Topic: Fiberboard or jute behind '67 coupe rear seat?

[drummingrocks]

Hi guys, I'm working on my '67 Metuchen-built coupe.  It's obvious that the car has been re-done a bit in the past, though the interior still seems to be largely original.  When I got the car, I noticed that it had a sheet of jute padding separating the rear seat from the trunk.  I figured that a '67 used a fiberboard separator panel like '65-66 coupes did, and that it had simply disintegrated some while ago and had never been replaced.  However, now I'm not so sure.

I have the Osborne manuals for '67, and I'm still not sure exactly what the car would've come with new.  I noticed that NPD doesn't list a fiberboard panel for a '67, only for a '65-66.  Still, I find it hard to believe that Ford saw fit to put this panel in the earlier cars, and then decided that a jute pad would suffice from '67 onward.

Can anyone help me out with this?

[J_Speegle]

Not allot of cars still have the dividers but it appears from a few NJ examples I have with the stuff its the same dark gray/black stuff used at other plants starting in 67.

Doesn't look as if it has the plastic (trash can liner) layer like the later years.

Couple of examples






Example from a San Jose car






Not sure why you had difficulty believing for made a change. Seen plenty of 65's with the cardboard stuff used for the purpose. They were always looking for ways to improve, save money or for other reasons, to make changes from year to year. The jute is a better sound barrier I believe

[drummingrocks]

Jeff, I guess I phrased that wrong.  What I meant was that I was surprised that Ford had gone with a semi-solid, fiberboard/cardboard backer in '65-66, and then seemingly went backwards in '67 with just a loose jute pad.  It seems like the fiberboard/cardboard, while still flimsy, would at least offer some protection from items rolling around in the trunk.  From a sound-deadening perspective, I would've thought it would make more sense to simply keep the older fiberboard/cardboard, and add a layer of jute on top of that.  That way, you still have a little protection, and you have even more sound-deadening potential.

So, to sum up, Ford really did eliminate the fiberboard separator panel, and simply used a large sheet of jute material to separate the trunk and backseat?

[J_Speegle]

Jeff, I guess I phrased that wrong.  What I meant was that I was surprised that Ford had gone with a semi-solid, fiberboard/cardboard backer in '65-66, and then seemingly went backwards in '67 with just a loose jute pad.  It seems like the fiberboard/cardboard, while still flimsy, would at least offer some protection from items rolling around in the trunk.  From a sound-deadening perspective, I would've thought it would make more sense to simply keep the older fiberboard/cardboard, and add a layer of jute on top of that.  That way, you still have a little protection, and you have even more sound-deadening potential.

Something going to be pretty heavy and the car is going to be going pretty fast when you slam on the brakes for it to make it up the incline of the rearend hump. Then the only thing it might damage is the rods the rear seat spring frame is made of

So, to sum up, Ford really did eliminate the fiberboard separator panel, and simply used a large sheet of jute material to separate the trunk and backseat?

Yes that is what I've seen and I'm seeing in the pictures. The pad has a couple of mounting reliefs cut in it to hold it to the metal frame/divider

[drummingrocks]

Thanks for setting me straight!