How do you date a TT?

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Corvette Guy
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How do you date a TT?

Post by Corvette Guy » Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:00 am

In reading the forums it seems that the following styling cues can be used to date the trucks, anyone have an idea of when they changed?

Metal vs wooden firewall
High vs low radiator
Short vs long running boards
Beaded vs smooth rear axle
Two holes vs 1 hole rear bed mounts
Dismountabe vs nondismountable wheels
Solid vs inflatable tires

Anything I missed?

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Steve Jelf
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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Steve Jelf » Sat Jul 11, 2020 12:26 am

The only one I'm pretty sure of is the radiator. The high radiator was introduced on 1924 model cars (summer 1923), so I expect that goes for trucks too.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Burger in Spokane » Sat Jul 11, 2020 1:15 am

Short running boards through 25, long 26-27.
As Steve said, tall radiator 24-27.
The beaded axle was EARLY .... 18-19
Don't know about the demountables, except that they are later.
Solid tires were aftermarket, so are not indicative of YOM.
C-cab introduced for 1923
Box cab introduced for 1924
Both available until the end.
More people are doing it today than ever before !

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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by perry kete » Sat Jul 11, 2020 1:37 am

How do you date a TT?
I usually buy it flowers and take it to dinner! :lol:

Oh come on now you that was coming!
1922 Coupe & 1927 Touring


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Sat Jul 11, 2020 3:20 am

Thank you PK/DS, You saved me from struggling with the need!
I believe that 1918 and '19 TTs had solid tire rear wheels. Pneumatic tires in 23X5 inch size became an popular rear option in 1920. The 20 inch pneumatics became a further option along about 1924 or '25. Front wheels for 1918 and 1919 were 30X3 non-demountables. Demountable type 30 X 3 1/2 clinchers became an option for the TT in I think 1920 (about a year after cars had the option). 21 inch "balloon" tires and wheels became available in 1925.
Pre-starter 1918 into early 1920 TTs did not have the battery box between the left side running board brackets. The starter option did not become available on the TTs until sometime in 1920.
Numerous other changes like front engine/spring mount, engine block variations, changes to the coil boxes, wiring, switches, etc, generally followed the cars by a short time. Front fenders of course did NOT change to the '26/'27 car style, but continued in the '24/25 car style.

The biggest problem with dating a TT (other than whether to buy flowers or chocolates?) is that so many details on the trucks were changed over their useful years that in many cases, the mix of early and late variations becomes so confusing that an exact dating may be impossible.


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Corvette Guy » Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:17 am

Wow, good stuff apparently my trucks are a mishmash.

So far we have:
Metal vs wooden firewall?
High vs low radiator, high started in 1924
Short vs long running boards, short through 25, long 26 & 27
Beaded vs smooth rear axle, beaded axle 18-19
Two holes vs 1 hole rear bed mounts?
Dismountabe vs nondismountable wheels, 18-19 30x3 non demounts, 21 balloons 1925
Solid vs inflatable tires, 18-19 solid tires
C cab, 1923
Box cab, 1924
Battery box, 18-20 not between the running board on non starter truck
Engine / spring mount?
Engine block variation?
Coil box and switch?
Wiring?


I think I also read where the way the emergency brake lever was mounted to the frame could be used to date them too, but I'm not sure.


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Original Smith » Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:27 am

Bruce's book is the best reference so far. Wouldn't it be nice if a knowledgeable TT enthusiast would write a book on TT's, and do it in the same format as Bruce's book by year, with lot's of pictures and detailed photos.


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by HPetrino » Sat Jul 11, 2020 9:32 am

Using the running boards is not as reliable an indicator as I formerly thought, Take a look at this: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=14025&sid=c017488bc ... 4a4b22def9

One item not mentioned is the patent plate. It probably is one to the more reliable indicators.

