Good morning. I subscribed here a while back to learn about the '30 Chevy coupe I've been working on for several years and this forum has been a big help.
The coupe isn't mine, belongs to a local resident who asked me to do the "restoration" (term used lightly). I've learned a lot here, bought all the manuals from the Filling Station which were a great resource. I don't have help or other resources, just me, and when I need more than my 2 hands, my son who was also invaluable with recreating rotten wood parts. That was, IMO, the biggest challenge and fiasco of the entire project.
I'm very close to assembly, boxes and boxes of parts ordered over the past couple years as I got closer to needing them readily on hand. One question I hope someone can help with is windlace. This car had windlace everywhere, between junction of fenders/running boards/side shields, none on rear fenders, and between visor and body. Either I've missed it in the manual or it's not covered.
So, my question - where should windlace actually be or did it depend on which plant the car was manufactured?
There is windlace on the rear render to body seam, from down by the running board all the way along the fuel tank apron. There is some along the front fenders to splash aprons joint all the way t the rear of the running boards. The running board ends to front and rear fenders get heavy weight tar paper. Buy 3/16” windlace, not 1/4” as it’s too big and is ugly. Sometimes there are older rolls on eBay. They are way better than the new stuff available.
Just to reduce confusion when you are ordering. Windlace is for the door openings not body to fender. Body to frame and splash apron to frame is webbing and fender to body is welting. Search for fender welting or fender welt. Model A suppliers probably have the least expensive supply. Original webbing was 1/32" asphaltum impregnated cloth. Tar paper can do. Original fender to body welting was imitation leather wrapped over a cord and stitched. Modern rubber type can do and yes get the 3/16" one as recommended by Christech. Windlace for the door openings ranged from various cloth versions to imitation leather stitched around a 3/8" rubber core.
Hello cabboy, Thank you for the explanation of the different terms regarding the types of fillers used between different components. I went to the effort to copy your post for future reference. I cannot remember how many times I have confused suppliers because I used the wrong terminology. That's why I rely heavily on pictures, photos or diagrams to keep the confusion to a minimum.
For the asphalt impregnated cloth I tried to find the old fashioned friction tape, and found that the tape which is used to wrap hockey sticks is almost the same. I used it in places like the ends of the running boards where they bolt to the fenders.
Hello Phil, there are essentially 4 VCCA Regions in Washington if you include the Columbia River Region from the Vancouver/Portland area.Which part of the state are you in? Perhaps you can tap into a local member for some insight and guidance. Art
Sorry guys. I know the difference between welting and windlace have been discussing interior with owner lately so that was a case of brain fade on my part.
Thanks for clarifying which product was used where! I was sure welting wasn't supposed to be used between the sun visor and body but couldn't confirm.
I purchased friction tape to use instead of asphalted cloth, plan to use two layers since it is not as thick, and also bought 1/4" welting from Filling Station based on pieces I saved from the car. Not surprised to learn someone had been there before.
Should also mention I have a very limited budget to work with so am doing best I can within those limits and, unfortunately, compromises must be made.
Christech your pictures and commentary have been very helpful!!
Thank you all who responded, I really appreciate it.
To add on my 1929 Sedan the thin impregnated cloth was used between the visor and header. No external bead there so the friction tape would be the go to for that location. P.S. I get the brain fade sometimes as well. If you had access to a sewing machine the fender welting could have been sewn up as I had indicated. It's just a strip imitation leather sewn around a 1/8" cord I think giving a 3/16" outer diameter to the bead. On my Sedan the door windlace was also imitation leather wrapped around 3/8" hollow rubber tube. I was lucky to find a roll of 2" wide impregnated cloth webbing some time ago but the friction tape does work.
I can only say that there was no bead originally on my 29 between the visor and header panel nor have I seen it on any 1929/30 I've seen at various shows around Ontario. Now mine was built here in Canada and probably individual plants did different things. Also if cars have been restored beading may have been added? Who knows.
Curious, I have lots of pictures of restored cars with welting at the visor, however, I don't have very good pictures of unrestored cars. My 29 did not appear to have ever been restored, but that's not to say someone didn't put welting in. I'm sure the more knowledgeable people on this board can help.
I believe in 30’ beaded welting started being used on the visors so 30-31’ used beaded welting. I also use hockey stick tape but find you have to use too many layers so I use the heavyweight roofing felt for most those areas. What is good about the roofing felt over any cloth or webbing is it doesn’t absorb and hold moisture like the other material will. Roofing felt also makes a good anti squeak and shim for body wood to metal contact areas. Along the bottom of the rumble seat opening where the lower deck metal attaches to the knife edge metal is another good place to use the roofing felt. This area is notorious for being hard to get contoured correctly to match the bottom edge of the rumble lid. How many rumble lids have you seen scratched paint on because the spacing is just a little too tight because the metal didn’t follow the lid quite right? Almost all knife edges need some shimming. I like the hockey tape for anti-squeak applications like along the dado in the main sill for the floor boards and the front edge of the cross board at the front seat floor. It keeps the back edge of the floor board from squeaking there also. I still use about three layers to get enough thickness.
I have to respectfully disagree with Christech on this one. I do not believe a beaded welt was used or should be used between the visor and header cover on any 1929 to at least 1931 Chevrolet (and probably any Fisher built body) The header cover already had a bead stamped into it and another bead there would look out of place. I also did a quick search of 30s and 31s on the net and didn't see beading on anything that I found. Of all the 29 to 31s I have seen at shows I have not yet seen anyone after installing a bead there. When my Chev came apart for the first time (and a few other GM cars I've had a hand at) there has only been a thin (about 1/64" thick) strip of impregnated cloth between the visor and header cover.
Hey, I could be wrong but I’ve taken it out of many 30-31s I’ve redone. Maybe they had all been replaced previously as many cars have had issues in that header area. I’ll go back and look at my pictures.
Here is a 31’ that I replaced with the same welt that was there. There is not a raised bead but a raised flat area that fits inside the opening around the header and the two windshield post. While the header cover has a raised perimeter bead for better looks and design, the windshield side metal does not. Looking at restored and original cars, the welt bead doesn’t detract from the look in my opinion. The bead of the welt helps fill in the the areas that don’t fit as well as they should. Possibly through the years as the cars have developed issues, the flat material Cabboy mentions got replaced with welt. I personally have not removed any strictly flat material but have removed some welting where the bead was mostly gone, resembling flat material in many places yet still having traces of the beaded edge. I have a few more places to check and will post what I find.
Here is a video of an original 1931 Chevrolet survivor that was sent to me years back when I was restoring my own 31’ that shows the original welting between the sunvisor and the front roof rail cover. I do remember being told to put it on my car by a couple of the site gurus when I asked. Click on the link, expand the video to full screen and then pause at 1:52 and you will definitely see the original welting between the sunvisor and the front roof rail cover.
The welting looks more like 1/8” than 3/16 so If the 1/8 could be found, I’d use it. I don’t believe any judge would knock you for it.
The welting looks more like 1/8” than 3/16 so If the 1/8 could be found, I’d use it. I don’t believe any judge would knock you for it.
I am certain that the welting that was on my 29 had a 1/8" bead and it was very old. I know the car had not been restored, however, it could have been added at some point.
Appreciate the follow ups, think I'm going to use welt on the visor which happens to be the same smooth style like the picture of the '30 Bare Feet saw at a meet.
Another parts help question, trunk bumpers, Filling Station doesn't have them, nor does I&I or Bob's Automobilia. Found some that look similar in Restoration Stuff catalog but no reply yet to my question about dimensions which are approximately 11/16” diameter and 3/8” height. For $7 I may just change an order anyway.
