Was interior T wood painted? Any clear answer?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Was interior T wood painted? Any clear answer?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 09:54 am:

The other thread about painting wood I think has to deal with exterior wood such as wheels, dashs, etc.
I just got finished restoring a 21 Touring and am scratching my head about painting the wood that's just inside the doors. Sills, wood along the seats and anywhere else. Not sure about the closed cars.

T's through 17-25 were all black. Did Ford paint the open cars throughout before the seat material was installed or touch up the exposed wood after the material was installed? OR was the wood just left unpainted and that was it? Just trying to authentic within reason.

Thanks for any answer.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Les Schubert on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 10:06 am:

John
I will say YES. I have seen various original bodys and parts there-of and the "easy surfaces" of the wood were painted. I suspect it was largely "incidental"


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 10:07 am:

My '27 Touring was repainted before I got it and there is over spray on the interior wood and metal so I can't say what it was like prior to the half a$$ed job. But my '22 Coupe that I completely re-did had no paint on the interior sheet metal or wood. I did however paint the interior metal and wood to preserve it and placed a note behind the back seat informing the next owner that the wood and interior were not painted.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 10:48 am:

During the early black era the open bodies were painted with the flow method all over inside and out two times before upholstering, then a third coat of varnish without pigments after upholstering. Later in the black era after 1922 the process changed some and the varnish after upholstery had some black in it so they used covers over the upholstery, but the interior wood was always painted. See Trent's long interesting article in the encyclopedia:
http://www.mtfca.com/encyclo/P-R.htm#paint4


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By charley shaver on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 11:31 am:

I have never seen any wood that was painted be fore the tin was put on. I have lots of old wood if anyone would like to look. charley


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 01:27 pm:

Taken apart many bodies especially the later open cars, and the wood is painted. Usually a thin black covering. The inner metal is usually coated too, only rather thin in most spots.



"Flowing" on the black finish for the open Ford.


Restoring a T today would be appropriate to coat the wood for protection, choice for me is a thinned, brushed coat of non-gloss black enamel on the wood pieces.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Spaziano, Bellflower, CA. on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 02:18 pm:

I have removed the original interior from at least two closed cars. A Fordor and a Coupe.
Both were "Improved" cars and both had painted wood and sheet metal under the upholstery.

It appeared to be a flat black. However, it may have been semi-gloss at one time but after 70-or-so-years, things change.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 02:55 pm:

Thanks for the information. I was just now looking at some of the random threads dated Oct. 14 and there is one named 'rear seat riser question'.
Hap has provided a pic of the rear seat section showing the seat riser and it looks like the old photo shows the wood to be painted. To me it has a sheen to it that looks like painted over wood.

What does any one else think?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 02:58 pm:

The interior wood pieces on my 16 coupelet were painted with a thin layer of black.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Allan Bennett - Australia on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 04:42 pm:

The paint used appears to be very thin, not much more than a stain. I mix 50/50 turps and black enamel and brush it on. If you don't like it so thin, a second coat can be done.

Hope this helps.

Allan from down under.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By john kuehn on Tuesday, October 14, 2014 - 08:50 pm:

Thanks guys for the info. I will do a thin paint job over the wood.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 08:34 am:

I stand corrected. After reviewing some of my old rebuild photos my '22 Coupe did have painted wood and metal on the interior.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Georgetown TX on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 08:43 am:

My '12, '13, '14, 15 and '17 bodies all had original black (perhaps extremely dark blue on the '12 and '13) paint on all the parts under the upholstery including all the wood and all the metal.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 10:25 am:

I too have noticed on 2 cars that the wood and most internals were painted. On the wood in both cases it appeared to be a light coat. Almost a stain. I think that's just the way the wood took the paint + 70 or so years of deterioration. I believe it's just the same paint that was used on the bodies with the wood taking and reacting to it differently than the steel.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Donnie Brown North Central Arkansas on Wednesday, October 15, 2014 - 10:59 am:

On my late 27 touring it was definitely painted on the inside (black paint inside and outside). The wood body blocks that fit up into the sub rails were actually "glued" into place with a very heavy "coagulated" paint that had ran into the seams. The body also appears to have been painted upside down. There are massive runs in the paint. and they run "uphill" when looking at the body in an up-right position. On my cars back of front seat panel, there was a run that started at the bottom center of the panel, at a small hole, and ran all the way to the top lip of the front seat back panel, and then formed a "drip". I counted over a dozen big runs in the original paint. There was also a lot of "coagulated puddles" of paint in the corners of the seat frames. It appears the bodys bottom side was painted upside down with a water hose of paint. Then at some point the body was flipped upright. Then it appears that they paid most of their attention on the more noticeable areas of the body to "clean up" the runs. The corners and hard to reach areas got missed. Some of my runs seem to have formed at a later point, from the paint "seeping" from the seams and corners. I have a lot of photos of the runs on my car, but they are on the old hard drive of my computer that was lightening struck. Im hoping they can be retrieved.


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