Where have all the coupe trunk lids/ rumble seat lids gone to?

Is it just me, or are most trunk lids/rumble seat lids missing whenever you find or go look at a coupe for sale. Same goes for most parts cars at junkyards and finding a used lid is near impossible, even a rough one.. (especially for an odd make that are not reproduced) .
Are all these lids on some planet of lost lids (next to the pile of lost left hand gloves)?
Fabricating most 20s- early 30s lid is not too difficult, but for the average person, 30's 40's lids are quite complex.
I'm not in need of a lid at this time, but there have been times that I have p***ed on a project purchase beacuse the price of the car was to high to be missing a lid that would likely be 100's of dollars if found.
Anyone else notice disappearance of lids? I think this may have been going on for many years now, possibly since the 50s-60s. What is your experience/opinion. Is there an answer to this mystery?

 

I've been looking for a complete 26 27 roadster decklid for a couple of years. I'm beginning to think that they just don't exist. I'll use a repop skin and build the inner frame if I have to, but I sure would like to find an original. Anybody got one?

 

It took me 4 years to find the one for my '27 coupe. I knew where two of them were sitting but the guy wanted $450 for a decklid that needed 10-12 hours of work to make it presentable. He does have a pasture full of T's and several with decklids. I can stop by and price one if you like. PM me if you want me to check.

I think part the reason so many old cars are missing hoods/trunk lids is that when we were kids I remember dad tying an old one to the car bumper in the winter and dragging us round on it. I sometimes am amazed that we lived through childhood with the stunts we pulled.

 

The deck lids were removed to put on better cars than the one you've got or removed to use the car as a pickup.

 

I think a lot of them wound up as sleds! I remember when I was a kid (I'm 61) I would see the older guys (damn teenagers) using '40 Ford hoods towed behind a p/u truck in the winter for sleds!! If only we knew then what we know now.

 

Makes sense, as many lids were subject to rusting and the rusted lids were likely disposed of.
As far as the pick up truck conversions, wouldn't it be nice to find some "take off" lids stored in some barn or wherever from a coupe that was converted to pickup when the coupe was only 10-15 years old.
Occasionally "new take off" tailgates are still found from 40s 50s pickup trucks that a farmer took off to put a grain gate after installing a hoist on their "new" truck. You can't beat OEM parts.

pasadenahotrod, you may be foiling my plans to build a rocket ship to search for that planet with the lost lids..and left hand gloves (really how did I end up with 12 right gloves and no lefts?)

 

they've gone to the same place as pre 34 truck doors.

 

lol this is so true part reason is alot of them were removed for truck conversion during the gas rations but recently i stumbled onto a guy that p***ed away and family was selling his collection of model a trunk lids bought them for 40 bucks and they were all solid some days you get lucky

 

Lots of trunk lids became stone boats, and I guess you could load them up with firewood in the winter. They have been missing from Coupes and Roadsters since the 1960's when I stated looking for A parts.

 

I was gonna say in a pile beside '32-'34 Ford truck doors, somewhere. But this works.

 

well....they scap better....sorry....the yards I know of today are stacking the hoods up in the back of pickups before they smash them....

 

The decklids might be hanging in the garage next to all the right hand doors taken from rural postal carriers Model As. I got one of those doors once and a set of chains for Model A wire wheels. The door was absolutely perfect and well worth the $250 I sold it for at the next swap meet that year.