specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Discuss all things Model T related.
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules

Topic author
Cody Winters
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:16 pm
First Name: David
Last Name: Winters
Location: Charleston SC
Board Member Since: 2023

specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by Cody Winters » Tue Apr 08, 2025 5:01 pm

Ok y'all got a left field one for you. I got a friend who is looking for a T pickup for his peanut business. we are both owners of A's but he has always wanted a T and since the pickups are just roadsters with the turtle decks taken off i had an idea, are the coupes and roadster turtle decks the same size? if so we might be able to put a wooden pickup bed on a coupe, that might make a nice little closed cab pickup like my 31 A. what do y'all thimk of this idea, yay or hell nay? thanks for the input.

User avatar

George House
Posts: 2814
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:25 pm
First Name: George
Last Name: House
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘10 Maxwell AA, ‘11Hupp Model 20, Two 1914 Ford runabouts, 19 centerdoor, 25 C Cab,26 roadster
Location: Northern Caldwell County TX
MTFCA Life Member: YES
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by George House » Tue Apr 08, 2025 5:12 pm

No, they’re not the same size but… yes, you could fashion a wood pickup bed behind a pre ‘24 coupe body. Folks have done stranger things :roll:
A Fine is a Tax for Doing Something Wrong….A Tax is a Fine for Doing Something RIGHT 🤔

User avatar

George Mills
Posts: 619
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:32 pm
First Name: George
Last Name: Mills
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Roadster, 1919 Hack, 1925 Fordor
Location: Cherry Hill NJ/Anona Largo FL
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by George Mills » Tue Apr 08, 2025 5:15 pm

Took some lookin' 'cause I didn't recall seeing any...

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/11 ... 1271362158


Topic author
Cody Winters
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:16 pm
First Name: David
Last Name: Winters
Location: Charleston SC
Board Member Since: 2023

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by Cody Winters » Tue Apr 08, 2025 5:53 pm

i like i like, it reminds me of my A pickup. the idea is since he want's a T and he want's a pickup, best to combine the 2 together. as far as the bodystyle goes we are mainly focused on the roadster and the standard pickup. we even found a 23 that had a wooden touring body someone made in the 50's we were going to buy it and turn it into a pickup by sawing the wood body right behind the front seat. but having a car with a removable turtle deck would be the best route. so now that we've seen it done, we can do it too. I myself am looking at a nice 25 coupe to go along with my A pickup.


John kuehn
Posts: 4433
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: John
Last Name: Kuehn
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 19 Roadster, 21 Touring, 24 Coupe
Location: Texas

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by John kuehn » Tue Apr 08, 2025 9:35 pm

Well you can? saw or cut off a Coupe rear turtle but I wouldn’t buy a nice T Coupe to make a PU out of it. A Roadster is the way to go for a T PU. Buy a Roadster then build or buy a PU box to put on the back. All you do is to unbolt the removable turtle deck and put the PU box on it. My opinion.


TXGOAT2
Posts: 7391
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:08 pm
First Name: Pat
Last Name: McNallen
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926-7 roadster
Location: Graham, Texas
Board Member Since: 2021

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by TXGOAT2 » Wed Apr 09, 2025 9:36 am

You'd want to use a roadster body on a T chassis for a couple of good reasons. The roadster body is shorter, and that allows less unwanted overhang of the pickup bed over the rear axle, and no cutting of original parts is is required.
However, a better choice might be to use a TT chassis and put the older, deckless coupe body on that, along with a KC Warford auxiliary and a custom bed of appropriate proportions. Another option would be to use a deckless T coupe and add a KC Warford and lengthen the chassis rather than shorten the driveshaft. That would give you a lightweight, good-riding closed T pickup with enough wheelbase to accommodate a 6 to 8 foot custom bed. Or, a roadster body could be made into a C-cab fairly easily, if you don't require doors.


