Thread: 27 Ford Roadster Questions

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He's missing out on some great info, has anybody here actually taken the time to covert the $800 speedway body to opening doors and trunk lid? Could it be done?
Also are you saying that you would sit down in them farther on a set of 32 rails?

Originally Posted by brickman

He's missing out on some great info, has anybody here actually taken the time to covert the $800 speedway body to opening doors and trunk lid? Could it be done?
Also are you saying that you would sit down in them farther on a set of 32 rails?

yup, you sit down a lot further. As for the Speedway body, their glass isn't the best, but shouldn't be too much of a major pain to put doors in. As for the deck lid, better do some reinforcing before you cut anything out. Don't expect a lot from an $800 body.....

Just trying to keep contact with the Forum. I have always liked the '27 roadster body but it is even smaller than the '29. If anyone reading this is considering adding doors and decklid function to the 'glass Speedway body my only constructive comment is that once you cut the deck lid and cut out a door or two there will be a need for reinforcement. I think a good 1/2" birch plywood panel behind the seat could help a lot to stabilise the area at the top of the lid, but on my Bebops '29 the quarter panels were really floppy until I locked the two side tubing bars together with a steel plate. My motivation was protection for the gas tank rumble seat but I was amazed how rigid the body became when I tied the quarter panels together. The '27 quarter panels are lower but I suspect that if you cut out that lid there will be a lot of wiggle sideways between the quarter panels so I attach a picture of the plate I bolted in.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Yep, Dave is right, you need to do some reinforcing before you cut either the doors or trunk lid.

In the '60's Car Craft had an excellent series on building a T bucket. It was the best one on doing a car that I have ever seen. They did it over maybe a 6 month period, and each month featured more and more progress on every aspect of building one.

On the segment where they did the body, they first glassed in wood, like I did, then they cut through the glass and wood to the shape of the door. After some smoothing of the jam and door, they installed a model T door hinge, and latch assembly. This was done only on the passenger side, as this is how Ford actually did them from the factory.

I have to say though that I personally am not a fan of a door in these bodies. My buddy had an opening passenger door in his bucket, and going down the road the gap would open and close at the top and pinch your arm if you were leaning on the top of it. That got your attention real quick.


Don