Here is a Ford-O tail light bracket. What is this correct for? I've heard it's right for some TT trucks, but the information out there is fuzzy.
Probably used for only the kerosene tail lamp, was used until end of production, even on the plain Lizzie, Improved Car. When furnished without electric start. Ford's lowest cost entry of the day.
Ford-O bracket on '26 runabout.
I had thought the tail light shown above was for trucks. The large lens is clear and the small lens is red. Opposite of most of the oil lights. Is it primarily a truck light or is that what they use on '26 and '27 cars?
Rich
Hi: The Ford O was used on 25 26 27 non starter cars and TT trucks and pickups. If used on a TT or pickup there is another bracket that hangs down from the bed that the Ford-O bracket attaches to. This may just be folklore or ?? but Ive read the reason for the big clear lens and small red lens was a fight that Henry had with the government. I heard that the government enacted a law in either 1924 or 25 that there was supposed to be a certain amount of license plate illumination. Since Henry was already going to change to the new Improved 26-27 he asked if he could change the light then. In typical government way they said NO! You Will Change It Now !! So Henry built a new bracket, converted the old gas light to use the big clear lens for illumination, and changed the old small clear lens to red. It would have been cheaper and easier to just make a new light to fix the problem. Ive read that Henry took the new Ford-O light back to the Government agency and said here is your light. It more than meets the license plate mandate. But your mandate does not say how big the @#$&^% red lens is supposed to be, and you @#%$*& are to slow and stupid to pass another #$@&% law before I have my new cars in production. (probably not the exact words but you get the point) He did this to thumb his nose at the government beauracrats. May only be a story but Ive read it in several places and it would explain the poor design of the Ford-O. I may open up a can of worms with the story but I read it so it must be true.... right...
That is a great story. I like it.
Thanks
Rich
And the government is even worse today!
Another thing about the Ford-O is that the light sets crooked on the bracket. The big clear lens aims toward the license plate for more illumination. I have seen people straighten out the bracket so the light sits straight thinking the bracket was bent. I always liked the story also. I think there is some truth to it. I believe I read it in one of the club magazines, or a book where they were interviewing a former employee of Ford that was there in the day of model Ts. But as a lot of the T lore, it sometimes takes on a life of its own....