I bought an incomplete Model T depot hack from an estate. The main pieces missing were the fenders, running boards, etc. I bought a pair of what the vendor said were 1916 front fenders (see attached photo) at Hershey and a new pair of Rootlieb 1913-25 running boards plus wood blocks and bolts. The front fenders and running boards seem to fit pretty well. A pair of splash aprons from the gentleman’s pile of odd parts were thrown in with the deal but they don’t come close to fitting. Would a new pair of 1915-16 splash aprons be a good fit for this depot hack? Are my front fenders actually 1916 models or are they something else?

The 1915-15 rear depot hack fenders look like they require special brackets on the fenders and some sort of brace to support them. The 1917-25 rear hack fenders don’t seem to require special brackets or braces. I’ve seen rear fenders bolted to the sides of truck beds. That seems to me like it would be a good solution for my situation. Am I on the right track with this? I won’t be entering this vehicle in shows or other competitions. It’s just for fun.

Tom, as far as I know the brackets for the 1915-16 fenders are available from the vendors. The mounting from there to the body/frame is up to you on a hack, as they are all different.

For some reason, the Rootlieb 17-25 hack rear fenders are narrower than standard, and that requires original brackets to be narrowed to fit.

Hope this helps.
Allan from down under.

The beading doesn't look right on that fender. My '16 is too far away to go look, but I think there should be beading along the bottom part too.

There is the rub, David. Neither Rootlieb nor Lang nor Snyder show a fender that looks exactly like the ones I have. Front fenders from late 1913 through 1916 all have beading along the bottom part as you described. Earlier ones don't have the horizontal bead and 1917 and later fenders are so different from the ones I have they couldn't be from a later year. My uninformed guess is that I have a pair of replacement fenders put on a car long ago.

Since they seem to fit and aren't too beat up and I'm not putting together a show car, these fenders should work for me.

Thanks from Carlisle, PA.

Tom

Thanks for the info on the 1917 hack rear fenders, Allen. Their narrowing might make installation more difficult for me. The mounting bracket holes on the 1915-16 rear hack fenders in Lang and Snyder catalogs are shown as being farther to the rear than the hole in the fender pictured on the Rootlieb website. That photo shows the hole as being closer to the top of the fender. I assume that Lang and Snyder get their sheet metal from Rootlieb, so theirs is the more accurate depiction of what I'd actually get. The 4804T (Lang part number) looks like what I'd need to attach to the bottom of the wooden bed to support the fender. However, the bottom of the bed may be too low for proper clearance above the tire. Can the 4804T be bent to raise the fender or is it made of brittle cast iron?

Thanks,

Tom from Carlisle, PA