MTFCA Forum

Since joining mtfca, I have seen many questions regarding wood around the interior windows of the 1926-‘27 coupe. In all that time I never responded to the question because, in the 52 years since I last saw under the upholstery, I forgot whether I had wood or not even though I do not recall ever installing wood in the interior of my 1926 coupe. Many photos have been posted of the wood pieces around the windows, so assumed I must have wood around the windows of my coupe. Perhaps the original wood was still good, so I left it there. I just did not know or remember.

Recently, due to moth damage to the mohair upholstery covering the package tray and panel above it just below the rear window, it became necessary for me to remove the pieces in order to re-upholster them. Well, when I took the pieces off, the mystery was solved. My 1926 coupe, made in March, 1926, has metal panels around the rear and quarter windows. No wood. Why and when did Ford install wood around the windows of some of the improved 1926 and ‘27 Model T’s and metal around others. Did the wood precede the metal or was it concurrent? I much prefer the metal and when my Carter’s Cut and Cover upholstery kit arrive for me to install in 1972, all of the panels came equipped with the serrated upholstery securement nails, positioned at precisely the right positions to fit into the metal female fittings in the metal panels.

There have also been a lot of questions regarding the upholstery of the package tray. When I completed the re-upholstery of it, I will post pictures of the process I followed doing mine. I originally did it by copying the original upholstery technique that was used to install the upholstery at the factory in 1926. Jim Patrick

Jim, My 1927 coupe, which was built in January 1927, has wood around the rear and quarter panel windows.

Thank you Bruce. Still a mystery as to why wood was installed in some and steel in others. I believe the new style ‘26 and ‘27’s were referred to as all-steel bodies. Does anyone else have steel panels? Jim Patrick

PS. By the way, Bruce. From here, your wood looks good and solid.

I have a early production 26 Canadian coupe (post mounted headlights) and it is all steel around the rear windows!

Thank you Les. Apparently, the early 1926’s had the steel around the windows and at some time into production, Ford came to a decision to change over to wood. I wonder why and when they decided to change over from steel to wood. Seems to me that, once they were tooled up to stamp the steel, it would have been faster and easier to continue with the stamped pieces because it takes longer to cut and fit wood. Seems like the steel would have made upholstering easier too. Jim Patrick

Who made the bodies? Ford? Budd? Briggs?

My '26 Fordor has 3 wood framed doors and one all steel. Dad messed up one of the original doors before the war and replaced it. The replacement, I believe, is stamped "Budd".

The ‘26 Fordor is the only closed car style that has body wood like the ‘25. The coupe and Tudor was supposed to be all steel, except for the ones that have wood around the windows. Jim Patrick.

35 years ago I restored a 26/7 fordor (Canadian car) and the doors were all steel. The rest of the body was all wood framed.

My 27 coupe built in March has wood around the quarter windows as well.

Budd never was into woodworking.

BLB27 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 29, 2022 1:38 pm

Jim, My 1927 coupe, which was built in January 1927, has wood around the rear and quarter panel windows.

Sorry I’m not trying to highjack the thread but I’m also trying to figure out the interior wood for a 27 coupe and am wondering how the seat back wood is fastened at the bottom? Does anyone have photos? I have seen a different style where there is a steel piece that runs across the body and is fastened to the body sides, but my body doesn’t have this, it looks similar to the photo above with just the little “l” bracket.
Any ideas?

"Sorry I’m not trying to highjack the thread but I’m also trying to figure out the interior wood for a 27 coupe and am wondering how the seat back wood is fastened at the bottom? Does anyone have photos? I have seen a different style where there is a steel piece that runs across the body and is fastened to the body sides, but my body doesn’t have this, it looks similar to the photo above with just the little “l” bracket.
Any ideas?"

There are excellent photos of Coupe seat attachments in the Improved Ford section of the service manual. See pages 282-286.

Our October 1926 coupe has wood around the windows.
I have noticed for a long time from many interior photos of gutted coupes that early cars had steel.
If you do not have the frame serial number then the best way to date a coupe body is the wood battery cover.
Typically, with photos, there is no serial number.