Convertible top boot pattern for a '35 senior coupe-roadster

[1935Packard]

I have a '35 1207 Coupe-Roadster, but when I had a new top put on in 2009, the shop didn't make a boot for the convertible top.  I want to have one made, and I want to make sure the pattern is correct.  I'm hoping folks might be able to help me. 

 

Here's what it looks like now, just open:

 

 

I have a picture of my car from 1951 that shows this boot: 

 

 

 

The 1951 picture seems to match the boot from this 1936 Packard 12 advertisement (remember, the '36 and '35 are nearly identical, so probably the same boot design): 

 

 

I checked the 1935 Packard 12 catalog, which shows the following design.  It looks a lot like the picture from 1951 and the 1936 advertisement but only covers the rear area with a cover and a door covering the rest: 

 

 

Normally I would treat the catalog as authoritative, but I don't know if that is true here; it occurred to me that maybe there were changes made from the catalog to production that changed the boot design, especially to a later-produced car in the series.  And the factory images take liberties with the car, too, as you can see from how small the door hinge is made to seem compare to how big it is in real life.  Does anyone know what is correct here?   If the boot-area design with the cover and door is right, the next question is who might have such a car with the correct boot area that I could try to copy. Ideas for that welcome, too.  Thanks!

 

 

 

Edited May 10, 2018 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[1935Packard]

One more photo: This is from a factory photo of a 1935 Super 8 coupe-roadster.  It looks like the same boot as in the 1951 picture, covering the whole area behind the seats, without the cover and door area as in the catalog. 

 

 

Granted, you might wonder if  the cover and door area was something for the 12 but not the Super 8.  Maybe, but there's some reason to doubt that.  Here's a very small and grainy picture from the 1935 Standard 8 catalog, and it seems to show something like that same cover area, although you can't see much: 

 

 

Maybe this was just something in the catalogs that didn't make it into production?  I've looked at photos of restored 1935 1207 coupe-roadsters that have their tops down but they all just seem to have a regular boot not using anything like what seems to be the original pattern.  Any guidance welcome!

Edited May 10, 2018 by 1935Packard (see edit history)

[trimacar]

I think you should treat all painted catalog pictures as artists misconceptions.  Photos tell the story, not watercolors!  The filler piece with the door, as shown in these drawings, would need a support structure that doesn't exist in your car.

 

First, it appears you're going to have to put snaps on your car, when they did the top they left them off.

 

Second, the snaps appear to be the hidden variety.  What was used originally was a thin metal plate with a female snap attached to it, the bottom pieces in the picture attached.  This metal plate was sandwiched between layers of the top material used to make the boot.  Thus, there was a smooth outer surface around the edge of the boot.

 

These snaps used to be available, but I've not been able to find them lately.  Anyone that knows of a source please let us know.  Meanwhile, I had a local metal guy make some for the last Packard I did, and that might be what you need to do if you want the "hidden snap" look.

[1935Packard]

Super helpful, Trimacar. Great idea, many thanks.