25 Pickup Box Battery Access Door Question

[20touring]

Does anyone have photos of a 1925 Pickup they can post of the battery access door and how it fits at or under the front panel of the pickup bed and car body itself?
Thank you in advance!

[Original Smith]

I can't post a photo at the moment, but it doesn't go under the front panel very far.

[20touring]

I ordered a reproduction from Lang’s and as I understand it after trial fitting it will be about 3/8”-1/2” extended past the front panel?

[TRDxB2]

Does anyone have photos of a 1925 Pickup they can post of the battery access door and how it fits at or under the front panel of the pickup bed and car body itself?
Thank you in advance!

From am old discussion it has many more pictures http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1543491186

[20touring]

These are very helpful, thanks! The Lang’s repro looks exact to the original.
Attached are a few views of the box I have, it is original and unrestored.

[20touring]

More photos of the ‘25 box:

[Afrazer]

Wonderful condition on the box. I wish mine would have looked that good

[20touring]

It’s an interesting story! The grandson of the previous owners said it was converted to a trailer and used when they moved from New York City to a farm they purchased in the early 1930’s in upstate New York. It then sat in his grandparents barn for at least 70 years that he could remember and was used as a sawdust bin.
The story adds up as I was able to make out a hand painted name, address, and the word “TOW” in the bed. The address is in the Bellaire Heights area of Queens NY. So apparently they bought this for their move to upstate and it was delivered to their Bellaire address by the seller.
Amazingly, nothing was altered metal-wise and only the wood was drilled out for mounting an axle support.
It still has about 65% of the original paint! What rust it does have is surface and not much, if any, pitting.
At some point I will get it out in the open for better photos to document original aspects of it, paint runs and all! In some of the above photos you can see rushed manufacturing in the fit and finish. No time for super finishing at Ford in 1925! All these will be left as is of course.
It’s not dented, dinged, or beat up at all-very nice, it’s almost a shame to restore it but I am hatching a plan to preserve as much it the original paint as possible and breeze lightly over that when I paint the box to keep the factory paint runs intact while freshening it up to look “day one”.
I’m on the hunt for a decent older restoration ‘23-‘24 roadster to put it on (or maybe ‘19-‘23 ?) within a few hours driving distance of Syracuse NY.

[Original Smith]

You should hunt for a 1925 Roadster to put it on! Keep in mind, the pickup box was introduced in March 1925. The photos that I sent to Bruce McCalley for his book came from the Ford archives and are dated Nov. or Dec 1924.
Keep in mind, the thickness for the Southern Yellow Pine is 13/16", not 3/4!

[20touring]

A ‘25 is certainly worth considering...although I really like the ‘24 style front fender that they show on the earliest pickup in Bruce McCalley’s book. The photos I reference are the ones dated Dec. 12, 1924.
The ‘25 fender looks ok, but I feel they lost some styling when they moved the bead under the splash apron.
What I’d like to do ideally is replicate that “first” pickup.
Duly noted on the bed wood, there are a few options for me around here for the correct wood species and thickness.
I’ve always liked the straight windshield ‘19-‘22 roadsters but technically one of those should have a wooden box-this is what my father had on the farm in the ‘30’s, he paid all of $13 for it!
Prices have gone up a little since then...

[Original Smith]

Let me know if I need to measure the amount the TRAP door as Ford called it goes under the front panel. It actually rests on the deck of the roadster deck panels.

[20touring]

Let me know if I need to measure the amount the TRAP door as Ford called it goes under the front panel. It actually rests on the deck of the roadster deck panels.

That’s what I’m curious about, how far past the front panel of the box it goes and how close it is to the back of the roadster body...

[Original Smith]

The battery trap door as it's called, is the same for 25-27. The only other thing that is the same is the tailgate, of course that early one pictured fits too. The answer to the question is it goes in two inches past the VERTICAL panel, not the bent in one. If you have the original bed strips the answer should be clear. Keep in mind the 1925 bed strips were used only in 1925. Another thing to consider is to remove all the rivets that hold on the rear plate just in front of the tailgate should be removed, and you will maybe see a piece of wood in there.

[20touring]

Thank You for the information! Luckily this box still has all its original bed strips intact with a good amount of the original paint still on them.

[Original Smith]

You are fortunate to have found that bed. The two short bed strips will locate your battery door. Notice too, the bed strips are bent down on each end. The square washers are being made for them. I was able to find many bed parts from Mack Products, P.O.Box 856 Moberly, Missouri 65270-0856. Phone 660-263-7444. They also have a catalog.

[20touring]

Thank You for the information. The bed strips are in outstanding condition really! If I could get a photo of the backside, it would show most of the square washers are still there-I think only a few are missing.
I’m actually considering saving all the wood I can, guess it depends what shape it’s in when I get it out. Likely it won’t be salvageable though.

[rays22t]

I have a '25 pickup box with factory bed strips and mine have a slight crown to them. I couldn't tell by the photos if yours are flat or have a crown. Ray

[20touring]

As you look straight down at them they have a crown or raised bead along the outside edges, the area between where the carriage bolts are is flat.
The below photo probably shows this more clearly.
Hope this is helpful!

[rays22t]

Thanks Kevin! Ray

[Original Smith]

The idea Ford had on the crown was a good one, the only problem is they didn't take into consideration the bolt heads, which of course stuck up above the crown, and that is why they went to flat bed strips the following year.

[rays22t]

So, is a crown on the bed strips correct for a '25 or was it on just a limited # pickup beds? Ray

[Original Smith]

I have probably seen more 1925 pickup beds than most people. All the originals I've seen have the crowned bed strips.