Ford Model T Index - Section A-B

 
 

 

Section A-B Section C-D Section E Section F-H

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AXLES
(See FRONT or REAR AXLE)

 

BODIES

Note: Early Ford documents refer to a body manufacturer as ?Pontiac.? Research has shown that there was no body manufacturer by that name but that in Pontiac, Michigan, it was actually the O. J. Beaudett Body Company that made these bodies for Ford. Just why Ford documents made this error is unknown. Perhaps it was just easier to write ?Pontiac? than ?Beaudett.?

1909

Unless noted otherwise, the fenders, aprons, chassis, running gear and wheels were painted the same color as the body. Striping varied somewhat from car to car, this being a hand operation done by different painters and suppliers.

 

TOURING

COLORS: Red at first, Brewster Green added by March. Both colors used until June when red was discontinued. A few gray tourings were shown on early shipping invoices. Beaudett (Pontiac) supplied bodies with both all wood and wood with aluminum panels. Wilson bodies were all wood only. Open front compartment. Front-opening rear doors with external handles. Door on rear seat kick panel for storage of curtains, tools, etc. Beaudett aluminum body discontinued in September 1909. Separate irons to hold top sockets.

 

ROADSTER
(Runabout)

COLORS: Mostly gray but a few green and red cars were also indicated. After June, all were Brewster Green. Manufactured by Beaudett and Wilson, wood panels only. Open front compartment. Rear deck had either a tool box or a ?mother-in-law? seat on top of the tool box. ?Scalloped? seat back.

 

COUPE

COLORS: Green. Manufactured by Wilson. generally supplied without head lamps.

 

TOWN CAR

COLORS: Generally green but a few gray were indicated. Manufactured by Beaudett and Wilson. Generally supplied without head lamps.

 

LANDAULET
(Similar to Town car but with open driver's compartment)


COLORS: Green and a few some gray. Manufactured by Beaudett and Wilson.

 

TOURABOUT

COLOR: Green. Apparently first appeared about July. Similar to Touring except for open front and rear compartments (no doors). Manufactured by the O. J. Beaudett Body Co. of Pontiac, Michigan.


 

1910

Same styles as 1909. All body types were painted Brewster Green.

 

TOURING

Manufactured by Beaudett and KH (Kelsey-Horbert). Wilson apparently did not supply any bodies in 1910. All-wood panels until 1911 production. Touring bodies had a hinged door on the rear seat kick panel.

 

ROADSTER
(Runabout)

Manufactured by Beaudett. Wood panels only. Open front compartment. Rear deck had either a tool box or a ?mother-in-law? seat in place of the tool box. ?Scalloped? seat back.

 

COUPE

Manufactured by Beaudett and Kelsey-Horbert. Generally supplied without head lamps. Body was a bit wider than the 1909 Coupe.

 

TOWN CAR

Manufactured by Beaudett. Generally supplied without head lamps.

LANDAULET
Similar to Town Car but with open driver's compartment.


Manufactured by Beaudett.

 

TOURABOUT

Similar to Touring except for open front and rear compartments (no doors). Manufactured by Beaudett.


 

1911
(Introduced about November 1910)

All cars painted a very dark blue except for a few red Open Runabouts and green Town Cars built in April 1911, according to factory invoices. Existing cars seem to indicate black bodies with blue fenders, as well as all black cars. Striping of fenders and running gear began to be discontinued in July on some production. The notch in the hood former, needed to clear the hinge rod of the first production, was eliminated.

Until late 1911 the car serial number (on the patent plate, not the number stamped into some part of the body) and the engine number were the same. In October 1911 an internal letter noted that these would no longer agree.

 

TOURING

Manufactured by Beaudett, Kelsey-Horbert, and American Body. Continue open front compartment but body panels were now steel over wood frame. ?Square? rear doors with outside handles, open at the front. ?Step? in side panels under front and rear seats. Door in rear seat kick panel was discontinued after early production of the new bodies.

 

RUNABOUT

Beaudett bodies, generally in the style of the 1910 cars.

