MTFCA Forum

Today my Dad and I went to the Cabin Fever Expo in Lebanon, PA. It’s a model engineering show with all kinds of scale hit and miss, steam engines, etc. on display, most of them running. It’s the kind of show that anyone on this forum would certainly appreciate and enjoy.
They have a small flea market area with all kinds of odds and ends. While browsing, we came across a box lot with a couple Ford oil cans and half a dozen common Ford wrenches. Well we ended up coming home with it but didn’t really realize what we had until we cleaned up the one can and did a little reading (thanks Vintage Ford and ‘Oil Can Czar’!)

The can with the copper plating still present is a Noera Manufacturing Pat. 1908 with the bayonet style spout (Can #1 from the VF Sept/Oct 2013 article). The other, which was covered in gunk, is also a Noera Manufacturing Pat. 1908, with a threaded spout and the double Ford Script (Can #4 from VF Sept/Oct 2013 article). Both are in incredible, original condition as you can see.
What are the odds of finding BOTH in a cardboard box at a flea market? In any case, thought folks would enjoy seeing pictures of these early cans!

Very cool. I filled the can in my ‘21 and oil went everywhere.... so I had it powder coated gloss black to match the car and now it looks great, especially empty!

Jeff

Very nice! All these years, I have never had an original Ford oil can.

Both of your cans are nice, but the big one, even though the patent date says 1908 is not that early! The one below it with the Ford script in two places is the earlier of the two, and was used in the brass era.

Steve, you are thrifty but mine was cheaper. Still has some plating on it and the holder that mounts under the hood. A friend gave it to me and said it belongs on my TT instead of sitting on his shelf.

Larry,

Why do you think the nicer one with the large Ford script is later? It has the bayonette style cap referenced in the VF article and dozens of posts on the old Forum discuss this can as being pre-1915. Here’s one for example: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/17 ... 1297907656

the Caswell brush plating kit will re-copper oil cans beautifully. The one I did is put away or I'd take a picture of it. You do have to de-grease (de-oil?) the can to make it work, and when I did it, the plating looked spotty, but a quick lick of liquid polish evened it out.

The reason I know it is earlier, is because it is. Look in an early Ford parts book, pre '15. and you will see for yourself!

Larry, what years did Ford use the oil cans with the bayonet top? I would agree the one with Ford script on two sides is the earlier of the two.

The MTFCI judging guidelines for 1913 state that the Maple City and Noera branded cans used the bayonette style cap.

AdminJeff wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 19, 2019 9:04 pm

Very cool. I filled the can in my ‘21 and oil went everywhere.... so I had it powder coated gloss black to match the car and now it looks great, especially empty!

Jeff

Jeff, this is where gas tank sealer does double duty. Clean out the inside with lacquer thinner, allow to dry and slosh with a tiny bit of sealer. Let that dry and fill. No leaks!

I believe the Judging Guidelines now state that the bayonet style can was used pretty much throughout the T era; the threaded spouts are Model A. The double script can was apparently the first style used, around 1912-13 or so.