December 10, 1915

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: December 10, 1915
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Wolf on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 03:02 pm:

December 10, 1915, Henry Ford built his 1,000,000th Model T Ford


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 04:52 pm:

And on December 10, 1915, he also built my '16 Touring--probably a few hours before 1M (28 cars before, to be exact!).
I was hoping to have it restored in time for its 100 B-day, but since I've been laid off, I spend too much time figuring out how to make a living in this "expanding" economy. Sorry, not trying to get political, just disgusted!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Burger in Spokane on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 06:07 pm:

David,

Neat history you have on your rig. While finding any old job has never been an issue for me, finding a
serious, career-type job has proven elusive in the 1.5 years since I returned from AFG. It ain't just you,
buddy. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve McClelland on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 06:27 pm:

David com'on I just heard on the news that there's been over 385,000 jobs created this year alone, your saying your laid off...! How'd that happen?
Times are Great for the job market just listen to the news....

Yeah I'm being sarcastic.. It seems everything is good to most as long as it doesn't effect them am I right?

All kidding aside I'm sorry to hear your laid off and hope things change for you soon, maybe you'll find something fast, in our business we hire 12 on Monday by Friday we might have 4 out of 12 left.

I think someone has a crooked pencil that gathers all the statistics about job growth, but I guess if we look at the US as a hole 385K isn't much spread across our vast land.
I've pissed and moaned enough I'll move on now...Sorry for the rant.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:06 pm:

The 385K was for last month.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve McClelland on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:24 pm:

My mistake Thanks for the correction though...
I try my best not to watch the news, so what little I absorb from any of it is only as I'm walking through the room while my wife is watching it.
I'd rather be wiping the oil off my oil pan drain plug as have to sit and get depressed while watching the news.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John H. Nichols on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:39 pm:

At age 70, I am retired and thank God My lady friend have enough money coming in to exist and once in a while buy a model T part.

I do get angry about all those jobs created and am inclined that the figures or most of them are companies who are recalling laid off people.

My whole working life, I always had a part time job along with a regular job, paid my SS and Fed and State taxes on the part time job and banked those funds.

John


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By n maver on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:40 pm:

Steve like you I never look at the news on the television and I never buy newspapers! I've long since figured out these guys are nothing more that merchants of chaos.

N


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John H. Nichols on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:46 pm:

Steve

Say what you will about the news, I DO NOT watch the local channel as you get very little news and lots of commercials, I watch CNN, HLN and
Fox News, and also the Canadian Station CKWS in
Kingston Canada. Oh Yeah and the weather channel
where I get the local weather for my Zip Code.

I too would rather be doing something other than sitting around getting depressed. I have enough
depression to take me to the end of the road


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 07:58 pm:

My 16 coupelet'S engine was put together on November 2, 1915. How soon was it consumed into a body? Hours? Days? Weeks?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard Wolf on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 08:31 pm:

What is all this s*it have to do with the 1,000,00 Model T


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Wednesday, December 10, 2014 - 10:59 pm:

Philip -- At that time in Ford's production, I would expect that engines were used within a week or so of their being built, or maybe just a couple of days. Some engines were sent to other assembly plants, and they would have had a longer lead time. But I expect your Coupelet was assembled in Detroit, so that engine probably didn't hang around for long.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerome Hoffman, Hays KS on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 12:14 am:

Richard you have 365 days to get it done.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 01:14 pm:

Richard,
Very little, sorry I brought it up, just frustrated that all the planning I did in my life to make a living were apparently misguided. What it does have to do with Model Ts is that some of us have become very limited in resources to restore and enjoy our Ts--but that should be a different thread!
So, to get back on thread, how many other Dec 10 or very nearby Ts are out there amongst us?? I figure 28 cars away, I may have the closest! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 03:29 pm:

Some interesting tid bits on Ford in Nov/Dec 1915, published in Dec.15, 1916 MOTOR WORLD magazine.

