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So, I've found a 1937 Packard 115 that runs and drives that I'm thinking about purchasing. It appears to be all original and in great shape for a 73 year old car. That being said, the roof panel is missing. How much work and cost is involved in replacing this? I think the bows for the roof are in the backseat, but I've only seen pictures of the car so I'm not sure.

Thanks in advance for your help!

Ken

Ken, is the car currently in Italy??

No, it's in the US. I'm in the military, and I'll be headed back to the US in 6-8 months.

To be a little more specific on the car it's a 4 door- I'm not sure how to tell if it's a sedan or touring model. Blue and gray with what appears to be factory paint and the orignal interior, including front and rear bench seats and the door panels!

Some bondo in the front fenders, but pretty straight other than that.

Quote:G'day Ken,
to PackardInfo, Sorry, can't answer your query but I'm sure a more knowledgeable/experienced member will be along soon who can.

And a request, if you buy the '37 115, could you please include it in the Packard Owner's Registry here, together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

It shouldn't be too hard to fix. The roof is made of wooden bows and framing, covered with chicken wire, cotton padding and muslin cloth then finished off with a vinyl top type material. Any shop that does convertibles and vinyl tops should be able to handle the covering. There are top materials available from the antique car suppliers, although I don't know if anyone reproduces the original Packard material.

Some years back I was able to easily obtain an exact match for the roof covering of my 34. As I recall it was called Colonial Long Grain and was bought from Restoration Specialties, or perhaps LeBaron-Bonney. In any case there is a reasonable assortment of these materials available today and finding a good match shouldn't be difficult.

Also if you need parts for your '37 give a shout out to Flackmaster, who is our resident '37 Parts Hunter. He also own's a '37 115 (convertible).

So, I've found some fabric for the roof, but I'm curious if anyone has ever restored this bit of a 115 or 120? I'm a pretty competent mechanic and metal fab guy, but I've never done anything like this. If I understand correctly, I'd have to build a frame out of wood, chicken wire for the antenna, cotton insulation (or a modern equivalent, and then upholster it with the rubberized canvas. Once all that is done, how does it install in the car? (remember I've only seen pictures of the car I'm looking at buying).

Getting pretty excited about the car. It's a 1937 115 Touring Sedan- big trunk, 4 doors, and the 3rd window on each side behind the passenger door. Paint looks pretty decent for the age of the car and the interior looks amazing, especially as I think it's all original.

It runs and drives, the gentleman is asking 4,000. What is the general opinion out there of the value of a car like this.

Also, I know it's not really about roof repair, but what are the taillights supposed to look like on this car? I've seen pictures of the 120s with oval tail lights on the fenders that have a raised piece in the body to match the styling on the rest of the car, raised piece in the center of the headlight bucket too. This car has neither. Is it because it's a 115 vice a 120? Thanks all!

If I understand your question, you don't build the assembly separately and external to the car for later installation as a completed unit, you build it, step by step, within the car body structure.

I suspect by this time the vast majority of collector cars that had roof inserts have had them replaced, so it's not an uncommon requirement for cars of that era. Though the padding and stretching of the fabric cover to get uniform tension and appearance can be pesky, often the hardest part of the job on Packards and othersis the molding that surrounds the seam. Often it was of formed aluminum molding in several sections with a slightly complex profile, fastened down by a series of slightly countersunk wood screws which were then covered with filler prior to painting. Replacement molding is NA and often the original material has deteriorated, requiring some ingenuity in replacing it.

As Owen pointed out, you build the roof on the car.

The wooden framework and bows or slats should be on there, if not they need to be replaced or repaired. These are part of the body framing structure.

Then, you cover the framework with chicken wire from the hardware store and tack or staple it around the edges.

On some cars this also acted as a radio antenna. In that case you would attach the antenna wire at this time. Be sure the chicken wire is not grounding on the body if you want to use it as an antenna.

The cotton padding is a standard upholstery shop supply. You get it from an upholstery supply wholesaler or upholstery shop. It comes in a roll and unrolls like cotton batting.

You cover the chicken wire with a layer of cotton and tear off the excess. Add pieces of cotton here or there to get the padding to the right level and shape.

Cover with muslin cloth, tacked or stapled around the edge.

If the padding is a little lumpy you take a knitting needle, poke it thru the cloth and adjust the padding. Push it around until you have a nice even roof.

Now the vinyl covering goes on. It must be smoothed out and stretched into place but do not stretch it too tight. It will shrink over time. Tack or staple it down.

Finally the edge molding goes on. There is a recess for it to fit into. You may use some butyl sealant here or maybe not.

This is NOT meant to be a complete course in installing tops. I'm sure there is a better set of instructions someplace. What I am trying to do, is help you understand how it is done. The job is not very difficult or expensive, at least no more than bodywork or upholstery work. Any shop that does vinyl tops or convertible tops should have the skills to do the work.