slant windshield town sedan
 

Quick question, when was the first slant windshield town sedan produced?

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

early 1931. how specific of a date do you need?

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Best info I have is April-May

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

The design and roll out of the slant windshield Fordor types was complicated by Henry's insistence of all of the different sub-types being the same between Briggs and Murray. Before this time, there were more subtle differences between the two body manufacturers but Henry insisted on interchangeability of parts. Oldbluoval has the time frame about right. They likely started coming off the line in May of 1931 sometime but gearing up for the change likely predates that by a month or two.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Month is OK. A member of our club has a slant windshield town sedan. In Australia, Ford did not sell 1931 cars due to the depression. Ford sold 1930 models into 1932, trying to get rid of 1930 stock. A member of our club has an original slant town sedan on 1930 running gear and bolt ons, so a few of us are trying to work out at about what month of 1931 or 1932 the body was imported and fitted to be sold. The body was fitted out in Australia, as the window frames are trimmed in mountain ash, and has a camper fold down front seat. I will follow up with some photos later tonight our time.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

That sounds like a quite interesting vehicle, I look forward to the photos.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

The 20,000,000th Ford was a Slantwindshield Town Sedan that was assembled on April 14th 1931.

-Tim

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Here they are,

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

more

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

The first slant windshield Model "A" is the 190-A Victoria that was introduced in October, 1930.
The following is deduced from the Body Parts List of April 1, 1932.
The A-45014-D Front Body Assembly (AKA Cowl Assembly) that has a slant-windshield is common to the 160-A Standard Fordor, 160-B Town Sedan, 160-C Deluxe Fordor & the 190-A Victoria Coupe. The A-68014-B Front Body Assembly, that also has a slant windshield, is common to the 68-C Cabriolet & 400-A Convertible Sedan.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Very interesting, thanks Dave. Now I see what a RHD intake manifold looks and functions like, quite obvious but I’ve never seen one.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I have a S/W Town Sedan that was assembled in Houston, Texas, with an engine that was stamped with a number in April, 1931. This car has the fuel shut-off valve under the gas tank, as is the one in these photos.

I have another one that was assembled new in Chicago, Illinois, with an engine that was stamped with a number in May, 1931. This car has an indented firewall with the fuel shutoff valve in the engine compartment (as they were for the remainder of production).

Based on that, this would put the export date of your basic imported body from around April 1931 timeframe. It took some months to get there to you. Then it was finished out locally. Possibly special order.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I put a clutch in a very original S/W sedan.It had a flat firewall,but I've had guys tell me that there were no flat firewall slant Fordors.I started looking,I've seen plenty of them.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I looked at a slant locally and saw the flat firewall and I was thinking what is the deal here. The owners daughter showed me pictures of the body her father started with which was essentially a shell of a four door with a chopped up firewall that looked like a former hot rod. Where it was obviously put together from parts I had too many doubts about it but now know flat firewall slants were a thing.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I had a slant window sedan with a flat firewall dated March 1931 but that would have been the engine date. So, likely assembled in April.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

While talking about firewalls and such keep in mind that there is also a gas tank used very briefly (one month or so?) that utilized the drop steering bracket omitting the tank mounted bracket AND was a interior fuel shut off valve.

Many people are of the belief that the drop bracket came online with the indented firewall but that isn't the case.

-Tim

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

When we did our video on the Slant Windshield styling we didn't go in depth on the introduction date but here are a few things to add.

This is an ad from the 3/14/31 Montclair Times (NJ).
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...7&d=1748459886

Here is a Factory Photograph dated 3/18/31, it is one of many images taken of SW Fordors that day including interior pictures.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...8&d=1748459886

The 1 Millionth Ford Made in Canada was assembled on 3/24/31 and it was a Slant Windshield Town Sedan.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...9&d=1748459886

Also the 4/2/31 Chicago Service letter includes SW Fordor specific parts added to the parts list.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...0&d=1748459886

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I’ve seen a slant fordor with wood sills. Flat firewall, left hand drive
Wasn’t in great shape and incomplete so don’t know if standard or town sedan

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Dave in Australia, what is that lever in the middle of the front seat back?

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I was looking at this car only 3 days ago. Certainly an interesting and (relatively) unmolested vehicle. Dave in Australia is probably correct in that it started out as a 1930 but ended up with the 1931 body. I mentioned it in this thread https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=349429
BTW and FWIW, that is the owner in the background of the first picture.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I have one of those stamped steel light bars like the one pictured on this sedan on my 30 pickup.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

That is the release for the "camper fold down front seat". This was included in his description of the car in post #5, but it is easily missed. One of the pictures in post #9 shows the seat back partly swung down.

Save on motel expense, sleep in your car.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I just noticed the window shades on the rear 1/4 windows. SW quarters rolled down and did not have shades. Maybe someone "built "this car.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I have a early 1931 160c that was restored to fine point standards (body 70) and a late 1931 165c that is all original survivor. they are only 3980 engine numbers apart built January 27th and 28th. there is a factory photo of a 160c dated the first of march.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

That may be for an American built car but this one doesn't exist. It doesn't appear on any of Ford Australia's records hence the uncertainty about when it was made. There are other differences unique to an Australian car - have a look at the tail light mount for example.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

OK, so it looks like the earliest would be March 1931 for USA, add 3-4 months for Australia, so about June-July 1931 for Australia. Definitely fits in with 1930 models being sold into 1932 in Australia, somewhere near the end of the A before the newer B and V-8's. It certainly raised a few interests in our club from a few of us into these details, and certainly very rare, being a 1930 slant windshield, made and sold in mid to late 1931.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

I have a flat firewall Slant '31 (Town Sedan) VIN A4375XXX (which I presume is the original chassis/engine number) puts it Feb 1931.

My '31 rear quarter windows roll down and have window shades. The car was "restored" in the 1980's so if those shades are not original then they were added then. My early '31 TS has fixed quarter windows and pull-down shades.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Trimming and fit outs were different in Australia compared to the USA. Things like colour schemes, we had coloured mudguards and wheels for some schemes, we had sport tourers and roadsters in 1928 and 1929, which had nickel plated windscreen posts and wind wings compared to black posts and no wind wings on a standard model. The car is essentially un-changed and unrestored from new from what we can tell when looking at it. It is an excellent and unique piece of Ford Australia history.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

The Camper Fold Down Front Seat is very interesting and neat feature. I have never seen one like that, maybe an Australian thing only? Was that an aftermarket item?

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Delete

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

From the 4/3/31 Chicago Service Letter.
https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/attac...9&d=1748632855

It would seem that there is a possiblity early SW Town Sedans came with rear quarter shades.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

"Here's one more", I had a slant 160-B barn find years ago, all original, a March '31 engine #, flat firewall, no 1/4 window shades, no extended steering column bracket.

Re: slant windshield town sedan
 

Available from the factory. This is the only sedan I've seen with the camper front seat, but have seen a few 28-29 Australian bodied tourers(phaetons )with this feature.