Hot Rods 26/27 T roadster cowl doors etc. differences etc. discussion or questions.

Everyone gets to ask questions and call them stupid. I want to "ask" a discussion and call it stupid.

Seems like 26/27 Ts are pretty much a like and pretty much not alike. So lets discuss the differences and the not differences. I would like to stay with touring cars and roadsters. but hell I really don't mind if you want to throw something else in there.

So lets get started. What are the differences? What are (SIC) not different.

And just cause you like pics here's a pic or two.

 

GREAT TOPIC! My first "Old Car" was a 1926 T Tudor I bought and had delivered New Years Day 1967. Not a bad deal for $220.00, replaced so much that I sold it as a 1927 T Touring car. Had several others along with an early 1926. I like the "1927" better. Things that are different when they are sitting side by side on Touring cars: windshield posts, cowls, doors, running boards, door latches, headlights, that is from my memory of 53 years ago, there has to be more. Bob

 

I am pretty sure that the touring doors are longer for both years than the roadster doors. That may make a difference to someone building a roadster from a touring cowl and doors if they are looking for parts.

I have often heard people tell me this is a '26 roadster or this is a '27. I know that the serial numbers are different but I have never paid enough attention to one to know if there is actually any difference in the sheet metal. Add to that the fact that most of what we see are hot rods. LOL

 

I’m pretty sure that isn’t true. As far as I know the doors are all the same size.

My 26 RPU has a touring cowl and front doors and my doors are identical to my buddies 27 roadster doors.

 

I found out my RPU is actually a 27 because it has big one piece sill plates instead of two like 26. It also takes a different shape door latch. My latches are shaped like early 28 Model A latches.

 

Wooha, I like this car!
And if possible I'd like more info. Looks like an A motor and A rad in front of it. It also looks correct. How did they get the Rad mounted to match the top of the Cowel with the A fan and the top tank shelf where it belongs and a stock appearing top hose casting? I haven't been able to pull that off with my R.P.

 

Good stupid discussion, P&B. Mainly cuz I never heard the subject discussed at length. Gathered from what I had read... and assumed, I guess... that they were dead nuts the same.

 

My track roadster was a '26 T because that's what the title said it was. I never investigated the difference between '26 and '27 because I wasn't restoring it. That's the end of my stored knowledge.

 

For me the only thing that I call real visible is 26 has free standing headlights and 27 has a full headlight bar like Model A's. I have never noticed doors being longer. I know my R.P. has touring front doors on it.

 

Not sure when the change happened but the earlier doors have smaller holes on the inner panel, a zinc plated grommet in the side curtain hole as opposed to a raised bead surround and slightly smaller hinges, the latch is different but someone mentioned that
Phaeton and roadster doors are the same

 

Smooth door tops or ones with a raised ring around the side curtain hole are a quick 26 or 27 ID feature. Early touring/roadster doors have a bit of a point that will hit a 1927 cowl I believe. Looking for old photos of the '26' I once had and parted out.

 

Doors are all the same. I mixed and matched several sets of roadster/touring doors.

 

Well, They sort of fit the openings, think there were six distinct different ones I've had over the years. inner panels and door latches differ. early cowl vs late cowl fitment. Bob

 

Well there ya go. See info that has some of us confused. I had been told the the touring doors were bigger. Uh by someone on the HAMB. LOL

 

The early 1926 I had years ago in the 1970's, Touring that had a 26-27 Pickup bed mounted were the rear seat & door once were. That is a 26-27 pickup spare tire bracket on the side, SUPER rare item. That front half became a Modified built by Art Johnson a year after the Bo Jones orange lakes modified started that rebirth of T builds. Just remembered the different frame rear crossmember, no flange on the early ones later has a flange that looks somewhat like the Model A. Bob

 

The roadster cab and the touring cab are the same width and length, correct? if one had more leg room than the other or was an inch or so wider that could make a real difference for someone. Well someone other then me I am fairly short legged and got a narra ass.

 

I found this somewhere.

 

Thanks Limey Kid, it has been a while since I had any 26-27 doors and think you have the latch dates swapped, the "Three Screw" latch is what evolved into the Model A open car latch

 

This is very helpful, assuming it is accurate. This tells me mine might be a bit of a hodge lodge if parts, as kind of expected. Mine came with old beat up latches that look like the 26 version. But my door holes are pretty big, indicating 27 perhaps. What is interesting is that Ford went with the 26 style latches for the early Model As. Kind of weird that they went to an older design.

 

This would make more senses to me and clarify the confusion I had indicated above

 

Late 26 and 27 cowls had a 4th hole drilled under the windshield post mounts.

My Canadian touring car, built in mid march of 26 has the 1 piece sill plates, large hole doors, 4th hole under the windshield post mounts, however it has the earlier style firewall with the 4 rivit holes for gas tank webbing, also the raised bumps where the door top meets the cowl on earlier cars was smoothed over with lead at the factory.

My assumption is that canadian built cars were assembled with a mix of body panels, and my chassis and engine recieved a body later on in the year. My Canadian 26 coupe was built in may, but the body has more wood in it like a 27, so I think Canadian cars are harder to identify the year based on body panels???

 

Here are some more variances. The bare metal one is obviously a '27 but the rusty one that has small holes has the square latch mounting hole and also no openings on the inside door panel for access to the back side of the hinge mounts!

Dave

 

I have read that the early Fords did not have a definite year break but evolved through production runs.

 

I could see how if most parts interchange and there were millions of them you could see quite a mashup of parts by late '27

 

Dave, That reminds me, the hinges differ 26-27, 26 had a tapped plate no nuts and the 27 had screws with nuts, correct? Bob

 

Oh man! Now I have to go back out to the shop, upstairs, and take a look! LOL

Dave

 

Bob, you are correct. The assumed '26 door has domed counter sunk screws into what has to be a tapped plate and the '27 door has flat top counter sunk screws with a larger diameter head and square nuts with lock washers.

Dave

 

I pieced my current roadster together from scraps of five or six different cars, one came with a '27 title so that's what it's registered as but according to information here the cowl and passenger door appear to be '26.

 

Thanks Paul, good illustration of the 1926 cowl and door fit. There are 1926 and 1927 windshield posts, they vary on the mounting area. Bob

 

LOL it is what the title says even if it is a Johnny Cash T.

Part of what made this post come about is an old post on 28/29 As. There were a ton of minute differences in the two, and Ford was like that it seemed. none of us are building concourse cars but it is still nice to know what we are using.