1926-‘27 Fordor

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jiminbartow
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1926-‘27 Fordor

Post by jiminbartow » Wed Jul 01, 2020 1:44 am

What is the history of the design of the 1926-‘27 Fordor? While the Tudor, Coupe and touring were totally redesigned in the improved all steel body style, the Fordor, except for the fenders and a few other improved features, such as the engine mounted coil box, the body, with its’ wood frame, 2 piece windshield and under the seat oval tank, is basically a 1925 body design. Why is the Fordor the only style in which the improved, all-steel body design was not fully incorporated? Did Ford run out of time to design the new Fordor before the 1926 season? Did they have a lot of 1925 bodies on hand they needed to use? I can’t understand the reasoning. Can anyone answer this? Thank you. Jim Patrick


bnchief
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Re: 1926-‘27 Fordor

Post by bnchief » Wed Jul 01, 2020 5:09 am

Jim i have one and would like to know myself

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TMiller6
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Re: 1926-‘27 Fordor

Post by TMiller6 » Wed Jul 01, 2020 6:50 am

I think it was a matter of sales volume versus cost. There were improvements in the ‘26 Fordor; the all steel Budd doors is one. But as you say, the basic design was similar to earlier years.

If you look to the Model A, the Fordor bodies continued to be wood intensive up until 1931 with Briggs and Murray finally producing similar all steel designs.

Ford put their development money where it mattered the most and designed their highest volume models so they could be manufactured easier and looked more modern.
Tom Miller
One who cannot find beauty in an engine cannot find beauty in the universe.


ModelTWoods
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Re: 1926-‘27 Fordor

Post by ModelTWoods » Wed Jul 01, 2020 11:52 am

I agree with Tom Miller. if you examine 26-27 sales figures, you'll see that the fordor was the lowest in sales of all body styles, and i bet that was true of the years of production prior to 1926, too. The fordor was the most expensive body style at a time when Ford was trying to sell an affordable car to the lower/medium income American public. The redesign of bodies from 1925 to 1926, probably took place in a limited, short time period. I doubt that Ford designers started working on new body designs, even one calendar year before the improved models came out very late in 1926, because it is documented that Henry resisted change, and only agreed when he saw sales going down the tube and Chevy and Dodge catching up with him.


EricMac
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Re: 1926-‘27 Fordor

Post by EricMac » Thu Jul 02, 2020 2:02 pm

I too have a 26 Ford and have wondered about this. Given the large number of unique or unobtainable parts I've been left with the impression the Fordor was more of a response to a request car, so customers were not lost to Chevrolet, than a fast buck money earner. Just compare the upholstery of a Fordor to a touring.i bet they could trim five Tourings in the tme it took to trim one Fordor.
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