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Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Tue Jun 18, 2019 6:12 am
by Brett Johnson
Data points I have are:

December 1951: first known wide rib floor -- could be earlier

January 1953: last definitive uneven rib floor -- could be later

March 1953: first probable even rib floor reported

August 1953: known unrestored car with complete original even rib floor

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 10:39 pm
by James Davies
Hi Brett,

Your photo of the NOS Porsche battery box looks to have unequal length ribs. Hard to tell from the angle, and given the poor resolution.

The fact is, it is very hard to tell from the inside whether the ribs are equal or unequal length. I can barely tell on Spencer's from the outside, given the damage.

It's very clear that a lot of original cars through at least 1954 had unequal-length ribs, so there was no change-over. Just an outlier or two it seems. It would be interesting to get to the bottom of those outliers.

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Thu Aug 15, 2019 11:25 pm
by Spencer Harris
James Davies wrote: Thu Aug 15, 2019 10:39 pm I can barely tell on Spencer's from the outside, given the damage.
If you'd ever been to Poso Flat you'd understand. Seven cattle guards and lots of granite rocks on the dirt road. :shock:
That piece of tin has long since made it to the recycle yard, but here's a shot on the rotisserie that indicate equal length ribs.
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Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:38 am
by James Davies
Existing cars that have uneven-length ribs on their original battery floors, mid-1953 onward:

50748
51373
52073
52486
52848
53692

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:39 am
by James Davies
Yeah, those ribs definitely look equal-length Spencer.

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 6:40 am
by Brett Johnson
50432 is decidedly unequal length 4/53. Earliest equal length I have is Spencer's 8/53.

Hard to authenticate due to lack of information/photos and frequent repair. This is close enough?

Nice background Buick!

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 11:21 am
by Spencer Harris
I think that’s a Mercury. It’s been in Dingo’s shop as long as I remember!

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:07 pm
by Daryl Bertram
This is the battery box floor of '54 Cab 60441. It's a February ''54 build.

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:13 pm
by Daryl Bertram
'53 Coupe 50502; May 1953 build.

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 7:19 pm
by Brett Johnson
So April/May 1953 is good?

What do you guys know about 12 mm vs. 10 mm tack strips on cabriolet tops?

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Fri Aug 16, 2019 9:06 pm
by Alan Hall
Brett,
60048 (March, '53) 12mm aluminum, original.

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Sun Aug 18, 2019 11:30 am
by Brett Johnson
Just had an all original July 1956 cabriolet caretaker weigh in with 12 mm -- so it is likely a T 2 change or maybe a little later...

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:57 am
by Alan Hall
Didn't all T 2 tops only have the one tack strip above the rear window with the totally different profile (more "flat-ish", rather than round)?

Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 11:32 am
by Spencer Harris
I think that is correct Alan. The '57 parts manual is a bit confusing as it lists a new part no. (different from the three rounded Happich trim strips), but indicates it was introduced in March 1959. I suspect this is a typo and it should read March 1957 - around the timeframe of the T2 rollout. I've always thought this was the same time the 8mm, vertical, B-pillar trim was introduced listed on the next page of the '57 book as lateral trim, but no reference as to when it was introduced.
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58 trim2.jpg
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I got my trim strip from Michael Lederman in W. Hollywood, and Stoddard also sells the trim under the correct PN 644.561.881.00 indicating it was applicable from T2 through the 356C cabriolets.
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Re: Battery floor ribs

Posted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:14 pm
by Brett Johnson
The 8 mm interior B-pillar strips are on the unrestored 7/56 cabriolet with the 12 mm tack strips.