36 Locking Gas Cap

[Stretch Cab]

My 36 Fordor Deluxe has been in the family for about 50 years. I’m finally working on restoring it and I’m wondering if the gas cap is original to the car. It needs restored but not sure I want to pay the price for a non original part.

 

[DavidG]

Looks to be the real thing assuming that Ford script is stamped into the top of the folding 'lid' covering the lock cylinder. It appears to have the rivet in the lid to retain the fiber gasket on the underside which was adopted in the '36 model year.

 

[ford38v8]

I agree with David. Your cap was a Ford Authorized Accessory, which was available for purchase at the Ford Dealership when your car was new.

There is an excellent reproduction available today, which is very similar to your original, but for the lack of the rivet, and the centering of the Ford Script. This reproduction, if installed on a Concourse car, should draw a point deduction for non originality.

If you would please post a picture of the top of yours showing the Ford Script and rivet, it would serve to educate many V8ers who have never seen an original!

 

[DavidG]

Alan,


Perhaps Don Rogers can enlighten us as to the release date of the addition of the rivet and gasket on the lid of the cap as I'm not sure that it was Job #1 1936 models. If it was a running change in the '36 model year then a rivet-less cap would be correct for early '36s.

 

[Stretch Cab]

Thanks
I will post more pictures tomorrow.

 

[Ian NZ]

Here is a picture of a fuel cap with a rivet holding the fibre gasket. Was this added onto a cap in 1936 to make it a sealed cap as the later model V8's required a vented cap.

 

[Don Rogers]

Dave, The rivet was added and the Ford script shifted off center in late March or early April 1936. The cap remained this way until the Ford script was removed in late November 1936.

 

[ford38v8]

Don, the extent of your research is amazing. I can only add the rumor that I heard, that the fiber washer with rivet was added to prevent water entry into, and freezing the lock cylinder.

 

[DavidG]

Alan,


That makes sense.

 

[36Bill]

Did they use them on '36 pickups?

 

[Don Rogers]

They were a Ford accessory and fit all 1935 thru 36 Ford gas tank filler necks. Pickups would have used them if the owner wanted to shell out a few extra bucks.

 

[Stretch Cab]

I can’t see a Ford script on the key cap. The rivet is on the under side of the folding cap. The clock and Dallas gear shift knob came with the car too.

 

[ford38v8]

I can’t see a Ford script on the key cap. The rivet is on the under side of the folding cap. The clock and Dallas gear shift knob came with the car too.

Oops! I think we were all wrong on this one. I see a star and DALLAS on that last picture, and going back to the picture in your first post, that looks to be way different from the Ford cap also. (forgive my dirty thumbnail!)

That is not to say your cap has no value, there are many collectors of such local advertising memorabilia.

EDIT: So, 5 hours later, a wise one whispers in my ear.... That DALLAS thingy is a gear shift knob, not a gas cap. (Egg on my face again!) ...BUT! the gas cap isn't a FORD cap, and the gear shift knob is a treasure!

 

[TerryOH]

The clock mirror is Ford part number 48-18541-A introduced just after 11-1935 and used in the 36 until prior to the introduction of the late model 36 with the wood grain dash. Wound by pulling the string. I believe replacement parts, like the mirror and small wooden pull cord end are available for it.
Knob looks original,Texas Centennial gear shift knob from 1936. Did not come with the car from the factory. They were made and offered at the Ford exhibit as a souvenir of the celebration.

Dennis Carpenter reproductions has reproduced several of the special Ford exhibit knobs. There are several that have not been reproduced. It was Fords way of showing the public how they made "plastic" knobs for their dashes.