Speaking of Assembly...

In studying assembly, I've only briefly touched on how things are assembled and given locations of various pieces.

Assembly of the body will commence from the firewall to the rear of the car. Below is a guide in assembly, but it is by no means set in stone.

1. Placement of body sills including cross members

2. Assembly of firewall and PILLARS COUPE including COWL

3. Placement of HINGE PILLARS

4. Placement of Windshield HEADER, front quarter WINDOW HEADERS, instrument board

5. Attachment of ROCKERS

6. Install LATCH PILLARS (noting door opening measurements)

7. Installation of rear seat box including window SASH, rear body frame uprights

8. Install remaining belt rails, window belts and headers, rear window frame, belt rails

9. Install steering column

10. Install gas tank and surround, install front passenger jump seat, driver's seat

11. Attach doors, measure and maintain door opening alignment

12. Install ROOF RAILS, roof ribs

After ALL of the wooden structure has been secured and is solid, placement of the metal body panels can begin. The absolute first piece of metal, other than the COWL, must be the ROCKER panels. These are surrounded by the quarter sheet metal both front and rear. The front QUARTERS are installed, then the bottom half of the rear body. Top half of the rear body is assembled next. The running board splash shields must be attached after the body sheet metal is attached. Then...the running boards and fenders. The metal surrounding the window openings can be assembled with the body panels or at a later time. Currently, mine are already installed in their proper locations.

The bodies were originally assembled on bucks (sawhorses) and built up as a unit. The interior appointments were finished before the body was painted and the roof went on last. The splash panels would have already been assembled to the frame and running gear. Since we are building our body ON THE FRAME, leeway has to be taken in assembly. If we put the splash panels on before the body panels, access with a hammer would be impossible. This will require the body to be unbolted from the frame a little at a time to install them.

In the matter of the roof, Centerdoor Sedans in 1922 had a SOLID roof panel. Six inches of cloth/painted canvas material wrapped around the ROOF RAILS and was attached along the top sides and front. The roof panel goes UNDER the top half of the rear body sheet metal. That will take some figuring out.

I have toyed with the idea of using thin marine grade plywood as my roof material, sealing it with fiberglass and epoxy. I may not do the six inch cloth wrapping. Last item to attach to the body is the rain drip guard. The guard is RARE if your body doesn't have it when you start and it is not reproduced. In fact, there are no reproduction metal body pieces available for a Centerdoor. You have to repair or make your own.

This is not an exhaustive list, and of course, liberties will have to be taken.