MTFCA Forum

I'm doing research for a digital illustration to be set along the Erie Canal after the turn of the 20th century. It will feature several modes of transportation – canal boat, farm wagon, interurban car, etc. I'd like to include a Model T, either a Torpedo or Open Runabout, but I am having some trouble tracking down blueprints.

So far I've acquired blueprints of the 1911 Model T chassis from The Henry Ford in Dearborn, along with a side view of the 1911 Torpedo. And I've found good photos online of restored Runabouts from various angles. But I could really use a detailed set of scale drawings – front, top, and side – on which to base an accurate digital model of the car.

As an example see attached rendering of a digital model of an electric interurban passenger car that will be in the scene, along with the diagrams that were used to create it.

After wasting much time floundering around online I decided to go directly the experts on this forum. Any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Thanks –

Steve Boerner

Nice work Steve

Don't know a source of full size drawing of body part other than Benson Ford Research Library. But finding them isn't easy as you need to know the Factory # of the body part, or the # of the assembly drawings, there would be many many drawings to find. Most are original large format, now on microfilm, so copies are hard to make. Plus each drawing comes with a fee. Don't think there is a one page schematic of any Ford body that shows front, sides and rear views with all dimensions. If so, lots of them would be cherished by hobbyists!

There is one on-line source that provides scale drawings, you may try that.

https://getoutlines.com/blueprints/6179 ... blueprints


Have a Ford side view drawing in my files, but it's only a ref. one of the very early Coupe body. Not to scale without important overall dimensions.

Thanks, Dan.

The Benson's finding aid for blueprints and drawings (http://www.dalnet.lib.mi.us/henryford/d ... ion181.pdf) lists one drawing of the 1911 Torpedo (page 6), which I ordered and turned out to be an outline side view, very little detail and no scale. They also sent two 1911 chassis drawings (plan and elevation) which are very detailed and more useful.

The Benson's online digital collection is not very large but does include blueprints for the dash, fenders, and a couple of other parts.

Thank you for the link. I've come across that drawing and similar ones but my concern is they are not documented – I have no idea who drew them and what their sources were. Trying to nail this down with original sources, but we'll see.

The research always turns out to be more interesting than the actual work of creating the image.

Steve

If you are going to build one, contact Ray Wells, "The Craftsman" . He has built several of these bodies over the years, using originals for pattern, give him a call http://www.the-craftsman.biz/ (619) 447-9558
Best,
Jeff
Gardnerville NV

Thank you, Jeff. There's even a 1911 Torpedo body on his website. I'll give him a call.

Steve