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EFV-8 Club Forum / General Ford Discussion / another question for supereal

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Discussion Topic: another question for supereal

fomocoloco

09-07-2012 @ 6:17 AM

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I would like to hear your explanation as to why Ford put a hole in the top of our coupes and sedans. Did it have something to do with body flex because of bad roads?

weezer

kubes40

09-07-2012 @ 6:29 AM

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In the days of cloth insert tops it was thought impractical to stamp the entire roof out of one piece of steel.
Huge stamping dies to produce large - one piece forms with multiple curves, etc. are difficult (and costly) to produce.
Could have it been done in those days? Most certainly.

42wagon

09-07-2012 @ 8:35 AM

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Just to add to what Kubes40 has said. Ford purchased bodies from outside suppliers. To stamp the entire top in one piece required an investment in a very large press. Not knowing if Ford would continue to purchase from outside vendors, I believe they were reluctant to invest in a press that might not be used in the future. Also Ford being extremely conservative hung on to obsolete technology much longer than he should have.

doning

09-07-2012 @ 9:24 AM

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No kidding! No hydraulic brakes until 1939! But then again, why did Chevrolet wait until 1955 to come out with their V8???

supereal

09-07-2012 @ 10:34 AM

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Good answers all around. My explanation is that Henry Ford was both thrifty to the extreme, and highly resistant to change. His relationship with Edsel, his only son, was contentious, mostly due to Edsel's pressure to modernize the styling of their vehicles. Omitting the full metal roof saved on each car, and the "all steel from wheel to wheel" brakes was Henry's resistance to hydraulics, of which he knew little. After Chevrolet and Plymouth eclipsed Ford with all steel bodies and hydraulic brakes, Ford lost the market lead they held for years, and was forced to join the progress. It was a repeat of the failure to modernize the Model T, which nearly put Ford under years earlier. In my opinion, Edsel's styling of the late 30's and early 40's remains elegant today. Edsel died in 1943 of stomach cancer, probably due to the ulcers produced by his constant battles with Henry. We can only imagine what he could have done if he had lived. As to Chevy's V8 they, too, resisted replacing the staright six that had been a strong competitor. Their V8, first shown in the '49 Olds, was an immediate success, and the basic design survives to this day.

This message was edited by supereal on 9-7-12 @ 10:38 AM

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