Pre-War Ford Trivia... Know your Stuff?

The last year Ford made a roadster was 1939. I know that there will be many who challenge this statement but it happens to be the truth and the original article posted by Jive Bomber on JJ did not specify US built - so here ya go. The roadster was manufactured and about 50 examples were made in the Geelong plant in Australia. Yes they had side curtains and one of these was hot rodded quite a while back.....

 

They also made some oddballs in South America. Ford stopped sending parts so they started building whatever they wanted. I think I saw a 41 roadster pickup somewhere.

 

The same is true for Chevrolets, they made roadsters, phaetons up to 37 ish in Australia but most of them were made by Holden and not Fisher like the US made..

 

The Fords were made by Ford of Australia in a wholly Ford owned plant - not a subcontracted body builder....

 

Very Cool!He invented the electric starter because a friend was killed by a hand crank.

 

The Black era of Model Ts was 1917-25. Prior to that and after that Ts were available in an array of colors, but like the As and 32s, all had black fenders, aprons, boards.

 

Model T in about 1914........Henry Ford had his moving production line going well by that time.......Black became the only available color until the model A because the black paint used by Ford dried faster than the other colors......That way more cars could be produced....Which lead to lower cost, more buyers and America was on the road..........

 

1. First color was Red actually. Not black. Black came later
2.
3. Edsel Ford
4. the Grill shell
5. 1936
6. 1936
7. Brakes, 1939
8. 1937
9. Round spindle backs on the front
10. V860, to compete for fuel economy

 

Is this a phaeton? Or did they make a convertible sedan?

 

In the US in 1937 Ford made rumble seat cabriolets, club cabriolets, roadsters, convertible sedans and phaetons. The final year of production for the roadsters was in 1937. The final year of phaeton production was 1938. 37 &38 roadsters and phaetons did not have removable windshield posts like earlier cars. They were basically convertibles that lacked roll up windows. It seems odd that they were made at all. The picture is my 37 phaeton that was chopped and channeled.

 

I didn't know many (guessed a couple) and learned a lot. How about GM for part two.

 

I thought it was black because it was easier to touch up ?

 

Black is all colors white is the absence of color

 

In the visible spectrum, white reflects light and is a presence of all colors, but black absorbs light and is an absence of color

 

i knew 3 answers, hahaha i guess i'll turn in my ford card.......

 

ford and dodge used Holden to build bodys till gm Bought them out in 1924 . they were like Fisher made stuff for anyone , till Gm said your ours . and some cars were sent to Austrailia in knocked down form too . it wasn't till after WWII Ford Austrailia started to make everything in country

 

Black paint only started in 1914, color options returned in 1926. Bob

 

39 brake drums were 2 piece. Best wide five for circle track.

 

1. Because paint drying times held up the speed of production and black was the fastest.
2. About 15.6 million T's were made, against roughly 5 million A's.
3. Edsel Ford, if I remember correctly.
4. Not sure, but seem to remember lack of outside door handles.
5. dunno
6. no idea
7. Mechanical brakes, which were used up to '39.
8. no idea
9. not sure
10. 60-horse, if I remember correctly, a more economical version.

 

I may be wrong but my understanding is that the '37 roadster and pheaton used the same doors as conv coupes and conv sedans with just a cap on top. I think the window reg provision remained. Last roadster only type door was '36.

 

I've heard several times the "any color as long as it's black" thing was pure bullshit.

 

There was a 1940 Roadster in Australia

 

There were times when the T's had colour options, yes. But when the fabrication process began to speed up, there was a period when they did do only black for the drying times. But as paint tech evolved, the colour options came back, so it was just for some time.

Cheers, Eddie

 

1. Henry Ford famously said that Model T buyers could have their car any color they wanted as long as it was black. Do you know why he only painted the cars black for so many years? jus saw ans awhile ago, cant remmbr??

2. Which one did Ford make more of: Model T’s or Model A’s, and by how much, roughly? model T,s, ???

3. Who lead the Model A styling team (because Henry could care less about cosmetics)? EDSEL

4. How can you tell a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster from a 1929 model at a glance? ????

5. What was the last year Ford offered a Roadster? How about a Phaeton model? 37, 37 guess

6. What was the last year Ford offered a Rumble Seat? 39

7. When Henry referred to his cars having “the safety of steel from pedal to wheel”, what was he referring to, and when did that change? forgot !!

8. The Stromberg 97 is one of the most beloved carburetors in hot rodding. What years did they actually come stock on Ford’s from the factory? ??? [they werent my fave]

9. Why are 1939 Ford brake drums unique to that year? 36 were different??

10. Why was the smaller Ford Flathead (offered 1937-40) called and why? V8 60 hp

honest didnt cheet! ggggg

 

that guy was a SALESMAN!

 

I bought couple of NOS deuce sedan fenders from ford obsolete and that black paint was tough stuff!

 

1. Henry Ford famously said that Model T buyers could have their car any color they wanted as long as it was black. Do you know why he only painted the cars black for so many years?
Because the black japanning dried faster

2. Which one did Ford make more of: Model T’s or Model A’s, and by how much, roughly?
T's... lots, 10 million?

3. Who lead the Model A styling team (because Henry could care less about cosmetics)?


Edsel Ford, his son

4. How can you tell a 1928 Ford Model A Roadster from a 1929 model at a glance?
The split in the splash apron and front fender is different.

5. What was the last year Ford offered a Roadster? How about a Phaeton model?
36 for the roadster, and 38 for the phaeton, wait, does Australia count?

6. What was the last year Ford offered a Rumble Seat?
36

7. When Henry referred to his cars having “the safety of steel from pedal to wheel”, what was he referring to, and when did that change? 1940, 39 still had wood floorboards.

8. The Stromberg 97 is one of the most beloved carburetors in hot rodding. What years did they actually come stock on Ford’s from the factory?
37-41

9. Why are 1939 Ford brake drums unique to that year?
Hydraulic and wide 5

10. Why was the smaller Ford Flathead (offered 1937-40) called and why?
v8-60, Economy

These are off the top of my head without looking... how'd I do?

 

Model T's went black and stayed black for a long time because it was the only way for the supply side to meet the demand. Speed and efficiency of production.

 

The photo surely looks like a convertible-sedan, since the winshield doesn't fold. Am I wrong ?

 

Well, I apologize. I had never even heard of a '37 phaeton. I see the holes in the door tops for curtains, and I wasn't aware of a phaeton with closed-car windshield. My bad. Thanks for the insight.