124 Sound Deadening Material Historical Information: As far as we know, fiberboard was not part of the original plan. What We Found: Sound Deadening “fiberboard” was screwed onto the inner body sheet metal perhaps as a test for the finished car. The fitting of the fiberboard was crude and would lead you to believe it was added after the car was built vs being added at the time of construction (Better fit and finish). This could have been a modification by a later owner though. Flat sheet metal panels were used dictating sound deadening material. If “creases” had been added the panels would not have resonated to the degree that they do as currently designed (Do other Allard Clippers have flat panels?) Rear Hinge And Rear Latch Placement Historical Information: In the literature the “dickie” (rumble seat) was an option which would require the hinge placement to be on the back end of the rear deck lid. If the dickie option was not selected, the hinges would have been on the front end of the rear deck lid. What We Found: In this car holes were found for both options. Experimenting on this car with both options is a reasonable conclusion. Latch holes were also found on the front and back end of the rear deck lid. The latch brace had been altered to support dickie and trunk options. When restoration began in 2021, the rear deck was configured for the trunk option. Additionally striker plate slots were found in the rear and front body panel further supporting a change / experiment. Mud Guards Historical Information: Were mud guards a feature on completed Allard Clippers? What We Found: The mud guard used on our car is tin from a butter canister. Using a butter canister indicates a mud guard was not part of the original plan, or they were really short on funds and were digging through dumpsters for “parts”. VIN Tag For Allard Clipper Historical Information: Was there a standard location for a VIN tag on an Allard Clipper? What We Found: The Allard Clipper VIN tag was placed in two different positions for our car. The Registration Book for this car shows it was produced/issued in 1954 and the first owner identified in 1959. This suggests that the car was kept initially for development and the items listed above were for possible improvements before releasing the car for sale. Perhaps when the car was finally sold to an individual, the tag was in the dickie above the engine yet the original tag was on the front firewall (remnants of the tag can be found on the firewall \ bulkhead). Current thinking is that the tag was moved when it was time to sell.
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