*1927-early '28 AR differences*

[frankfalcone]

Greetings Mr Model T. This is the information I said that I would send to you.
Engine Compartment Area 1

Radiator shell 3/8” holes
1927-February 1928
Oil breather pipe down and out
December 1927-July 1927
Oil breather cap
1927-March 1929
Splash pans bolts in six places
1927-November 1928
Front solid engine mount
1927-November 1928
Engine pan side groove
February 1928-June 1928
Valve chamber cover oil return tube above bolt
1927-May 1929
Gas shut off round forged
1927-April 1929
Gas sediment bulb different threaded
1927-May 1928
Inside gas tank 5/8” fittings seamed tubing 3/8” diameter
1927-March 1928
Carburators Zenith or Holly dowel pen to secure double venture
1927-May 1928
Choke rod 22” tea drop knob
November 1927-November 1928
Forged choke bracket
November 1927-December 1929
Early choke rod not seamed
1927
Throttle linkage square base
1927-June 1928
Timing pin 9/16” hexagon ¼”
October 1927-January 1929
Intake manifold no vacuum hole
1927-February 1929


Electrical System Area 2

Abell starter ½” drive shaft
1927-June 1928
Offset starter rod
1927-March 1928
Positive ground strap multi-layered flat
1927-March 1930
Negative battery cable length 23 9/16” to 22 9/16”
December 1927-March 1928
Generator P-2 side mount cut out
December 1927-April 1928
P-2 early generators cadmium rear plates
1927-March 1928
Terminal box Ford script original rough edges
1927-June 1928
Banana pop out ignition cable
1927-June 1928
Distributor casting round indent above pop out
1927-March 1928
Distributor casting square notch for upper plate
1927-March 1928
Distributor caps raised double Ford script
1927-March 1928
Distributor upper plate one piece integral ball 45 degree angle
February 1928-June 1928
Lower plate longer wire
1927-June 1928
Point block on driver’s side of the distributor
1927-March 1928
Slant pole coil Ford script; script was eliminated
1927-March 1928
Light switch rod engraved on-off-dim 46 ¾”
1927-March 1928
Open boil lightening switch assembly; Knurled no drain hole
1927-March 1928
Clipped corners on terminal block conduit and speedometer cable clips
1927-March 1928
Brake light switch flat along attachment legs
1927-June 1928

Cooling System Area 3

Initial 1928 radiator rectangular bracket for support rods
1927-June 1928
Radiators had 2 lower holes to attach the fan shroud
1927-February 1928
Radiator fan shroud had 3 clips to secure right head light wires
1927-Febuary 1928
Water pumps casting 3/8” hole in bottom
1927-April 1928
Packing nut cast brass or bronze
1927-December 1929
Two blades double thick fan
1927-1931
Fan belts reddish brown or black
1927-1931
Hoses black with red strip or red
1927-1931
Water return pipe center bend near radiator for power house generators
1927-October 1928
Ford script removed on outer pipes
April 1928


Undercarriage Area 4

Front axel Ford script
- 1” long
- 5/8” script 5/8” long

1927-June 1928
January 1928-June 1928
Front spindle flange
- no seals
- 1/8” grease seal

1927-December 1927
January 1928-May 1928
Pitman arms
- 1st ¾” square no grease seal flanges
- 2nd 1/8” grease seal flanges
- 3rd sector shaft hole 15/16”
- 4th grease seal flange 13/32”

1927-November 1927
December 1927-January 1928
February 1928-May 1928
June 1928-Early 1929
Front radius rod thin tapered type round forged balls; Tubes welded on top
1927-Early 1928
Spindle connecting rods (tie rods)
- no grease fittings
- grease fittings

1927-December 1927
January 1928-September 1930
Drag link connected at inside edges
1927-October 1928
Spring perches 1/8” straight neck
November 1927-April 1928
Front and rear springs Ford script 10 leafs clipped corners
1927-April 1928
After 500 cars, the 2nd battery support square bottom
1927-August 1928
Battery covered pressed steel slight contoured corners
1927-August 1927
Frame assembly cross members riveted to frame rails