 

TORPEDO RUNABOUT
Introduced in December 1910.

Bodies made by Beaudett. Enclosed front compartment with lower seat, longer steering column, longer hood, and windshield with sloping lower section. Curved fenders, unique to this body and the Open Runabout. Gas tank and tool box on rear deck. Early production used a rectangular gas tank, but most production used a round one. The Torpedo and Open Runabout used different pedals and a different brake lever than the other cars..

OPEN RUNABOUT

Bodies by Beaudett and Hayes. Similar to the Torpedo but without doors.

 

TOWN CAR

Relatively few made. In the same style as the 1910.


 

1912

All painted blue (see comments under 1911)

 

TOURING

Made in several styles. All supplied with front door assemblies which were removable. Early cars had a ?stepped down? fore door, apparently using the same bodies as the 1911 cars which used the two-piece dashboard, but the standard production used door assemblies of the same height as the seat sides. The second style body was similar but with a one-piece dash. The third ?typical 1912? style had relatively smooth sides (without the added-on look of the 1911's) and rear-opening doors at the rear, with outside handles. The fourth style was similar to the third except that the rear door handles were inside the car. The two last types may have been supplied at the same time, the variation being perhaps due to differing suppliers.

 

RUNABOUT

Similar in style to the 1911 Runabout. Early versions may have used the curved rear fenders of the Torpedo Runabout but later versions used the same fenders as the Touring. All were supplied with front ?fore doors.? Early cars had a ?stepped-down? fore door, as on the Tourings, but the standard production used door assemblies of the same height as the seat sides.

 

TORPEDO RUNABOUT

Now based on the standard Runabout, and using standard chassis components, the Torpedo had front doors, curved rear fenders, and the round gas tank at the rear as on the 1911's. Early versions used the two-piece dash and had lower door sections. Later models used the one-piece dash and the side door panels were the same height as the seat section.

 

TOWN CAR

Similar to the 1911, the front compartment now had the ?fore doors.?

 

DELIVERY WAGON

Bodies built by Beaudett, and Milburn. Introduced in late 1911. These were initially painted red, with the standard blue fenders. In January Ford announced that fenders would be black and the bodies unpainted. A poor seller, production was discontinued early in the year. The last were sold in December 1912.


 

1913

An all-new design, setting the general pattern for all Fords to come until 1925 (1926 models), was announced in early November 1912 but may have appeared earlier. Early models (built in 1912) were apparently still blue and some, if not all, were striped. Striping was discontinued early in production. Black cars were quite possible but Ford didn't indicate black as a color. Lamps and horn were now ?black and brass? (brass and steel construction) instead of all-brass.

 

TOURING

Doors extended to the splash apron and were somewhat ?square? in shape. The windshield sloped back on the lower section, with the top section folding forward, and with support straps from the center hinge to the body. Door handles extended through the upper door. Top surfaces of body side panels were covered with a separate metal trim strip.

Early production used uncovered lower body sills which tended to break. During production, these sills were reinforced by adding a one-inch board across the top of the sill between the front and rear seats, and adding a reinforcing bracket over the sill between the seats. This was followed with a formed metal bracket which was attached to the frame extending up to the front of the rear seat. Bodies were made by Horbert, Fisher, Wilson, and Beaudett. The Beaudett bodies had heavier wooden sills which required cutting some of the wood in order to install the steel reinforcements which connected the front and rear sections together under the rear doors.

The ?1914? style appeared about August 1913.

 

RUNABOUT

In the same pattern as the Touring. First year for the rear turtle deck, which was unique in that it had rather sharp rear corners. The turtle deck door handles were iron castings (or forgings), painted black.

 

TOWN CAR

Generally in the style of the 1912 Town Cars.


