MTFCA Forum

Noting the louvered hood on Rob's new Model B, I took a look at all the Ford models. B, C, E, and F had louvers. K, N, R, S and T (for the first six years) didn't. I'm not trying to make any point, just observing an interesting detail.

This was our family's 1909 model T, #714.
This photo was taken after my dad restored the car.
This was an original paint car when my dad bought it in 1953.
It retains all it's original sheet metal, including it's original hood.
The original hood is louvered!

The original hood is louvered!

It has to be very rare, maybe even unique. I don't think I've ever seen one like it. Ford advertising all shows no louvers.

I don't know why Ford dropped louvers midway through the "alphabet" Fords and left the hoods louverless until 1915. I often wonder about that.
Some trivia about Ford, hoods, and louvers, that I have read over the years.

While both USA and Canadian built model Ts from 1909 through 1914 models left the factories without louvers in the hoods? According to era photographs, a significant percentage of model Ts those years exported into Australia had louvered hoods put on them. Apparently, some of the Australian importers thought louvers would be helpful.

Years ago, before the internet, similar discussions about what and when would carry on at club meetings for months! One such discussion about brass era louvered hoods went on at the local club I belonged to for several months. A couple members brought in and shared early accessories catalogs to show that louvered hoods were being offered and sold early in the model T's production run. (I wish I had copies of those myself!)
Another club member brought in a copy of a local newspaper advertisement for a local sheet metal shop that would cut louvers into your Ford's hood! (Another thing I wish I had a copy of?)

Not just trivia. I spent a lot of years collecting parts for model Ts, mostly late brass era model Ts. I sorted stuff into "piles" based upon 1915/'16, 1913/'14, and maybe earlier pieces. These "piles" developed into "possible project piles". When circumstances several years ago forced me to sell my couple of nice HCCA cars, I began putting together a 1915 T runabout from my best 1915/'16 stuff.
When it came to the hood, I had two 1913/'14 hoods, not right for my 1915. And I had one probably original 1915 aluminum hood in very poor condition. I also had a reproduction 1915 aluminum hood that had been altered for a speedster, and the alterations were not appropriate for my 1915.
But I had one other hood, another apparently original T hood, that I had bought several years earlier. It was in fair condition and had louvers. So I decided to try to fix that one, and the other original 1915 to see which one would turn out better, or if mixing and matching the four panels might work. But it wouldn't. The body for my runabout was bolted onto the chassis, with a brass radiator temporarily bolted on to aid in fitting and reshaping the hood panels. But the first time I tried to fit the "other" louvered hood onto the car? I discovered a problem. The side hinges ran the full back length of the hood panel, they wouldn't fit and sit properly on the 1915's hood former! Turns out, it is a 1909 to 1912 hood with louvers! It requires the earlier "notched" hood former!
They are out there. I have only seen a few original earlier louvered hoods on cars, or in era photos. I have known of the Eastwood's car with louvered hood for many years. It was actually discussed at the club meetings about fifty years ago! In the fifty years since then I have only seen a handful of original pre1915 hoods with louvers. And one of them is still sitting in my parts pile.