VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Roof Slats

What is the width and thickness of the roof slats on the '31? Those on my '31 four-door sedan are completely missing so I haven't a pattern from which to work. I assume they're made from thin plywood.

Tom

I think mine were 1/4" thick and 2" wide. It has been 50 years since I installed it. Fifty years and fifty thousand miles.

You can purchase new roof slats from Autowood Restoration in Hanna, Indiana.

Just finishing redoing my roof on '31 Coach, original slats are 1.75" wide, 1/4" thick, and have the upper edges rounded. Material is cedar I believe, very light and less likey to rot from getting wet. There are 9 slats evenly spaced across roof running front to back (about 2.25"-2.5" between them).

Slats are nailed to cross bows with 2 thin common nails per slat per bow (mine were driven down flush with surface). The front end of the slats are then further secured by a full width x 1/2" wide thin metal strip (likely tin or zinc flashing type material) which is nailed into front roof bow with 2 nails in space between slats, and holding slats tightly down. I assume this was intended to minimize chance of roof uplift (cannot remember if there was a metal strip at rear?) Finally, chicken wire is stapled every second slat/bowover the slats, stretched tight and flat, and carefully trimmed to finish inside the sheet metal body structure. This chicken wire is also stapled to the slight check in the front bow, and prevents the roof padding from drooping between slats.

Now you are ready for some burlap, padding and vinyl top.

Thanks for the responses. And "Gunsmoke" you answered a question I'd forgotten to ask. There is a thin strip of flashing material on the rear of my car where the slats went but the one on the front is missing. I wondered if there had been one on the front and according to your post there was.

Tom

The original roof on my 1930 Sport Coupe had the two metal strips as described above. One on the rear of the roof and one on the front of the roof. However, there was no chicken wire used under the leatherette roof insert.

The slats are definitely not plywood. There are about 1/4---5/16 thick and about 1 7/8--2" wide. Look at your front and rear wood top parts and measure the width of the wood slots for the slats. Made from any number of hardwoods.......oak.......ash..maple...poplar, southern yellow pine I think is a hardwood.

The species of wood used would be what was available from where the car is being assembled.

The metal strapping at the front and the back is a MALEABLE steel, meaning easily bent by hand. This was used to stop the nails or screws from backing off and rubbing holes in your fabric cover. It was nailed thru on either side of the slats to stop the nails from poking thru.

When I bought my re-topping kit from LeBaron-Bonnie from their Hampton coach division for GM. It had the top fabric, it had a white fluffy stuff like in a pillow, it had a thin black cloth, the correct nails and hide-um. Did it have a chicken wire, cannot remember, but I do remember it had it when I bought the car in 1970. Not sure if I re-installed it with new redo of top in 2010 ???

mike lynch

Hello, I still have my framework for the roof off 1931 independence if you find no joy I will measure and photo if I can work out how to send/post pictures,it should help positions of cross rails and interior light.Phil.

When I took my 31coupe apart the roof slats were plywood. When I ordered a kit from Hanna,I'd the kit came with plywood strips. I chose to make mine out ot oak because I had it. I used aluminum strips on the ends. If you go to Bill barkers 31 site there are pictures of my roof. I do not know the length of the coach slats or how many but I have the ones from the kit and also some aluminum strips left over. If you want to pay for shipping you can have them if they will work for you. I will go out and measure the length of them.

The ones that came with my wood kit are 41"1/4x 1"3/4 wide. I have nine of those and two oak ones left over from my job. Also there are two 1/2" strips of aluminum. You can send me a PM if you are interested.

As stated earlier, the s;ats on my Coach were cedar. Although my car had a lot of the roof wood members rotted (complete front bow, most of rear bow, 30% of side rails,) they had been made of hardwood, mix of ash and poplar. The slats were in perfect contition. Cedar has resin which naturally prevents the rot usually caused by insects and water in most normal woods. Western red cedar shingles will last 75 years on a barn or house without any paint or product whatsoever, the natural ingredients prevent rot.

I still have the original roof slats for my 1930 Sport Coupe and the roof slats are plywood.

When I bought my re-topping kit from LeBaron-Bonnie from their Hampton coach division for GM. It had the top fabric, it had a white fluffy stuff like in a pillow, it had a thin black cloth, the correct nails and hide-um. Did it have a chicken wire, cannot remember, but I do remember it had it when I bought the car in 1970. Not sure if I re-installed it with new redo of top in 2010 ???

mike lynch [/quote]

Hampton Coach/Lebaron&Bonnie supply burlap instead of the chicken wire to support the white fluffy matting supplied. I just finished my roof and the burlap/white fluffy stuff works great.

The chicken wire was factory installed beginning in the early 30s with a wire down a windshield post to act as radio antenna. Sorry can't tell which date each plant began installing the wire.

I have a piece of Chevrolet literature somewhere in my collection that, as I remember, states that "wire mesh" was being installed in the roof inserts starting in 1933. It is also mentioned that the wire mesh was insulated from the body so that it could also be used as an antenna for the accessory radio.