 

1913 Touring Body Modifications


JAN 24
Acc. 575, Letter 394
T-5403 Touring Car Body. ?Called for reinforcing sills to be fastened to the top of the regular body sills by #14 x 2? F.H.W.S. (4 screws for each sill) the reinforcing sill to reach from the rear of the front heel board to the front of rear heel board, the sill to the 1? thick, and the sides in line with those on the regular body sill. This means of course that the rear sill plates will have to be put on top of the reinforcing sill. We have called for a filler between the reinforcing sill and the inside of circular panel at the rear edge of rear door, the filler to be nailed and glued in place.? Note continues regarding the use of more nails to hold the body metal in place.

JAN 28 Acc. 575, Letter 395
T-5637 Body Reinforcing Bracket Bolt. ?Four required, Touring Car, 1913.?
T-5453 Body Reinforcing Bracket. New Drawing. ?Two required, Touring Car, 1913.?
T-5638. Sketch showing location of Body Reinforcing Bracket. ?We have made this sketch for the purpose of showing customers who are having trouble with the touring car bodies how the trouble can be overcome. The material has been ordered and we will be able to supply same in the near future. For your information will state that the construction of the body has been improved upon and undoubtedly will not need this reinforcement as soon at the change can be brought about. We will therefore order only enough material of the above parts as shown on sketch to take care of the bodies which have already been built.?

FEB 12 (Letter from Ford to the Chicago branch)
?We have decided to place an extra body bracket just beneath the tonneau door hinge of the Touring Car body, extending from the frame of the body sill as you will observe from blue print enclosed. We have entered order to send you one hundred pair of these brackets and we want you to put them on every car now in stock. It is also our object to supply larger dealers with a quantity of these brackets so that they can install them before the cars are put out on the road next spring. The purpose of this bracket is to stiffen the body sill and prevent too much play in the door when the top is down, also binding in the door when the top straps are drawn up too tightly.?
Installation instructions followed with hints on how to add or subtract shim washers in order to align the doors.

MAR 4 (Letter, Ford to the Cincinnati branch)
?In attaching the Touring Car body reinforcing brackets, be sure they are fitted 1/8? to 3/16? from the top of the frame so that when the bolts are put in it will pull the sill down. Unless the sill is sprung down 1/8? or so when the bracket is attached but little benefit will be derived by the reinforcement. All bodies coming through from now on will be fitted with heavier sills so that attachment of extra brackets will be unnecessary.?

MAY 29 Acc. 575, Letter 424
T-5668 and 5669 body reinforcement for 1913 Touring body with 2-1/4? sills. T-5676 and 5677 reinforcements for bodies with 3-1/4? sills.

JUN 6 Acc. 575, Letter 425)
? Location of body reinforcement bolt holes changed.?

JUN 12 (Letter from Ford to all branches)
?In order that all our branches may clearly understand the handling of complaints on present touring car bodies we submit the following:

?It is expected that you will furnish all Dealers with body sill reinforcements, wood reinforcements for the rear seat frame and also rear corner brackets as shown in the attached blue print. To make a satisfactory and permanent repair all of this material should be put in. We have found that the sills break most frequently within a few inches of the rear end and in such cases the rear corner brackets will serve to bind the sills together. The wood reinforcements in the rear seat will relieve the rear ends of the sills from all strain, consequently there is no necessity of replacing the sills on account of the wood splitting at the end. In applying the steel stamping underneath the tonneau door you will find it necessary to chisel out the wood at the lower rear corner on all Beaudett bodies and perhaps shim up other makes of bodies where the bracket spreads out at the rear.

?As this body trouble is going to be more or less general perhaps you had better employ one or two good body men to do this work. We believe this will be better that to leave the work to the ordinary shop mechanics to handle. As the season advances you will probably have a great deal of this work to do and you might as well prepare for it now.?

JUL 1 Acc. 575, Letter 431
Many notes on 1914 Touring body which would seem to indicate that this body was now used or soon to be used in production.

JUL 14 Acc. 575, Letter 434
Noted that 1913 Touring bodies were made by Horbert, Fisher, Wilson, and Beaudett. Apparently the Beaudett bodies differed in construction from the others. Beaudett bodies with a filler block on the rear door hinge posts apparently did not need the steel reinforcing pieces.

