French Weymann enquiry

[Guest zantafio]

Hello,

for restaur my Stutz Blackhawk 1929 y need your advices.

This is the rare "Chantilly" Weymann in original condition,never restaured.

The Weymann body have need some littles repairs,y want preserve and no change that in new.

So what material,liquid,product,waterproof product,with y must make that???

Exist one "moleskin" new with vintage aspect?.One adress?.

[Guest 1930]

Difficult for me to understand your question but I do have quite a bit of original literature on Weyman fabric covered bodies that might help. My e-mail is jhason2@yahoo.com, I can scan and send no problem

[1937hd45]

Years ago I worked at a restoration shop, and a Bugatti Type 50 factory race car came in for work, it had a Weyman body also. The material was somewhat like the top material used on cars in the 1920's and early 1930's, we used a top dressing made to protect these tops. the car was very original, only the fenders and hood were repainted.

[Guest zantafio]

Good morning!

sorry about my poor American language....thanks for your answers

In fact y want restaur my Weymann body and preserv it,it is in original condition,never repair.

So y search spécial liquid for renew the appearance,waterproof,and y search also who fabric a new Weymann linen(skin,oil skin?) that in USA.Because y must repair a littles parts.

Gerard

[johnworden1]

Post a close up photo of the fabric.

[Guest 1930]

I have received your e-mail and will send that info to you, I have interesting factory photos showing workers installing the fabric on the bodies, it clearly identifes the underlayment and gives a great impression of what you are dealing with.

The gentleman that came up with the idea ( cant remember his name off top of head ) used his experience with avaiation to design the bodies, its neat to see the photos of interior door skins with eyelet wire concept to adjust the square of the doors.

The data if I remeber right gives a clear detail of material used. There is prob 30 pages or so of info.

I would very much like to own a Weyman bodied car myself.

[Rusty_OToole]

"Large open areas were covered with chicken wire and the assembled framework was then covered in muslin, followed by a thin layer of cotton batting and finally a pigmented synthetic leather - usually a pyroxylin-coated fabric such as DuPont�s Zapon in much in the same way as the roofs of conventional bodies were covered at the time. Other brands of synthetic leather at the time were: Fabrikoid (DuPont), Drednaut (Chase), Elascofab, Meritas (Standard Textile), Rexine, and Tole Souple - The final step was to affix decorative aluminum moldings to the beltline and to cover any exposed joints in the fabric. The completed body was then mounted to the chassis with rubber insulators. "

Quote from this web site:

Coachbult.com - Weymann American

Notice the brand names of material - DuPont's Zapon, Fabrikoid (DuPont), Drednaut (Chase), Elascofab, Meritas (Standard Textile), Rexine, and Tole Souple.

I do not know if any of these are still available but it might be worth a few web searches.

[DavidAU]

I would contact someone like Stanley Mann Racing in the UK who deal in old Bentleys.

A lot of these cars are fitted with Fabric bodies so they must have the knowledge or contacts who are able to repair them.

Stanley Mann Racing

David

[8E45E]

The original machine for manufacturing Rexine has been rescued from a building that was in the process of demolition, and can be seen in this month's issue of Octane magazine.  The press has since been restored and in operating condition.  Currently, a couple of vehicles with the fabric bodies are being restored with new material fabricated from the original process on this refurbished press, one if completed in time will appear at Pebble Beach, according to the article. 

 

Craig

[Rusty_OToole]

I picked up the Octane magazine today, it is quite a story. The rescue of the machine was something of a fluke, getting exactly the right materials to make the fabric meant having them made special, and the manufacturing process is surprisingly complex. If I read the article right, they start with a special weave of cloth then run it thru the machine 22 times building up coat after coat of a synthetic  material, then they varnish it after that.

 

Given what they must have spent buying and reconditioning the machinery, the complexity of the process, and the limited demand, I expect the material will be quite expensive.

 

But, given that it needs no painting or other work after it is installed, and will last at least 20 years if properly cared for, it would be worth it.

[HarryLime]

Say O Toole, just where does one 'pick up' a copy of this UK subscription magazine. would like very much to read this story of the fabric machine. Thank you.........

[Rusty_OToole]

Chapters book stores carry it, as does our local book store. If there is a book store near you they may have it, or if there is a big magazine store that carries hundreds of titles. It is widely distributed, but you won't find it at Walmart or your local supermarket.

 

I don't know if Amazon sells magazines. If there are no Chapters or other book stores near you, perhaps you could order it online. It is an excellent magazine, worth a subscription  if you like English and European cars. The article is in the July 2015.

 

Octane Magazine headquarters

 

http://subscribe.octane-magazine.com/about/

 

Free downloads (not true - you need to buy a membership)

 

http://storemags.com/magazines/octane/

Edited July 23, 2015 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history)

[8E45E]

Barnes & Noble will most likely carry Octane in the US.  Therefore, check out your local B&N. 

 

As far as I know, Chapters is only in Canada.

 

Craig

[Rusty_OToole]

The Octane magazine article PDF file

 

http://www.lbsbind.com/documents/cms/docs/FabricOctane.pdf