I bought a collection of parts this morning and got a few gems that I want to confirm they are what I think they are.

First is this steering column that I believe is late September - early October 1914.





Next is a couple of low heads.

Bottom one looks like all my other ones, but the top has no "Made in USA".

Month is 4 but day I can't read. The Encyclopedia says that Made in USA was added in April of 1912. Is there any other indication that might tell me what year it is?



Thanks!

Derek, I have seen an early 1915 car with the two piece steering box and the tapered top. If yours is 1914, it would indicate a fair overlap. Does the topside show two holes to mount a horn switch? This would indicate a 15-17 model having a magneto horn.

Allan from down under.

Canadian low heads had only the Ford script.
Some one told me some time back to ID an early head, look in the water outlet and see if it has a casting pole top to bottom a few inches in, if a support pole is there then later than 1912.

Allan, there is no evidence of a horn button.

Frank, the Ford script also appears slightly taller and thinner, and the casting date numbers are just above it.

Thanks for the help!

Derek,

That is a 1909 - 1912 early low head made in USA. It will have the date in Month / day / year format if you can read it still. The steering column is correct for approximately fall 1914 until maybe February 1915 when the quadrant became a flat stamped piece. So it is a early 1915 model year only steering column, a very hard thing to find.

As to that steering column, I never knew such a quadrant existed. Cool.

I think it was September of 14 for the start of that upturned stamped quadrant.

head is 11-12. bolt pads are not the same back side of water flange is not the same. if you need pics i can send to an e-mail no post. charley

Thanks again.

The encyclopedia says this about the quadrant:

"On September 18, 1914 the steering gear quadrant was redesigned. The new quadrant was made from cold-rolled steel and was to be brass plated. Early types of the steel quadrant were made with the serrated edge folded up, somewhat in the manner of the earlier design. September drawings show the later type (without the fold). There may have been two versions of the earlier design quadrant; one made of brass and the other of steel. Both are shown on the blueprint."

It is also the same type used on my parents late '14 Touring, which is why I recognized it. Their car has a Sept. 15 casting date, Sept. 24th engine assembly date, and great-grandpa took delivery of it on Oct. 22nd 1914. It appears they wasted no time getting things from drawing board to production!

I hope the steering column can be saved. It is an uncommon piece.