Topic author
Cody Winters
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:16 pm
First Name: David
Last Name: Winters
Location: Charleston SC
Board Member Since: 2023

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by Cody Winters » Wed Apr 09, 2025 2:11 pm

the exact truck he wants is a c cab T truck with an express bed. the tricky part though is neither one of us want to chop or destroy anything original. i had the thought that the coupe body might have a removable turtle deck since it resembles the roadster deck. also being he is going to use this truck on the regular a standard tt while plenty strong and rugged will get him killed since it's far too slow. we both don't drive fast, around 40 mph but a tt tops out at half that. i did have the idea to take a tt frame, use a standard t axle and put the kc Warford in it to add the necessary length without chopping the driveshaft and torque tube. but that was my idea, so we are on the same line of thought

User avatar

WillyR
Posts: 273
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2024 5:24 pm
First Name: Vilhelm
Last Name: VonRaschke
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 coupe
Location: ABQ

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by WillyR » Wed Apr 09, 2025 2:52 pm

aww man, y'all got me thinking about my 24 coupe....

I don't have any body panel behind the seat if I removed the trunk...
Sent from the panic room, via two tin cans attached with a string, and a jail broken Marconi, while wearing a Tin Foil hat.

User avatar

RajoRacer
Posts: 5170
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
First Name: Steve
Last Name: Tomaso
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
Location: Longbranch, WA
Board Member Since: 2001

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by RajoRacer » Wed Apr 09, 2025 2:53 pm

I have my Gramps' TT C-Cab Express - high speed rear end gears & a Warford and I can cruise 35 - 38 most all day !
Attachments
grandpa's truck0001.jpg
grandpa's truck0001.jpg (27.44 KiB) Viewed 2683 times


Topic author
Cody Winters
Posts: 24
Joined: Thu Sep 21, 2023 9:16 pm
First Name: David
Last Name: Winters
Location: Charleston SC
Board Member Since: 2023

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by Cody Winters » Wed Apr 09, 2025 3:01 pm

another problem with the TT is since we live in Charleston SC and he occasionally does deliveries down town he needs a vehicle small enough to get into the narrow streets so a standard t chassis based truck is best.

User avatar

George House
Posts: 2814
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:25 pm
First Name: George
Last Name: House
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘10 Maxwell AA, ‘11Hupp Model 20, Two 1914 Ford runabouts, 19 centerdoor, 25 C Cab,26 roadster
Location: Northern Caldwell County TX
MTFCA Life Member: YES
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by George House » Wed Apr 09, 2025 3:08 pm

Willy, If you can remove the deck behind your coupe cab, you don’t have a ‘24 coupe body style. The ‘24 and ‘25 were almost exactly alike and the trunk was integral with the body/cab. Otherwise a trunk can be removed from the coupe body style from its inception until 1923.
A Fine is a Tax for Doing Something Wrong….A Tax is a Fine for Doing Something RIGHT 🤔

User avatar

WayneJ
Posts: 521
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 8:15 pm
First Name: Wayne
Last Name: Jorgensen
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout, 1918 Runabout
Location: Batavia, IL
Board Member Since: 2013

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by WayneJ » Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:31 pm

IMG_2297.jpeg.jpg
This photo from the recent Friday Fill up thread might provide inspiration for converting roadster body to C-cab.
Wayne Jorgensen, Batavia, IL
1915 Runabout
1918 Runabout

User avatar

WillyR
Posts: 273
Joined: Wed Aug 21, 2024 5:24 pm
First Name: Vilhelm
Last Name: VonRaschke
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 coupe
Location: ABQ

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by WillyR » Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:20 am

WayneJ wrote:
Mon Apr 28, 2025 7:31 pm
IMG_2297.jpeg.jpg

This photo from the recent Friday Fill up thread might provide inspiration for converting roadster body to C-cab.
ohhh, that's purdy right there....
Sent from the panic room, via two tin cans attached with a string, and a jail broken Marconi, while wearing a Tin Foil hat.

User avatar

DanTreace
Posts: 3812
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:56 am
First Name: Dan
Last Name: Treace
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘12 open express,'23 cutoff, '27 touring
Location: North Central FL
Board Member Since: 2000
Contact:

Re: specific question regarding turtle decks on roadsters vs coupes.

Post by DanTreace » Tue Apr 29, 2025 10:51 am

Here is a variety of body parts together on a T chassis.

'24-'27 TT closed cab body, mounted behind is a '26-'27 runabout pickup metal bed...... ;)



DCP_3159.JPG
DCP_3159.JPG (139.84 KiB) Viewed 2073 times
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic