68-C Interior Questions

[Dick Carne]

We are entering the final stages of completing our 68C slant windshield cabriolet, and although I am not looking toward building a "points car", I would appreciate help on trying to obtain some thoughts on some of final finish details on the upholstery. Any thoughts, advice, direction, etc., will be most appreciated.

1. We are using the "artificial leather" option for the interior, rather than the Bedford Cord with cloth door panels. In that instance, would the windlace have been cloth, or covered instead in "artificial leather"?

2. There is a reference in Bob Johnson's "68C Restoration Manual" to the effect that if the artificial leather were used, that the "package tray" behind the seat would have likewise been in the same material rather than using the material that would have been used on the cloth seats or even perhaps bowdrill. Would anyone have any confirmation on this?

3. We ordered our top kit from Mike at Classtique - nice fellow. Most of the top edges use a medium to dark, brown binding; however the welting used to go around the edges of the top is a markedly lighter, almost tan color. Would this have been correct on these cars? If not, what would be a good source for one having a color more similar to that used on the rest of the top?

4. I was also thinking that I had seen somewhere that in the later 68B cars that used the lever action seat adjuster, and all 68C Cabriolets, that there was also a piece of seat fabric that was apparently attached to the seat back, and then somehow attached to the bottom of the package tray, so that the gap between the seat back and the exposure to that area below, would be covered regardless of seat position. Is anyone familiar with the design criteria for such a covering?

My thanks in advance to all who might care to respond. I appreciate any and all thoughts on any or all of these questions.

[Dick Carne]

One of the problems with aging is the sometimes forgetfulness that goes with it. I also meant to ask for thoughts/opinions on the rumble seat floor area. The 68C originally had a rubber floor mat that was used in a floor pan unique to 68C cars. I have toyed with the idea cutting down one from a tudor sedan to fit this pan, or perhaps covering the pan with a thick piece of foam, and then carpeting the whole area to match the carpet used in the front. Would anyone have any ideas as to preference on this? Thanks again to all.

[Ed in Maine]

Hello Dick, I'm sorry but I cannot answer your questions. I am about at your stage of my restoration project. I have the rear quarters left to paint this summer. The doors and rear quarters are fitted together. My questions is how long did it take to get the top from Mike.

With regard to the rumble seat area, I don't think anyone knows exactly what the original floor mat looked like. I think the carpet would look OK and perhaps better than a cutup rubber mat.

Good luck with your project. This is my favorite Model A body style but it has been nightmare to restore. My car required a new oak subframe which really took a lot of time. My car is Kewanne and Elkpoint Green. What color is yours? Ed

[Dick Carne]

Hi Ed -



I have about concluded that I will probably insert a piece of foam into the rumble seat floor pan and use a carpet to cover the entire exposed area. My understanding is that the original mat used the same "splatter design" as was used on other Model A body styles, but being as the floor pan is an odd shape and really does not cover any of the floor sills, I am inclined to cover the whole area - hopefully I can find a piece of foam of a thickness that will essentially result in an otherwise flat floor. On this car, since I too had to make new floor sills, I stained and then clear coated these (I know that is not the way it was done originally, but the wooden floor adds some interest to that area, IMO). I water sanded these between each of three coats of finish, but if I use carpet, no one will ever see these anyway unless they look underneath, so I'm good with having taken this liberty.

We decided to paint our car Maroon with a black center bead and window reveals. Unlike most Cabriolets before 1931, and based upon my reading of the Judging Standards for the 68C cars, those that were painted Moleskin Brown, Lombard Blue, Black, and/or Maroon, would not have had the rear deck painted a different accent color. I did take a few other liberties by lightening the Maroon that we wound up using - to me the original Ford Maroon is so dark that it could almost look black depending on the surrounding lighting. Similarly, despite the Judging Standards, we elected to go with a Tacoma Cream pin stripe and wheel color instead of Vermilion (Red).

As for a lead time on a top kit from Classtique, I'm trying to recall that the lead time was something around three months. However, we also ordered a front floor carpet, but regrettably it was not wide enough (roughly by an inch), so I will have to have another one made. I had ordered these roughly about the same time that we started with the disassembly so as to allow plenty of lead time, but because of the delay incurred during the restoration and reassembly process, Mike said that he would not allow me to exchange the front floor carpet for one that would fit properly.

