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Amnesty build-Monogram 1934 Ford Cabriolet


Eric Macleod

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Thanks Slotto!

I have another dilemma. I have started on the interior and wanted to replicate the mohair fabric upholstery. I tried flocking it but I am not at all satisfied with the results (though I do like the look of the carpeted areas). I still have to apply flocking to the area around the shifter but the photo shows where I am so far.

Another area I worked on is the rumble seat. It is upholstered in a mottled leather. That I am happy with. I know I have seen some of the open cars with leather through the entire interior, not just the rumble seat area, but for an upscale car like a cabriolet I think the seats and door panels should be fabric. That is also what the reference photos show, when the car is a high point restoration.  Have a look and opinions are most welcome.

v.8.door.jpg

v.8.floor.jpg

v.8.rumbleseat.jpg

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Eric,  just yesterday morning, while looking up reference pics online for my  34 Coupe project, I found a couple of pics of a Cabriolet, with leather upholstery.  I believe I'm correct in stating that Ford, from Model A forward, used leather or vinyl (yes, vinyl was around in the 30's--actually invented in the 1990's!) for all open car interiors, cabriolet's and convertible sedans included.

Art

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Thanks for the compliment Art. I have seen cars both ways. It was not uncommon for Cabriolets to be upholstered in mohair in the early 30's, though this was more common in more expensive cars (last August I saw a totally original interior in a '33 Nash Ambassador Convertible Sedan, tattered but definitely wool broadcloth). Todays preferences certainly favor leather in open cars. For ease of building I very well may go ahead and use leather as the look of mohair is proving, uh, challenging...to say the least.

So, how did I make the leather? I used a red primer base with various colors of tan, brown, orange, dark red and black very rapidly spackled in a random pattern. While all of that was still wet I sprayed Model Master Dullcoat over the top which created the effect of smearing the still wet paints together. It was pure dumb luck but it worked.

In the mean time, here is an improved wiring loom I made for the engine. I used aluminum tubing for this. The spark wires will come out of the ports.

v.8.wiring.jpg

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Meanwhile...in the world of the '34 Ford Cabriolet I have nearly completed the engine wiring. I made looms (which were surprisingly difficult to make) for the wiring and installed them. I discovered I must have gotten a bad batch of cement as nothing...and I do mean NOTHING would stick. Here is the photo of the progress.

v.8.engine wired.jpg

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I have been a bit of a holding pattern waiting on some research. My answer is clear based upon information from the AACA, the Early Ford V-8 club and finally a trip to the Benson Ford Library, the correct way these cars were upholstered was with Bedford cord in the front seat then leather in the rumble srat. Now..how to make plastic liok like cloth?

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I am continuing slowly on this one. I have done some detail painting and assembly slowly continues. I find the paint I chose seems very fragile (Rustoleum plastic paint/primer) so I am being extra careful. That being said, I like the stance of this car and it is coming together well. There probably was some filling and sanding I could have done on the upper door extension but candidly, this was supposed to be a fairly quick build in between bigger projects and stripping the body again is simply not in the cards.

v8 ford updates.jpg

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I thought I would be posting "under glass" by now and really I am within about 1-2 hours of being there. That being said, here is my progress. I find the front clip assembly-grill, hood and fender alignment to be very "fiddly" on this model. Giving credit where credit is due, it is about 55 years old so I will cut the kit some slack.

v8 close.jpg

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