VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 Need advice on restoring top

Can somebody provide info on restoring the top on a 1929/30 4 door tourer (phaeton?). I do have a few metal brackets belonging to the top but don´t know how to assemble them. I need to know if the frame structure is mostly wood or metal or both and where can I get specific information about size and shape of each one of those frame components and how they get connected to each other. Anyone knows a vendor selling those parts? Do I have to build them? Any book with pictures how to assemble it? Thanks
Manuel

Manu,
If you send me your email address in a PM (personal Message) i will send you a scan of the 1929 phaeton showing the shape of the top from the 1929 sales brochure. It shows metal tube type sockets at the rear with a hockey stick type bend at the bottom. The steel tubes are called sockets, and have steam bent or laminated (later restorers) wooden top bows fitted into them.

There is a company here in Sydney Australia that sells parts for tops , called AUSTRALIAN HOOD IRONS. they will have drawings and parts neeeded for a 1929 chev tourer.They can make a complete working top assembly with wooden bows.

A 1929 North American Pheaton has a different top mechanism to an Australian assembled 1929 chev tourer , but i do not see why it would not work on your car. The difference may be three top bows on a tourer top, and only two on a Phaeton from Nth America.( please correct me Chip if i am wrong).

Manu.
Here is a link to photos of a 1929 Phaeton with wood wheels, RHD from Argentina.
http://www.collectioncar.com/detailed.php?ad=5707&category_id=1

Jack

Thanks for your reply. Sorry, I´m new to the forum and couldn´t figure out how to send a PM. So, to keep communications flowing, this is my e mail: manuel_arbo@hotmail.com Can you please send me the scan of the 1929 phaeton showing the shape of the top from the sales brochures you mentioned?

Manuel

Hi Manu,
To send a PM to another user on the chat site , click on their "username" and then click on send a PM , If you receive a PM from another member, a little flashing envelope will flash next to the blue "My Stuff" title bar just below the color banner up above.

Picture has been emailed.
Cheers Jack

Hello Manuel......

My apologies for the delay in responding, but I've been out of town for two weeks on a family emergency. I have two of these phaetons, one of which is RHD and was initially assembled in Montevideo. I can help you with lots of information about the top, including dimensions, photos, etc.

I will send you an e-mail with some initial information and we can go from there.

All the Best,

Chip

The 1929 and 1930 US-made Phaetons (Tourers) actually have four steam bent wood bows: One which clamps onto the windshield and forms the front of the top, one just over the driver's head, one over the rear seat, and one which forms the rear of the top. The front bow attaches to the top irons with wood screws, the other three are carved to a taper on the ends and fit into the steel sockets which are part of the top irons. I have sent Manuel some photos of the complete top assembly without the cover, showing the arrangement and a couple of photos of the finished car.

All the Best,

Chip

Thanks Chip,
I definately forgot about the wood bow around the front , and couldn't see a third upper wood bow on the Phaeton. The Tourer also then has 4 bows including the front bow. The pheaton tops seem to be more of a straight line forward from the second back bow than a tourer which has a pronounced third bow.

Hello Jack and Chip:

Most helpful information, thank you so much. My project is not even started. It is a 1929/30 4 door phaeton that is in bad shape and will require a looooong restoration process (hopefully very enjoyable). Currently I am gathering all information for those items and components I don´t know about how to restore. The top is one of them and thanks to this information I feel more reassured how to tackle this part of the restoration project.

This car is a RHD and I suspect was assembled here in South America. It may have been imported to Paraguay (where I am) from neighboring Uruguay or Argentina, both countries I think had assembly plants for GM in the first part of the 20th century. I will get back with updates over the coming months and I´m sure will have tons of questions. Appreciate your input, and enjoyed seeing the beatiful pictures of Chip´s car

Manuel
Asuncion, Paraguay
South America

I am in exactly the same spot on the restoration of my29touring. Have lots of pieces, but no idea how to put them together. Please help.

Carolyn -- I will be happy to send you the same photos and drawings of the top configuration which I sent to Manuel. Just provide your email address by PM and I'll send them along.

All the Best,

Chip

Hola yo restaure una imperial landau 29 en monterrey mexico parte de la madera se importo y lo demas lo hicimos nuevo tego fotos del proceso de restauracion mi correo arnulf_20 arroba yahoo.com.mx

Hola yo restaure una imperial landau 29 en monterrey mexico parte de la madera se importo y lo demas lo hicimos nuevo tego fotos del proceso de restauracion mi correo arnulf_20 arroba yahoo.com.mx

Translation from Spanish to English

Hi I restore an imperial landau in Monterrey Mexico 29 of the timber is imported and the rest did tego new photos of my restoration process arnulf_20 arroba mail yahoo.com.mx

Hello carcachero. Buenas Dias,
If you would like to share the pictures of your 1929 Landau with us you will need to have the photos on a photo sharing website like photobucket and then post a valid link here . I tried the address ...... yahoo.com.mx and i could not find them. Maybe that is a email address and not a web site.