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 Back
to Year-by-Year 1908-1927 Ford Model T Reference Guide
ENGINE SERIAL NUMBERS: 4,698,420
to 5,568,071 calendar year. 4,233,352 to 5,377,545
fiscal year (August 1, 1920 to July 31, 1921).
MODEL YEAR DATES: August
1920 to August 1921.
BODY TYPES: Touring,
Runabout, Sedan, Coupe, Chassis and Truck.
MAJOR MODEL YEAR FEATURES:A
new body for the tourings had been announced in June
1920. Similar to the earlier style, the rear section was
now three pieces (instead of five), with no vertical
seam on the rear side quarter panel. Seats were lower
and had higher backs. The older style body continued for
a time before the new one became standard, perhaps into
1921. (Some sources even say late 1921.) The runabout
continued in the earlier style until late 1922 (1923
cars). The sedan was relatively unchanged from previous
years, except for a solid roof panel, replacing the
open-padded assembly which had been used until late
1920.
The oval gas tank was standard (introduced during
calendar 1920).
Top iron supports now come through the side panels
instead of being the ?L? shaped brackets used
previously.
The Runabout continued in the previous style. The
Coupelet and Sedan continued with minor modifications.
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 gray cloth with a lined
pattern as in 1920.
FENDERS: Curved
and crowned, unchanged since 1917.
SPLASH APRON: Same
as previous years.
RUNNING BOARDS: Same
as previous years.
HOOD: Steel.
Hold-down clamps had two ?ears? and were of pressed
steel. Handles were pressed steel but were now made in
such a way that they could be fastened to the hood
without a separate rivet. (A ?hole? appeared where the
rivet was.)
DASHBOARD (Firewall):
Wood, fitted outside the front cowl, hidden by the metal
cowl weather strip.
CHASSIS: Same
as 1920 except that the running board brackets were now
steel channels running from side to side and were much
stronger than the forged bracket and tie rod arrangement
of previous models. Painted black.
STEERING COLUMN ASSEMBLY: Pressed
steel, black painted, quadrant, Zinc-plated spark and
throttle levers, with flattened metal ends. Gear case
was brass but zinc plated, one piece assembly. Wheel was
16? outside diameter, made of ?Fordite? (synthetic
material), and painted black. The wheel spider was
pressed steel and painted black. Horn button same as in
1920.
FRONT AXLE: Same
as the 1920 cars.
REAR AXLE: Same
as 1920.
DRIVESHAFT HOUSING: Same
as 1920. The forged bearing spool was now standard.
REAR RADIUS AND BRAKE RODS: Same
as 1920.
WHEELS: Used
30 by 3 tires in front; 30 by 3-1/2 in the rear. Front
wheels used taper-roller (Timken) bearings except in the
non-starter, non-demountable open cars. Hub caps were
redesigned with a wider rim around the top label area.
They still had ?Ford? in script letters and ? Made in
USA? on all caps. Demountable-rim wheels were standard
on closed cars, and optional on the open models; and
used 30 by 3-1/2 tires all around.
SPRINGS: Non-tapered,
front and rear. ?L? shaped shackles of the forged type.
RADIATOR: Supplied
by Ford. Same as that introduced in 1919.
ENGINE: Same
as 1920. Starter was still optional on the open cars.
ENGINE PAN: ?Three-dip?
with wider front ?snout.?
OIL FILLER CAP: The
mushroom-shaped cap, made of steel, with three flutes.
ENGINE CRANK: The
plain steel sleeve type as used since 1914.
ENGINE FAN: Same
as 1920.
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 L4, Holley Model NH, or Ford F.
CARBURETOR STOVE: Sheet
metal type which rose vertically at the rear of the
carburetor and mated with the exhaust manifold at the
rear corner, being held by the rear manifold retaining
stud/nut.
MUFFLER: Pressed
steel type with no tail pipe, the same as that
introduced in 1920.
FUEL TANK: Elliptical,
under the front seat. Mounting brackets clamped to the
tank. Outlet was between the center and the right side,
between the frame rails. The Sedan continued the square
tank under the driver?s seat. The Coupe used the sedan
tank located in the turtle deck.
TRANSMISSION: Three
pedal standard-design. Pedals were of the plain type.
Transmission cover was cast iron, and modified to accept
the starter. Tapered inspection door, held with six
screws. The door was of pressed steel with an embossed
pattern.
COIL BOX ASSEMBLY: Ford.
Same as used in 1920. Starter cars no longer had the
ignition switch on the box; it was moved to the
instrument panel.
LAMPS: Magneto
powered electric type on the non-starter cars, and six
volt electric on the starter models. Black steel rims. A
green-visored lens replaced the clear type for a short
time, then the visored lens was superseded by the Ford
?H? fluted lens which became the standard through 1927.
Side and tail lamps were similar to 1917 on the
non-starter cars. Starter cars had a small electric tail
light and did not have side lights.
HORN: Magneto
powered electric.
WINDSHIELD: Upright,
with top section that folds to the rear. Frame was
bolted to the brackets. Painted black. Same as 1920.
TOP: (Open
cars). Top color was black on all open cars. Sockets
were the same as those used since 1918.
SPEEDOMETER: No
longer standard equipment.
TURTLE DECK (on
Runabout): Similar in style to the 1919. Handles are
pressed steel and painted black.
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1921 Changes
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FEB 15 |
Acc.
575, Box 14, #831, Ford Archives |
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Coupe
body had apparently been modified to have the
gas tank under the seat in part of 1920
production. Directive advising of change back to
the square tank in the rear deck made this date.
The height of the coupe seat seemed to be the
problem.
