What is a peaked roof?

[Ken McGuire]

The Alexander Bros. 1931 Ford pickup (The Grasshopper) is said to have had its cab roof "peaked." Does that mean that the rear portion of the cab roof had height added to it so as to form a slope from back to front?

[Casey]

"Peaked" means it has a peak or ridge, usually running the length of the body area in question.Here's a Shoebox Ford with a peaked hood:

On a scale model, it's usually done by adding a small piece of brass or styrene rod down the centerline, then blending it into the surrounding area.

[Ace-Garageguy]

And roofs rarely get peaked because they're rarely noticed in full-scale cars. Hoods were the most frequent target.

One reason in the 1:1 world for peaking a roof, by the way (the shoebox Fords, and many others, were peaked in front from the factory due to the split, flat-glass windshield) is to counter severe oil-canning brought about by inexpert metalwork after the roof has been damaged or partied on. Only a true metal wizard can correct that kind of damage and get it right, but forming a gentle peak in a badly deformed panel goes a long way towards saving it by faking it.

[Ken McGuire]

Thanks guys, I re-read the various articles on The Grasshopper and I think I mixed up in my mind two different techniques used by the Alexander Bros on the truck. The area that was peaked was the 1932 radiator grill enclosure and now when I look at the photos I can see what Casey mentioned. Sorry for my confusion.

[Blown03SVT]

I googled the truck. A few sights actually describe it the way you interpreted it. No foul

[Art Anderson]

And roofs rarely get peaked because they're rarely noticed in full-scale cars. Hoods were the most frequent target.

One reason in the 1:1 world for peaking a roof, by the way (the shoebox Fords, and many others, were peaked in front from the factory due to the split, flat-glass windshield) is to counter severe oil-canning brought about by inexpert metalwork after the roof has been damaged or partied on. Only a true metal wizard can correct that kind of damage and get it right, but forming a gentle peak in a badly deformed panel goes a long way towards saving it by faking it.

Somehow, I doubt that "repairability" was frequently taken into consideration during the styling process though. Rather, I suspect that the short "crease" above the center of the windshield on say, the 49-51 Fords or Mercury's was anything more than a bit of a styling cue.

"Peaking" any body panel refers, I believe, to the customizer's practice of adding what stylists call a "windsplit", or a pronounced, raised crease running some length of say, a hood, trunklid, the tops of front fenders or rear quarter panels, even the full length of a roof. At the extreme, some customizers were known to "peak" the headlight bezels on cars such as '55-'56 Fords and Merc's, often drawing that peak out forward, even curving it downward a bit, before leading in the sides of it for a finished appearance.

Art

[Ace-Garageguy]

Somehow, I doubt that "repairability" was frequently taken into consideration during the styling process though. Rather, I suspect that the short "crease" above the center of the windshield on say, the 49-51 Fords or Mercury's was anything more than a bit of a styling cue.

"Peaking" any body panel refers, I believe, to the customizer's practice of adding what stylists call a "windsplit", or a pronounced, raised crease running some length of say, a hood, trunklid, the tops of front fenders or rear quarter panels, even the full length of a roof. At the extreme, some customizers were known to "peak" the headlight bezels on cars such as '55-'56 Fords and Merc's, often drawing that peak out forward, even curving it downward a bit, before leading in the sides of it for a finished appearance.

Art

I didn't say it had anything to do with repairability. What I said is that panels that were too difficult to repair to the original contours AFTER being damaged got peaked in order to save them, and avoid replacement costs. A look through the annals of the customizing hobby makes it extermely clear that MANY MANY customs were built from wrecks. As an accomplished panel-beater myself, I know from personal experience what can be done, and how it's done, and peaking a mashed hood or roof CAN save it.

The "styling cue" you refer to was a necessity (and found on virtually every car with a veed, flat-pane windshield and a steel roof), as integrating the flat windshield panels, joined in the center in a V-shape, into the rounded roof-header REQUIRES something in that vein.