Mid Year 1913 Frame

[Original Smith]

While at the Tulare swap meet last week I saw a mid year '13 frame. Young Russ Furstnow owns it now. I've heard about those frames, but never have seen one. It's good to see Russ carrying on his fathers legacy! The rear ears on them are flat, as opposed to the common raised examples we are all familiar with.

[Wayne Sheldon]

I thought those were used into early 1915? I certainly could be wrong about that? I have seen a couple of them over the years.
If I recall correctly? I think Phil Lawrence in Auburn had one for sale about a year ago? I did not see his, but I seem to recall reading an ad for it.

[Don ellis]

This is a July 13 frame

[SleepyT]

Don,
Your frame is the same as the one I bought. I did not get the tour body support brackets but the frame is drilled for them.

Russell

[Wayne Sheldon]

Don E,
Now, THAT is a short-time use frame! The longer (smooth?) rear cross member, which I have read began about May of 1913. Coupled with the added temporary "third" body bolt brackets to bolt through the touring car rear sills and hopefully prevent the "rear seat sag" that plagued the 1913 touring cars. Ford began using the early introduced 1914 touring car bodies about July of 1913 still during the official 1913 model year time. Which improve the body sills and eliminated the need for the added brackets. So that added bracket was only needed for about four months combined with the longer rear cross member.

I don't know? Did that bracket show up on any earlier "short cross member" frames? I have only seen a couple 1913 frames with those brackets on frames that did not have a body bolted on top of them.
Neat! I love it.

[Don ellis]

It is for sale

[Wayne Sheldon]

Nice! I would be curious what you are asking for it? However, to be clear, I am not in the market for parts I do not need. But maybe we can stir up some interest for you? That is a rare and should be somewhat desirable frame. It should be put under a proper 1913 touring car.
I already have more project piles than I can likely finish in the time I have left. And the one that happens to be a 1913 already has a 1913 short cross member frame under it. I am reaching the point that I just cannot be adding a lot to the piles I already have, unless the part is something I need for one of my existing project piles.

[Don ellis]

I honestly don't know, I've never seen one for sale. I too would rather it be under a car than in my shed, I have too much now.

[pre15dale]

I have a 1913 frame with the short rear cross member that also has those support brackets. I also have a 13 frame that has the longer smooth rear cross member and the body support brackets.

[Allan]

The only frame I have found with those bolt on brackets looked to have had them added after the initial build. The two bolts used to attach them were not usual Ford bolts. They were coarse thread hex bolts as used in ordinary hardware. Might the brackets have been supplied to dealers as an after sales fix for the problem on already produced cars?

Allan from down under.

[Wayne Sheldon]

The Ford factory I believe offered those brackets through their dealers at no charge to be installed as a "fix" for the sagging rear seat on cars sold before the problem became known. The added brackets would likely have been bolted on in many cases.
Some historians have in the past remarked that it was one of the first official recalls in automotive history! No government bureaucrat made him do that. Henry did that at his expense because it was the right thing to do.

[Don ellis]

This one uses regular castellated nuts and the bolts are drilled but no cotter keys. Both sides the bolts are put in from the left, nuts on the right.