I bought what I believe to be a 20's Model T roadster body. I am only familiar with the 26 and 27 so I am pretty much clueless. There are no windshield posts so I have no clue how to even narrow down the years. The wood is long gone and the body has some lower rust issues. I am hoping somebody here knows for sure how to tell. I am also wondering if there are sources for a steel floor pan and firewall. I could e-mail pictures. I was unable to resize them small enough to upload here.

Any pre-26 runabout won't have steel floor pan, the entire structure is wood with steel panel tacked on coverings.




'23 runabout cowl parts and driver's side dummy door panel, rough.

Brian,

Welcome to the forum.

The USA, Canada, & English produced 1926-27 roadster and also touring bodies had the steel subframe [and the Australian 1926-27 roadster and touring bodies had a wooden subframe and wooden skeleton, but used the Canadian 1926-27 steel body panels over the wooden skeleton.

A quick illustration of the body wood in the roadsters is shown on the Ford Wood site at: http://www.fordwood.com/roadsters1913-27.htm

Note if you resize the photos to 250 KB or less (try to keep them at least 150 kb for details) then you will be able to post them. See the posting about how to resize the photos

Some threads on resizing. I’m sure one of the ways they suggest will work for you also. Note they may say the maximum size is 200kb, but it was increased to 250kb.

This one sounds easy: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/239351.html

Some additional choices:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/223627.html

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/216043.html

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/237500.html

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/222068.html

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/235391.html

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/209570.html

Again shoot for between 150 and 250 kb and they post but still have good resolution for seeing details.



Note you may or may not have the firewall as that was bolted to the frame and the body can be removed with out the firewall on the 1925 and early Fords. But if the firewall is there and it fits the cowl -- the following should help.





There were also differences in the rear deck as well as the molding around the seat. But that should hopefully get you started on what years the body could have been.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

Thanks for all the help! I have it narrowed down to a 24 or 25 based off of the cowl. Is there a way to get it more precise?

Yes, describe the door hinge and if it has them and attachment of the floor board risers. If the door hinge is rectangular shaped and the floor board risers are riveted to the fire wall it's a 25, if not it's a 24.

There is just the outside body itself. I have nothing else. When you are referring to the rectangular shape are you talking about the corners not being rounded? I will have to look at the hinges tomorrow.

1924 hinge would look like an narrow arrow (isosceles triangle) shape with the top cut off (may have been some carry over into 1925) and 25 would be rectangular in shape if you layed them out flat. 1924 and 1925, boils down to, both bodies are the same except for the details I listed just looking at them.

Please see the photo of the hinges and discussion at the thread:


Approximately When did Ford introduce the equal length door hinges that are commonly found on the 1925 touring and roadsters?

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/80257/114100.html

Respectfully suggested,

Hap l9l5 cut off

In the link posted above you will note that Phil Mino and Dan Treace both had the equal length door hinge but had the wooden door post. I.e. the hinge was bolted to a wooden skeleton that the 1924 open bodies used -- similar to what the previous open car bodies had used. But as the 1924 model year continued more and more wood was replaced with metal parts.

If you body has the following parts and "IF" those parts are original to the same body then your body was a 1925. The caution is that many T parts were designed to fit earlier models as well as the current model. A 1925 door and door hinge can be fitted to a 1915 roadster. It fits and functions fine. It doesn't look correct to a few folks -- but to correct that all that is needed is to replace the 1925 hinge with 1915 to most of 1924 model year hinge. And you would also want to change the door latch and striker to the 1914-1916 style. They fit in the same location. Below are the 1925 parts (Thank you Larry Smith for sending in your great article and photos to "The Vintage Ford" on your 1925 Pickup truck restoration. It was in the May/Jun 2009 issue.) Photos used by permission to promote our club and hobby.









Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

It is a 1925. Thank you everyone!

I would like to add to the remarks above, the firewall photo that Phil Mino posted is a 1924. The 1925's have a two hole patent plate like a '26-7. They are attached with two split rivets, the same ones that are used for the hood lacing.

Larry, are the split rivets plain brass or nickel plated brass? Thanks, Dave