You may never get it down to any closer than a 2 or 3 year range. These trucks were used, used, then used some more. Very often they were repaired with whatever was at hand regardless of "correctness". If it worked it was used. The result is that just because you find a certain part doesn't necessarily mean it's an original part. Another factor is that Ford would use up all the old parts on hand before adding a newly updated part. A very good example of this is my 1918 TT (I think) has a 1915-16 steering column which I'm pretty sure is original to the truck. Obviously, it's not a 1915 or 1916 TT.

It's fun! Enjoy your truck!!


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by John Codman » Sat Jul 11, 2020 11:51 am

Buy it some flowers and ask it nicely.


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Jerry VanOoteghem » Sat Jul 11, 2020 2:36 pm

perry kete wrote:
Sat Jul 11, 2020 1:37 am
How do you date a TT?
I usually buy it flowers and take it to dinner! :lol:

Oh come on now you that was coming!

I'm so proud of you! I wanted to say, "buy it a drink", but lost my nerve. Just like when dating girls.... oh well. :(


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Dallas Landers » Sat Jul 11, 2020 4:15 pm

I have a date with my TT tonight. I just took it to town and bought her a drink. The wife and I are going to "the big town" for supper with some friends and are taking the TT. Its only about 15 miles away but we can take all back roads. Will have to stop at Yall Mart on the way home and scare a few people before returning home. I thought I was dating a TT but it turns out we are married.


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Re: How do you date a TT?

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Sat Jul 11, 2020 5:02 pm

Ford generally had a bit of a crossover time when changes were made. Most things (the under-axle wishbone being an exception in 1918/'19), cars got the change before trucks. Both cars and trucks were being put together at numerous "branch" assembly plants located in several states around the continent and a few in other countries. Canada, did its own manufacturing supplying cars and trucks to several British counties around the world (a way to avoid punitive import taxes and appeal better to the British customers. Those branch assembly plants generally lagged behind Detroit by anywhere from several days to sometimes a few months while older parts were used up. So most minor changes cannot be pinned down to a specific time, just a general time-frame.
The front engine/spring mount change was made during 1920. the low hood wooden firewall went from the first TTs through most of 1922 and some during '23. The low hood steel firewall was basically a 1923 only item from the factory. However, a lot of the TT trucks being used hard broke down their wooden firewalls and got steel replacements while still being valuable trucks.
There were several engine block changes during the TT years, all of them affecting both cars and trucks, a few with slight timeline differences. The non-generator blocks were all Ford used for 1918. Enclosed cars began getting starters and generators early in the 1919 model year. Open cars got the option a few months later, and trucks followed about a year later sometime around 1920 Non-generator blocks were used up on TTs months later than they were used in cars. TTs have been seen with original non-generator blocks as late as early 1920, although most had the optional block-of covers by mid 1919.
The "circle" casting date on the block was eliminated abut 1920. The two-cover valve chamber was replaced by a longer single cover about 1922. Somewhere during the early to mid '20s, the "ford" script was eliminated from the left side of the block, but I am not sure just when. There were a few other minor changes on the block during the mid '20s, but I would leave those to the true researchers and better experts. The hole between cylinders 2 & 3 (for the throttle rod) was eliminated for 1927 when the vaporizer was used exclusively from the factory, causing the throttle rod to run over the head.
The ignition switch was mounted on the coil box for 1918/'19 and some of '20 models without optional starters. All TTs (starter or not) got the ignition switch on a firewall bracket by the end of 1920. Trucks with the optional factory cabs (open "C" cab beginning '24, or steel enclosed cab beginning '25) got the ignition switch mounted on a dash panel in the cab.

The wishbone was changed on TTs first because the over-axle wishbone had been somewhat troublesome for several years on the cars having some stability issues at higher speeds. Numerous after-market "fixes" had been offered and sold well during the brass era. The stability issues became worse with heavy loads on the trucks. So the wishbone was changed to the under-axle design on the TTs late in 1918 or earliest '19. Cars followed shortly after.

Just a bit more off the top of my head.

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