Fordor owners - your advice sought

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: Fordor owners - your advice sought
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jem Bowkett on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 04:08 pm:

Our 'as-found' brass Touring is getting a little fragile for long tours.
We fancy getting a closed car. I have found a '24 Fordor advertised that seems good. Will I like driving a Fordor? What should I look out for when buying?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Booth@ Bay City, Mi on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 04:31 pm:

I enjoy the Fordor, it is nice to have a rain shelter. The only time it becomes a handful is with strong crosswinds. The brakes on the '27 are very good and it is nice to be able to lock the car up.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By scott porter on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 05:22 pm:

I have a 1926 fordor I love the car , advice it has a lot of wood check the door post and alingment take out back seat and under floor mats .


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 05:35 pm:

Jem,

I have a '15 Runabout, a '19 Hack and a '25 Fordor.

The Fordor came first about 35 years ago.

As far as liking it, yes...especially when it rains :-) Driving to and from spring and fall outings is a lot more comfortable too.

They tend to be a little sluggish (less peppy) than an open car, but that's OK. They tend to have a higher center of gravity which then feels like a bit of body roll if you try a hard quick turn at speed :-) (so don't!)

Starter and generator is nice :-)

As far as mechanicals...you won't notice much difference at all come the chassis parts. Probably have demountable wheels which can be a plus, but by now you are probably quick with irons and spoons anyway :-)

What to look out for? Check the doors for fit. Being a '24 will probably be wooden doors as I think the Budd steel door didn't come along until '25. The doors, if square, will tell you a lot about the bones. There might be a bit of body sag due to a frame worn sway-back due to weight and use, that's judged by door fit all the way around, and how the hood may fit on the cowl former.

The top rails tend to get punky if the roof has ever leaked...the front header and the side upper rails. If the visor frame is tight with the mounting screws, the front is usually sound...a bit floppy and then do 'poke' around.

Side rails the same way...they ARE the top open door jamb header when the door is open. I usually use the back heel of a screwdriver. If they are punky, you will feel it that way.

No big deal if you do find punk. Not too difficult with average hand skills to replace...the top on a closed car is actually a lot easier to replace than on an open car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 05:38 pm:

Jem - I have a '27 Fordor and agree with what Scott said above about checking for wood rot in the door posts, floor and top. The '26 & '27 Fordors have bigger brakes and less wood. The doors on the later ones are all steel = no wood problem for them.

Bear in mind that Fordors are very heavy & that affects performance, but they did come with a 4 to 1 rear end ratio which helps.

Be sure to drive it before you buy it because they are VERY different than your brass touring.

I learned to drive a T with my Fordor and have owned it for 49 years. When I got my brass touring a few years ago I was amazed at the difference in general driving and in performance with the brass touring

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 05:45 pm:

The 23-25 T Fordor cars probably have more wood in them than any other T's.
The 26-27 Fordor cars have less wood to deal with.

Bottom line is to check the wood in the car to see what condition it is.
If its original I would check it closely by crawling under the car to see the condition of the main body sills.

Use a pick to see if there are any soft or questionable places.
The car could have been rewooded so that would be a big plus.

If your looking for a good solid driver I would go for the 26-27 T's. But you might find a solid 23-25 car.
My opinion


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 07:41 pm:

I thought the '26-7 Fordors used the same bodies as the mid-20's ones. So how is it they have less wood?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rick Goelz-Knoxville,TN on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 08:15 pm:

Mike, i think the wood is the same in the body just the doors are wood free.

Rick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jack Putnam, Bluffton, Ohio on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 08:35 pm:

I have just added a 25 Fordor to my collection. All of the above advice is good, but one thing was not mentioned. Getting into a fordor can be a challenge as the space allocated to the driver is limited at best. Your size might be a major factor in how well you enjoy a fordor.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Katy, Texas on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 10:27 pm:

I echo what Jack says. My 26 fordor is such a tight squeeze to get into by the driver's door, that I usually use the passenger door. I'm 6 feet tall and about 42 inches in waist.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Doug Money - Braidwood, IL on Monday, October 14, 2013 - 11:38 pm:

I am about Terry's size and I think the drivers door on my 26 is too tight to use. We love the car. It is comfortable, dry, warm. Of course when you want the top down, nothing beats an open car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Warwick Landy on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 01:50 am:

Jem,
You will find a Fordor very comfortable to sit in and in bad weather it is even better! I have found that since driving in a closed car I feel much fresher at the end of a long day because you are not exposed to the wind and the weather. Driving a Sedan is much more like driving a modern vehicle just slower! I fixed my 26' fordor up a bit and added the Z head and a Warford gearbox. Both of these items have made it so much easier to drag around all the extra weight and made it a delight to drive. Cannot recommend a sedan highly enough. Good luck with your purchase.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 06:09 am:

I have a '22 Coupe and it has more front leg room then my '27 Touring. I do however enter the car via the passenger side. It is easier then trying to squeeze past the parking brake. The Coupes downfall is you can only fit two in it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Keith Gumbinger, Kenosha, WI on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 10:47 am:

I Agree that getting in through the drivers side door on a Fordor is difficult. I always get in through the passenger side door and feel there is plenty of room for the driver. Because the gas tank is under the seat, you sit rather high, but it is very comfortable.

Again, I recommend that you drive a Fordor before buying one, because you will find it quite different than your early brass Touring.

Keith


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Daniel M. Chapasko on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 11:08 am:

I have a 1927 Fordor sedan. It is a wonderful car but when I drive it, people wave and look. My other cars, 1920 Dodge Touring, 1923 Dodge Touring and 1927 Model T Touring does not get as much attention as the 1927 FORDOR. Does any other Model T guys have 1919 DODGE BROTHERS split rims? I need three more 33 x 4 split Kelsey Hayes rims to drive my Dodge. Parts for Fordor sedan are a little easier to find than Dodge parts. I would get the Fordor. It is a warmer car in winter.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rick Goelz-Knoxville,TN on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 01:54 pm:

I have a 24 Fordor with the partial aluminum body and doors, it is a no go through the drivers side as it is only 10" from the seat to the wheel.
I tried to find a picture but?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jem Bowkett on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 03:28 pm:

Gentlemen, thank you for your helpful input. Seems everyone is happy to have one! The car I found is said to have new wood & has new upholstery. Looks very shiny & is said to have a photo history of the restoration available. I'll try to make a deal on it.

Getting in shouldn't be a problem - I'm 5'8" & 34 waist.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jem Bowkett on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 03:45 pm:

Oh, there's one question I didn't ask - will it fit my garage? How tall is a 24 Fordor?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Doug Money - Braidwood, IL on Tuesday, October 15, 2013 - 10:04 pm:

My 26 just clears my 7' tall door by a few inches. I know the rear spring probably sags a bit but it should fit anyway.


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