Special Model T Fasteners

[GarageGuy]

One of the local car guys is restoring a 1923 Model T, and needed the special fasteners that mount the wooden framework for the top. He looked everywhere and they weren't available anymore, so he asked if I could make some for him. The two brown rusty ones are Henry Ford originals (92 years old), and the 26 silver ones are the replacements I made for him.

GG

 

[GK1918]

Nice job surprised Mac's or Langs don't have em. By the way is this for a closed car? I too have a 1923 touring -I see none on
mine

sam

 

[itsme_Bernie]

That's gotta be great, making parts to keep a classic on the road! Wow! Can you show pics of the car someday when it's getting put together?


Bernie

 

[bluegrass-engineer]

Nice. What is the pitch on the thread? Could you tap the threads or did you have to turn them?

 

[w9jbc]

Just a guess but I'd say they're a tapped thread it would be real difficult to single point am internal thread that small.

 

[GarageGuy]

Nice job surprised Mac's or Langs don't have em. By the way is this for a closed car? I too have a 1923 touring -I see none on
mine
sam

Those places may have them, I don't know where he looked before asking if I could make them for him. Yes, it is a closed car, I'm not sure if it's a 2 door sedan... it has a back seat and would seat 5 people. I thought it was a 1923, but I could be off a year or two. These hold the wood roof framework on to the steel body, and then the canvas top covers it all so you can't see it. There are bolts that stick up from the inside of the car, somewhat like carriage bolts, but you actually tighten these fasteners from the outside of the car before the canvas goes on.

That's gotta be great, making parts to keep a classic on the road! Wow! Can you show pics of the car someday when it's getting put together?
Bernie

I'm a car guy, and I like helping the other car guys with parts or modifications when I can. The car is a runner. He is replacing the roof, headliner, and interior. The rest of the car is ready for a drive right now. It's currently in storage, so I don't know if I can get a photo of it or not, but I'll see what I can do.

Nice. What is the pitch on the thread? Could you tap the threads or did you have to turn them?

The threads are 1/4 20TPI, so very standard stuff. They are tapped. It would have been a much easier job with a nice HSS spiral flute tap, but my old dull carbon steel taper tap is all I had to work with on this project. That was the hardest part of the job.

 

[GarageGuy]

He told me he didn't have the tool to install these fasteners, so I made one for him today. I pulled a piece of A-286 out of my metal box, not really knowing what it was. Interesting stuff! My band saw made it halfway through a 5/8" rod before giving up. I ended up using a high speed abrasive cutoff tool to finish the cut, and all carbide cutting tools after that. I put a 1/2" hex head on it so he could use a socket & ratchet to turn it. The bolt can't stick out past the top of the fastener anyway, otherwise it could tear through the canvas top material.

GG

 

[davidh]

thats the mother of necessity. nice little project.