Help Identify 31 Slant Window Fordor

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Bill Lee/Virginia

Senior Member
My new (to me) four door 1931 Slant Window Smooth Firewall 3 windows (each side) with straight door top frame is parked where I cannot get to it in order to read any of the data plates. The engine is not running so I cannot move the car at this time.


Who manufactured the body of the car? What is the body number?


Bill Lee/Virginia Peninsula
 
I "think" the bodies were still ID'd the old way up until the slants came out. The square window is Briggs and the arched windows are Murry's-I think. As fars the body # I don't if they changed from 30 to 31.


Mike
 
If it has the smooth fire wall it's an early '31, indented came out later.
And as stated above, it's not a Murray.
Does it have cowl lights, spare tire, arm rests on the side or in the middle, where is the dome light, and is it round or oval?
Pictures would sure help in IDing it better.
 
Keith:


The car has cowl lights, dual fender spares, rear side arm rests, oval dome light above rear window and rear window shade.


Hope these features help identify the car further.


Thanks for your help.


Bill Lee/Virginia Peninsula
 
The slant windshield 4 dr. came out in Apr. or May of 31. Your flat firewall was probably built in March then came the indented firewall. Ford had all the slant windshield 4 dr. made the same so all parts are interchangable Briggs or Murray. The only way to know the builder is by the body tag on the firewall. If there's no tag it's anybodys guess who built it.
Your door window openings are arched on top (Briggs or Murray built). With 3 windows it's either a 160A (Standard) or 160B (Town Sedan). The 160C was a 2 window blind back
Hope this helps. Mike

With rear arm rests it's a 160B
 
With what you state I would say you have a early "160-B"
These are great cars, and very desirable, very roomy and perfect for drives with Family and friends.
Enjoy
 
Many thanks to all of who responded to my request for help in identifying my car. It does have the Murray data plate on the firewall. It is a Murray 160B.


Bill Lee/Virginia Peninsula
 
But...but...but Murray's have the arched window frames.
And this is where pictures would factor in.
Either way, you scored and got a good one. Enjoy it to its fullest.
 
The old,arched is Murray and straight is Briggs is not a factor on slant windshield cars.That applies to straight windshield cars only.On the slant cars the parts will interchange between Ford,Murray,and Briggs.
 
Some of this has already been posted but here is my summary on the 1931 Slant window 160A, B, C

As far as Murray or Briggs, when Ford built the 31 Slant Window he had Murray and Briggs build the bodies the same so parts were interchangeable. There are some telltale differences such as Briggs used d-nuts on the fire wall and Murray used caged nuts on the firewall. Also the Briggs had a manufactures mark the Briggs “Bug” on the lower front cowl see photo below.

The 160A. The ford Standard town Sedan had scrolled door and window handles, painted molding around the windows and painted front dash; the dome light was centered in the car with a switch on the light and a rubber mat in the driver's compartment.


160B. The ford deluxe town Sedan had a pull rope on the back of the front seat, simple non scrolled door and window handles, wood grained molding (with a scalloped lower frame ) wood grained front dash, the dome light was over the back window and was controlled by a sliding switch on the door post, cowl lights and carpet.


160C. same as 160B but no rear quarter windows, referred to as a blind back.

Slant windows had flat firewalls until the indented firewall started in April 1931.

Photo of the Briggs "bug"
 

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