VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1937-1945 Trunk cardboard panels (38 coupe)

Where can you buy the cardboard to recut the panels on each side of the trunk? I want to have them covered but would like to start over with new material.

Steve, my upholstery guy used a heavy paperboard that is used to repanel doors. It's thicker than the original material but serves the purpose. Any upholsterer should be able to get the material. Also you'll need to remove the wood to get the original pieces out without ripping them. We used my originals as patterns.

Steve,

My coupe had the originals still preserved, but they were rather severely warped and some were ripped. I should have followed Tiny's lead and copied them, but I was ordering upholstery material from Hampton Coach (LeBaron Bonney Co.), and bought them from them. Like most of their products, they will cost you an arm and a leg, but they are very accurate reproductions--I have checked them up against the originals.

Jim

Steve,

What is visible along the bottom edge of these panels - is it metal edging on the floor edge or is there some kind of trim?

My side panels have small trim on the bottom but I assumed it was owner installed at some point...

The panels fold under this tracking piece.

Interesting. My cardboard panels just stand there with clips on the sides but now that I look there are 5 small nail holes along the floor edge.

Steve, if by chance you happen to have a camera and be near your car, would you be able to email me a closeup or two?

Tiny, does yours look like this?

Best I can do...cheap camera. Wouldn't that look good chromed !! smiles


What you can't see is two tiny pieces of channel about an inch long behind the part we are looking at in the photo. That's what holds it in place along with the fact that the panels are folded UNDER the metal strip. The screws you see are going thru the metal and the upright panel material. Confused yet?

Steve, wasn't aware of the 2 one inch pieces of channel you speak of...if the screws go thru the angled piece in the photo AND the cardboard folded under it then what do these 2 one inch pieces do? thx..Billu38

The two small one inch pieces keep it in the correct postion. There is a notch cut out of the orginal panel where these small pieces go. I think GM thought there would be some rough treatment on these panels. I know mine were in bad shape. I guess this type panel was cheaper than anything else they could come up with at the time. I wish GM had come up with something to secure a jack and lug wrench and protect the tail light wiring.


BTW...You have great access to the fender nuts. Mine were a little rusty looking. I sprayed WD40 on all of them. Someday I need to install the chrome fender welting. It might keep from tearing up something while removing the bolts/screws.

One has to think, these Coupe's were called "BUSINESS COUPE'S" and were used by salesman to carry their wares all over their sales route.It depends on what they were selling,and packing around all the time, what the condition of the trunk lining will be now...If the salesman was selling,say bowling balls? then every time he went around a curve or corner the cardboard lining would take a beating.If he was selling POWDER PUFF'S then the trunk would look like mine...in good shape......ED

Steve I'm trying to picture the two small pieces of channel you refer to. I don't recall those but that's not saying they weren't/aren't there. I've look at any pics I have of that area before getting the new panels put in and I don't see anything but then again I wasn't taking pictures specifically of that area so they aren't the best pics to show detail in that area. Are you maybe referring to the tabs along the top that hold the liner in place, held between the body curve and the tabs?

No,the orginal panels have a cutout for those tabs. The tabs swivel and let you insert the panels and fold the ears under the metal at the same time. The channel tabs are small,only wide enough to hold the panel width. I wish I had a good camera to take a close up,but I don't. I'll get one of the old panels and take a photo of the correct location.

See the rusty looking outline on the bottom of the old panel? That is one of the two. It's about an inch long. I used a marker to point it out. I hope you can see it. If I ever remove the new panel again I'll try to get a good photo. The little channel clip swivels about 10-15 degrees to help you get it started,it's not ridgid. You're looking at the back side of the panel (passengers side)

Don't know if you're still looking, but Hampton sells the boards:

Hampton Boards

Brian

Steve, I just checked my original panels and can't find any indication of the clips...my cardboard is out and if I look in the bare trunk I see a piece of thin angle in the same area you show and about the same width but it's tack welded to the inner fender panel and tacked to the angle iron structure that the wooden floor sits on....it's about 10 inches forward of the inside of the trunk opening ????? Doesn't look like anyone broke a clip off either....stumped.... Billu38

That won't work. The rear "s" shaped piece is at least 43 1/2" long. I guess you could piece it together but that wouldn't look very good. Thanks for the link. It would work in most other cars I'm sure.

I don't know what to say. If it weren't so much trouble I'd take it all out again and send a photo. Maybe the plant the car was manufactured in might be the answer. I know several guys had the metal bar that crosses the width of the car riveted in,but Tinys car did not. I'm talking about the metal that is right above the spare tire.

https://vccachat.org/ubbthreads.php/topics/190551/Rivets_or_what_Trunk_area#Post190551

You're right...never know..I DO see stationary, welded clips up under the trunk opening rim (got to stick your head in the trunk and look up under the rim)..these keep the cardboard from buckling outward...and then there are cardboard retainer features stamped in the 2 vertical supports that the trunk hinges attach to....not worth taking apart for photos...probably be OK with or without them! Billu38

GOOD...I didn't want you guys thinking I was crazy. I usually post alot of photos of everything but I didn't do it this time. Alls well.

Those are the tabs I referred to that hold the top in place. I did go out to the garage and stuck my hand up under the floor looking for the "clips" that left the rust spot on Steve's panel. I felt what I believe are the critters but I really don't understand the movable clip issue. (quote from Steve's post: "The little channel clip swivels about 10-15 degrees to help you get it started,it's not ridgid.") 'Taint nothing that swivels on mine. Those small angle iron pieces are welded & don't move. Maybe I'm misunderstanding the issue. No big thang, just trying to understand what we're talking about.

Thanks guys.

I suspect I'm missing the edge trim unless it's somewhere in one of the boxes of pieces I couldn't identify.

The holes along the edge of my floor are very small. Mine definately were not screwed in place but very small nails.

My 38 Master has regular slot head screws...But they are very small & pointed, they are only about 1/4" long and VERY pointed...They would be very easy to strip out if over tightened or got loose and bumped.....ED