who made the bodies??

PetesPonies

PetesPonies

Senior Member
Something I don't fully understand is who built the Model A bodies? I believe many were built by Ford, but then Murray and Briggs bodies were also used.Certain bodies styles were built by Briggs or Murray I think, not sure which ones. Anyone have a quick tutorial on the subject?? Were pickup bodies ever built out of house?? How about 1931 pickups?? Just wondering.
 
I am only familiar with the Townsedan bodies, but Briggs bodies cars have square windows and Murray Bodied cars have arched windows. There is also no seam on the back of the car on a Briggs body whereas the Murray bodies have a seam on either side of the rear window. Those are the major differences between the two. Other people will chime about other body styles.

Mike
 
PetesPonies said:
Something I don't fully understand is who built the Model A bodies? I believe many were built by Ford, but then Murray and Briggs bodies were also used.Certain bodies styles were built by Briggs or Murray I think, not sure which ones. Anyone have a quick tutorial on the subject?? Were pickup bodies ever built out of house?? How about 1931 pickups?? Just wondering.
Click to expand...

Are you refering to strictly Model A bodies with specific body model codes as 35-A, 35-B, etc., and/or those other companies which also produced their own body styles for the Model A/AA chassis which did not have a Ford designated body code?

Pluck
 
Thanks . I'm talking about the bodies that were made for Ford. Not an independent shop that made a body for a chassis or similar. I'm talking about the bodies that were used on the Ford line to be sold in a dealers showroom :) Or am I wrong ???
 
1930artdeco said:
I am only familiar with the Townsedan bodies, but Briggs bodies cars have square windows and Murray Bodied cars have arched windows. There is also no seam on the back of the car on a Briggs body whereas the Murray bodies have a seam on either side of the rear window. Those are the major differences between the two. Other people will chime about other body styles.

Mike
Click to expand...

I hate that seam, but love the window shape.
 
1930artdeco said:
I am only familiar with the Townsedan bodies, but Briggs bodies cars have square windows and Murray Bodied cars have arched windows. There is also no seam on the back of the car on a Briggs body whereas the Murray bodies have a seam on either side of the rear window. Those are the major differences between the two. Other people will chime about other body styles.

Mike
Click to expand...

Only (and all) slant windshield Fordor bodies have the seam like Tudors as they were designed to be assembled in sections like the Ford bodies.
 
Briggs built all of Ford’s open-cab pickup truck bodies from 1925 through 1932 as well as the Model T and Model A pickup beds, plus a large portion of Ford’s closed truck cabs. Ford’s early pickups used a non-retractable canvas top with integral canvas and isinglass side curtains to keep out the elements.
 
John, so you are saying "most" 30-31 closed cab pickups had their body built by Briggs? Would that be the cab? cab and bed? But what about the cowl and forward? Thanks
 
John LaVoy said:
Briggs built all of Ford’s open-cab pickup truck bodies from 1925 through 1932 as well as the Model T and Model A pickup beds, plus a large portion of Ford’s closed truck cabs. Ford’s early pickups used a non-retractable canvas top with integral canvas and isinglass side curtains to keep out the elements.
Click to expand...

I've read similar info as well as contradictory info. It makes no sense for Briggs to build a body with a Ford built cowl and doors. What are they providing, the rear panel? These bodies were built in sections and shipped to the branches where they had jigs for assembling those sections.

The more elaborate wood structured bodies such as panel deliveries. etc., were contracted out to Briggs and Murray as they were too complex to be assembled in sections near their destination.
 
PetesPonies said:
John, so you are saying "most" 30-31 closed cab pickups had their body built by Briggs? Would that be the cab? cab and bed? But what about the cowl and forward? Thanks
Click to expand...

To the far right below you will see the cab backs warehoused at the Long Beach plant yet to be staged for body assembly.

cab_backs-sm.jpg
 
Marco, do you know of any Ford factory assembly of '29 '30 fordor 3W sedans?
I have seen body numbers stamped into the wood at front floor area with a stylised 'F'[with either 3 or 5 to denote Standard or TS] followed by a number. These have all been Murray style 3w fordors built by Ford Canada for RHD export [ not to Australia].
Thanks.
 
Tudortomnz said:
Marco, do you know of any Ford factory assembly of '29 '30 fordor 3W sedans?
I have seen body numbers stamped into the wood at front floor area with a stylised 'F'[with either 3 or 5 to denote Standard or TS] followed by a number. These have all been Murray style 3w fordors built by Ford Canada for RHD export [ not to Australia].
Thanks.
Click to expand...

The stampings you describe are interesting. I've never seen that here. Unfortunately, original documentation unique to Murray bodies is pretty scarce.
 
Interesting webpage. I am suprised to see the 130-A Deluxe Delivery was made by Budd, when the rear door latch and hinge hardware more closely resemble the Briggs 60-A and 60-B. I was always under the impression that Briggs made the rear door assembly and shipped it to Ford for body assembly. Next question is can the Budd Mfg. blueprints be found for the wood? What little bit of research a freind did for me at Benson provided afew drawings with no dimensions. Basicly useless for amking the pieces as I already have pic's and afew very rotted pieces that privide the same info. Rod
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top