1930's floor board exterior wood

[Sactownog]

If you look in the engine bay, behind the engine ON THE LOWER FIRE WALL, there is a piece of wood (or some other material) that is held in by bent metal clips against the floor where the brake & Gas peddle go through. 

 

I am wondering what people do with this piece of wood after it is deteriorated, do most of you replace it with wood, maybe put some different type of insulation between the metal floor board and engine? 

 

mine is deteriorating, not fully gone or hanging off, but when I look to replace it, should I find a piece of wood to put in its place or are there other alternatives? 

 

thanks for any insight. 

[keiser31]

I cannot imaging wood being attached to that area. Got a photo of that wood and attachment? Does it look like someone added it to use as a bumper for the pedals?

Edited July 23, 2018 by keiser31 (see edit history)

[Spinneyhill]

My 1930 has two panels on that slope. They are made of plywood with felt between them to fill the joint. Mine are attached with two round head slotted screws at each end.

 

If this material in on top of the floor, might it be a replacement for the sleeve or grommet or whatever it was called that went around the pedals and steering column where it came through the floor? Mine had a piece metal with rubber vulcanised to it originally - now long gone. Many CDPD vehicles of the era had this piece.

 

Steelerubber list a brake and clutch pedal shank cover, a sort of draft excluder that appears to fit on the pedal or the floor to cover the hole around the pedal. The parts book should show something?

Edited July 23, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[Sactownog]

the floor has metal where you would rest your heel and push the peddle down for break/clutch/gas/starter, but under that (on engine / transmission side) there is a piece of wood that is deteriorated quite a bit. I am not sure if this was a standard thing or someone added it later. 

it is held on NOT BY SCREWS but by some metal bent over the wood to hold it in place. 

 

I was debating on ripping it out, but then ALL of the heat from motor would be against the metal floor where your feet are, I am not sure weather to replace wood or if there is a different (more up to date) material to use in its place. 

[keiser31]

My metal panels on the floor and firewall area have a sound deadening/heat shield sort of material stapled to them. Probably some sort of asbestos. Original. Interesting about the wood.

[Kevin bc]

Hi guys

The Australian Dodges in this area have 3 boards(3/4 inch thick) that are butted together and sit in 2 channels that go from the floor up to the firewall at about 40 deg. There is a couple of cutouts in the top one for the pedals to operate, and then it was all carpeted, and had a large rubber plate around the pedals , and steering column. When I say the boards were butted together, they did have  a half overlap groove  in each edge to stop moisture from getting in, which also stops any board from sagging .

 

Australia  used boards in their floors, but I believe US cars used plywood, is this correct?

 

regards

Kevin BC

[Taylormade]

6 hours ago, keiser31 said:

My metal panels on the floor and firewall area have a sound deadening/heat shield sort of material stapled to them. Probably some sort of asbestos. Original. Interesting about the wood.

 

As do mine.  Sound deadened/heat shield held on by metal extensions from the metal floorboards that are bent over the material.  Definitely not wood on my car.

[Mattml430]

My 29 Australian delivered victory had 3 boards and the 27 American dodge L/Hand drive also has boards screwed in on the sides. The bottom metal panel just lifted straight out once all the boards were undone. I left the Victory as is and I’ll be replacing the 27 dodge with ply. It was in bad shape. 

[Sactownog]

I have found that some of the 33 Dodge cars had a large rubber mat on the floor that was for sound deadening. however, the piece of wood on my car is on the outside above the motor/transmission. I am going to leave it now, but I am curious if there are other materials that can replace the wood that would not be a material that would deteriorate (again) over time. 

[Spinneyhill]

The parts book shows a "TOE BOARD INSULATOR", for DP and DO but not on earlier models. Do you think that might be what you have? I can't imagine any of the parts listed for the front floor board are a kind of insulator underneath. There is a transmission cover plate but that probably is an insert in the middle on the inside. There is a "FRONT SEAT FLOOR BOARD ASSEMBLY" listed for DO and DP - what was that?

[Sactownog]

I will take a picture tonight and post it for further info. 

[Sactownog]

here is a picture of the floor board that is above the engine / transmission. you can see it right below the peddles. 

