod.


I have a parade everywhere I drive.


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Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

Seems like I saw the panels in a Mac's Cat can't remember for sure

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

The 32 Cabriolet is kind of a different beast in many ways. The guy who did my custom interior was a LB installer (for decades) and really knew his stuff. He said that the CAB interior has many subtle (and some not so subtle) differences that other 32 interiors - makes them a bit difficult. He said the interior and rumble seat area on a CAB are different than lets say a roadster and the amount of work to really get everything right is more than some other cars (where LB had everything he needed). With that said, the guy who did my work (I bought the leather hides myself) did a really nice job. I will have him do my 32 three window (HotRod as well).

I grew up with a mohair interior (it was 40 years old at the time). I think that musty wet cat smell turned me off to mohair from day one (even though I drove it a few years with that interior). I think I unconsciously vowed to never have a mohair interior in any early Ford - if I could help it . . . kind of warped my perspective at a young age! LOL

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

I have a catloge from Mac's and they do offer pre cut panels. Sets run from around $165.00 to about $199.00 or so. Suposed to be water proof.

Re: LaBonney out..now what?
 

I used to be able to drive to LB & pickup what I ordered. Sad, but true. One the topic of restoring or building cars. When I got back into about 18 years ago, I joined the EV8 club in my area, then the AACA, I reconnected with old friends from high school who were cars guys then, and still are. I made a ton of new friends in the hobby, been to Bonneville, the Hot Rod Magazine reunion in Pomona, el Mirage, The Moonshine festival, resurrected a '31 Deluxe roadster that been in a barn since the 50'a, built a '29 roadster on a 32 frame, with '40 running gear with an old stock car flathead, building up a '40 coupe like the one I had in high school. Sure I spent a lot of time and money which you will never see again, but what I learned, the friends I made, and then fun I had was priceless.