I have not been able to figure out how to post pictures on this site, but if you would sent me your e-mail address in a private message, I will be glad to send you some pictures of the car in various stages of its restoration. Also, if there might be any way that I can help you from a distance, please let me know and I will do what I can.

Thanks for your response, and good luck in completing your project.

[CHuDWah]

Originally Posted by Dick Carne

We are entering the final stages of completing our 68C slant windshield cabriolet, and although I am not looking toward building a "points car", I would appreciate help on trying to obtain some thoughts on some of final finish details on the upholstery. Any thoughts, advice, direction, etc., will be most appreciated.

1. We are using the "artificial leather" option for the interior, rather than the Bedford Cord with cloth door panels. In that instance, would the windlace have been cloth, or covered instead in "artificial leather"?

2. There is a reference in Bob Johnson's "68C Restoration Manual" to the effect that if the artificial leather were used, that the "package tray" behind the seat would have likewise been in the same material rather than using the material that would have been used on the cloth seats or even perhaps bowdrill. Would anyone have any confirmation on this?

3. We ordered our top kit from Mike at Classtique - nice fellow. Most of the top edges use a medium to dark, brown binding; however the welting used to go around the edges of the top is a markedly lighter, almost tan color. Would this have been correct on these cars? If not, what would be a good source for one having a color more similar to that used on the rest of the top?

4. I was also thinking that I had seen somewhere that in the later 68B cars that used the lever action seat adjuster, and all 68C Cabriolets, that there was also a piece of seat fabric that was apparently attached to the seat back, and then somehow attached to the bottom of the package tray, so that the gap between the seat back and the exposure to that area below, would be covered regardless of seat position. Is anyone familiar with the design criteria for such a covering?

My thanks in advance to all who might care to respond. I appreciate any and all thoughts on any or all of these questions.

As I'm sure you know, the 68-C is a different breed of cat so this may or may not apply. But FWIW...

4. Decades ago, we put a L-B complete interior kit in a 50-B that had the screw-type seat adjuster. The kit included a flap between the seat and the package tray. It was just a rectangle of seat material, the width of the seat and hemmed on the side edges. IIRC, it tacked to the wood of the seat frame and the package tray support, under the finish upholstery on both ends. With the seat fully forward, it was stretched flat - not tight enough to stress but not slack either. As the seat was adjusted back, it would fold and drop into the gap.

2. In the kit, the package tray was covered in drill same as top bows.

[Dick Carne]

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Thanks Ed and CHuDWah for your kind responses. I've seen a reference to the piece used on the back of the front seat in the Jan/Feb 1969 issue of [/I][/I]"The Restorer" as posted on Bob Johnson's modelahouse.com web site, specifically page 15 of the original article, which states "A piece of excess trim material was used between the seat and package tray to bridge the gap created there whenever the seat was moved forward." In that respect, your description tracks with what my understanding of this piece might have looked like, despite not having any current pattern to go by. As to the covering used in the package tray, this same "68C Restoration Manual" further advises on page 16 under "Briggs Photo No. 3" the following explanation: "Front seat upholstery and package tray trim pieces, with wooden seat frame, all these pieces were used on both 68-C and 45-B Deluxe Coupe, but were used only on the 68-C when cut from brown crush grain leather. Choice of material for these pieces was customer's option." Citing this statement, I have concluded that the fabric used in the package tray would have also been the crush grain leather rather than the bowdrill or other fabric that those cars with a cloth interior might have used to cover this area.

As for the rumble seat area floor, I am aware that because of the low production of these cars and consequently the questionable profitability of reproducing a correctly styled floor mat (I had considered cutting down a larger "splatter design" mat realizing that it would not have the smooth outline and raised border though), that I will instead cut out a corresponding piece of foam to fill the indention of this uniquely styled rumble seat floor pan. Not being able to acquire a rubber floor mat essentially means then that whatever I do will be wrong (from an originality perspective). Consequently I have concluded that a full carpet for this area, made of the same carpet as will be used in the front seat, will afford more protection for the floor sills and probably have a better overall appearance as well. As I first stated, I am not looking to build a "points car", but rather a nice looking car that we hopefully won't be embarrassed by when among other Model A hobbyists, and that will nonetheless create a somewhat original appearance overall.

Thank you both for your thoughts and consideration.