In removing several layers of paint from the radiator cowl/cover prior to polishing and chrome plating, I noted remnants of green paint. I know from some surviving paint on the body that the car was originally Channel Green. I like the look of chrome, but prefer to restore as close to original as possible. Could this cowl originally have been the same color as the body? I also noted that the rear bumper started out being painted (black, of course). So would chrome not be authentic on the bumper as well?

I tried to attach a photo, but could not figure how to resize to fit the 2000 kb max. Advice on that issue would be helpful as well. I use Photoshop Elements 9.

Radiator shell should be nickel plated for all closed cars in 1926-27

Chrome is easieer to keep up, but Nickel is original. Painted shells were used on the pickups and open cars. You could, for an extra cost get a nickel shell on the open cars.
Norm

Authentic is nice but seven years ago when i redid my 26 coupe they wanted $1100.00 to chrome plate my steel shell, so its black.
Rick

Hi Forrest
There are lots of little programs that will do what you want more or less automatically, but you asked about Photoshop Elements.

The following assumes that Elements 9 (which is light years ahead of my old version of Photoshop) still has the old menus or something similar.

Using your profile photo as an example, clicking on “Image” and then “Image size" you will find the following . . .

Pixel Dimensions 19.3M
(you may have to change this setting to pixels)
Width 3000 pixels
Height 2250 pixels

Document Size
(you may have to change this setting to inches)
Width 41.667 inches
Height 31.25 inches
Resolution 72 pixels/inch

Leave ‘Constrain Proportions’ check marked, and change the following.
Pixel Dimensions
Width 900 Pixels
Height (will change to 675 pixels)

Document Size
Width (will change to 6.25 inches)
Height (will change to 4.688 inches)
Resolution 144

Click OK
Now click on “File” and “Save As”
(At this point you may want to rename the file to save the original size photo from being changed
– add ‘small’ or whatever to the end of the file name.)
Click on “Save” and a “JPEG Options” window should open.
Adjust the ‘Quality’ slider to get the “Size” below 190K. (In this case use Quality 8)

This should be the result . . .



There is more than one method to do this, and I would think Elements 9 would have a simpler or more 'Gee Wizz' method, but this gives a (close to) full screen view on most monitors and gets the file size below the 195K limit.

Regards
Art

Forrest,

Your rear bumper would have been nickel plated when new. The bumper arms & brackets would have been black as well as the two oval washer plates that clamp the bumper bars in place.

Wow!

Thanks for the help. Perhaps someday I will have the experience to help some other newbie!!!

Forest,
Another, maybe easier way to reduce the size in PSE is to click on "File" then "Save for web". Just select the JPG size you want then be sure to rename the new file so you do not loose your original.

Another option is to crop to the best length and width but that is another story. I almost never see a photo that does not need some cropping.

Jim

Forrest,

1. Great looking time machine. A couple of comments offered for free and perhaps worth that much but maybe not. For any of our cars documenting what we discover is a good idea. We may not understand what it means today but later on we may read something or see something else that helps us better understand what we originally saw. There are several examples of things people “corrected” on their cars that they later learned were actually that way from the factory or from the dealer etc. For example when a 1912 Town Car was restored back in the 1950s the owner did not realize the removable front doors actually came with the 1912 cars. And yes, the removable front doors were disposed of. Many owners who restored their 1916 to early 1917 Model Ts routinely “tossed” a funny looking “pointy” front spring as conventional wisdom said it was an after market part. Then Warren Mortensen and John Regan within the past four or five years worked together to document that the “pointy” leaf front spring was indeed installed on new Fords at the factory starting sometime in or after December of 1915 through at least Sept of 1916 when the DESIGN changed but of course Ford would have used them up [ref John’s comments at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/43281.html?1198287177 ].

2. So if your car does not have any nickel plating on the radiator shell but instead had green paint – take photos and document it. Then keep an eye out for additional clues. In this case some clues that indicate Ford may [not necessarily did – but “May have”] produced a few that way follow:

2.a. At: http://mtfca.com/encyclo/1926.htm Bruce McCalley has the note for the 1926 model year cars: RADIATOR: Same as 1925. Nickel shell offered as an option; became standard on the closed cars. Radiator valence had a nickel trim strip to match the nickel shell.

