got a guy wanting to trade on some 28/29 roadster parts. Nice roadster cowl and useable doors and deck lid. The roadster qtrs. are in very bad condition. It comes with what looks like sport roof qtrs. in very good condition. I understand roadsters use the same deck lid and that coup and roadster qtrs are different due to length and the upper part of the belt line. My ? is could the front section and upper belt from the roadster qtrs. be grafted to the coup qtrs.
Grafting is a possibility ... but only if you have way more time than money. Those rear quarters are largely unsupported sheet metal and are most likely to wind up pretty wavy -- even if you take your time. Suggest you look at a pair of roadster rear quarters from Brookville. A leetle pricey, I know, but once your figure out how much time, money, and sweat you'll be saving ... they'll start to look pretty reasonable. You'll cut your bondo bill by 90%
sometimes we just do things like this just because. I know it may make more since to buy new or find better ones. As far as the amount of bondo, there is a very good chance that little if any would be used once properly fitted, tig welded and metal finished. I was just wandering if this may be possible so I can determine how much this body is worth towards trading for sheet metal work on a friends 31 roadster.
Would help if you posted some pictures to clarify how much of all these pieces is usable.If you have a good cowel, doors, AND a decklid, you're way ahead of the game.Roadster rear 1/4s are 4" longer than coupe/sport coupe.Panel above the decklid is also different.Lots of coupes got turned into "coupsters" ( top cut off) because roadsters were more desireable.The tough part of this all is the transition around the "cockpit". A real roadster has a flat topped belt that runs around the top with a tack strip on it.A coupe with the top cut off is hard to blend in around this area, and looks clunky for lack of a better word.The beltlines are totally different.If you've got all the pieces,WTF? give it a try- nothing ventured, nothing gained! Turn up the music and start cutting! Good luck with it. Mike from Mass.
don't care for the coupster look much myself, The front section and area in front of the deck mounting is useable on the roadster qtrs. One reason I wanted to use the parts available is to try something different with the wheelhouse area on the 29 roadster qtr. The wheelhouse area on these cars look a little bland. I was thinking about shaping them to resemble the flared wheelhouse style on a 32 roadster, or maybe add the bead like o a 30/31 roadster
Sure you can do it . It's only metal . Let you imagination flow . Build the look you want . Making something just a little different is half the fun of it .
just working the deal right now, I have to do the sheetmetal work on his roadster first. I have also kicked around the idea of a phaeton style rear section for a lakes/track roadster look
Here's one I made from a $50. "A" cowel, the back of a doodle bug (tractor) my neighbor was trashing('32 pickup rear panel with the bottom and top rotted to death) and some fake sheetmetal doors that were just welded on.Winter project to stay busy all made with leftovers. Save EVERYTHING and have FUN. Mike
looks fun, I will keep the 31 A frame from my friends roadster after I built him a new one. His 31 has a bunch of extra fenders , splash aprons and running boards I thought about getting as well
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