1917 Canadian touring - Mecum Auctions

[Erik Johnson]

Just throwing this out there because I think it's interesting.

https://www.mecum.com/lots/1123599/1917 ... t-touring/

Serial number is just after July 31, 1917 so it may fall under the 1918 model year.

Driver's door (of course).

Note ribbed pedals - were these utilized longer in Canada?

Round lights (windows) in top rear curtain - typical of Canadian Ts.

Unlike U.S. 1917s, two additional bolts on cowl/firewall.

Replacement upholstery with double buttons on seatbacks and cushions emulates early U.S. 1917 model. Don't know if the double button style was continued longer in Canada.

Coil box is later.

I know very little about Canadian Model Ts but, based on my knowledge of U.S. 1917s, this seems to be a very correct car with the expected U.S./Canada differences.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Interesting! And, yes, the ribbed pedals continued for a few years in Canadian cars after 1915. That specific subject has been discussed here a few times, but I have not seen a definitive answer as to when Canadian production switched to the smooth pedals. Some speculation has suggested smooth pedals began showing up on Canadian cars in the early 1920s (1921ish). Others believe the ribbed pedals continued to about 1924 or 1925.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I also notice that the windshield is the even folding style, which USA production had eliminated a few months earlier in mid 1917. The car also has demountable rim wheels, which as I understand it a Canadian built T would not have had in 1917 or 1918.

As a matter of course, the entire Ford of Canada thing was a game played between Canada and Ford to one, encourage Canadian employment and incomes for Canadian residents. And two, to lower Fords costs in several ways in addition to lowering the duties (import taxes) paid out by Ford.
One factor that came into play was that the incredible production numbers (by era standards) of USA Ford caused specialized tooling, jigs, forms, dies, etc., to wear out and require replacement often in the USA factories. As such tooling wore out, it would begin slowing production, and as soon as that was noticed, replacements were ordered.
Ford of Canada had a much slower pace due to the lower demands and production numbers. So Ford quietly shipped worn tooling and equipment to Canada where the slower pace could get a few more years out of all that equipment. Hence, some details carried over longer in Canadian production.

The flip side of all this, is that other things got changed on Canadian model Ts before they did on USA production. While USA production kept flying along through 1922 with two-man tops and straight windshields? Canadian production made the change to one-man tops and slanted slightly fancier windshields in 1920. They also went to the two small oval rear windows (lights) in the top's rear curtain at some point (I don't know when).

Fun stuff!

[Allan]

Our Canadian sourced cars came with ribbed pedals right up to the 1925 Dalgety Fords assembled in Geelong, so one year only with plain pedals.

Allan from down under.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Thank you Allan for the clarification.