23 coupe gas tank

[Dennis_Brown]

Was the gas tank on a 23 coupe under the seat or in the trunk and was it oval or square?

[Wayne Sheldon]

To be clear, 1923 was a mixed up year. Is your coupe a true 1923, basically the same as 1919 through 1922, suicide doors etc? Or the early production 1924 style which began production about June of 1923? This subject is as loaded with land mines as what oil should I use with model Ts! I have seen people want to get into fist fights (not kidding!) over this!

The 1924 style coupes all (standard from the factory) had the standard oval tank under the seat. Simple and easy.
The suicide door coupes from 1919 into 1923? I am not sure about. What I "know" is that some of them had the regular gasoline tank under the seat, while others had the odd square tank in the trunk. Under the seat gasoline tanks would have been oval or round depending on year of production, and gotten whatever tanks were being used in touring cars, runabouts, and even maybe TT trucks. There was a little bit of time around 1920 that either round or oval might have been used, depending upon assembly plant.
The square tank I believe was the same one used in center-door sedans and I think the new style two-door sedans beginning in 1923.
Whether 1923 specifically had the gasoline tank under the seat (oval) or in the trunk (square) I just do not know.

[perry kete]

Look in the turtle deck (trunk) to see if there is a cut out in the floor for the sediment bulb and fuel line to hang down through so the fuel line can be run forward to the engine. There also may be signs of a bracket to hold the tank in place.

NOTE: this is a photo of a '22 Coupe fuel tank in the turtle deck and is posted just to give you an idea of where the square tanks were placed.

[Mike Silbert]

Through the 20's Ford was still buying closed bodies from outside makers so there are sometimes not hard fast answers.
Henry was never worried about model and year changeovers. He was trying to produce enough cars to keep up with demand.
Often the line is very blurry and unclear through the production of Model T's.
There are many examples of parts being on cars earlier and later than they "belong".
I believe Henry was the first to use the slogan "If it fits, It ships".

Perhaps some pictures of the under seat and trunk areas of your car can help find the clues to what type gas tank it is supposed to have?

Here is what the MTFCI judging standards have to say on the subject:

Screenshot 2025-12-21 101035.jpg (39.43 KiB) Viewed 85 times

Screenshot 2025-12-21 101050.jpg (21.41 KiB) Viewed 85 times

Mike

[TXGOAT2]

Henry Ford had a goal of reducing waste to an absolute minimum. He abhorred waste, whether of time, material or talent.

[TRDxB2]

From the MTFCA Encyclopedia by model year for the 1923
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 until the new bodies (1924 models), which used the standard oval tank under the seat.

General
1920-1925
Oval-shaped tank replaced round type. Construction was similar to previous tank except for oval cross-section. Two door sedans and coupes continued the square tank, but oval tank was used in a number of coupes in late 1920, apparently as an experiment. All coupes of the 1924-25 style used the oval tank under the seat.