MTFCA Forum

I'm surprised no one has commented on the late 1913 touring body that Langs had at Hershey. I've known about those for years, but have only seen a door. Finally after 60 years here is an example! They seem to be the same door latches used in 1914.

I just sold one of the same. rickd of this group bought it. Maybe he will post pictures.

Here she is rolling out of the trailer at my shop. The wood is in great shape, has the sill reinforcements installed and except for a couple of fenders the sheet metal is good. Original engine 2946xx I'm wrapping up a resto on a 25 Touring and will start on this car next summer.

Late 1913 touring car body? Which version are we talking about?
I know the weaknesses of the early rear section resulted in several changes to the body sills, even adding two more mounting points onto the frame. Several alterations were done by Ford dealers (in effect "recalls" before there was a word for it?).Then the redesign for 1914 was rushed into production and truly late "model year" 1913s had the body of the upcoming 1914 which had smaller doors allowing heavier body sills. The 1914 style body was used during July of 1913 alongside using up the 1913 style bodies. There are indications the 1914 style might have first appeared in late June of 1913.
Was the car Lang's had at Hershey the 1913 style with doors all the way down to the bottom of the body? Or the 1914 style?
Just curious.

The car pictured has 14 style latches and handles on the rear doors.

I stored this 13 at my cabin in Minnesota. I will be out there today working on deer stands, see if I can get some detail photos of the rear door latches.

Wayne, after Larry Smith posted about the doors I went into the Encyclopedia version on my computer and re-read his article from 1977, "The Thirteen Model T, as I See It". In the article Larry talks about the 13s built with 14 door latches during the 13-14 transition period you mention in your post. I took his post to mean that the Langs car at Hershey was the first one he has actually seen like that and to this point he has only seen 13 doors at swap meets with the 14 latches.

The June/July cars were a real hodgepodge of parts. My car is a June 26 production (pictured in the thread about the original side curtains with Larry Smith). Sn 299,995. It has the 14 rear frame section, but with a 2 piece driveshaft. It also had a wood KW coil box while metal coil boxes were already in production. It also has the 13 style latches. Mine has never been modified or had the body strengthened so its always fun when the rear doors swing open when someone is riding back there...

Does anyone have a successful fix ,other than the unaviable inside brackets,for the rear door problem?

RichJ wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 15, 2022 9:05 am

Does anyone have a successful fix ,other than the inside brackets,for the rear door problem?

Kinda in the arena of what Jim Lyon's just said...they pop open often with rear passengers...so don't have any!
Mine has the thicker sill, therefore no steel support brackets. But when we had 7 people in the car with 5 in the backseat (two were little kids) one door would pop open. Everybody laughed like crazy! With just two adults in the back, it seems okay, unless I make a turn on uneven roads and the car "twists". Then look out!

I have #312XXX which indicates a July 17 assembly of the engine.
It is the small door "1914 style" touring body built by Beaudette.
The center section of the rear tub also has a bead along the bottom edge like the '13's.

June 19th block casting and the original transmission which was built on July 11, 1913.
Your transmission is dated but you have to have it apart to see it.

Since the firewalls were installed on the chassis prior to mounting the body, it wouldn't
seem logical, although ACH, to be using anything but the new coil and metal coil box by
the time #321XXX was built. I believe Ford was "working out" the assembly line at this time.

Beaudette may have led the style change because they seem to have offered
a "beefed-up" sill in their long door 1913 bodies if I'm not mistaken.

Any other early 1914, or late 1913's-ever how you look at it, out there?

Tim Wren ordered this sign a couple of years back. Cheers to all the '13 touring owners !!

I restored one a few years ago that had the late 13 rear crossmember and a 13 style body with reinforcement and 14 style rear door latches. It was a feature article in the Model T Times about 5 years ago. It had the metal flat top coil box. Body was a 13 style with the long doors. I can’t remember the serial number. Too many restored cars since then. Phil Burchett from Edwardsburg, Michigan is the owner.

These are the door pictures mentioned in the earlier post. A June 18, 1913 car. Both back doors are 13 doors with 14 latches, the front door has the normal handle. In one of the pics you can also see the sill reinforcement. Its my understanding that the 13s were leaving the factory with the reinforcements during the later body builds.

Wayne Sheldon wrote: ↑

Fri Oct 14, 2022 7:25 pm

Late 1913 touring car body? Which version are we talking about?
I know the weaknesses of the early rear section resulted in several changes to the body sills, even adding two more mounting points onto the frame. Several alterations were done by Ford dealers (in effect "recalls" before there was a word for it?).Then the redesign for 1914 was rushed into production and truly late "model year" 1913s had the body of the upcoming 1914 which had smaller doors allowing heavier body sills. The 1914 style body was used during July of 1913 alongside using up the 1913 style bodies. There are indications the 1914 style might have first appeared in late June of 1913.
Was the car Lang's had at Hershey the 1913 style with doors all the way down to the bottom of the body? Or the 1914 style?
Just curious.

The body at Hershey was a true 13 body with doors all the way down. It did NOT have the sill reinforcements that were added later in production. I saw it and touched it.