25 Roadster Pickup

[Steam Engine Pete]

Hauled my new 25 Roadster pickup home today. Came with many new and old parts. One full trailer and two pickup loads of parts. The gentleman I bought if from had done some T's before but never completed this one. Looking forward to working on it. Here are a couple of pictures, one of loading and one after I installed the engine. I also had to temporarily hang on some body parts just to admire it. Hope to have it running tommorrow.

Pete

 

[Gwhaley]

Looks good Pete! Make sure to keep us posted on the progess. I am in the middle of doing a '23 Roadster pickup. Lots of work, but lots of fun!

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

Got the pickup running yesterday and took it for a spin. Mounted the box last night and assembled the body today. I need to get a wood kit for it but assembled it with what I had and some that we fabricated today. Some may be wondering why I am assembling it. I did not take it apart and I want to make sure I have all the parts. I will need to disassemble it again. I learned a pile about Roadster pickups. This is a "rough draft" and know a hell of alot more about assembly now than I did a few days ago. Glad I learned some of it now before trying to do the final.


Pete

 

[van Dyck]

Good to see one more '25 RPU coming back to life. Am I correct in saying that this was FoMoCo's first year making their own pick-up beds ........ out of steel?
Do you have the upper rear fender brackets?
Another question: Does the trunk floor pan remain in place after the "turtle deck" is removed and the pick-up bed installed? Is this how they came off the Ford assembly line?

 

[tmodelman]

The '25 metal bed came available in April of '25. First Ford bed for making the passenger car into a pickup.

You bought the runabout and the pickup bed was supplied by the dealer, removed the turtle deck and bolted on the pickup bed. Yes, double floor in those pickups.

The factory branches produced them complete, but #'s aren't avail of the completed pickups, it is known that 33,795 of the 1925 style metal beds were produced in the '25 model year. April to end of July 1925.

In Aug 1925 the bed was re-designed to fit to the new Improved runabout.

Pictures of '25 metal bed for the Model T runabout.

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

My bed is identical to what tmodel man posted. I do not believe I have the correct rear fender brackets. What do they look like? I assume the correct ones attach to the boss on the box side.

Pete

 

[tmodelman]

The brackets appear to be similar to the one used on the '23-'25 touring body, they are riveted on the touring body to the rear body upright member, see the detail of that metal piece in the drawing of the body frame for the touring. The metal metal is on the far left, the arrow pointing with the RH....the little boss is on the lower part of that member.

Its a wing like boss, with 2 plc for rivet, and is threaded to accept the rear fender mount support. That support is a rod like shaft with a male thread to go into the female threaded boss.

The '25 pickup support rod is unique, its longer than the stock rear fender support for the touring cars. The under photo shows a touring car fender support rod, threaded into that boss on the body upright.

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

tmodelman,
Thanks for the information. I have that boss on one side of the box, it is missing on the other. I had looked at it before and wondered how a bracket attached. Just looked closer and cleaned it out. I can see the threads. I need a boss for the other side. Looks like we can have one made if they are not available.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[jackdaron]

Those rear fender iron holders are the same as the 23-25 tourings used. Holler if you need one as I have several.

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

jackdaron,
I do need at least one so let me know what you want for one.

If you have several everyone else must have one too! Must mean they are inexpensive


Thanks,
Pete

 

[jackdaron]

Send me a PM and your address,I'll send you one. jackdaron@aol.com

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

Thanks,
PM sent.

Pete

 

[tmodelman]

Pete

That bracket boss isnt' too hard to find, you just get a rear upright brace from one of the millions of '23-'25 touring cars made, and chisel off the fender support rod bracket boss

I did that for my cut-down '23 pickup. The removed boss is then bolted to the wood bed side, and twist in one of the touring car support rods to hold up the rear fender.

On your factory metal bed, there should be a backing plate to give this boss more holding power, so it doesn't wiggle as the fender bounces up and down

 

[jackdaron]

Pete,I just put it in the mail to you.

 

[van Dyck]

Thanks for effectively answering the questions. One answer helps a multitude of Model T owners.
Now, to get all those other irons out of the fire! My '25 is patiently waiting.

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

Thanks for the answers. Now that I know what it is it would not be hard to find one but I got one on the way so I don't have to find one.

Thanks for the help,
Pete

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

Removed the hogshead to fix an oil leak today and then decided to go for a spin. Put 30 miles on and made it home with no trouble. Very impressed with the radiator that came with it. An old Ford original. 90 degrees plus today with incredible humidity. Did not boil at all, just gurgled for a minute or so when I shut if off.

Pete

 

[Steam Engine Pete]

Vicki and I put 80 miles on the Roadster pickup today. Stopped at a couple of local old bridges today to take some pictures. These bridges are slowly being replaced and I wanted some pictures of the T pickup on period bridges.

Thanks,
Pete

 

[jkelsh]

Nice truck and cool pictures!

 

[Roadster5040]

Great truck thanks for great pics