Info wanted: 33 Dash, antenna, choc knobs

[SignLadie]

Bought Late 1933 5W steel car in 1985; all pieces (except grill) were stored in a barn until this year. Trying to restore using orig parts, colors, accessories, etc. I believe the current body color is the original color, Brewster Green Med. The dash may have been painted as it is currently maroon/burgandy, but has green underneath.

I want to confirm this is a DELUXE Model 40. The Drivers side has 3 holes in the cowl: 1 for light and 2 for antenna. Yes, an antenna. The ashtray and cigar lighter looks like brown marble paint. Any one have a pic of an original woodgrain dash? Why the three small holes around the ashtray hole?

Also, we only have one set of door handles/crank, in which the window crank has a chocolate knob, but I can't confirm this is the original crank. Any thoughts here?

[DavidG]

Given the presence of an ash tray opening (although the ash tray itself is not an original '33) and cigar lighter and the hole for the l.h. cowl lamp it is likely a deluxe model. You won't know with complete certainty until you remove the ash tray and lighter and look at the resulting holes in the dash as there is a possibility that they were added some time later in the car's existence. The window crank handle in your photo is for a deluxe model.

[Randy]

I'd put my money on it having been a Deluxe. A standard would have had a black windshield frame. That could have been changed, obviously, but with that and the cowl light holes, etc., more evidence points to a Deluxe.

The antenna is definitely an aftermarket accessory, from much later, probably '50s up.

[34ford]

not the best of painting but you,l get the correct idea

[34ford]

i,am sorry i did not finish your question. the colors are correct for standard and deluxe.the 2 holes on the left side of dash are not correct.the bottom of the ash tray opening has been cut, the antena was in the roof. the door handle and the crank look correct. good luck with your project

[FL&WVMIKE]

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Here is the original woodgrain (burl) finish on a '33-'34 ashtray.
It looks to me, like the black covers about 50% of the base color.
MIKE

[Pete/Ct.]

If there are reinforcements on the inside of the cowl where the cowl lights bolt up then it is probably a true deluxe. Pete/Ct.

[Carl]

I believe all bodies had the reinforcement plates, so cowl lights could be added later, if not factory installed.

[HamerAuto]

I have never seen the reinforcements on a stardard car only deluxe.

[David J]

First 2 pics are 33 deluxe and you can see the plate inside there . Third pic is a 33 standard with gennie paint and it HAS THE PLATES . Never paid much attention to it BUT I don't recall ever seeing a 33-34 without them .

[koates]

I have a 1934 standard fordor without cowl lights and a 34 deluxe 5 window coupe with cowl lights and BOTH have those large reinforcement plates with the round hole so the cowl light nut can be attached behind it and also the large square hole. Maybe there is a smaller plate right up against the cowl panel ??? I would say the large reinforcement plate are standard construction on all body shells. Regards, Kevin.

[David J]

BINGO and it is visible in pic one in the post above yours . Does your 34 std have them ? My 33 std does . Maybe there is a smaller plate right up against the cowl panel ??? I would say the large reinforcement plate are standard construction on all body shells. Regards, Kevin.[/QUOTE]

[FL&WVMIKE]

It was, probably, cheaper and made more sense, to make all bodies the same, wether Standard or Deluxe, than to try to separate them, as Standard or Deluxe, on down the line.
MIKE

[FlatheadTed]

It also serves as the reinforcement for a side mount ,you can see the two mount holes in David Js picture ,

[SignLadie]

DavidG, "although the ash tray itself is not an original '33": Are you stating that Late 1933s did NOT have an ash tray option in the dash?

Randy, "antenna is definitely an aftermarket accessory": I have found other pictures of cars with the antenna in the exact same spot. What was the need for an antenna? If it was for a radio, where was the radio? If the antenna was in the roof, where?

34ford, "the 2 holes on the left side of dash are not correct": I know the larger hole to the left of the ridge is not correct - which is the other hole you refer to?

