MTFCA Forum

When talking model Ts on the forum Ford's nomenclature of left/right side is often ignored in favour of driver's side/passenger side. I can remember one wanted ad for a passenger side rear fender for a sedan! Do rear seat passengers sit on a particular side in the USA?

If there is no left or right side on a T, to be consistent US cars should be described as drivers side cars, but that doesn't make sense, any more than calling a right rear fender a passenger side fender makes sense. Confusing isn't it!

Allan from down under

To confuse things even more, if your passenger scoots over behind the steering wheel, does it now become the passenger side ? Just my 2c

Passenger side in the USA is referred to the right side. I’ve heard that all my life. The drivers side is the left side. In other words a drivers side rear sedan fender is the left side. This is when a person is sitting in the car of course.
Passenger side or drivers side is a quick way to determine what side of your car you’re talking about. In the USA that is!

Well,…..respectfully speaking of course John…..we enjoy input from Forum Friends the world over. For all involved it’s just as easy to specify ‘left’ and ‘right’.

We certainly enjoy input from every one of course since Model T’s eventually wound up all over the world. Ford built so many of them they had to go somewhere!

For us dyslexic folks, who have trouble with left and right, passenger side vs. driver's side eliminates a certain amount of confusion. For example: I have my side curtains labeled: front passenger side and front driver's side. It makes it easier for me.

Not to mention that my right is your left.

My backing up a trailer is apparently entertaining to watch.

When you face the car to crank a “left hand drive” car, the steering wheel is . . . on the right. Maybe it would have been best to designate sides of the car along compass points. North being front, etc. Why the nautical fore, aft, port, starboard weren’t immediately adopted c. 1900, I’ll never understand. You don’t have to be lysdexic to confuse left and right !!

Harrr harrrr, i'll second that Rich, Landlubbers !

Kaiser wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2024 12:09 pm

Harrr harrrr, i'll second that Rich, Landlubbers !

Or ! For the land-lubbers, equestrian terms should have been a natural transition : near side, off side, fore, hind.

...and for those who are not landlubbers, Port and Starboard.

Is this where we talk about boots and bonnets?

Allan wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2024 4:29 am

When talking model Ts on the forum Ford's nomenclature of left/right side is often ignored in favour of driver's side/passenger side. I can remember one wanted ad for a passenger side rear fender for a sedan! Do rear seat passengers sit on a particular side in the USA?

If there is no left or right side on a T, to be consistent US cars should be described as drivers side cars, but that doesn't make sense, any more than calling a right rear fender a passenger side fender makes sense. Confusing isn't it!

Allan from down under

Allan

Guess those right hand drive Ford owners didn’t have issue with I D of fenders, below is Australia parts book , fenders right and left

To me this is easy, drivers side is which ever side the steering wheel is on, so if I were to buy a drivers side fender from England my guess would be it would be a right side if I were to buy a drivers side fender from the states it would be a left but it would be in your best interest to double check before the money exchange. I have always asked for a picture . Cheers Colin

Right side/ left side is determined with you sitting in the car.

I learn something new about Model T’s pretty often. In the Australian parts book Dan T posted the word Tourer is used. So I guess Ford used it to begin with. I’ve seen it used every once in a while and wondered about it so now I know! I never really thought about. For me and others the word Touring is used. The meaning is the same of course. No big deal.

I can't remember where, but I laughed when I read it. Somebody recently placed a wanted to buy ad for something for the "driver's side" of his Canadian model T. Canadian T? The person didn't say whether his Canadian T was right hand or left hand driven!

Not just dyslexic people, however many people have always had trouble keeping "left" or "right" straight. Some of their misunderstanding is understandable. Stage actors have for generations referred to "stage right" or "stage left" in order to not create confusion. But something like a page of paper, or your computer screen? Look it up yourselves. See if you can figure it out? Even so-called experts can't agree on it. Really want to boggle your mind? If enough "experts" decide what was wrong was really right? When does what was right become wrong?

Regardless, Allan, thank you for an intriguing and interesting thread!
Now, throw your brolly in the boot, slam the bonnet, and drop the hood, go for a drive in the countryside.

John K mentioned tourers and tourings, and whatever term is used, the meaning is clear so it doesn't matter. He's correct, but one of the two is correct in the English language. Guess which. To help you to the correct conclusion, ask yourself whether a pilot flies a fighter or a fighting.

The left right thing comes down to removing any misunderstanding. there is only one left side, one right side on any car. Passengers and drivers can be on either the left or right.

Allan from down under.

"Right and left" is always "right and left" RELATIVE to "face or front" and "back" (up and down also need to come into play here!). IF (big IF again) something has a front and a back? It has a "right" and a "left".
A car has a front of the car, as well as a back, therefore it has a "right" and a "left".

If one faces the front of their car to crank the engine? It does not change the car's right or left anymore than if one talks with a friend face to face changes the friend's right hand or left hand. The car's right and left just like the friend's right and left is relative to THEIR face/front. Not yours.

Any carpenters out there? What’s the difference between a right hand door and left hand door and what determines it. If your on a job which way the door opens becomes important! It’s off the subject but couldn’t help asking!

John, I presume left and right with doors relates to whatever hand is used to open the door. Again, all confusion is removed if the carpenter/ fridge salesman refers to left or right hinges on the door.
It is customary to have right hand opening doors hinged on the right , down here at least.

Allan from down under.

Allan wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 27, 2024 4:29 am

When talking model Ts on the forum Ford's nomenclature of left/right side is often ignored in favour of driver's side/passenger side. I can remember one wanted ad for a passenger side rear fender for a sedan! Do rear seat passengers sit on a particular side in the USA?

If there is no left or right side on a T, to be consistent US cars should be described as drivers side cars, but that doesn't make sense, any more than calling a right rear fender a passenger side fender makes sense. Confusing isn't it!

Allan from down under

In a left hand drive car, the passenger side is the right side, and drivers side is the left side, no matter front or rear. Where a rear passenger actually sits no more changes the designation than does a rural mail carrier driving a left-hand drive car from the right front seat.

Miles, you missed the point. If the Ford left/right nomenclature is used, there is no confusion. Drivers can be on either side, passengers can be on both sides, depending on the car in question.

Allan from down under.

Doesn't matter who is sitting in what seat. When seated in any seat (front, back, rumble or mother-in-law) and facing forward regardless of hemisphere; the left side of the car is to ones left and the right to ones right.