NOV 24 (Letter from Ford to the Denver branch)
?Kindly give us by return mail your present inventory of the following:
T-5668 reinforcement, right
T-5669 reinforcement, left
T-5675 rear seat frame reinforcement
T-5678 rear corner bracket.?
These are the 1913 touring body reinforcement parts.?


 

1914
TOURING

Similar to the 1913 bodies, the doors now were shorter, with rounded bottom corners, setting the door style used through 1925. Door handles were inside the car and operate a vertical-moving latch arrangement. This style was introduced in late summer of 1913 and continued into early 1915 in some assembly plants. The windshield was similar to the 1913 but the top section now folded to the rear. The windshield support bracket now had a bend to allow the folded windshield to clear. Late production had some ?1915? features such as billed front fenders.

 

RUNABOUT

As in the Touring, the doors were now rounded. The turtle deck now had the standard rounded corners.

 

TOWN CAR

An evolution of the 1913 Town Cars.

 

CHASSIS

For the first time Ford now offered the bare chassis in the catalog. Prior to this time Ford said the use of non-Ford bodies would void their warranty. Production figures indicate that bare chassis were produced and sold earlier.


 

1915
TOURING

(Introduced in January 1915 but 1914-style cars were still produced at the branches, perhaps as late as April.) While initially using the same body section as the 1914's, a new metal cowl section was added, eliminating the flat board firewall which had been a feature of Fords since 1909 (and even earlier). This cowl section on some open car bodies differed from the other types in that it was made up of four (instead of three) pieces; the front ?lip? being riveted to the cowl. While the rivets were hidden by the hood former, they can be easily seen from inside the car. This oddity was apparently seen on bodies made by only one of the Ford suppliers, and it continued into the 1916, and perhaps later, models. The hood was now louvered, but still made of aluminum. The windshield was vertical and was riveted to the support brackets, which also held the oil side lamps. Later production, while appearing the same, had more metal in the internal seat area and now sported a ?rivet? just ahead of the rear doors. Rear fenders were now curved, but with no crown, on all body styles.

 

RUNABOUT

Styled in the pattern of the Tourings. Same turtle deck as the 1914's, with black-painted, cast handles.

 

COUPELET

Ford's first ?convertible.? A Coupe with a folding top. Glass in the doors raised and lowered by a strap. Top was almost blind to the side since there were no windows in the quarter panels. Turtle deck on early models had the door at the rear panel but later versions had the door on the upper surface.

 

SEDAN
(Centerdoor)

Introduced in September 1914, the Sedan (and the Coupe) were the first ?1915? models. Aluminum body with unique aprons and rear fenders. Three-piece windshield of elaborate design. Gas tank under the rear seat. No seams in the rear quarter panels. Door handles were of the bail type. This Sedan was almost completely unlike those that followed, even though it was of the same general pattern.

 

TOWN CAR

Styled in the pattern of the Tourings; an evolution of the earlier Town Cars.


 

1915-1922
FRONT SEAT LIDS T-7266
(Over the fuel tank)

Two different lids covered the fuel tank in the runabout and touring bodies; one of wood and the other of steel. The wood covers were used on bodies manufactured by Wilson, and Kahler. These were used on the touring bodies only. The metal covers were used on bodies made by Beaudett, Fisher, Kelsey, and Ford, and was used on touring and runabouts.

Dimensions were 35-7/8 x 16-1/2? (The wood lid was 3/8? thick.) The hole for the gas cap was 4? diameter, located (center) 6-3/8? from the front of the lid. The wood board was made of slats nailed together with two 1-1/4 x 34? strips, 1-1/4 from the front edge and 1-3/4? from the rear, centered between the ends of the boards. Twenty-two #15 x 1? box nails were used to attach the strips. There were two one-inch holes located 3-1/2? from the rear edge and 9-1/2? either side of the center line of the cover. A third hole, 1-1/4? diameter was located 1/8? from the front edge on the center line of the cover. (From blueprints of this assembly.)


