Hi, I don't own a T but read this forum regularly. I want to check on a rather dubious Henry Ford story I just heard today. Seems that Henry went to a junk yard one day in the 1920's and asked which used Ford parts were in the most demand. The owner said everything except kingpins. 'Haven't sold a one yet." So Henry went back to the factory and cheapened up the kingpins to save on costs. Anybody heard this one, or have documentation? Thanks!
Another Ford story
- Thread starter 40 Deluxe
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perrysmith
Senior Member
Yuppp, Nope. Tmod elman has it right to my knowledge. In his autobiography, Henry states his business plan as, "building a better car and building it for less money", repeatedly. He would certainly not arbitrarily price kingpins higher just because one guy at a wrecking yard could not sell used ones! He went so far, regarding floorboards, as to buy his own forests to supply wood for his cars! He also grew soybeans with the intent of turning them into an inexpensive plastic. I believe the plastic-like coating on the 1940 Ford door handles were an example of this. Can anyone verify this?
Jack Innes
Well-known member
Yes this looks like another myth about the king pins - even if it was not I doubt that you could make a T king pin any cheaper.
On soybean plastic - one reference states that tha model T (assumably a later one) contained about 80 pounds of soybean products. Plastic, paint, fabric and more were made using soybeans. This continued through the 1930s & quite likely the early 1940s.
Some 2010 Ford production vehicles have foam made with soybeans and structural plastic parts containing wheat straw ---- Henry would be proud!
On soybean plastic - one reference states that tha model T (assumably a later one) contained about 80 pounds of soybean products. Plastic, paint, fabric and more were made using soybeans. This continued through the 1930s & quite likely the early 1940s.
Some 2010 Ford production vehicles have foam made with soybeans and structural plastic parts containing wheat straw ---- Henry would be proud!
Henry was a pioneer in the plastics industry. he experimented with the soy plastic because of the price for Bakelite. There is a picture of him swinging a mall at a '39 tudor trunk lid made from the soy plastic. Around that time he was also trying to produce fenders of soy plastic.
Ron
Ron