VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 '35 Panel truck

Can someone tell me what the roof construction was on the '34-'35 panel truck? I know what the top material was but what was underneath; panel board, chicken wire, padding? Thanks.

ron

My '28 was just thin sheeting and padding under the topping and over the slats.

Ok, but my truck had no evidence of wood slats, maybe this was changed by '35.

Don't know when they changed away from slats. Could have been before yours was built. Slats make for an easy and inexpensive way to handle a arching top.

Chipper, could you elaborate a little about the 'sheeting'? A material like burlap or something else?

Thanks, Dean

More like muslin which is a coarse sheet type material. A lot finer weave than burlap. It is there to keep the padding from coming through the slats.

Thanks for the info! My '28 Canopy Express has the wooden slats, but nothing else at the moment.

Please post a picture (or send me one) of the edge or corner of the roofing so I can see how the top is attached to the roof frame and if there is something covering the nails or screws.

Much appreciated, Dean

I'll try to remember to take a photo of the '28 Canopy Express top when I go to the storage building next week.

I would have to assume that the panel truck would be the same as the fisher bodied closed cars.
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The slats are about 1/4--5/16" thick running end to end. Over each slat end is malleable metal that is formed to go over the slats in a snug fit they are held down with nails. Their purpose is to cover the screws that hold the slats down, because if the screws back off without the metal covers , you will wear holes in your lovely hartz canvas top.
On top of that is a black cloth, then a poly fill material like in pillows about 2" thick ??? On top of that is your hartz or stay fast type canvas material.

I got mine thru the LEBARON-BONNEY upholstery company.

http://www.lebaronbonney.com/


My original roof from the mid 60"s had a chicken wire in it, that a radio aerial was silver soldered too.

mike

http://www.hamptoncoach.com/

Hampton coach is a division of lebaron bonney and specialized in vintage Chevrolets.

mike lynch

Thanks Mike. There is not enough room above the top bows for all that material on my truck. I guess I'll go with Masonite or a thin door skin under the top material. Don't know if this is similiar to original but no one seems to know. I looked in the old parts books and can find nothing refering to this area.

You can do as you wish. It is your truck. Hope your choice is successful. The original cross braces are located so the slats, sheeting, padding and top material produces a nearly flat roof profile. Many people put too much padding resulting in a puffy looking roof topping.

The original top bows are nearly flush with the metal sides of the roof and as such the padding material would stand above the top. If there were any slats they would also stand above the roof, so I don't think the panel truck top had the slats. Like to put it back as originally constructed just don't know what was used.

CHIPPER is correct, the end of the roof , both ends, have the cross wood part that has recesses cut into the wood so that the slats sit down lower than the metal , but the slats bring the level up to normal height. The multiple wood cross pieces that run side to side, that the slats sits onto , are also lower than roof height so the slats sit even with the top.

I think you should talk to lebaron bonney / Hampton coach about exactly what they supply for the panel. After all the ford version would be similar to the Chevrolet in construction. ??

There should be a body book about fisher bodies that covers the trucks and the panel truck. Mine has gone walkies somewhere.

mike

Ron,
What is the spacing of the roof bows? Maybe chicken wire, thin padding, 1/4 or 1/2 inch (it compresses), then the top material.
My '35 Standard coupe had the original top when I got it in the 70s. It has the bow, slat, hardware cloth (not chicken wire), padding, top material setup. Radio antenna wire was soldered to the hardware cloth as Mike mentioned. I have never seen any padding that looked like it started out at 2" thick. The batting that my mom uses in her quilts is what I used for my top.
My friend near Cincinnati has two '36 1-1/2 ton panels. I could ask him what he has found out about the roof. Also a guy named Don ???? in Michigan did a beautiful restoration on a '36 1/2 ton panel. He would know the correct setup. There is a freshly restored '36 Burb in Idaho? That guy is a seasoned Chevy restorer. There was an article about him and his Chevy collection in a fairly recent G and D. His Burb was mentioned but not featured. I hope this helps.

Mike

I just remembered that I still had some of the roll of fill topping in the rafters.

Measured it at 1 inch thick and when squeezed together between forefinger and thumb easily compresses to 1/8".

When installing the canvas type top its required that you start your nail placements in a specific pattern, then you begin nailing and pulling hard on the cloth tightly which makes the fill material compress.

mike lynch...........

Hi Ron,
I am guessing that your 35 Panel has a Martin-Parry body.
(IE: Chevrolet body company of Indianapolis.)
Before 1931, Chevrolet made NO half ton bodies.
Just commercial chassis.
In 1926 & 27 they made panel bodies for One Ton Only.
Chev made cabs for Utility trucks (NOT half ton) from 1926 - 30.
My 29 ton & half stake had Plywood.
Plywood wasn't too good in the 1930s as they didn't have water proof glue.
I am guessing that Martin-Parry used plywood where as Hercules might have used Lathe (Slats).
Probably the same as your 36 Suburban.
Door Skin ply wood is a good modern match.
Probably jute padding and Moleskin on top of the ply.
Good luck with your project.
I always like seeing your interesting vehicles at the ATHS shows.
Lou

Thanks Lou. It seems like your answer is the most likely as that would explain why there is no evidence of "slats". I'll probably go with the door skin scenario you describe. Would the wood be exposed on the underside of the roof? Hope to see you at the truck club meeting in January

when I have looked at a couple of these 34=35 trucks the wood cross pieces are exposed and the wood slats are also exposed in that you can see them from below.

I think your all wrong putting metal door skins up there or even sheet metal .

These did not use a cloth headliner.

They are trucks meant to pile stuff into, most likely any cloth headliner would get ripped.......makes sense doesn't it.?

mike

Not metal but wood door skins, you can but this material at homo depot or any lumber store. Mike, have you seen the underside of any '34-'35 Panel truck? I have a '35 pickup and it does not have wood slats over the exposed bows.

pretty sure they have a solid steel roof panel. Chevrolet was just beginning to experiment with solid steel roofs. The cars continued with the wood framing and roof slats.

I do not remember panel trucks having a filled roof with anything other than wood slats and cloth. But I could be wrong, do not see them often enough around here.

mike

According to what I find the panels had a one piece steel roof.
Even the 1935 parts book list a roof for a panel. For a 1 ton panel it sold for $75.00.

Unfortunately I let the restoration book get away from me on my 36 panel and can't show you any of those but mine looked like the photo below.

Dale

Thanks Dale, this is what I was looking for. Do you remember what was above the panel board (slats, plywood, ?).

ron

It's been a long time but I want to say it was just like a coach, chicken wire about a 1/4 cotton and then the top material.
Dale