 

1916

Generally continued the 1915 styles. The Coupelet was given small port holes in the quarter panels. The Sedan evolved into the standard type described under the 1917 Sedan. Brass trim on side, tail and head lamps discontinued. Hood was made of steel instead of aluminum. Door lock assemblies changed from a vertical latching to a horizontal latching bolt, with many cars being made with combinations of both types. Door handles on the closed cars were of the bail type. The turtle deck door handles were changed to a pressed-steel type which continued until the ?1923? models.

The front body brackets were changed to a pressed steel design but using the same mounting holes as the earlier forged type in late January 1916 but these were dropped in favor of the earlier (forged) type in March.


 

1917

Revised styling using the same basic bodies of 1915-16. Open cars now had a small metal cap at the front end of the arm rests, instead of the rolled leather front covering. The brass radiator and small hood was dropped in favor of the black shell and larger hood. All fenders were now curved and crowned on all models. Bail type door handles on the closed cars.

The front body (firewall) brackets were now of pressed steel, bolting to the side of the frame.

 

SEDAN

Revised design apparently first used in 1916, the body was now steel and used standard aprons and rear fenders. The gas tank was now under the driver's seat. Complicated windshield of 1915 was replaced with a simple two-piece design. Windows still adjusted with straps. Top was solid panel, not padded.

 

COUPELET

Initially a restyled 1916, the convertible coupe was replaced with a ?hardtop? coupe during the year. This coupe had removable door posts so that when the windows were lowered the opening extended from the windshield to the rear quarter panel. The top section was leather covered, somewhat in the style of the convertible type. The ?1918? metal top Coupelet replaced it, apparently, before the end of 1917.


 

1918

Generally a continuation of the 1917 cars. Body construction on the open cars reverted to the 1914-style wooden seat frames during the War years 1918-1919.

The Model TT truck chassis (introduced in late 1917) was added to the line. The Coupelet now had a metal top section instead of the leather-covered type of mid-1917, but continued the removable door posts.

The gasoline tank was the standard round type but located in the turtle deck. The Town Car was discontinued in the 1917 catalog but production records (if correct) indicate they were built during 1918.


 

1919

Same as 1918. Electric equipment and demountable rims standard on closed cars. This equipment became optional on the open cars about June 1919. Oil lamps not supplied on cars with electrical equipment.

 

COUPE

Removable door posts discontinued but coupe otherwise similar in style to the earlier model. The gasoline tank was now the same as that in the sedan (square) but still located in the turtle deck.


 

1920

Same as 1919. Open cars again constructed using metal seat frames as in 1915 to 1917. Side window curtains in the sedans discontinued about 1920. Some Coupelets were made with the gasoline tank under the seat but this apparently did not prove satisfactory; most retaining the turtle deck location.

 

NOTES:

Between 1915 and 1921 open car bodies seem to have been built by five different suppliers: Ford, Beaudett, Fisher, Kamler Mfg., and Wilson. The amount of steel vs wood varied with the manufacturer. Ford, Beaudett and Fisher seem to have used more steel in the seat frames than the others, and used a steel cover over the gas tank. Wilson and Kamler used wood covers over the tank. Beaudett seems to have used steel floorboard risers before the others.


 

1921-1922

Generally similar to 1919 except as noted.

 

TOURING

A new body design with lower seats of much more comfortable design was announced on October 15, 1920, and is properly called a ?1921? model. Rear quarter panel is now one piece instead of the two-piece design used since 1913. Upholstery tack strips were now inside the body panels, extending above them for the tacks. Metal cap on arm rests was now somewhat narrower. Top iron support post now came through the quarter panel instead of the ?L? bracket used earlier. Instrument panel standard on all models, starter or not, in 1922. Oval gas tank was standard. The lid over the gas tank was discontinued.

 

RUNABOUT

Continued in the style of the 1920 cars until late 1922 (1923 models).

Note: The ?1923? style open cars were introduced in September (Touring) and October (Runabout) of 1922. While these were ?1923? models, Ford often refered to them as ?1922? in the parts books.