[Lawson Cox]

Originally Posted by SignLadie

DavidG, "although the ash tray itself is not an original '33": Are you stating that Late 1933s did NOT have an ash tray option in the dash?

Randy, "antenna is definitely an aftermarket accessory": I have found other pictures of cars with the antenna in the exact same spot. What was the need for an antenna? If it was for a radio, where was the radio? If the antenna was in the roof, where?

34ford, "the 2 holes on the left side of dash are not correct": I know the larger hole to the left of the ridge is not correct - which is the other hole you refer to?

The antenna of 33-34 closed cars was in the roof. Chicken wire in roof had an antenna connected to it. The antenna fed down the A pillar, right side I think. The chicken wire was sandwiched in between the head liner and the artificial leather top.

That is the only part of your questions that I feel qualified to answer.

[koates]

Deluxe 33 & 34 fords had the ash tray and cigar lighter in the dash centre. Standard cars did not have either. The two holes (lower) in your left side cowl panel were for an aftermarket non ford radio antenna. There appears to be 5 small holes around the perimeter of the ash tray opening which should not be there. The ash tray hole appears to be "filed out" each side at the bottom, should be square. Even the ash tray appears to be shorter in height than the original unit. See MIKES picture of an original ash tray. Your gauge panel left side lower has a warning light or something which is not original fitment. Two FORD radio types could be fitted to a 33 or 34 ford. The first set available in 1933 and also 34 was called "THE GLOVEBOX RADIO" which fitted into the glovebox. The glovebox and its door had to be removed. The radio dial was the same size and style to match the speedo on the other side. The second radio available in 1934 was the "ASHTRAY RADIO". Its control head and dial fitted into the ashtray opening, (you loose the ashtray). The radio box fitted under the dash with two control cables between it and the control head. Antenna was chicken wire mesh in the cars roof on closed cars. Your car is a deluxe model. Another giveaway for the deluxe is the recessed mounting hole for the cigar lighter. If the car had been a standard and had a cigar lighter fitted later the lighter hole would not have been recessed. Hope this helps, Regards, Kevin.

[Randy]

Randy, "antenna is definitely an aftermarket accessory": I have found other pictures of cars with the antenna in the exact same spot. What was the need for an antenna? If it was for a radio, where was the radio? If the antenna was in the roof, where?

Yes, lots of them had those holes drilled in the side of the cowl for those aftermarket antennas because they were very common as aftermarket radios were added. I've had several cars with those holes and restored cars where you could see similar holes that had been filled. That antenna could have been used with any radio, even the factory radio, but many manufacturers made "universal radios" that could be installed in any car. The roof antenna in closed cars was the "chicken" wire under the top insert material, the wire from the radio ran up to the roof and was attached to the wire. The other antenna options from the factory, but used mainly on open cars, were the under-runningboard antenna and the spare tire antenna. I've attached a picture of a '33 standard with an added aftermarket radio and antenna to illustrate the lengths that some would go to get tunes in their car, keeping in mind it was probably a $100 car when this was done. Note the lack of original ash tray, cigar lighter hole, cowl lights and also note the painted windshield frame.

[DavidG]

I believe that your request for clarification has been well covered by the response above by koates, namely that all standard models did not have either the lighter or the ash tray (nor the holes in their dashes for either) and that all deluxe models did have the lighter and ash tray. As also noted by koates, the opening for the ash tray has been modified plus some holes were added. Interestingly however, the tongue of sheet metal at the bottom of the ash tray opening is still there. It mates with a male protrusion on a '33 ash tray and retains the ash tray in an open position.

To make a long story short, you have a '33 deluxe dash with a few modifications from original, including missing the original ash tray.

[jkflathead]

These '34 dashes are beautiful. If you are not a member of the Early Ford V-8 Foundation Museum, you should be. You'd enjoy the Museum which if dedicated to all things FOMOCO 1932-1953. fordv8foundation.org. Check it out. John Knecht