MTFCA Forum

What belongs in these two little holes?

My 16 has those holes but nothing in them.

Maybe used to hold in place at the factory when the hood former was pressed to shape?

My 15/16 hood firmer is on the speedster and Scott and I assumed screws went in those holes. So that’s what we did.

Steve,

Went out quick to snap some shots of mine. Thought I had a definitive answer for you. However, I have a round head screw on the passenger side and nothing on the drivers side. I can tell you this former has not been off the firewall since 1962.. but since it has an obvious green brush paint job from before then, I can not say with certainty the screw has always been there. It is a January 1915 touring body.

Andy

My 1915 runabout is no excellent reference car. However I have seen a fair number of 1915/'16s with small round head screws in those holes, and I put screws in there on mine.
It makes sense for them to be there. The pressed steel piece otherwise wouldn't be held on at all in the factory until the body was bolted into place with the two big head carriage type bolts (I forget what those bolts are correctly called?). In basic handling in the factory, the hood former could be knocked around a bit and slip out of place. I am surprised at how small of a screw fits there. I would have expected something a couple sizes larger. I suspect most of them fell out by the time the car was five years old. I did once see what appeared to be an original firewall, missing the hood former, with small holes and rusty stains where the screw would have been. Not conclusive. But maybe a hint?

Original '15-'16 observed have that round head single slot wood screw there to affix that lower edge of the hood former, on each side.