FORD BUILDING THREE NEW ASSEMBLING PLANTS DETROIT Nov 24, 1915 Nearly $1,000,000 is being spent by the Ford Motor Co for the construction of three new assembling plants and service stations in Milwaukee Omaha and Oklahoma City. This brings the number of assembling plants of the company to a total of twenty-eight. The Milwaukee plant will be a five story structure 300 x 120 will cost $385,000 and will have a production capacity of 75 cars a day with a working force of 400 men. The Omaha plant will consist of a five story structure 284 x 120 to cost $375,000 About 400 men are to be employed and 75 cars will be assembled a day if necessary. A four story building 275 x 132 ft will be put up in Oklahoma City having an output capacity of 60 cars a day with a working force of 300 men. The plant will cost $230,000. The Wisconsin plant is to be ready in February also the one in Omaha The one in Oklahoma is expected to be opened in May. In St Louis the Ford assembling plant is being doubled and in Kansas City the plant is being tripled.

1,000,000 th Ford Made DETROIT Dec 10, 1915. At 1 55 30 this afternoon car No 1,000,000 of the Model T Ford was completed at the Ford factory. The first Model T was made in 1908 Including other models the company has made l,080,000 cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Wightman on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 04:29 pm:

Ricks says 385,000 cars built the last month. I have hear estimates between 4 and 6 minutes a car. If my math is correct, that number of cars in a 31 day month works out to one every 6.96 minutes, or about one every 7 minutes. So if Richard has one with a serial number 28 units prior to serial one million, his car was built about 168 to 196 minutes before the one millionth car, or 2.5 to 3.25 hours before the one millionth car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 05:53 pm:

I don't know about Richard's T, but mine is 28 cars before one million. I hadn't done the math, but that would mean my car was built at about 11:30 AM on 12-10-1915.
COOL!! Thanks for doing the math John W.!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 06:18 pm:

John

Ralph was on counting jobs.... not T's!!

The correct build amount for Dec 1915 according to Bruce Mc...is 42,252

For Dec 10 day production was 1,599 cars, the day ending at car # 1,000,640.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Wightman on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 06:21 pm:

Yes, sorry David I misspoke and was talking about your car but said Richard by mistake. I wonder what time the 1,000,00 car actually rolled off the line. If it was close to midnight on New years Eve I bet they were hurrying to make the one million number by midnight. That's cool you have 999,972 or thereabouts.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 06:24 pm:

I wonder if the factory rolled around the clock at that time? Wasn't the $5 day connected to a change in working hours too, maybe 3 x 8 hour shifts = 24 hours?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 07:03 pm:

John, good question, as I think the publicity shots showed the engine being stamped on the assembly line, in the Chassis--is that how engines were stamped, or were the stamped when finished with bearing burn in, or ???
When I first saw my engine numbers, I thought they were phoney, since they are all at an angle, but that's the way they stamped them. And, yes, that's my VIN number.
Was the factory up to 24 hours by then? You know the photo-op for the millionth must have stopped the assembly line for a little while. Following Dan's numbers, that day was about 66 cars an hour--that doesn't sound right--that's more than one a minute--was that possible?? I think John's numbers sound more realistic--but then I AM dyslexic, so I could be all wrong!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 07:39 pm:

So I'm a little confused. Well actually, I'm a whole bunch confused but; there seems to be something wrong with this thread. I thought it was going the way of a proper political debate and then suddenly it's all got to do with a Model t that belongs to David or Richard or someone. I wonder if that car has an etimer on it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 08:48 pm:

Okay, I apologize. I was stirring the pot.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hap Tucker in Sumter SC on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 09:23 pm:

It has been a busy week, but I've enjoyed this thread.

First a reminder/summary from the introduction of Bruce's serial number listing -- that is the date the engine serial number was logged and not necessarily the date the engine was produced or not necessarily the date the car was produced. See the introduction on page 501 of his book -- especially the bottom paragraph on the left side and top paragraph on the right side of the page.

