Does anyone have access to an early Torpedo Runabout?
They are pretty rare in Australia but a friend is restoring one and needs to know how the gas tank is mounted.

Something which is not easily seen in photo's of these Model T's.

How are the straps fitted and also the type of brackets/supports underneath it.

Any help would be appreciated especially a photo or two. he has just about everything else sorted would be great if he could get this detail right also.

Peter, would Trent's 1911 be close?
http://oz.plymouth.edu/~trentb/ModelT/Torpedo2/TorJune16Y2K.html

yes it would David but only the gas line is shown - no details on the tank

Perhaps Peter Martin http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/30908.html ?

Got the tank and the body just need to know how its mounted

Peter-
Use the 'keyword' search feature of the forum and type in 'torpedo'. There are not many Torpedo subjects that havn't been discussed and there are heaps of great pictures that should be able to help. I assume it is Richard requiring assistance. Tell him to give me a call as I have a lot of Torpedo info. from when I restored my old one.
Warwick.

Search does bring up heaps of Torpedo's but as mentioned originally the mounting of the tank is not something easily seen in a picture of one.

I know there are quite a few owners out there in the States. I am hoping that when they catch up with us tomorrow and see the post one will volunteer to pull out the camera or type in a response which will give some idea as to how the bracket under the tank is shaped and how the straps hold the tank on.

I have contacted one member who has a Torpedo and who promised to reply in a few days. That was a few weeks ago. Obviously he is unable to help at the moment but in the meantime not knowing something is holding up the restoration.

I've got to pull mine out of the garage this weekend and I will post some photos then, if you can wait that long. Thanks Rollie

That would be great rollie,

Hi Peter - do these help? Andrew.

Thanks for the photo's Andrew,

I guessed ( obviously wrong) that the tank would have a support under the bottom of the tank such as a wooden block the shape of the tank to take the weight. If not a separate strap would cradle the tank underneath and be attached to the tank straps at the bottom. The open roadster body that used to be on my car had such a set up.

Is then this the case?

Early straps around the tanks were not rivited to it,

later straps are fixed by rivits to the straps ( I suppose so it tended not to slip around in side the straps.)

They are just one piece bent to form a flat section under the tank so that they can be mounted onto the rear deck.

Hi Peter. Its the other way around. 1911 model year Torpedo tanks had straps/brackets which were rivited to the tank (as per the photos I posted). The riviting is done during tank assembly (ie: before the ends go on). 1912 model year Torpedo tanks had separate straps and "cradles" formed from sheet metal.

I can post photos showing strap details if that will help.

Andrew

The attached snippets from T-4004 R, dated February 16, 1912, show how the tank is mounted on the 1912 Torpedoes. Not the 1910 or 1911 models, but may give you some ideas. Ford must have changed it for a reason, right?

Side View


Top View


Drawing Number Corner


The entire drawing is available from the Benson Ford Research Center in Dearborn.

Tom
Piquette Ts
Detroit

I don't think the 1911's had a box on the back . Don't know about the 1910's.

The drawing supplied by Tom is how I would have thought the tank was attached.

It could be that it depends on the year of the car or maybe there is more than one method used. Such is the case for Town Cars, all look similar but there are lots of varialtions in the one year depending who the supplier to Ford was, could the Roadsters be the same?

The box I've heard was a later addition. seems that maybe the exact set up for 1910 -11 12 needs to be determined. Anyone throw a bit of light on the subject.

Hi Peter: Here are some photos of a June 5, 1911 torpedo which is headed for the paint shop this week. I don't think it as ever really restored, and no one had done anything on it since the early 1960's. The body wood and most of the body tin was shot, but Wells rewooded it with the original brackets. The tank is I think the original steel. I don't know much about the specific batch of torpedos which Ford produced in, as I recall, October 1910, except to say that in my opinion went to some effort to put the "improved" parts on the June 1911 torpedos. Please let me know if you need any other shots of the tank or elsewhere.

Thanks for those great photo's thats a great car.
I'm sure a lot of people will be greatful for you posting them.
Peter

THE 2 PASSENGER 20 HP TORPEDO RUN ABOUT WAS $900 INCLUDED AUTOMATIC BRASS WINDSHEILD EXTENTION TOP SPEEDOMETER TWO 6"LAMPS, GENERATOR,THREE OIL LAMPS ,HORN, AND TOOLS FOB WALKERVILLE ONT. THEY ALSO HAD THE 5 PASSENGER TOURING CAR 4 CYLN ,A$975 AND 2 PASSENGER OPEN RUNABOUT 4CYLN $875

i have many ORIGINAL FORD ADVERTS FROM 1906 TO 1935 ALL ORIGINAL NWSPR ADS FOR SALE EMAIL ME FOR PRICES OR SCANS ...KEN

I am not seeing a big difference between the dark blue 1911 torpedo tank mounting and the 1912 drawing supplied by Tom. The 1911 drawing is fairly similar to the 1912 drawing which is similar to the pictures. There were 2 strips 2" wide and mounted 10" apart (c-c) with the tank mounting holes (3/8" diameter) being 18" separated just as in 1912. The rear most "strip" of wood underneath was mounted 11" from the rear edge of the body to its centerline and thus the other one was 21" from the rear edge of the body to its centerline. There was no tool box used in 1911 but many folks moved the tank forward and added a tool box behind it. The earliest Torpedoes had wooden bodies and the so-called square tank. Torpedo's and Open Runabouts were created rather late in 1911 since the earliest ones in Feb of 1911 were having problems with the windshields falling off. They didn't fix this till mid February and did it on an emergency basis so when someone says they have a 1910 Torpedo (made before October of 1911), how could that be?? It must have been supplied without a windshield. The drawing for the Open runabout is first drawn up in late Novemeber of 1911 which is well before any production of them. I think the first ones hit the street in mid to late January and had problems right away.