Indented FireWall
 

What's the reasoning behind the late '31 Indented Firewall? Did the idea of a larger engine(V-8) have an influence -- or what?

Re: Indented FireWall
 

I think it was new regulations from various states. They didn't want exposed gas lines in the passenger compartment of cars and trucks, so Ford rerouted the gas tank shut off valve straight out through the fire wall instead of out through the passenger compartment as it had been for the previous three and half years of production. To make it work, Ford indented the fire wall to get up close to the gas tank.

Re: Indented FireWall
 

The story I have heard over the years is that the state of Pennsylvania passed a law prohibiting a fuel shut off valve inside the car for safety reasons. Ford decided to put the valve out on the firewall for all the cars he built no matter where they were delivered.

Tom Endy