In the case of car number 1,000,000 we have more data than most Fords produced. We have the date serial number 1,000,000 was entered in the engine production book of Dec 10, 1915 -- part of the numbers between 999,041 and 1,000,640. But that date is also available for well over 14,000,000 Model Ts. And in the case of engine 1,000,000 we have an additional entry from the engine production records where it says engine number 1,000,000 was assemble at 1:53 1/2 PM on Dec 10, 1915. We also have that type of information for the 10,000,000 and 15,000,000 engines. There is an entry in the engine production records saying when they were actually produced. That also tells us where the engines were produced -- i.e. in the Detroit area rather than at one of the other Assembly Plants. If we do not know where the engine was assembled -- we do not know for sure what date it was assembled. Although clearly the majority of the engines were assembled in the Detroit area.

Why the term Detroit area? Well the 15,000,000th engine was assembled at the River Rouge plant rather than the Highland Park plant where the cars were assembled [ref the remarks on page 531 of Bruce's (R.I.P.) book that indicate the River Rouge first received serial numbers sent to them from the Highland Park Plant on Sep 24, 1924 -- numbers 10,566,001 to 10,565,100) and page 532 where we see the last reported 62 serial numbers that were sent to the Highland Park plant on Feb 25, 1925.

But for those engines we also have when the car rolled off the assembly line (or at least some claims of when it rolled off the assembly line.) In the case of car 1,000,000 -- the reference Dan posted above [thank you Dan! every additional puzzle piece helps!] stated "At 1 55 30 this afternoon car No 1,000,000 of the Model T Ford was completed at the Ford factory." I think there may be some discrepancies in the time the engine was logged as completed at 1:53 1/2 and the car was completed 1:55 1/2. They were quick -- but 2 minutes from completing the engine to completing the car sounds like one or both of the printed times were off just a little.

And in the case of cars around serial number 1,000,000 "if" the engine was assembled at Highland park and not at one of the branches, and "if" the engine did not have an rework required, and "if" the engine was installed at the Highland Park, then it is likely that it would have been the same day. But if the engine was assembled at another plan or if the engine was shipped to another branch plant to be installed in a car there, then we know it would be after the Dec 10, 1915 date that the car was assembled.

It is a fascinating subject, and one I hope we can better document.

And yes, the $5 a day wage came with a drop in hours from 9 to 8 so they could have 24 hour operations. But they still closed the engine shop on some days for example page 535 of Bruce's book Sep 6, 1926 the engine production shop was closed. I don't know if the entire production was or was not closed. Perhaps someone else can provide information about that.

My wife reminded me that we need to get up early tomorrow for work, so I will close here.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dewey, N. California on Thursday, December 11, 2014 - 11:28 pm:

Mike, You made ME laugh. No etimer, though--right now NO timer (nor pistons, etc. etc.). And I'm the one to blame for bringing it back to Ts--and for drifting it away originally--guess I'm just a major trouble-maker!! :-)
So, enough about MY car, anyone else have a Dec 10, 1915 car--or close to it??


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wayne Sheldon, Grass Valley, CA on Friday, December 12, 2014 - 03:37 am:

No, I don't have a December 10 1915 car. I do have a December 13 bare block, serial number 10034xx.
About fifteen years ago, I did agree to buy a December '15 touring car, a genuine barn find. Sometimes I do wish I had gone ahead and bought it. The land had been sold, the cars had to go. No one seemed to want this car (it was pretty rough). I agreed to buy it, but mentioned that I really shouldn't as I had enough projects already. I was making arrangements to pick it up the coming weekend. Then the seller called me. Someone else had called. They wanted it, and offered about $100 more than I had agreed on. It really was the smart decision for me. I had a lot going on in my life at the time. I did not need that project. I told him to take the other (better for him) offer. I do hope whoever bought the car did restore it.
If I recall correctly, the serial number on it checked out to December 19, 1915. For what it is worth.
Come on David! You have a year to get that touring done! You can do it. Maybe I should try to race you with my spring '15 runabout project pile? I don't know which one is in worse condition. Although there IS a little less to restore for my runabout.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2


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