Hello, the previous owner of my 1924 Touring (converted to a pickup) roughly cut a piece of chipboard to fit in the recess above the gas tank, then set the seat bottom on top of the chipboard. To fill the gas tank I have to pull up both the seat and the chipboard.
Should there be a wood lid or frame under the front seat of an 1924 touring car? Does anyone have a picture of what that area should look like? Thanks.
1923. I think it's the same.
Wow, it looks like there's no wood at all, the seat springs sit right on the metal frame, am I seeing that right? Thanks.
My '23 touring had a hinged board covering the tank. I'd describe it as masonite. Smooth on the top side and that puckered finish on the bottom. It had a round hole over the tank cap so it was left in place when fueling.
I haven't found any documentation on this, but I think your car probably came from the factory without a board. I'm pretty sure Charlie's Masonite was a later addition. You can put your own board in a touring if you want, but my fordor doesn't have any space for one.
Without the chipboard, the bottom of my seat springs rub on the top of the gas tank (I can see witness marks where the chipboard was also rubbing). I'm going to have to crawl under the car to see if maybe the previous owner put spacer blocks or something under the gas tank, causing it to sit too high.
For now, I think I'll make a 1 x 3 hardwood frame with the same outline as the chipboard, but open in the middle to give access to the gas tank cap and to raise the seat springs off of the gas tank.
My late 19 Touring has a hinged metal cover that I believe to be original but I do not know for sure if it is so...
http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l46/mpawelek/19TankCover.jpg
Some definitely came from the factory with some sort of 'lid' between the seat and the tank. If you look close, you may see the remnants of the hinges that used to attach it. I'm not sure, but I'm thinking some were metal and some were the masonite type mentioned above.
On my 24 touring, I use a piece of cardboard to keep the seat spring from rubbing on the tank.
I'm pretty sure Hap could shed some light on this. I bet he has not seen the thread yet.
Our '27 Fordor had a panel under the front seat with a hole in it, to fill the tank. I cannot find it after the big move. It was softer than Masonite, but more rigid than cardboard.
I don't think there was a lid under the seat after 1922. Just a guess.
From Wikipedia: Masonite was invented in 1924 in Laurel, Mississippi, by William H. Mason, who was a friend and protégé of inventor Thomas Edison. Mass production started in 1929. So we know at least that Masonite isn't original.