Improved open car striping

[Arnie]

Does anyone have a picture of the 15 million Model T Ford touring before it was repainted?

As far as I can tell the current repaint does not have pin striping.

I ask this because most literature states that the open cars were not pinstriped. Yet a later piece of literature shows open cars, perhaps late 1927 production, with stripes and also indicates other colors for the open cars besides the Phoenix Brown or Gunmetal Blue. However the literature is artists renderings and may not accurately indicate what the vehicle really had.

I have tried enlarging the original 15 millionth photos, but could not really tell if the Gunmetal Blue original paint on the vehicle was pin striped.

Perhaps someone in the 1950''s took a color photo of the vehicle before it was repainted (Perhaps now in Highland Green) that would show the original color of the car. That color photo perhaps would also let us know if the wording on the side was sliver or white. And also if the original car was pinstriped!

Arnie

[modeltspaz]

Arnie,

I have seen photos posted on this site, years ago, of original pinstripe on improved open cars. The stripe ran just below where the top of the body rolls down into the side panel.

If I recall correctly, the car was a gunmetal blue Touring with an obvious pinstripe. I don't recall the color of the pinstripe. From the condition of the car in the color photos, it appeared to be all original, including paint.

I've heard that Google is having a problem with searching on this website, but you might try using the search feature right here on the MTFCA forum.

[Arnie]

Mike:

Thanks for your rapid reply. I also have seen some open vehicles which appear to be original with pin striping. In fact I think I have seen I think a Gunmetal Blue 1927 touring (late in production) with striping in person, but the color of the strip was hard to determine and most of the pin striping was "worn away".

As far as I could tell the pin striping started near the windshield post by the front of the front door and went around the back of the car below the cloth top, to near the front of the other front door.

I have also seen pictures of what appear to be original open cars with pin striping on this forum.

I hope someone has a picture taken of the 15 millionth Model T Ford touring before it was repainted. That might give us concrete information about what the color looked like when the color picture was taken.

Thanks for you reply.

Arnie

[DanTreace]

Arnie

Mike is correct, the original paint on the 15th million was the Gunmetal Blue ** pyroxylin.

Original photo in the museum in 1929 or so. The lettering was silver on the blue body, note the stripe. Stripes were cream, green, orange, or vermilion red, depending on body color.

1929 photo

With only the colored Pyroxylin Improved open cars, a stripe was added. The stripe is very narrow and runs from the front door vertical bead, around but not over the beads of the rear doors, but all around the rear of the touring.


Original touring body stripe

** per Matt Anderson, Curator of Transportation , The Henry Ford May June 2018 article, Model T Times

[DanTreace]

Striping colors listed in Service Bulletin, details are for the coupe, but open cars got the same style thin stripe in these same colors.


Original period photos in color perhaps don't even exist as B/W was the photo methods then.

[Arnie]

Dan:

Thanks for the pictures. My computer does not allow me to blow up the picture and see the pin striping. It gets to fuzzy.

Your second picture with the vehicle with the front seat cover shows how the pin striping starts at the front of the front door after the bead. I assume the striping on the open cars is mostly horizontal, not like a coupe that has some vertical striping?

However, that second picture brings up another question. One of the screws of the window stanchion is slotted. Does the back of this screw have a square under its head like a carriage bolt? If so, what would be the purpose of the screw slot as one could not rotate the fastener' If one can rotate the fastener Ford would need an extra operation to hole the screw from rotating. I have see this slotted screw in the same position on a number of original open cars so I think this is something done by Ford. Is it for a clip to hold a side curtain or gypsy curtain in place?

Thanks,

Arnie

[DanTreace]

Arnie

The single slot screw on the stanchion is correct factory fitting. The curtain hook has round hole, so machine screw was used. Plus if you have tried to install a nut there , on a captive carriage bolt, you will soon know why a slotted screw was used from the outside.