The Ford Barn

Roadster62 · 10-21-2013, 01:33 AM

My pile of '29 60C parts didn't sell at Hershey, so today I started on the cowl save. First off this isn't going to be a 100% perfect restoration, a some day driver I hope. The cowl is a Murray, and a far better design than a Briggs IMO, it is all steel with a lot of factory pinch welds. The A posts and windsheild area is fine but the tin is shot, and I don't like the look of the cowl band. Found a near perfect Briggs tin section (Gray Primer)at the Cider Mill Meet this spring and plan to mate the two. The photos show the differances. The under windsheild area is going to need the most work. Plan is to cut across post to post just ahead of the broken off captive screw holes. If you know what the missing piece looks like please let me know. Don't know if you can see the pinch welds, but they will stay, then the Briggs cowl will be cut to fit, pinch welded and the seam butt welded. The once nailed to wood sides will be spot welded to the posts. Should get the cut made during the week, then the structure is off to the sandblaster. Bob

Mike V. Florida · 10-21-2013, 01:34 AM

Photos?

Roadster62 · 10-21-2013, 01:36 AM

The photos:

Marco Tahtaras · 10-21-2013, 09:59 AM

My guess is that the grey primered cowl is from a 60-A, B leather back which had more wood. The other Briggs bodies had a cowl almost identical to the Murray.

Dick Carne · 10-21-2013, 02:26 PM

I'm with Marco on this one. I've had an early Brigg's leather-back fordor cowl (the running gear is now under our mail truck), and it is quite different indeed from the post-leather back cowl sections. I seem to recall that there was a good bit more wood, perhaps even across the top of the cowl section on the earlier models, than the later cowl sections. With the introduction of the "three window" styles in both the Briggs and the Murray line, there is no real ascertainable difference that I can determine - in fact I used a Murray town sedan cowl section on my Briggs standard fordor to mate up into a Briggs town sedan. All of the cowl and body components mated up fine. Hope this helps.

Roadster62 · 10-21-2013, 09:29 PM

Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements)

Two nights in a row on the 60C, highly unusual for me. Bought a 3 foot length of 3/4 strap at the hardware store this morning along with a 1/16 inch thin cut off disk. Made my cut, used a screw driver to pry off the ends and I now have a free cowl frame.

10-21-2013, 01:33 AM	#1
Roadster62 Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Ridgefield, Ct Posts: 3,449	How the 28-29 Briggs & Murray Fordor COWLS Differ My pile of '29 60C parts didn't sell at Hershey, so today I started on the cowl save. First off this isn't going to be a 100% perfect restoration, a some day driver I hope. The cowl is a Murray, and a far better design than a Briggs IMO, it is all steel with a lot of factory pinch welds. The A posts and windsheild area is fine but the tin is shot, and I don't like the look of the cowl band. Found a near perfect Briggs tin section (Gray Primer)at the Cider Mill Meet this spring and plan to mate the two. The photos show the differances. The under windsheild area is going to need the most work. Plan is to cut across post to post just ahead of the broken off captive screw holes. If you know what the missing piece looks like please let me know. Don't know if you can see the pinch welds, but they will stay, then the Briggs cowl will be cut to fit, pinch welded and the seam butt welded. The once nailed to wood sides will be spot welded to the posts. Should get the cut made during the week, then the structure is off to the sandblaster. Bob __________________ They don't have to run to be enjoyed. I'm here to enjoy the hobby, and enjoy the cars no matter what they look like. Most of the worlds problems are electrical. Last edited by Roadster62; 10-21-2013 at 02:26 AM.

10-21-2013, 01:34 AM	#2
Mike V. Florida Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Florida between Sarasota and TampaSouth Florida Posts: 14,054	Re: How the 28-29 Briggs & Murray Fotrdor COWLS Differ Photos? __________________ What's right about America is that although we have a mess of problems, we have great capacity - intellect and resources - to do some thing about them. - Henry Ford II

10-21-2013, 09:59 AM	#4
Marco Tahtaras Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 3,099	Re: How the 28-29 Briggs & Murray Fordor COWLS Differ My guess is that the grey primered cowl is from a 60-A, B leather back which had more wood. The other Briggs bodies had a cowl almost identical to the Murray. __________________ http://www.abarnyard.com/

10-21-2013, 02:26 PM	#5
Dick Carne Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Fayetteville, Georgia Posts: 472	Re: How the 28-29 Briggs & Murray Fordor COWLS Differ I'm with Marco on this one. I've had an early Brigg's leather-back fordor cowl (the running gear is now under our mail truck), and it is quite different indeed from the post-leather back cowl sections. I seem to recall that there was a good bit more wood, perhaps even across the top of the cowl section on the earlier models, than the later cowl sections. With the introduction of the "three window" styles in both the Briggs and the Murray line, there is no real ascertainable difference that I can determine - in fact I used a Murray town sedan cowl section on my Briggs standard fordor to mate up into a Briggs town sedan. All of the cowl and body components mated up fine. Hope this helps.