 

SEDAN and COUPE

Door handles changed to the ?T? bar type in 1921, then to the ?L? type about 1922. Later 1922 cars had a new latch arrangement for lowering the door windows, although the rear quarter windows still had the straps. Metal plates cover the door and window sills (which were painted wood earlier) in later 1922 and 1923 Sedans and Coupes. Brown upholstery replaced former gray about April, 1922, and this color continued into 1923.


 

Bodies made by O.J. Beaudett for Ford
(calendar years)


1909-1912

unknown

1913

53,794

1914

101,369

1915

170,027

1916

277,621

1917

361,292

1918

113,298

1919

293,067

1920

290,381

1921

230,434

1922

109,913 (until July 20)

(Ford?s literature referred to this company as ?Pontiac.? The O.J. Beaudett company was located in Pontiac, Michigan. Beaudett sold out to the Fisher Body Company. in 1922.)


 

1923

Similar bodies to the 1921 but restyled as noted. Firewalls were wood, as in the earlier cars, but were changed to steel in early 1923, before the appearance of the higher radiator.

 

TOURING

New sloping windshield (introduced in September 1922) along with a new ?one-man? top gave the 1923 Ford a new look. Otherwise the body was the same as before.

 

RUNABOUT

Restyled with the new windshield, and a new body in the same general pattern as the Touring, and a turtle deck of much larger size, and with no handles. (The key served as the handle.)

 

FORDOR SEDAN

Introduced in late 1922, the new four-door sedan is added to the line. It did not replace the older centerdoor sedan. The new body was aluminum. The cowl, still made to match the low radiator, had no ventilator until early 1923, about the time of the low steel firewall apparently.

 

SEDAN and COUPE

Similar to the 1922. Upholstery was now brown (instead of the gray striped material). The centerdoor Sedan and the Coupe with the forward-opening doors were discontinued in June 1923.


 

1923-1924
TOURING, RUNABOUT

In mid-1923 the cars were again restyled, and production of this new style began in August. The radiator was made a bit higher, as was the cowl area and hood, giving the front of the car a more massive appearance. Front of fender lip is folded down to mate with a new valence at the bottom of the radiator, giving the front a more finished look. Other than as noted, the cars were like the earlier 1923's. During the early part of 1923, a metal firewall replaced the wooden one. With the mid-year styling (high radiators), all cars used a new larger metal firewall.

Rotary window regulators were introduced on the door windows of the closed cars.

 

COUPE

An all new design. Doors now opened at the rear. Vent in the cowl. An integral rear deck gave the Coupe a more massive appearance. Door windows now had regulators.

 

TUDOR SEDAN

All new but based on the new Coupe design. Doors were at the front of the body, opening at the rear. All steel panels over a wooden framework.

 

FORDOR SEDAN

In the pattern of the earlier 1923 Fordor but with the larger front cowl as in the Coupe and Tudor, with the adjustable vent. Steel lower body panels replaced the aluminum, though upper panels remained in aluminum.

 

TRUCK

On January 9, 1924 a ?C? cab truck body was added to the line. Also announced on this date was the availability of an ?express? bed with and without stakes and canopy, finally enabled Ford to offer a complete truck.


 

1924-1925

A continuation of the 1924 cars. Doors on the Coupe, Tudor and Fordor Sedan were now all metal instead of the wood-frame construction. Open cars now had more steel in the body framing, as well as a steel firewall. A nickel radiator shell was offered as an option in late 1925 production (just prior to the ?1926? models in July). Fenders were redesigned to have a wider appearance in late 1924 and during 1925 (depending on the model and fender). Some, but not all, later production 1925 Sedans had splash aprons of a ?square? design, similar to that used in the 1926 models.

 

PICKUP

A pickup body (box) for the Roadster chassis was announced in late 1924 but apparently not available for delivery until March 4, 1925. The box was all steel except for the flooring. The rear door did not have the Ford script in early production. Fenders fastened to rods that extended from reinforcing plates on the side panels.

