The Ford Barn

tim54889 · 10-13-2015, 12:30 PM

What are the obvious differents between a sport coupe and cabriolet? And can a sport coupe be made into a cabriolet easily? I've seen ads that call a SC incorrectly a Cabriolet. What do I look for in the ad pictures?

Tiny · 10-13-2015, 12:44 PM

Folding top and roll up windows make it a Cabriolet. No not easily

Bob Johnson · 10-13-2015, 03:53 PM

The Sport Coupe has a sun visor above the windshield the Cabriolet does not. The doors on a Sport Coupe fully enclose the windows. The Cabriolet doors are open above and in back of the door windows.

The Sport Coupe and Cabriolet have fundamentally different bodies. The Cabriolet body is a wooden structure with a sheet metal skin. The Sport Coupe is a metal structure with a metal skin. You might be able to chop the top off of a Sport Coupe and make something that would look like a Cabriolet from a distance. But it would not pass for a Cabriolet up close.

The hardest parts to find for a Cabriolet are the door and top hardware. That also makes them very expensive.

Bob

jim galli · 10-13-2015, 04:30 PM

The difference between a coupe, and a drop head coupe. Sport coupe is just a Model A coupe with canvas from the belt up instead of tin. Cabriolet, is a true convertible.

Kevin in NJ · 10-13-2015, 04:36 PM

The sport coupe is just a coupe body with a canvas top.

The cabriolet is a totally different body construction with very few parts interchangeable with the other bodies. None of the sheet metal other then the cowl pieces can interchange.

In other words, the sport coupe has all the extra work of a cabriolet with none of the advantages.

ronn · 10-13-2015, 05:54 PM

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sport coupe-poor man's cabriolet...................

Dave Mellor NJ · 10-13-2015, 11:33 PM

A not too well known fact about the sport coupe is that it has a much larger back window. I found this out when I bought a larger than normal back window thinking it was possibly for a phaeton. That would make sense as the back of the roof is farther away but I found that all back windows in canvas roof cars are the same except the sport coupe. Check it out some time.This turns out to be a way to identify a sport coupe from the back.

Dave Mellor NJ · 10-13-2015, 11:43 PM

See what I mean?

tmiller6 · 10-14-2015, 05:03 AM

There were two rear window sizes for the 28 Sport Coupe. The larger size came later. My October '28 Sport Coupe has a smaller window although I believe all documentation says it should be the larger style.

The way I spot the Coupe from the Cabriolet is the difference in the door windows.

10-13-2015, 12:30 PM	#1
tim54889 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 120	sport coupe vs Cabriolet What are the obvious differents between a sport coupe and cabriolet? And can a sport coupe be made into a cabriolet easily? I've seen ads that call a SC incorrectly a Cabriolet. What do I look for in the ad pictures?

10-13-2015, 12:44 PM	#2
Tiny Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Redding Cal Posts: 1,388	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet Folding top and roll up windows make it a Cabriolet. No not easily __________________ Blackwall Panthers Nor Cal chapter

10-13-2015, 03:53 PM	#3
Bob Johnson Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: California Posts: 1,013	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet The Sport Coupe has a sun visor above the windshield the Cabriolet does not. The doors on a Sport Coupe fully enclose the windows. The Cabriolet doors are open above and in back of the door windows. The Sport Coupe and Cabriolet have fundamentally different bodies. The Cabriolet body is a wooden structure with a sheet metal skin. The Sport Coupe is a metal structure with a metal skin. You might be able to chop the top off of a Sport Coupe and make something that would look like a Cabriolet from a distance. But it would not pass for a Cabriolet up close. The hardest parts to find for a Cabriolet are the door and top hardware. That also makes them very expensive. Bob

10-13-2015, 04:30 PM	#4
jim galli Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Tonopah, NV. Posts: 283	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet The difference between a coupe, and a drop head coupe. Sport coupe is just a Model A coupe with canvas from the belt up instead of tin. Cabriolet, is a true convertible. __________________ He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep, to gain what he cannot lose... Jim Elliott, 1949 http://tonopahpictures.0catch.com

10-13-2015, 04:36 PM	#5
Kevin in NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: South East NJ Posts: 3,398	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet The sport coupe is just a coupe body with a canvas top. The cabriolet is a totally different body construction with very few parts interchangeable with the other bodies. None of the sheet metal other then the cowl pieces can interchange. In other words, the sport coupe has all the extra work of a cabriolet with none of the advantages.

10-13-2015, 05:54 PM	#6
ronn Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: NNNNNNNNJJJJJJJJJJ Posts: 7,650	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet Sponsored Links (Register now to hide all advertisements) sport coupe-poor man's cabriolet...................

10-13-2015, 11:33 PM	#7
Dave Mellor NJ Senior Member Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 1,468	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet A not too well known fact about the sport coupe is that it has a much larger back window. I found this out when I bought a larger than normal back window thinking it was possibly for a phaeton. That would make sense as the back of the roof is farther away but I found that all back windows in canvas roof cars are the same except the sport coupe. Check it out some time.This turns out to be a way to identify a sport coupe from the back.

10-14-2015, 05:03 AM	#9
tmiller6 Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Livonia, MI Posts: 201	Re: sport coupe vs Cabriolet There were two rear window sizes for the 28 Sport Coupe. The larger size came later. My October '28 Sport Coupe has a smaller window although I believe all documentation says it should be the larger style. The way I spot the Coupe from the Cabriolet is the difference in the door windows.