Floorboard debate and old photos

[Herb Iffrig]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fYCw1aThbE8

Some good photos in here.

[Rich Eagle]

Very thoughtful. I agree with most of it.
Keep in mind, "Henry Ford didn't invent the automobile until 1908"
I was clued in but a classmate in the 60s.

[TRDxB2]

Putting things in perspective.
No doubt Henry would have made & sold the crates to his part suppliers.
What parts, other than bodies, did suppliers make that required shipment to a ford plant in a crate. Ford made about everything
How many parts per crate might be shipped in a day for assembly. Or how many crates would arrive as a result.
How many crates would it take to build floorboards for 9,000 to 10,000 Model T's a day
Henry would have had to have employees disassemble crates for the wood - not efficient use of labor - and then work the wood.
Was it a practice at all factories?
Likely the old crates found their way to the Kingsford Plant

Maybe they were used to make firewalls instead of floorboards.

[John kuehn]

The photo of the firewalls being put together in pieces is interesting. I have a 1919 Roadster and a 21 Touring with the wooden firewalls. I bought the vendors reproduction firewalls when I restored them. The originals were long gone by the time I acquired the remains of these T’s. I bought a partial original firewall that had the original drip edge on it to get the metal drip edge.
I didn’t know at the time that the original firewalls were put together with dovetailed pieces when I got the repo firewalls.
Were the earlier wood firewalls made that way too? Maybe a good grade of single plywood wasnt avaliable at the time for the 17-21 cars? Don’t know about the earlier T’s. But to me building the wood firewalls that way wasn’t cost effective but what do I know.

[KWTownsend]

Frank,
Everything that Ford bought from a primary vendor had at least a secondary vendor and often more.
Coils, coil boxes, headlamps side lamps, headlights, carburetors, radiators, fasteners, hardware, etc...

There were undoubtedly lots of crates, however...

The story about crates with inspection holes is a great story. If a lie is told enough times, people tend to believe it.

"Never let the truth get in the way of a good story."

[DanTreace]

The myth that Ford used suppliers crates for floorboards has been around since the 1920’s and still persists.

Once a tale is believed as fact, the truth is lost.

[Kerry]

A couple of very early photo's of lumber storage From Ford. Scraps and all.

[John kuehn]

With all the excess wood Ford got from crates from supplies being brought in there was without a doubt stacks and piles of it over time. The pictures that were posted of it being stored is before the so called black era when production was really going strong and wood crating really piling up!

[John Codman]

I never believed the floorboard urban legend; You simply cannot make a new product from used parts.

[Kerry]

I'm a bit like Henry in keeping a pile of scrap under cover taking up valuable floor space

[MariaDenesik]

It's interesting to consider how innovation builds on previous ideas. Henry Ford certainly revolutionized automobile manufacturing, but many inventors laid the groundwork before him. Your classmate's insight from the '60s adds an interesting historical context to the discussion! What specific aspects of the debate do you find most compelling? Growing up in a family that loves cars, I’ve always been fascinated by the history of Ford. To know everything about him, I read this https://www.topessaywriting.org/samples ... or-company essay provides a comprehensive look at how Ford revolutionized the automotive industry, from the Model T to its current innovations. It also highlights the company's global impact and contribution to manufacturing processes. If you’re a car enthusiast or interested in business history, this essay offers an engaging look at one of the most influential companies in the world.