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Cowl Lace With Wire In The Center For '37 LaSalle

Started by carlhungness, December 09, 2018, 12:38:12 PM

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carlhungness

     I just visited famed Sprint car mechanic Karl Kinser in Oolitic, Indiana who did a phenomenal restoration job on his 1937 Convertible Coupe. He finished it about 30 years ago. I looked at the lacing around the cowl and noted it was one inch wide and had no screws in it like I have on my own '37 Coupe. He explained it has a wire in the center and at each end has a stud (approximately 6-32 or 8-32) and the stud is tightened and therefore holds the lacing in place.
   This is news to me. I had paid any attention to the lacing previously, and believe I have not seen any in the current Restoration Specialties catalog. So, is this the original style lacing  and if so is it still available?
    I took photos of his hood stay rods and hoping the lacing will show up in the photo.

Steve Passmore

The wire keeps the lacing in the groove in the cowl. You would have to thread the steel rod through yourself. It's not available as a set piece.  Most replaced with screws over the years.
Steve

Present
1937 60 convertible coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe
1941 62 coupe

Previous
1936 70 Sport coupe
1937 85 series V12 sedan
1938 60 coupe
1938 50 coupe
1939 60S
1940 62 coupe
1941 62 convertible coupe x2
1941 61 coupe
1941 61 sedan x2
1941 62 sedan x2
1947 62 sedan
1959 62 coupe

The Tassie Devil(le)

If I remember correctly, my '37 GM product (Chev) had the wire within the lacing.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

harry s

My '37 75 Series has the wire lace. I'm pretty sure it is original.       Harry
Harry Scott 4195
1941 6733
1948 6267X
2011 DTS Platinum

carlhungness

     Threading a wired through the lace would be job enough, but how then would one attach a 6-32 stud to it? I'll have to again ask Karl Kinzer if he was able to buy a replacement. Mine has screws through the lace and I'm guessing that's the way I'll have to re-install it. I am getting ready to do so soon as I am now fitting the front sheet metal as I have obtained nearly all the hood parts I need.
    I think I may have to splice the steel center strip together as I have two bad ones and hope I can make one good one. That'll be a tricky job too, I'm hoping I am cautious enough with a torch to just fuse them together.
    Then it's on to try to remove the pins that hold the aluminum strips into the hood ornament so it may be re-chromed, a task I'm not looking forward to.

Tom Boehm

#5
Hello Carl,   The Filling Station   www.fillingstation.com  has what you are looking for on page 33 of their online catalog.   My 1940 lasalle has the same cowl lace setup.

carlhungness

   The Filling Station lacing is 11/16" wide which will work. My friend's '37 has some that is a full inch wide. I did also find the hooks that go on the ends, #AF 277, so thanks for the info. I'd rather install the wire-laced item than to use screws. Mine must have been replaced along the line as it does have screws.
   Fitting the lacing on the radiator shell appears to be a gnarly job as it goes over and under some brackets/clips and must use split rivets to hold it in place. At least now I know the stuff is available, would have never found it on my own.
Thanks,
Carl H

The Tassie Devil(le)

If you have trouble finding rivets, go to your brake shop and see what rivets they have for attaching brake material to shoes.   They come in many sizes, from small for little cars up to huge for trucks.

I have some, and they have come in handy for many things that one would not think of.

The riveting can be done with multi-grips if access to a dolly and punch is limited.

Bruce. >:D
'72 Eldorado Convertible (LHD)
'70 Ranchero Squire (RHD)
'74 Chris Craft Gull Wing (SH)
'02 VX Series II Holden Commodore SS Sedan
(Past President Modified Chapter)

Past Cars of significance - to me
1935 Ford 3 Window Coupe
1936 Ford 5 Window Coupe
1937 Chevrolet Sports Coupe
1955 Chevrolet Convertible
1959 Ford Fairlane Ranch Wagon
1960 Cadillac CDV
1972 Cadillac Eldorado Coupe

Fred Pennington 25635

Bob' Automobilia sells a hood lace kit that includes stainless steel wire and and the hold downs and screws.


Fred Pennington, CLC 25635
1940, LaSalle 5019
1940 LaSalle 5019 parts car
1968 Ford Bronco
1973 Mustang Convertible
2012 Shelby GT500

carlhungness

     Thanks for the Bob's Automotive advice along with the rivets. Since I spent countless hours bucking rivets, squeezing them, etc. on Indy 500 cars in the Seventies, I know enough about them not to like most of them. I also noticed on my friend's car he had some lace on the sides of the forward panels to help stop vibration.
    What I'm attempting to do here is fit, and I mean fit perfectly, the whole doghouse assembly before taking it apart to work on the engine bay. I have issues with the inner fender panels and the sheet metal beneath it and I don't want to run into any fitment problems once this coupe gets shiny paint on it.
    I did notice on my friend's car the hood lace fit the inside curve of the cowl perfectly, which seems hard to imagine as the bolt on  the end of the wire pulls the wire in. I still find it hard to imagine how the lace can fit the inside curve so well, it appears as though it is glued, but it isn't. I'll find out soon enough.