MTFCA Forum

Found these in my collection of Model T Parts any help is appreciated. Thank you in advance.

They are top bow holding brackets/saddles for a non T.

It seems as though Canadian Ford utilized this type of "top bow separator" - I've seen ads in era American accessory catalogs for such an item.

I have quite a few of these in varying configurations if anyone wants to try them.

Don't know what car they are off of or intended for? Those are an unusual configuration with the tapered socket mounting. I have seen some like that over the years. However, most top socket brackets/clamps used a straight round post mounting, usually horizontal as opposed to vertical.

Those are probably rare and very desirable to someone that needs them. However, frankly, there are not a lot of people looking for those these days. So dollar value is iffy.

With four bow slots, those are probably for a touring car rather than a roadster (usually three bow slots). Generally speaking, such top socket clamps came in a large number of sizes and mounting variations. Numerous different positionings, height locations and offsets, were made to best fit so many makes and models of cars. They were also made in a number of different values of weight, and strength (how heavily made they were?). Some had a right and a left bracket while others were designed to fit either side. A person trying to find the right set for their car face a nightmare of finding out what style is "correct" and then finding an appropriate matching pair. Thousands of singles are out there! Finding one to match another usually means rejecting dozens of ones that do not match.

I sure hope those can find their way onto a car that needs them!

That "taper" you refer to Wayne fits into an early T body top iron - I'm attempting to use them on our '14 Touring - I have 2 different matching sets.

Thanks for all the replies. I would like to sell them and see somebody get to use them. They will be for sale reasonably priced hopefully they go to a good home.

Re: Help please identifying this part
Post Thu Jan 30, 2025 1:25 pm

It seems as though Canadian Ford utilized this type of "top bow separator" - I've seen ads in era American accessory catalogs for such an item.

I have a good friend in Canada, who is an avid T collector I’ll give him a call tomorrow and see what he has to say. Thanks for your help. Craig

Having offset mountings allows you to swap them from side to side to shift the bow clamps forward or aft. Sometimes this will allow you to dodge fittings/connecting irons on the bows. The best ones have the mountings riveted to the clamp. This allows the mountings to be moved up or down so the folded hood lies in an acceptable plane.

My Holden bodied 24 tourer has solid nickel clamps. I found 5 of them before I had a pair with the mounting clamps set at the same height, thus eliminating the need to shift the clamp on one of them. Two of them were stamped "Made in Adelaide" our state capital, and home of Holden's body works.

Allan from don under.

These bow separators were common on many makes of 'teens and 'twenties autos.

They came in styles for post or hole mounts. Took some time for me to search swaps to find a pair for the custom bodied Autowa T.

The Canadian T''s use the Bair brand, that co. made many types too.

Here is the Canadian:

This the style bow separator that I had to find a mate for, took a few trips to Chickasha and Hershey to finally find its match!

That is a very common one in Australia Dan. However, the mounting hole fixes both the height and fore/aft position. The one good thing is there is no left or right with these.

Allan from down under.

Allan

On the post made, put wrong photo of the top clamp as the one searched for.

That one has part # 463. Most all clamps have part #s on them to identify the style.



What I had to find was a mating pair of # 462. This type has 'offset' of the mounting hole to clear the body, and has to be the correct lower height so the rear bow is level when resting on the bracket.

Factory photo showing the top bow bracket on the body, had to search for this type to complete these missing parts on the Autowa.


Success in a couple of years, finally.

The type also depends on how the bows "nest' - notice some have separate holders whereas some have single top & bottom but the middle ones are paired.