How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

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Chris Haynes
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* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1921 Runabout
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How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Chris Haynes » Sun Apr 11, 2021 1:52 pm

I have the turtledeck itself. Nothing else. I can't figure out how it attached to the frame. There are no brackets.


Erik Johnson
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Erik Johnson » Sun Apr 11, 2021 2:10 pm

Four carriage bolts, one at each corner of the wooden frame of the trunk. There should be four corresponding holes in the rear deck of the body.

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Pep C Strebeck
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Pep C Strebeck » Sun Apr 11, 2021 2:36 pm

Do you have the wood frame for the turtle deck to mount to?

turtle.jpg
Photo stolen from the internet without permission, credited to Scott Conger.


The turtle deck mounts to the wooden frame shown in the photo above.
"Remember son, there are two ways to do this: The right way, and your way” Thanks Dad, I love you too.

LOOKING FOR A LUFKIN No. 9A Height Gage Attachment.


Topic author
Chris Haynes
Posts: 373
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Chris
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* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1921 Runabout
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Chris Haynes » Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:33 pm

My frame has wood under the top of the frame and not a sheet of plywood on top as in the picture.


Erik Johnson
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Erik Johnson » Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:49 pm

I presume by "turtle deck" you mean trunk.

The rear platform of the body is sheet metal over wood, not bare wood as shown above.

The trunk itself has a wood frame at it's bottom perimeter. There is a floor in the trunk made from wood board(s) attached to the wood frame.

The frame of the trunk has four holes - one in each corner. There are four corresponding holes in the sheet metal covered rear body deck.

As I posted before, the trunk is attached to the the body deck with four carriage bolts.
Last edited by Erik Johnson on Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.


Jerry VanOoteghem
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:53 pm

Let's see how these pictures come out... Hopefully, you can see the carriage bolt heads at the corners of the turtle deck framing. My '21 Runabout;
DSC05827.JPG
DSC05826.JPG
DSC05825.JPG

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Pep C Strebeck
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Pep C Strebeck » Sun Apr 11, 2021 6:29 pm

Chris Haynes wrote:
Sun Apr 11, 2021 4:33 pm
My frame has wood under the top of the frame and not a sheet of plywood on top as in the picture.

That is not plywood.



turtle1.jpg
turtle2.jpg
turtle3.jpg
"Remember son, there are two ways to do this: The right way, and your way” Thanks Dad, I love you too.

LOOKING FOR A LUFKIN No. 9A Height Gage Attachment.


Topic author
Chris Haynes
Posts: 373
Joined: Tue Jun 25, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Chris
Last Name: Haynes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1921 Runabout
Location: Camarillo. CA
Board Member Since: 2019

Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by Chris Haynes » Sun Apr 11, 2021 8:41 pm

Thank you. Now it is clear. :-)


VinTin23
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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by VinTin23 » Mon Apr 12, 2021 7:59 am

What a timely thread. I essentially have the same issue. Are the metal Sill & Wood commercially available. My 24 has homemade sills and 2x4 frame. Fender irons are bolted on with lag bolts and Turtle Deck flooring is non existent. I would like to get it back to original if the parts are available.


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Re: How does the turtledeck attach to my '21?

Post by John kuehn » Mon Apr 12, 2021 8:56 am

I used plywood for the 1919 on my car deck instead of using the wood slats as original. That was over 30 years ago as it was a piece of cabinet grade plywood. I’ll bet Ford would have used a single sheet of plywood if it was cheaper and readily available. Anyway it’s held up well.

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