MTFCA Forum

Greetings- this is my first post here and I am hoping someone will have an answer to my question - I am restoring a Model T Touring that came from Argentina. It is pretty rough and it looks like it had some type of fire in the back seat at some time. The engine Serial Number and body features all point to it being a 1923... but it has a 1 man top - and from the hack of an installation it looks like its from a later model. The inside saddle pivot bracket end looks cut off and it was attached to a piece of wood that was burnt - Can anyone tell me what year top this looks like? THANKS!

Your top does not look like a Ford Top. The 3 lites in the rear curtain are not typical of a '23 but more like a top from a low radiator car. The fastening of the top irons are also not typical of a Ford. The '26-'27 Fords had irons that fastened similar to yours, but not as low on the body. I think you have a top and irons from a different car that were adapted to fit your touring. Just a thought.

Post more photos.

Take some shots of the entire car - side view, front view, rear view, three-quarter front view, three-quarter rear view.

Has the wrong top on it

Will_Vanderburg wrote: ↑

Sun Sep 04, 2022 2:07 am

Has the wrong top on it

Yep...that top was '17 to early '22, then went to the 2 window openings until '25

Hi - Thanks - I agree- the top seems to be from an earlier frame- and the frame now looks to be from a 26. The attachment pivot looks like the image attached.

Restoring a car from Argentina is quite a task. Cars were thrashed & patched. Sorta like cars in cuba. Expect a lotta patching & incorrect parts.

The top pivot should be on the top edge of the body & the rod partially covered with the armrest upholstery.

Your bows seem to be extended to meet the lower pivot point.
From what I can see, I believe your bows are or were the correct type.

The picture you pulled up of a later blue touring has the earlier 23-25 top bows. I have 23 tourings, but no 26-7. I do have a friend with one. The mechanism has more pivoting bars & is more "1 man" than the 23-25 tops. 26-7 pivot bows have a curve to them on both roadster & touring.
We shall see if others agree with my assessment.

Thank you Speedytinc! Yup - lot's of hacks - What I imagine a Cuba Car would be... She was apparently a tourist cab for a while... The Top did have me wondering... Other hacks include a left front door, cleverly hacked in water pump on the top inlet manifold, and a generator from a 53 Mercedes (which is actually worth something now!) Thankfully it has the aftermarket distributor - and no coil boxes. Still, after 100 years she still runs ohhhh kaaaay (may need a rebuild someday) and the body rust isn't as bad as some I've seen -(But she is / was badly bent up) This is my first T - and I'm loving learning it and meeting the great people who take care of them. Have a good one!

Congratulations on your new project. This kind of project can be extra fun figuring out what to undo or leave to pay homage to the car's history. There's no wrong answer.
Good luck.

"Other hacks include a left front door" - perhaps it's a Canadian body ? Is it truly "hacked" or looks factory ? There was also an "era" accessory door kit that you could install.

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Wed Sep 07, 2022 2:34 pm

"Other hacks include a left front door" - perhaps it's a Canadian body ? Is it truly "hacked" or looks factory ? There was also an "era" accessory door kit that you could install.

You read my mind, Rajo, near word for word.

Either way, a left door is a neat diversion from a stock American made T.

The one-man top was introduced for the '23 model year, so that would be correct for your car. It looks as though someone has fabricated its attachment on your car, though. The normal brackets for 23-25 open cars would attach on the inside of the door opening and to the belt rail on the top edge of the body.

thanks again to all for your feedback - It is very much appreciated.

Answer about Canadian door:
I wish that it was Canadian , ) I've gathered from the limited data I could find about the Argentina plant, that all model T's from Buenos Aries were assembled from parts originally made in Detroit. They were sporadically shipped south. They often mixed and matched parts from various years along the way. (a true Johnny Cash Car)

For this side door, it actually looked like someone cut it with a hand can opener and hammered it around some wood they found laying around - Pretty rough. To repair it, I originally tried to get a new left front quarter panel but I later decided in the interest of time- costs - domestic tranquility- and easier servicing - that its would be better to just make a new left front door. After 4 tries (Bead rolling is HARD!) I got something close enough to fill the hole -

Answer about roof anchors:
THANKS for the photos! I've been trying to find a picture of that setup for some time -
for now- I'm just going to keep those as is- The top did fit and looked ok -

The goal is to just have a fun put-put to drive the grandkid around in. What's that quote from Voltaire? "the best is the enemy of the good"