MTFCA Forum

I am starting this topic to help answer Art Ebeling's question about Dash Fillerboards for the 1911 cars. My brother owns a 1911 Touring built in August 1911. This was the car that came out of the Ford dealership in Dublin, GA. During the restoration we were able to use the original fillerboard. I created a drawing from the original fillerboard on his car to answer Art's question. It is attached below and can be downloaded and printed.

The car was built in August 1911. There is no brass trim on the fillerboard. The board has radii on top and bottom. The radius on the bottom does not match the original brass trim very well. This probably typical of most cars. The radius on the top matches the windshield tubing.

BTW if you want to see more photos of the car it was the cover car for the Model T Times in March of 2019.

Hopes this information is useful.

Alan

The measurements are what I needed and your help is greatly appreciated. Art

Hi, lovely colour of timber firewall. Sorry to get off the topic. Would that be aged cherry wood?
Michael

It is cherry veneer over a baltic birch core.

Dan

Thank you Dan, I have a raw cherry wood veneer, untouched at this stage. How did you get that rich colour. Have you let it age, with a top clear coat?
It is lovely.
Michael

Thanks Michael. We used raw cherry veneer to cover the baltic birch core. Since we had the original firewall, we were able to get a sample of the original stain, which when matched, turned out to be a black cherry color. Very fine steel wool was used to rub the stained veneer surface, lightening the color some and allowing the grain of the cherry wood to show through well. We applied 4 coats of Gleam marine spar varnish with UV protection purchased from a company called Total Boat. The varnish was wet sanded between coats with increasingly finer sand paper, ending with 1500 grit. After the final sanding, I rubbed the finish by hand with fine polishing compound to get a nice gloss.

Dan

Maybe this is a little off-topic. Does anyone know the rationale for the filler board? I see several variations in the old photos but wonder why it was used at all. It seems that it would have been easier, stronger, and cheaper to just make the firewall 3 7/8" taller and not use the extra piece.

Thanks Dan. I am going to do mine the same.
Michael

Kurt-
Up through 1911 headlights, top, and windshield were optional equipment.
If a car came without a windshield, there was no windshield spacer board, like this 1909 car.
By 1911 most cars were sold with all the options. If a car had a windshield, a windshield spacer board was used to make the top fit.

In 1912 all cars were sold fully equipped with headlamps, tops, and windshields. The firewall was made higher and the windshield was taller to fit to the same general placement of the top.

: ^ )

Keith

I have just purchased an almost complete "Metzger Automatic" windscreen, which I intend puting on my 1909 FORD. Am I correct in assuming that a 1909 Filler board should be the same dimensions as the 1911 ?

John,
I don't know the answer to your question but hopefully someone can give us the answer.

Alan

John-
I had a friend who is no longer with us that had a 1909 that he was working on. It was in pieces, but he showed me the windshield filler board. It was wider at the top than the bottom. It may have been as wide as the windshield, then had a graceful curve to the width of the dash. I'm sorry I don't have a picture of it.

However, check this out this filler board with Metzger windshield:

http://www.mtfca.com/cgi-bin/discus/sho ... ost=241951

This Metzger windshield uses a different size of filler board here:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1406344082

The overall height of the windshield + filler board + dash would be the same for all 1909 cars.

: ^ )

Keith

Using the plans in post 1 from Alan, this is how The finished fillerboard turned out.Thanks for the help. Art

MAYBE the filler board allows for less rigidity in the assembly so the windshield can wiggle a little without shaking up the entire firewall?? Just a guess.