Model T touring questions.

[White halftrack]

Hello everyone. I don’t know much at all about model Ts but have questions about one. This one I will post pictures on is available to me and I will grab it but want to learn what I can about it. Most parts are sitting in the back like hood grill bows etc. It has Johnson seahorse advertising on both sides and back and is a dark blue color. Can anyone tell me year, or oddities or opinions. Just trying to learn.

 

[rotorwrench]

Characteristics are the best way to get close to a date but some of those are in the places you don't directly look at. The engines have serial numbers but engines can easily be replaced. Only the late cars had the serial number stamped on the frame. As far as a model T touring car, they looked about the same from 1917 through early 1925 with some differences in cowl shape and engine hood height. The 1926 & 27 cars did a major change. The real early cars up through 1916 were known as the brass cars having more polished brass and engine hoods that are easy to remove as one piece on some so they stand out more as horseless carriage types with acetylene gas headlamps and such.

I can't see the cowl well from the above photos and I see some bits of model A stuff so I can't nail that one down. The engine hood in the back seat area looks like a late type hood with all those louvers but I'd need to see the cowl from the front to see if it fits in at all. If you look at sheet metal on a site like Lang's or Rootlieb, you can see the shapes of the front and rear fenders and such but you'll also see that Ford used the same parts for several year runs on the Ts. A wild guess of what I see in immediate WWI time frame give or take. Electric starters came along in 1919. If it had the dash in it then that would help some. If it has signs of a flat top hood on the cowl then it's 1916 or earlier.

 

[redmodelt]

The slant windshield started with the low radiator cars. For the USA that would be 1922 or 1923, Canadian built cars were earlier. From what can be seen, guessing the range would be between 1917 and 1922 ish but demountable wheels, after 1919.

 

[White halftrack]

Thanks for the information. I appreciate the knowledge. I will sift through the parts when I can. I was hoping the hood was the right one as it matched color and I want to leave it the way it is. Was there any connection with Johnson seahorse at that time? Or just random and the owner sold boat motors. I will leave it that way.

 

[Dodge]

Looks like a 1917-1920 Body. Notice is still has the seam above the rear fender and the
Bolt head/rivet just ahead of the rear door. These two items were not on 1920 and later cars. So check the engine number and see it it falls with in that range.

 

[redmodelt]

Looks like a 1917-1920 Body. Notice is still has the seam above the rear fender and the
Bolt head/rivet just ahead of the rear door. These two items were not on 1920 and later cars. So check the engine number and see it it falls with in that range.

Missed that, good eyes!

 

[Dodge]

Any news? Did you get the car?

 

[Kurt in NJ]

take up the floorboards and look for a date stamped into the body wood subframe where it slants up to firewall area — that is where it is on my 17 and the lack of dashboard (i know it could be removed) is like my 17, the dash starts in 18

 

[White halftrack]

Sorry. We did pick it up actually today. Engine serial number says Oct of 1915 but title says 1917. Came with some neat things in the bucket but not sure if for a t. Push button horn. A spartan horn and spotlight looking thing.

 

[Dodge]

Neat looking car. It probably is a 1917 from what we've seen so far. The engine probably was replaced sometime in the last 100yrs. It would be fun to get it running and drive it like it is...

 

[rotorwrench]

Engines were swapped out a lot. It took Ford Motor Co a long time to start stamping the frames so it can make ID a challenge. Characteristics can get things pretty close. 1917 was a change year but they still only had very basic electrics. Electric headlamps were powered by the magneto and had special high voltage bulbs. 1919 was the year they finally started installing an electrical system per say. Round top engine hoods came in for 1917 models. Horns could be a hand operated klaxon but Ford had magneto powered units in that time frame.

 

[White halftrack]

Thanks everyone. I don’t know much but I know more than I did. I am done with it for now. I don’t understand the hood and it might not even be the correct one. I have two pieces that mount one the lower hood right and left but not sure on anything. Thanks again.

 

[White halftrack]

Is there supposed to be a dash on it?

 

[stevests]

Not if it's a '17 - switch on coil box & equal length w.s. hinges. The headlamp & horn combination switch should be present.

 

[White halftrack]

W.s. Is windshield hinges equal length? Not sure what that means.
The combination switch being present. Is that on the steering column? There was at least a button on there.

 

[White halftrack]

Did the spartan horn come original and if so where was it mounted? Thanks for the help.

 

[stevests]

Each half of the w.s. hinge allows the w.s. to fold in half - later offset hinges made the w.s. overlap itself. The horn button on top was '15 - '16 & perhaps early '17. Sparton horn was an accessory - original was a magneto powered horn - sounded like a sick calf !

 

[White halftrack]

This is the box of parts and tools that were with it.