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MAR 10 |
Acc.235, Box 38, #697, Ford Archives |
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"We
enclose you herewith sheet #3 of our paint
specifications on Coupe and Sedan bodies. This
sheet gives you the information covering those
portions of the paint operations performed at
the branches.
"We call your attention in particular to
Operation #16, wherein it is noted that all
inside moldings, window jambs, windshield frames
and door jambs be given one coat of Black Satin
Finish F-192."
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APR 1 |
Acc.
575, Box 14, #832, Ford Archives |
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Oil
holes in the frame rails for the brake lever
shaft discontinued.
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APR 26 |
Acc.
575, Box 14, #836, Ford Archives |
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Bendix cover now painted black instead of zinc
plated.
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MAY 12 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"Began using Heinze commutators."
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MAY 28 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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Engine 5,000,000 built at 7:05 A.M. Given to
Edsel Ford.
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JUN 26 |
Acc.
235, Box 38, Ford Archives |
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"Please discontinue furnishing T6881, Top Dust
Hood for Touring Car, T6939 Top Dust Hood for
Torpedo, and T1923, Tool Box, as regular
equipment on new cars as soon as your available
stock is exhausted.
"Top hoods may be carried as extra parts in your
service stock and supplied at regular catalog
price hereafter."
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JUL 14 |
Acc.
1701. Model T Releases, Ford Archives |
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Specified that the shape of the spokes be
changed from oval to round. (This may have
occurred earlier than this date.)
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JUL 19 |
Acc.
235, Box 38, Ford Archives |
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"We
wish to call your attention to the new style
pressed steel running board bracket which has
gone into production and as shipments have been
made to some of the branches we ask that you
kindly note the changes which will go into
effect through the adoption of this new
bracket." (A list of the parts followed.)
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JUL 17 |
Acc.
235, Box 38, Ford Archives |
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"Supplementing our General Letter No. 793 under
date of June 18the, wherein we mention the fact
that Sedan Side Curtains T10300A1, A2, A3 and
T10300B, are to be held for repairs only. This
means that side curtains will not be included in
standard sedan equipment in the future." (These
are the side window curtains.)
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AUG 3 |
Henry
Ford Office Files, Ford Archives |
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The
following letter was received from the Holley
Carburetor Company:
"Dear Mr. Ford:
"A situation which I consider unjust to us has
developed at the Highland Park factory which I
respectfully request receive your serious
consideration.
1. A
contract was made between the Holley Carburetor
Company and the Ford Motor Company, September 1,
1920, in which the Ford Motor Company was given
a shop right to manufacture our NH carburetor,
the consideration being orders to be placed with
us for 50% of the carburetors used on the Model
T cars. From September 1st to June 30th we
received orders for 34% of the cars produced.
2. We
installed machinery to produce 5,000 carburetors
per day. The above contract provided for one
year's notice of cancellation. This notice was
given us on April 21st, 1921. Since that time,
machinery has been installed in the Highland
Park factory to produce carburetors known as
Model F, which is identical with Model NH with
the exception of a slight change in the mixer
chamber venturi, as per sketch attached. We are
informed that they have orders to produce 3000
of these carburetors per day while we have never
produced more than 1,800 per day and have been
laying men off a portion of each month.
"We
spent about seven months and very nearly $75,000
in perfecting the NH carburetor and so far as
the writer knows there are not complaints on
workmanship. Our price has been from 11 to 30
cents per carburetor lower than Kingston and, to
the best of our knowledge and belief, it is also
lower than the cost of the Model G made at the
Rowena Street plant. Our relations have been
cordial and satisfactory in every way and we are
at a loss to understand the reason for the
action taken at Highland Park as it is
absolutely unjust and only leads toward an
organization that will permit such action to be
taken."
There
is an attached drawing showing the venturi
designs for the NH and Model F. The NH has the
"straight through" bore while the Model F has
the venturi that dips in the middle ?what
we usually think of as the later NH. It is
interesting that the Ford built carburetors had
this feature earlier than the Holley.
The Holley letter was accompanied by a letter
from F.H. Diehl the Ford Motor Company's
purchasing agent. He stated that not only was
Ford making Model F's, but that they were
building Model G's as well. And they were buying
Kingston's too. These documents suggest that
Model T's came with four different carburetors
from Sept. 1, 1920 to Aug., 1921: The Holley NH
with the straight thru design, the Model F, the
Model G and the Kingston.
(The
above was discovered by Trent Boggess during a
visit to the Ford Archives in February 1997.)
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AUG 6 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"Began to center commutator counterbore with
camshaft."
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AUG 9 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"New
style crankcase in all production."
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OCT 10 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"Began brass rollers" (commutator). By October
13 they were using all brass rollers.
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OCT 15 |
Acc.
78, Box 47-49, Ford Archives |
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Sample "new style" bodies shipped from Highland
Park to branches, to be used as samples.
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OCT 25 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"New
commutator shield begun." (The center hole now
had a lip.)
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OCT 28 |
Acc.
1701. Model T Releases, Ford Archives |
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"Added slot for stop pin in bottom," referring
to the steering gear box under the steering
wheel. "Outside of cup to be machined and nickel
plated."
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NOV 1 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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First
engine with one-piece valve door. The older
two-door engines continued until April 3, 1922.
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NOV 8 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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"Start copper plate rollers." (These are the
copper-plated steel rollers.)
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NOV 15 |
Engine production records, Ford Archives |
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Began
using rolled-thread head bolts.
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DEC 29 |
Acc.
78, Box 47-49, Ford Archives |
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Commutator brushes of bronze and steel being
supplied. Aluminum type discontinued.
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