OUR 1938 FORD STANDARD COUPE

Part 5: Reassembly and the interior

We got the call. The paint was done. We loaded the frame inside a closed trailer and drove 90+ miles west to pick up the coupe.The paint was so fresh that you could almost smell it. After attaching the body to the chassis, back home we went, slowly and carefully. We picked the car up on Mother's Day weekend. Our goal was to drive it to MSRA's Back to the 50's 5 weeks later. As you will see, we just barely made it. Before the body was brought back to the shop, all interior pieces were painted and everything stored in our basement (for several years) was stockpiled to begin reassembly. Now the real work begins.

Wiring began and the air conditioning evaporator was installed. This was a tight fit but preplanning the installation was essential. The carpet underlayment had a foil backing attached to the floor and kick panels. Additional support was added to the dash and column.

The Lecarra steering wheel was attached to the column with the leather matching the interior trim. I used a '39 dash with an aluminum insert and VDO gauges. Note also the air conditioning controls to the right of the ignition The brake and gas pedal assemblies came from a Granada. The buckets from a Grand Am were bolted to the seat frame.

Yes, we installed the headliner. This is the second car that we have done this project. To answer your questions: Yes, we are still married; and No, we are not doing another one. Helpful hint: number the bows ON the bows and do not use paper tags that can fall off or are removed (or lost) by the upholsterer. A bow in the wrong order may create tense situations with your installation partner.

The entire interior was covered with two-sided bubble foil. Not only does it keep the heat out and the cool in, it also reduces outside noise. Remember to use foil tape to seal the seams.

The front clip is installed. No matter how many nuts and bolts you have, you never seem to have the right one. Terry and I are consulting over the nut and bolt bin. The two dots below the headlights are the turn signals. These are flush mounts that not only install easily but are also very visible to oncoming traffic.

The inner fender panels were installed before the fenders for ease of installation.

Sarah is making a pattern for the v-butt windshield.I used 3/8" square stock bent to fit the window opening as a gluing surface for the tinted safety glass. S-10 windshield rubber was used to give a good seal.
Terry is working, not sleeping.