Compare that note to the one at: http://mtfca.com/encyclo/1927.htm concerning the 1927 model year cars: RADIATOR: Same as 1926. Nickel shell offered as an option on most open cars, was standard on the closed cars.
Note 1927 it says “Nickel shell … was standard on the closed cars.” but for 1926 it says “Nickel shell …became standard on the closed cars.”
2.b. From the photo of your coupe on your profile page it does NOT have the cross bar with the headlamps. At http://mtfca.com/encyclo/1926.htm Bruce states, “The headlamps were mounted on the fenders in early production, then on a tie bar between the fenders in later production. The tie bar evolved through several modifications in 1926.” So if the headlamps are original to the car – your car is an early production 1926. You could easily verify that by examining the engine serial number and checking the frame to see if it does or does not have the engine number (ref: http://mtfca.com/encyclo/doc25.htm which says:
DEC 12, 1925 Acc. 94. Walter Fishleigh files, Ford Archives
"Motor number was first placed on frame side member R.H. on Dec. 12, 1925. Motor No. 12,861,044. Information obtained from Mr. Burns, Final Assy., Highland Park." [ Hap’s comment: There are surviving examples of it stamped on either the right and left frame rails ]
I believe those headlamps would have been used on a chassis produced prior to the engine numbers being stamped onto the frames.
I’ll drop Bruce a note and ask him to clarify if he literally means some of the early 1926 closed cars came from the factory with painted radiator shells or if I am reading too much into his wording. And of course if some of the closed cars did come with a painted radiator shell – does he have any information on what color the shell was painted? I will post a note to let you know what he shares.

3. And then there are some things on your car that hint that some things have been changed over the years. [That is usually true for most Ts – things wear out, get damaged, and are replaced.]

3.a. Notice that your car is missing the lower radiator apron.

3.b. Notice your car does not have the typical 1926-27 front bearing and spring clip (i.e. the part that holds the front spring to the frame and the front of the engine to the frame) that has a hole for a screw to keep the lower radiator apron from rattling. I think it has the earlier 1925 part number 1164 Ton Truck part. Note how many threads are showing below the nut. See the discussion at: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50893/72796.html and http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/208536.html If it is not the TT then my next guess is the 1921-1925 style car part. If it does have the car part – then maybe a few of the very early 1926 models used up the remaining 1925 style part. But if it is the Ton Truck part – that clearly would have been installed after it left the factory.

4. Sorry we can’t provide more historically accurate information. But hopefully it encourages you and others to look for and document what you find. Speaking of which – if you look at the metal channels that hold up the front floor boards you may find a Branch Assembly Plant marking --- please see: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/111490.html

5. Again thank you and so many others for sharing what you discover on your cars and in your research.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

A big thank you to Bruce McCalley for providing the following response to our questions about 1926 closed car radiator shells:

Bruce stated, "As I understand it, the nickel shell became an option in late 1925 production (early calendar 1925). It apparently was still an option when the first 1926 models came out in the summer of 1925 but became standard on the closed cars sometime later, perhaps before calendar 1926. There were a number of 1926 closed cars with black shells. 1927 closed cars continued with the nickel shells as standard equipment. 1927 open cars continued with the nickel shell as an option except on "sports" models on which it was standard."

Again more clues for those with an early 1926 closed car.

And thank you Bruce for all you have done and continue to do for our hobby!

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

I pretty much use tinypics exclusively... ws

[IMG]http://i56.tinypic.com/5njcqo.jpg[/IMG]

Or this if its easier... ws

Some things we just don't know about the history of our cars. Note most closed cars of that vintage had wire spoke wheels, but yours has wood spokes. It is possible that that car was originally ordered that way. It might have been part of a fleet of cars used by a business, which ordered the least expensive coupe. Since the radiator was painted the same color as the body, if that was indeed the original color, it could have come from the factory that way. However, on the other hand, that car is over 85 years old, and a lot of changes could have been made over the years due to repairs etc. It's not inconceivable that the radiator was replaced by a complete unit from another car, maybe from a wrecking yard.

The nickel radiator shells were made of brass and nickel plated. The painted ones were steel, so the underlying metal could tell you at least what type shell you have.
Norm

Norm,

According to Bruce's encyclopedia, the wire wheels were not available until around Jan 1926 and then there were an option. The wood spoke 21 inch balloon wheels were standard on the closed cars into 1927. (ref: http://mtfca.com/encyclo/U-Z.htm#wheels scroll down to 1926). Of course many people like the wire wheels so they are often put on the cars -- both back in the day as well as today.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

The shell definitely is steel.

The registration number (California) is 12795748. The engine that is in it does not match. In fact, it is a 1923 with several interesting modifications, including 12-volt electrics and an "A" crankshaft. In refurbishing the wheels, spokes, etc., I noticed that I have three different brands of rims and two different hubs, also, although the spokes and felloes seem to match all around. Clearly at least one previous owner made gross changes. BTW, the car also came with a 1926 engine on a stand which I plan to rebuild and return the car to 6-volts. Unfortunately I cannot give the numbers of the engines, as I am in CA and the car is in AZ.

Again, thanks for all the guidance!!!