Questions about my 1927 T Tudor

[Declan]

Hello, I was wondering what was origianl from both the dealership and factory for my 1927 Tudor. This winter I'm upgrading the engine and returning it back to orginal as much as I can. I wanted to buy some of the "upgrades" you could get from the dealership or factory so its top of the line but also original. I plan on take as much time and working on the small details and often overlooked. I want to align each screw and bolt so they line up like they do on many of the modern luxury cars so its show ready. Thank you for your help, because I'm only sixteen your help is valuable to me. Right now it runs really well and I drive it school everyday I just want to spend some time getting it into perfect condition to take it to car shows.

[John.Zibell]

It appears to be an early 1926 as you don't have the headlight bar. Posting engine and frame number we can give you the correct model year. Looks like you will need to go back to a generator instead of an alternator if you want all correct for the model year. Horn is not correct and it looks like someone has added a heat shield over the manifolds. Serial number ranges can be found here. https://www.mtfca.com/encyclopedia/

[TWrenn]

Not really sure what you mean by "upgrades" per se, but from what I keep learning, as it's a never ending process, there really weren't many if any. I rile people up by saying that I "upgraded" from a pesky generator that kept giving me fits to an alternator on my '26 Fordor like your car currently has. Many understandably disagree, and I respect that. However that alternator has given me a LOT of peace of mind! From the pics your car looks pretty good...closeup may be different. The engine definitely needs some "cosmetic work" done to it, ditch that ugly thing on the manifold, make up your mind re the alternator, put on a "period correct" fan belt, correct the horn and I think you're good to go. In the meantime, when was the last time you or anyone opened up the timer to check on it's condition and/or cleanliness? When it comes to timers, cleanliness IS next to Godliness not to mention great running!
Make sure your front end gear is in good, tight condition too.

And as we say young man, welcome to the affliction! Plenty more guys will chime in here with advice. One more, if you don't have the "black bible", a.k.a. service manual, by all means get one soon. Every vendor sells one.

[CatGuy]

Well, you got me beat! When I was your age I was driving a 32 year old Chevy truck to school. Just looking at the engine picture, I can see that the clear glass fuel bowl isn't correct, there appears to be a modern dipstick off to the side for oil and the splash pans are missing. Easy stuff to correct, though. Enjoy!

[RecklessKelly]

Looks like it has a manifold heater acessory from the period, you may want to keep that depending on how cold it gets in your area. Nice car, does it have any performance upgrades?

[speedytinc]

Aligning all the screw heads is "over restoring". Ford didnt.
A legitimate judging would cost you points.
Your fuel line is a vapor lock in the ready. Lotta incorrect under the hood.

[ModelTWoods]

Declan, You are very lucky to have a running, driving T at your age. My Dad and I started the restoration of his Father's 27 T coupe (my Grandfather's car) at my age of 17. We finished it 4 years later after I graduated from high school AND college. As others have pointed out, there are things that need to be corrected on your car, if you want it to be factory correct. We're not 'picking your car apart' , but you asked for input and we're just advising you what is correct and what isn't. So far, I agree with everything everyone has said at this point. As for engine upgrades, I assume you mean changing things back to factory original, like going back to a generator and a 6 volt system and doing away with the 12 volt alternator. As for 'performance engine upgrades', there were none available from the factory, but some were available from Ford dealers, although Ford discouraged dealers from selling them. Other independent auto parts stores like Western auto, also offered them. Common engine upgrades included carburetors, intake and exhaust manifolds, distributors, cylinder heads, and even camshafts.
According to the 1926 Fordex sales manual, the tudor can with: a starter, balloon tires, one piece windshield, manual windshield wiper, hooded sun visor, inside rear view mirror, and dash lamp. Dealer installed, factory approved options included: automatic (vacuum) windshield wiper, front and rear bumpers, 21" welded wire wheels, and combination tail and stop light and stoplight switch. As I said, there were hundreds of other non-Ford produced and approved accessories. One of the few non-Ford accessories that Ford approved was the Ruckstell two speed rear axle which gave a Ford 4 forward gears and speeds.Other auxiliary transmissions such as the Warford and Muncie, gave even more gears and speeds, but I don't think they were actually ever Ford approved. Dealers sold them, nevertheless. I hope this information helps you and if I can be of any further assistance, contact me by email through the Forum.

[Jack Putnam, in Ohio]

That "ugly thing on the manifold" is a very era correct manifold heater. If you are going to drive the car in cold weather it is desirable to have it. The poster is from Iowa and I can get quite cold in winter there.

[Allan]

I do like the colour combination of the wheels and body. Understated but quite appealing.

Allan from down under.