Back to Year-by-Year 1908-1927 Ford Model T Reference Guide

ENGINE SERIAL NUMBERS:2,449,180 to 2,831,426 calendar year.2,113,502 to 2,756,251 approx. fiscal year.

MODEL YEAR DATES: August 1917 to January 1919 approx.

BODY TYPES: Touring, Runabout, Coupe, Sedan, Town Car, Chassis and Truck.

MAJOR MODEL YEAR FEATURES: Until late 1920, open car bodies were built similar to the 1917 bodies. All had the separate rear quarter panels, the ?rivet? on the side, etc. Touring car bodies used wood seat frames in some production during this period. The Coupel now had the metal top section, and continued the removable door posts of the third 1917 design. The Town Car was discontinued during calendar year 1917.

COLORS: All cars were painted black, with black fenders.

UPHOLSTERY: Imitation leather in the open cars. The pattern was a stitched vertical pleat design on both seat bottoms and backs. Closed car upholstery was same as 1916?s, except that the Coupe now used the same upholstery style and color as the Sedan.

FENDERS: Front: Curved and crowned as in 1917.

SPLASH APRON: Smoothly taper from front to rear, with no bulge at the rear.

RUNNING BOARDS: Unchanged from previous year.

HOOD: Steel. Hold-down clamps had two ?ears? and were of forged steel. Handles were pressed steel.

DASHBOARD (Firewall): Wood, fitted outside the front cowl, hidden by the metal cowl trim strip.

CHASSIS: Same as 1917. Painted black.

STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY: Pressed steel quadrant, Nickel-plated spark and throttle levers, with flattened metal ends. Gear case was brass but nickel plated, one-piece assembly. Wheel was 15? outside diameter, wood, and painted black. The wheel spider was iron and painted black. Combination horn/light switch on left side of column.

FRONT AXLE: Same as the 1917 cars.

REAR AXLE: Same as 1917.

DRIVESHAFT HOUSING: Pinion bearing spool was a casting and was held by studs and nuts, the studs being enclosed (not visible) in the housing. Integral front housing for universal joint assembly.

REAR RADIUS AND BRAKE RODS: Brake rods had forged ends. Brake rod support brackets were of the type which go out and wrap down around the rods but were of a reinforced (stronger) design, which continued until the end of Model T production in 1927. Radius rods were of pressed steel with split ends (no forged rear fork).

WHEELS: Used 30 by 3 tires in front; 30 by 3-1/2 in the rear. Front wheels used ball bearings. Hub caps had ?Ford? in script letters. ?Made in USA? on all caps. ? Square? felloe wheels appeared during the year.

SPRINGS: Non-tapered, front and rear. ?L? shaped shackles of an assembled design and later of the forged type. Oilers were now pressed into the springs and none were used on the shackles as in previous cars.

RADIATOR: Unchanged from 1917.

ENGINE: No major changes from 1917.

ENGINE PAN: ?Three dip? with wider front ?snout? which will accommodate the larger fan pulley that didn?t appear until 1920.

OIL FILLER CAP: The mushroom-shaped cap, made of steel, with three flutes as used since late 1916.

ENGINE CRANK: The plain steel sleeve type as used since 1914.

ENGINE FAN: Driven by a leather belt from a pulley at the front of the engine. The fan hub was cast iron, with the blades riveted in place. Adjustment was by means of a bolt/nut arrangement located on the right side of the front plate and bearing against a boss on the mounting end of the fan bracket.

MANIFOLDS: Exhaust pipe flared at the manifold and was held in place with the brass nut but with no packing. Intake was cast iron.

CARBURETORS: Kingston Model L2, or Holley Model G.

CARBURETOR STOVE: Several designs, all of which rose vertically at the rear of the carburetor and mated with the exhaust manifold at the rear area.

MUFFLER: Cast iron ends, mounted with brackets integral with the end castings. The three long bolts that held the muffler end plates together were replaced with a single bolt through the center of the muffler. Brackets were stubbier than previous types. No exhaust pipe extension.

FUEL TANK: Cylindrical, under the front seat. Mounting brackets clamped to the tank. Outlet was between the center and the right side, between the frame rails. Sedan tank under the driver?s seat. The coupe tank is still round but was now located in the turtle deck.

TRANSMISSION: Three-pedal standard-design. Pedals were of the plain type. Transmission cover was cast iron. Tapered inspection door, held with six screws. The door was a plain metal plate with no script.

COIL BOX ASSEMBLY: Ford. Same as used in 1917.

LAMPS: Magneto-powered electric type. Black steel rims. Side and tail lamps were similar to 1917.

HORN: Magneto powered electric.

WINDSHIELD: Upright, with top section that folded to the rear. Frame was bolted to the brackets. Painted black. Hinge arms of un-equal length as in later 1917.

TOP: (Open cars). Top color was black on all open cars. Similar in style to the 1917 but now with rectangular cross-section irons.

SPEEDOMETER: No longer standard equipment.

TURTLE DECK (on Runabout): Similar in style to the 1915. Handles were painted black.