Hot Rods 30/31 model a lower bead question

Working on my model a.
The lower bead is gone on the cowl and quarter.
I have patch panels and the bead is about 1 1/4" tall, the doors are around 1" tall bead.
Is this normal?
If so does the top of the bead or bottom of the bead line up with the door bead?
From looking at model a's on here it appears that some are the same thickness of bead between the cowl bead and door.
Some also appear different thicknesses and to have the bead match the top bead line, some match the bottom bead line.

What is correct?
My door beads are near perfect at 1" door bead and the tiny amount of bead that's left on the body appears to be similar thickness (1 1/4") to the patch panel bead.

Here's a pic to explain better, from the left is original cowl, patch then door on the right.
With the patch tacked in it lines up I the top line at the door.
Also to note I don't have any subrails in it, as I'm waiting for those to show up. Maybe that plays into this under the door?

 

The top of the bead should line up. The factory fit of this was not that good and aftermarket parts are worse usually.

 

Yeah I thought so.
So should the bead should be the same size as door?

 

So a good follow up question might be, who sells the best quality patch panels...both fit and quality (e.g. 19 ga)?

 

If I'm not mistaken, The Coupe and Tudor beads are of a different width.

 

All the door patches I have seen have a lazy bead that isn't correct and doesn't really match but unless you can make your own , I believe they are the only game in town

 

I believe I purchased cowl patches from Brattons or Macs. They were 8" tall and were supposed to have all the right curves in them. I remember the bead being a little wider than the door bead but not that much. It was a very good piece though and easy to weld in. Which was good for me being the hack that I am.

 

Have Flop roll you a pair of patch panels if a quality fit is what you want. Bob

 

Hey Bob
You're right about that. I saw that he's selling the belt line bead by the foot.

 

I just checked my Brookville full cowl panels and they are a bit wider than my stock Henry built door. Bob

 

I bought the Brookville patch panels. Might as well make your own, it can't be worse.

 

bought [2] $75.00, Tudor sedan "beltline down" door skins, nice compound curve in the skin but the reveal / bead was a smooth radius, didn't match anything else... so i bought [2] more skins, split them to make cowl and quarter patches... all match, the good compound curve lets me run the patches 18" up the cowl, door or quarter.... eliminated a bunch of rust pits and small dings...
$75 for [2] compound curved patches isn't to bad...
IMO...don't price shop for each panels... try and get them all from the same manufacturer... still no garantees...

 

Ben LeBlanc is doing some research on patch panels for his A coupe (on his build thread), and the common denominator in all posts is: they're cheaply made ( no "crisp" lines), and the feature lines vary up to 3/16 of an inch ( whatever happened to QC??)
You can "massage" them to work OK with time and patience.

 

Building a low buck Cabster body ; '30 closed cowl, '30 tudor doors and '29 sport coupe quarters...
bought a pair of '35-'36 tudor sedan door patches... 35" long... they curl upward towards the front... the front 13.5" of them does the cowl patches ...look cool on the cowl... added the wedge shaped strip under the bead because '29 roadster does that... the '29 qtrs don't have a wheelwell reveal so i stopped that reveal about 7" beyond the door gap... [rounded it over] ... this leaves about 14" of the original panel, enough to patch a flat bottomed '30 - '31 cowl...
6 patch panels from 2... pic is of a previous '30 coupester build...

 

1930 coupes have the rear quarter's lower reveal stop just beyond the door, they don't touch...