MTFCA Forum

Did Henry ever paint pinstripes on the Tudor Model T's? Or is this something the owners did? Years that were painted if Henry did it?

From the late Bruce McCalley's book, Model T Ford, The Car That Changed The World, page 403, under striping colors, " The bodies of the closed cars were striped at the factory. The stripe was quite thin and appeared just below the (belt line) body molding. The striping colors were Vermilion or orange on maroon cars, champagne on the gray cars, and cream or emerald green on the green cars."

I have an early ‘26 that was black, but had the green pinstriped upholstery. Some use outside pinstripes in red. I believe green is correct.

The attached photos show the route of the pinstriping on a 1926 coupe the pinstriping goes around the body across the top of the turtleneck below the body belt and ends on each side as it goes down the column on each side and doubles back at the bottom. My passenger side door is out of alignment, which is why the stripe is not even as it goes from the door to the body behind the door, otherwise, it should be even. I have learned since applying my pinstriping that the original pinstriping was thinner than my 1/8” wide gold 3M stick on pinstriping, but I like it, as I feel it is more proportional and stands out better, but that is a matter of choice.

The 1926 Tudor is exactly the same way, only it has a longer way to go behind the front door since the Tudor has a back seat. The 1926 Fordor is also the same except that it has four doors but the route is the same around the car to the front columns on each side. Note: the pinstriping stops at the bottom of the column and does not continue across the bottom of the door. Jim Patrick

Factory instructions from Service Bulletin

Dan, that states blue, green, brown, grey gets a certain color of pinstriping. What about a 1927 black body?

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:58 pm

Dan, that states blue, green, brown, grey gets a certain color of pinstriping. What about a 1927 black body?

Left of fig. Vermillion

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:58 pm

Dan, that states blue, green, brown, grey gets a certain color of pinstriping. What about a 1927 black body?

Yes, the added text for the Black finish was hidden a bit, so put a big vermillion star by it!

David,
If it’s a 23 to 25 Tudor, the stripe was just below the belt molding and went all the way around the body crossing over all the half oval trim. The stripe was 1/16th of an inch give or take depending on who applied it. Because the stripe was applied by hand, it could vary slightly in size & distance from the belt molding. Below are a couple photos of a 24 I did a few months ago.

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:12 pm

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:58 pm

Dan, that states blue, green, brown, grey gets a certain color of pinstriping. What about a 1927 black body?

Yes, the added text for the Black finish was hidden a bit, so put a big vermillion star by it!



Coupe body striping copy.jpg

Dan, Are you and James Patrick saying that all 26-27 enclosed cars had pinstriping, not only below the belt line body molding, but also vertically up and down the A body pillar. Bruce McCalley does show and mention in his books that some cars might have come that way, but seems to suggest that most did not. I have a black and white photo of my mother in her new 1927 coupe. It appears to perhaps been gray in color with a cream colored stripe. It definitely was not a dark colored (green, maroon, or black) car, and there's no indication of any vertical stripe on the A pillar.

ModelTWoods wrote: ↑

Mon Jul 05, 2021 1:47 am

DanTreace wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 10:12 pm

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Jul 04, 2021 9:58 pm

Dan, that states blue, green, brown, grey gets a certain color of pinstriping. What about a 1927 black body?

Yes, the added text for the Black finish was hidden a bit, so put a big vermillion star by it!



Coupe body striping copy.jpg

Dan, Are you and James Patrick saying that all 26-27 enclosed cars had pinstriping, not only below the belt line body molding, but also vertically up and down the A body pillar. Bruce McCalley does show and mention in his books that some cars might have come that way, but seems to suggest that most did not. I have a black and white photo of my mother in her new 1927 coupe. It appears to perhaps been gray in color with a cream colored stripe. It definitely was not a dark colored (green, maroon, or black) car, and there's no indication of any vertical stripe on the A pillar.

In my case, my '26 Fordor had the vertical "A" pillar stripe from new. Don't know about all cars however...

Since Model T pinstriping was originally done by hand and time was of the essence in moving them off the assembly line, I doubt if all 1926-‘27 Model T’s were pinstriped and the route, color and appearance, while designated in detail by Ford, may have been left to the discretion of the pinstriper, depending on time and taste of the new owner having it done. It may have also been a special order done at the dealerships which explains why many do not have pinstriping. There is also the possibility that, since the pinstriping was applied on top of the existing paint with the inferior paint of the time, the thin pinstriping may have been the first thing to wear off in polishings and constant exposure to the elements. Anyway, as to your suggestion that there is nothing showing the pinstripes extending “down and up” the pillar, please refer to the attached photo from the Henry Ford Museum. Note that the stripe does not go up the pillar, but goes down the pillar when it reaches the middle hinge. The first photo is an original period photo (dated December 31, 1926) from the collection of the Henry Ford Museum, from which I first discovered how the pinstriping was originally done on my ‘26 coupe and served as my guide. Note, where is says the pinstriping “is typical of the striping on all closed cars…there are minor variations from car to car”. And below it is an artist’s rendition in a period ad, clearly showing the stripe extending down the pillar, below the middle door hinge, but not appearing to double back at the bottom. One of the “minor variations”, referred to in the captioned photo. The last photo is a pinstriped Tudor. Jim Patrick

PS. I prefer the stripe to double back at the bottom of the pillar, for it provides a definite conclusion to the run of the pinstriping instead of allowing it to abruptly end at the bottom of the vertical run, giving it an unfinished appearance.