VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Body - Sheet Metal, Paint & Wood 32 Duco Specifications Question

Hi Guys,

As some of you know I'm working on a 32 Phaeton and have been reading the Duco Paint Specifications the last couple of weeks. I have always questioned what the robe rail should look like in the Phaeton and in last few years have come to think it should be a twisted rope like the special sedans. But the problem is the part number is different for the phaeton then anything else in the fisher body parts area. I looked at a very original 32 phaeton before anything was done to it and found the screw holes which verified that it would be the twisted rope style.

After reading the Duco Spec's I'm now questioning that again, as on 4 paint combinations 97, 107, 108 and 109 there is a color listed for the "Robe Rail Bar" which is Cola Brown. There is no other combination which calls out a color for the robe rail which I would think the standard sedan should have as they used a metal bar, which would be painted. So I'm wondering were they really talking about the foot rest or the robe rail for the phaeton? Any thoughts for anyone?

According to my literature, the braided silk robe cord was used in the Special Sedan only. The standard sedan and the phaeton had a robe rail bar.

Hey Skip, so where are you seeing that information? I'm looking in the parts book and all it states under the open car area is robe rail assembly. Also it is a different part number then anything used in the Fisher cars. Thanks for the help.

The parts book shows a different part number for the phaeton robe rail assembly than the Fisher robe rail assembly because it is different. Both the standard sedan and the phaeton robe rails used metal bars but each assembly was different....that's why the part numbers are not the same.

Bruce , I cant help with 1932 specifically any more than has been mentioned already, but the 1931 Independence (1931 only) parts book quotes these parts numbers under the Body parts for phaeton, roadster and sports roadster.
Foot rest assembly prt no. 4380501
Robe rail assembly prt no. 366142
oval head wood screw ( No 10 x 1 NP )prt No. 106189

Well...the funny part about this, the really nice original car which I have the upholstery from leads me to believe that it was a rope. The screw holes are in the right location for it to be the type of end used on a rope. Also the impression in the upholstery shows it to be round like the rope end. The other thing, all the Phaetons which I have looked at all have a rope. So no really hard evidence yet.

Talked with a friend today that has a nice original 33 phaeton that has the original upholstery in it still. Asked him what he has for a robe rail, he sent me pictures and of the rope still robe rail that was in the car and the only holes which are in the back of the front seat. This information matches the information that I have from a 32 phaeton. So the puzzle continues it looks like.

Bruce

The 1931 export specifications list I have.(US) has the 1931 phaeton list with robe strap , and also was fitted to the special sedan. The (standard) sedan is listed as being equipped with a robe rail. all 3 body types have a foot rest fitted.
(The 1932 holden body tourer was only fitted with a foot rest,while the sedans had a flexible robe rail.)

Hey Jack, can I get a copy of that information? Also do you think we can find a copy of the 32 information?

The 1932 Chevrolet parts book lists "Robe Rail Assembly" for the 32559 Standard Sedan. "Robe Rail Cord Assembly" is listed for the Special Sedan for 1932, which is an actual braided cord. For the Phaeton, the parts book lists "Robe Rail Assembly" just like the listing for the Standard Sedan, but with a different part number. I would guess that if the robe rail was an actual cord the parts book would list it as "Robe Rail Cord Assembly". However, there is no robe rail brackets listed for the Phaeton or the Special Sedan because the brackets on the cord robe rail are braided into the cord itself as one unit. But.....there are "Robe Rail Ends" listed for the robe rail for the 1932 Standard Sedan. Go figure!

The mystery continues.....

Hi Bruce , I have emailed the pages in question to your listed email address.

I wish I did have the same for export document for 1932 as I have for 1931.

Let me know if the emails came through.

Thanks Jake, got them!

Skip, it is so funny that all the orginal cars (Phaetons) ..... that I know of have cords (Rope) and not bars. Or at least the evidence is showing them that way. So I now know of 2 32's a 33 and 34 which have been proven to have had a cord and not a rod.

After my experiance with the phaeton part of the parts book, I'm thinking they left a lot out of it. That is because of the low production numbers of these cars starting in 32. I know there are a lot of body part missing, starting in 32.

Sometimes you have to second-guess the parts book in some cases. The parts book says "Robe Rail Assembly" which, when comparing the same application listing to the 1932 Standard Sedan, would make you assume that the Phaeton had a robe rail bar. However, the parts book does not mention the robe rail bar ends as being sold separately like it does for the 1932 Standard Sedan. Therefore, I would say that even though the parts book leads you to believe that the robe rail for the Phaeton is a bar rail, the robe rail was probably the braided cord instead.

I was thinking that the 1931 specifications call it a robe strap instead of a robe rope because it is made out of leather or leatherette material instead of "rope"

A rope rail on a cloth type interior would be a good match , and a leather strap to match a leather interior would match better also.