[Spinneyhill]

Wood you think?

 

It is hard to tell, but to me that looks like bitumen impregnated cardboard, like is on the inside of the firewall? It is sound deadening and insulation. It also looks a bit like what we used as damp proof course before the advent of HDPE, some sort of bitumen impregnated stuff. I have seen similar stuff glued to the inside of door skins as sound deadening, to stop drumming.

 

It looks to have been moulded to shape.

[Sactownog]

I have no idea what that is Spinneyhill. 

[Spinneyhill]

4 hours ago, Sactownog said:

I have no idea what that is Spinneyhill. 

What is on your firewall inside? On mine, it is a compressed cardboard, sort of a cross between a fibrous cardboard and papier-mâché. Here is my firewall lining where it is damaged.

 

Anyway, that is what it looks like to me, maybe a bit more fibrous, with either a good coating or impregnation of something bituminous or similar for water proofing. In the course of compressing the fibre board it will be compressed in a mould to the shape required, like your firewall liner was.

[Taylormade]

Here is my upper metal floorboard (1932 Dodge Brothers DL sedan) after refinishing and powder-coating.  This is the side that faces toward the engine.

 

 

Here is is with the pad we are talking about set in place.

 

 

The pad is held in place by these clips that are part of the floorboard - they are very brittle and tend to break off.

 

 

The pad is some sort of fibrous material, somewhat flexible.  As one would suspect, mine were in bad shape from all those Syracuse winters,  They are definitely not wood.

 

 

 

It will be interesting to see what I can come up with as a replacement for these things.

 

 

[Bob Zetnick]

My '29 was different in design and went all the way up firewall, but the padding material looked the same, except covered on the face w/ a black leatherette of sorts. I bought a new pad off of eBay that fit perfectly....the insulation was different, but the black covering looked pretty much the same....anyway, here is an eBay link to a '29 DA, but maybe he or his source can make something up for your '32? https://www.ebay.com/itm/1929-Dodge-DA-Firewall-Pad/262507381698?hash=item3d1ea8c3c2%3Ag%3AbCAAAOSwmtJXbCk3&_sacat=6000&_nkw=1929+dodge+pad&_from=R40&rt=nc&LH_TitleDesc=0|0

[Spinneyhill]

@Taylormade That board on the DL looks a lot like what we call Pinex. It is a compressed wood fibre board, quite soft, burns very well (it used to be used for ceilings in the '60s and '70s, but is a very good fire accelerant), soaks up water then expands and disintegrates, so needs a good dose of bituminous sealant and fire retardant.

 

You might know it as softboard or low density fibreboard. It was used often as a noticeboard coz it was easy to put in (and remove) drawing pins. It was often covered in hessian for this purpose.

 

 

Edited July 28, 2018 by Spinneyhill (see edit history)

[Taylormade]

Since it sits right above the exhaust pipe, I would assume it has some sort of coating on it.  Of course, the muffler burned a hole in the wood floorboard on my car at some point, so anything is possible.

[Taylormade]

Over here, Pinex is a patent medicine.

[Bullfrog_eng]

Similar to Bob's post above for my DA, but the leatherette type coating was sort of intact, but brittle and badly cracked. I coated it with spray contact adhesive and covered it with black vinyl textured upholstery fabric. That held it together and in place looks much like the original. The vinyl followed the contours exactly, but yours appears flat, so that would not be an issue. It may try to follow the holes left by the bits that have fallen ought though, so a bit of filling may be needed.

[Taylormade]

I actually found this material, listed as soft board as Spinneyhill mentioned.  The only problem is It only comes in 48 by 96 inch sheets.  The shipping is almost as much as the product.  I guess I’ll have to decide if it’s worth fifty-six bucks to make these two small pads.

[Spinneyhill]

Half for you and half for @Sactownog!

 

Yes, it was a struggle to find Pinex on the www as a softboard.

[JFranklin]

This was the product that came to my mind. I think its made in England as well as the US. https://www.dictionary.com/browse/celotex

[Taylormade]

I found that Homosote board was almost an exact match for this material.  I'll have to paint it black, but it's the right thickness, is fire retardant and shapes easily.  You can find it

in most big box stores.