MTFCA Forum

What are the the differences between 26 and 27

Ummm, +1 ?

Donald,
Somethings are better documented than others.

But in general at the start of 1926 model year there were even some cars that came with wood wheels and black paint. But for the most part you saw wire wheels and color cars in 1926. Then in 1927 evidently you could choose any model in any color. See the discussion here:
viewtopic.php?f=2&t=8061&p=66970#p66970

Matt

At a quick glance to tell, the 27 had a head light bar and usually steel spoke wheels.

Canadian made had different rules. Mostly black I think and wire wheels were an option. Rear seat cushion (bottom) was also shaped differently on 27. Not sure about 26

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On the open cars the early 26's up to(?) had a straight line where the door met the cowl the later cars there was a small swept area in the cowl were the door met it. Early on, the lights were mounted on stems with no cross bar and later the mounts on the headlights were different and bar added. There was differences in door construction and lots of other little changes. Might be easier to post photos of what you are asking about or add more information about what body style.

26 roadster doors had small holes, 27 roadster doors had big holes.

Probably need to have Donnie Brown weigh in here. He has done some research on the Improved Car models and has a pretty good handle on the various changes. His handle is "Dobro" on the forum. Contact him and see what he says.

Mark,
You got it backward The 26 had the Indentation at the top of the front door post at the cowl. The 27 was straight. Also the door sills on the 26 open cars were aluminum with Ford stamped in and screwed on. The 27 were steel sills fastened right in with rivets. Also the front windshield posts on the 26 had an indentation on the side toward the cab, but the 27 went more straight on the back as on the front. There were several changes in headlights. The early ones had lights bolted on to the fenders. Later some had a bar which went across between the fenders but the lights were still bolted onto the fenders. And still later ones had the lights bolted onto the bar. There were also changes in the 27 front axle which dipped down farther in the center and a lower spring on the front. But both years looked so similar it is hard to tell apart unless one is aware of those subtle changes.
Norm

Most of the details above are correct. Norman is correct about the cowl area at the top front of the doors.
BUT. The 26 27 Improved models is probably the most misunderstood of all the Ts. So many people just say "they are all alike" but those same people will get anal about the rivets in their brass era T rear ends, does their 1915 windshield frames have rivets or bolts. And on and on and on. Almost every single part of the Improved models was changed. Sometimes the part changed 3 or 4 times during the 26-27 model years.
The early 26 is different than the late 26. The early 27 is also different than the late 27 .
If you are wanting to know what time frame your particular car fits. I will need to ask several questions about it. Send me a e-mail to dobro@artelco.com. Let me know the engine number and body style and we can start from there.
Just for an example Ill list just a very, very, few of the differences of just the touring and roadsters
There are 4 different doors
2 different windshield posts
At least 4 different headlight and bar assemblies
3 different coil box's
3 different torque tubes
2 different radius rods
At least four different wheel choices
At least three different radiators.
Everything I mentioned above are distinctly different and I did not even scratch the surface.
So for the folks who still say they are "all alike" there are many, many , many differences

My '27 was built about 60 days from the end of production. Norman is correct - the headlights bolt to the bar. Mine came with black painted wood wheels.

And then there are Australian built cars produced in the Geelong Ford factory. These have a full wooden subframe, and this means very different construction details. Towards the end of production, they were even offered with two tone paintwork.

Allan from down under.

I think that the different body manufacturers may account for some of the subtile differences as opposed to a manufactured difference in the years. There are 1925 models with light bars and pedestal lights, the same with 1926. My 1926 has a light bar, however I have seen 1926 models with pedestal lights. There does not seem to be a year pattern. In the day if you wanted to order a body part you had to know the body maker, there were many subtile differences in the manufacturing. The sill plates on my 26 are steel and held with a combination of rivets and screws, four rivets along the face and two screws one at the front and one at the rear. Both front and rear sill plates have the FORD script. Mine is a Canadian model therefore the screws are Robertson (square).

I am certainly no expert when it comes to the "improved" model Ts, never owned one, and not very many parts for them. One significant change you will not see in a photograph of an assembled car is the rear cross-member of the frame. The first few months of production had the long-ear cross-member, but it was a simple "U" shape. Most of production had a beefed up "U" with flare-outs nearly the full length.
I also do know that there were a lot of changes made in that less than two years.