When I built my T, I just recovered the original metal visor structure. After a few thousand miles the leading metal edge broke. So, I took it apart and added a metal rod at that edge to reinforce it. It still flaps in the wind. It was never meant to take 50+ mph. Now the vinyl cover is starting to split right where that leading edge broke. It has made it almost 30K miles now but needs some attention again. I could take it apart and heavily reinforce the structure, but I would like to replace it with a metal visor with belled air relief holes in it. I know in the past I have seen some place that fabricated these, but I can't for the life of me find it now. I found plenty of A visors but not for a T. I thought about fabbing it myself. I did all the panel patching on the T and am fairly familiar with sheet metal work. Looking at the visor, I think I could make the center section easily enough, but I don't think I have the skills to create the shape at the ends. And I don't have the bell hole punches either. It would be much easier to buy one. Anybody know anyone that makes these things?
Howell lists them https://www.fordor.com/category.cfm?cat=1926 1927 Ford Model T Sedan Parts&dept=0927modelt
I didn't think to check Howell's and that's where my patch panels came from. Thanks. I would still have to put my desired holes in it, but that gets me a lot closer. I know I have seen somewhere a visor with holes in it, though.
Isn’t it best to buy stuff on EBay, if available there, rather than direct? EBay has a buyer satisfaction rating system…if you get my drift.
There are punch and die sets, you just drill a hole for a bolt and tighten the nut, cabinet punches. I think these are the same visors as on the '29 closed cab pickup. Our guy here at Bert's model A in Denver has new manufactured frames and guys just put in butt welded filler panels. I'm looking to replace the front bar on mine, too rusty. I like the visor on CCPU.
Well, I decided that I wanted a stock covered visor, but every place I tried had the frame on backorder. Same with the cover. I did find an upholstery shop in Minnesota, Classtique, that could sew me one up from the original style cobra long grain vinyl. So not being able to find a new frame, I decided to take a whack at building one myself. I said in my original post that I didn't think I had the skill to make those. Fooled myself! Those rounded end pieces, I ended up making in two pieces. I made them right over the top of the originals. Turned out to be pretty easy. I needed to replicate the original because that is what the new cover fits. The cover fits perfectly on my replica frame. I have test fitted it on the car. Fits good. Now it is sitting on my bench ready to go in the cover, get fitted, glued, and finished up. BUT, last night I got to thinking I would still like a series of holes in the visor. A lot of pressure gets built up under there at highway speeds. So, I started messing around and cut (6) 1/8" slivers of some 3" tubing I had laying around. I spaced them out across the visor and fabbed a grid from 1/8" x 1/2" strap to hold them in place, all in the plane of the visor. Every one of the 21 pieces in the grid was a different length and had to be tight fitted to avoid pulling the structure out of place. The metal fab is right in my wheelhouse. That was the easy part. Of course, the holes make the job of covering it much more difficult. I'm definitely not an upholsterer. The cover is a big pouch into which the frame slides. The plan is to slide the frame into place and work on the top of the visor, first. Glue it down and cut all six holes in little triangles to fold back and glue to the underside of the circles. then bring the bottom into place with holes just larger than the ID of the pipe to cover all the bent over tabs of the top around the circles and hold them in place. Does that make sense? Will it hold at speed? Getting those holes in the bottom cover located precisely might be a problem. I have never attempted anything like this before and don't want to have to buy another cover! Anybody got any tips?
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