 

TRUCK

A platform body for the TT was announced on December 24, 1924. On April 9, the closed cab for the TT chassis was added to the line.


 

1926-1927

All new bodies in style and construction except for the Fordor Sedan which continued with minor modifications. New bodies were all steel except for the floorboards. Closed car bodies available in color after initial production. Window garnish moldings (inside the car), fenders, splash aprons, and running boards were black regardless of the body color. 1926 open car sill plates were aluminum but these were dropped in favor of an embossed steel sill integral with the body in later (1927 but perhaps late 1926 as well) production.

Sloping windshield on the open cars now could be opened at either half (the lower half of the 1923-25 cars was fixed, only the top could open). Fenders were all new, as were the splash aprons and hood. The radiator shell was the same except that it could now be had with a nickel finish (standard equipment on the closed cars). Chassis (and car) height was lowered by several modifications in the frame, springs, and front spindles.

 

TOURING

Now with four doors, all opening at the rear. Gas tank was in the cowl (as in all other 1926-27 cars except for the Fordor Sedan and the truck).

 

RUNABOUT and PICKUP

All new, in the style of the Touring. Larger turtle deck. Also available was the Runabout with the pickup bed factory installed. Many factory-made pickups used a rear seat panel which was not embossed to match the turtle deck.

The pickup box was a modification of the box introduced in 1925. The major differences were in the side panels, to which the rear fenders now bolted directly, and in the floor boards. The floor boards differed in that there was now a metal panel over the rear frame crossmember and the wooden boards were cut to accommodate this panel. Factory made pickups were painted Commercial Green in 1927 production but if the pickup box was ordered separately, it was supplied in black.

 

COUPE

All new, similar to the 1925 Coupe in general style, but all steel.

 

TUDOR SEDAN

Again based on the Coupe design but all new steel construction.

 

FORDOR SEDAN

Basically the same body as the 1925 (using wood framing) except for the front pillars and cowl area which were redesigned to match the new hood. Gas tank remained under the seat on the Fordor.

NOTE: Closed cars had aluminum scuff plates at the doors. These were not painted, and were secured with nickel-plated screws.

 

TRUCK

Continued in the same styles as the 1924-25 trucks. Ford Archives photos show a restyled TT, looking similar to the 1926-27 passenger cars but few, if any, were produced. None are known to exist today.


BRAKE LEVER
(and Trim Plates)

1909-1910

Lever was steel, brass-plated. Clutch cam was forged steel. Trim plates on floorboard were brass, or brass-plated steel.

 

1911-1915

Lever was steel, painted black but otherwise similar to 1910. Trim plates black steel after sometime in 1911 or 1912.

 

1915-1927

Lever was steel, painted black. Clutch cam made of pressed steel, replaced the earlier forging. Trim plates were black steel.

NOTES
By Trent Boggess


An unusual emergency brake controller shaft with the pressed steel brackets appeared in the early 1920's. Here is the story.

On 9-27-19 the releases indicated that the bracket was changed from malleable iron to cold-rolled deep drawing steel, 1/8? thick. The intent was to make the bracket out of sheet steel as soon as the dies were ready, which Galamb figured would be in two months.

On 2/20/20 a spot weld was added at the neck between the base and the hole for the controller shaft, and on 5/4/20 a reinforcing rib in the foot was added. Finally on 2/7/21 the malleable iron design was reinstated, canceling the pressed steel design.

According to Fishleigh's note the stamped steel design had been instituted because malleable iron design had become prohibitively expensive, but by early 1921 the price was again within reason, so the malleable iron design was reinstated. The stock on hand was to be used up.


 

BRAKE RODS
1909-1910

Forged fork ends had a built-in bend in the forged clevis to compensate for the angle of the brake rod.

 

1911-1920

Forged fork ends now straight; the rod had the bend.

 

1920-1925

In August 1920 the forged ends were eliminated and the rod was split to make the fork at the rear end.

 

1926-1927

Similar to the 1925, rods were shorter and shaped differently for the new larger brake drums.


 

BRAKE ROD SUPPORTS
1909

T1367. Used on first 2500 cars. Pressed metal bracket with hole in end through which the brake rods passed. No reinforcing web on the edges of the radius rod clamp.

 

1909

T1367B. 2501-15,000. Similar to T1367 but with reinforcing web around the radius rod clamp.

 

1910-1913

T-1367C. After 17,500. Relatively simple pressed ?U? shaped design in which the support arm was folded down and then out, rolling up and over the brake rods. These came in at least two designs. One, believed to have been used in 1910, had the extension arm bent out about 1/3 of the way from the top of the clamp, and angling down. The other had the arm about 2/3 down, angling up. Clamp bolts on the under side.

 

1913-1915

Similar to the 1913 style but the support arm is not folded back on the ?U? section but instead extended out and rolled over the brake rod. Clamp bolt is now on the top side.

 

1916-1927

Similar to the 1915 but a stronger and reinforced type, with a shorter support arm which goes over the brake rod and folded under. The date of the change is not known. The parts books show the same (earlier) bracket until about 1924. Trucks used a similar but larger part.


 

BRAKE ROD SUPPORT EVOLUTION

1-21-08
?T1367A adopted. Drawing notes that it was used on the first 2,500 cars. The drawing also shows no reinforcements around the yoke which goes over the radius rod.?

1-22-09
?T1367B adopted. The drawing notes it was used on 15,000 cars after the first 2,500. This drawing indicates that reinforcement flange was used on the yoke which goes over the radius rod.?

11-19-09
?T1367C adopted. The drawing notes this was used after the first 17,500 cars. This design used flanges over the yoke and the arm is folded over the top and runs part way down the outward side before bending outward at a right angle. The end is rolled over the top to form the hole for the brake rod (the ?loop? is above the arm).?

2-15-13
?Removed flanges from the part of the yoke which clamps around the radius rod. Also the brake rod loop now goes over the brake rod (the ?loop? is now below the arm). The arm reinforcements were discontinued.?

2-21-13
?The corners of the open end of the yoke for clamping are now rounded with a 1/4? radii instead of a 1/2? radii.?

10-17-13
?Redesigned, bringing the drawings up to date with supports as they were then being made. The arm reinforcements were again used but do not extend all the way up the arm.?

2-23-14
?The drawing called for flanges on the sides of the arm and which are connected to the flanges on the yoke. A note reads: ?This means a change in the blank, the exact shape of which will have to be determined by experiment.? This design was essentially identical to the design which continued until the end of Model T production.?

9-6-17
?Changed the hole for the clamping bolt on the side which carries the head of the clamping bolt from 9/32? round to 9/32? square. No further changes have been uncovered.?


 

BRAKE CABLES


Cars built for sale in Germany used brake cables instead of the usual brake rods. See notes under Worm Steering.


 

BRAKE SHOES
Early 1909

Made of bronze, used one spring.

 

1909-1913

Made of cast iron, used one coil spring. The spring was p/n 2570 and about 1-1/4'' long. An additional flat metal spring clip was used across the anchor point.

center>1913-1925 Cast iron but now used two springs, each about 3-3/8'' long. The flat spring was discontinued. The brake shoe support bolt was changed from a fillister head to a hex head in early 1913.

Note: These shoes were cast and machined in one piece but were supposed to be broken at the anchor point when installed.

 

1926-1927

Pressed steel, with riveted-in-place lining, to match new 11" drums. Used one coil spring.


 

BUSHINGS

Running gear bushings (spring perches, spindle arms, hub brakes) were made of ?X? bronze from 1909 until late 1911. They were then changed to seamed brass or bronze tubing which was used until about August 1915. At that time these bushings (Except for the brake cam) were changed to steel and continued until the end of Model T production.

A quarter-inch hole was added to the spring perch bushing (for the oiler) in the blueprint dated July 16, 1915.

The brake cam bushing was not changed to steel until 1922. The blueprint date for this change was November 6, 1922.