Front cross member was also front engine support

Rear axle housing wells facing forward after 1000 cars
March 1929
Differential housing ¾” between pinion bearing and round housing
1927-February 1928
Torque tube design 10” long 2” straight behind U joint 18” tapered section
1927-June 1928
Universal joint housing cap third design no reinforcing rib on the safety lug
January 1928-April 1928
Narrow radius rods
1927-May 1928
Flywheel housing shield
- ¼” gap between shield and engine block
- Second design ¼” flange added at outer edge

1927-February 1928
February 1928-May 1928
Transmission case no mounting for emergency brake
1927-June 1928
Reverse idler gear shaft within 1 3/8” diameter wide collar
1927-June 1928
Speedometer gear cap marked 10 37 3:701
1927-March 1928
Running board brackets were forged
1927-March 1929
Front and rear fender brackets were forged steel
Early 1928-Mid-1929
Fender brackets had square outer ends with ¼” bosses at the fender edges
January 1928-June 1928
Wheels with narrow inner flanges were completely phases by August 1928
1927-August 1928


Exhaust Systems Area 5

Mufflers had 1” offset
1927-February 1929
Intake and exhaust manifold gaskets copper or brass
1927-January 1929
Original mufflers unfinished tapered body design unchanged through production
1927-1931
Rear muffler clamps resembled scrap steel
1927-March 1929
Original manifold washers
1927-August 1928


Instrumental and Controls Area 6

Earliest instrument panel had a line encircling the edge; Not recessed at lower holes
1927-January 1928
Stewart Warner speedometer 2nd style 1/8” wide rim narrow numbers
January 1928-mid 1930
Gas gauge vertical oval opening with a flat lens; Block numbers in red “O” “F”
1927-My 1928
Ignition plate “ON” and “OFF”
1927-November 1928
Ignition key “A” 1928
1927-March 1928
Second choke rod 22” and 3/8” teardrop knob
November 1927-April 1928
Mushroom bakelite gear shift ball
November 1927-April 1928
Squeeze grip brake handle on left cowl
1927-June 1928
Service brake and emergency break use some mechanism
1927-June 1928
Smooth pedals , no ribs, Ford script one piece forgings
1927-February 1928
New wheels, drums, backing plates separate cross shaft put into production
June 1928
Service brake cross shaft; 2 piece shaft pivoted between universal joint and frame
1927-Febuary 1928

Brake System Area 7

Actuated both the service and emergency brakes; Single eye top and clevis bottom
1927-mid February 1928
Brake drums were dimensionally different
- early 1 3/16”
- late 1 11/16”

1927-June 1928
start March 1928
Backing plates smooth; no reinforcement ribs; round adjustable cones
November 1927-February 1928
Brake rods were adjustable with threaded clevis on the forward end
December 1927-April 1928
First style return spring tapered with an open end
December 1927-April 1928


Steering Column Area 8

First steering assemblies 7 tooth gear, 7 tooth column had a plain lower housing with a lubrication fitting on the upper side
1927-March 1930
Red steering wheel where made of a phenolic resin known as
“Ford lite”
1927-February 1929
Steering wheel spokes 13/16” narrower with grooved rim “V” joint spoke rim junction
January 1928-February 1928
Unique steering shaft style lower bushing was used with the earliest flight switch, Open bale light switch
1927-February 1928
The diameter of the steering worm sector was increased to 1 1/8” and the square end increased from ¾” to 15/16” which necessitated a change in the steering gear, pitman arm and bolt
February 1928
First light switch handle nickel-plated stamped steel with ON-OFF-DIM below; On and dim were arrows; Letters and arrows were filled with black enamel
1927-February 1928


Top Area 9

1927 through 1931 Coupe Tudor top materials were coarse long-short grain artificial leather

Fabrics used for Model “A” tops were unique to the era

Authenticity is the prime objective

Exterior visors for some 1928-1929 production cars were covered using the same materials as used on the top

Steel roof moldings and drip rails were pre-painted to match the top material and installed after the body was painted

Note any variation or defects in fit, materials, components, for workmanship, tailoring and finish


Glass and Side Curtains Area 10

Laminated glass was used in windshields of all Model “A”
1927-1931
Doors, quarter windows and read windows used plate glass
1927-1931
Passenger car rear view mirrors
1927-March 1928
Mirror 2 ½” wide 4 ½” long initially they were square corners
1927-March 1928


Carpets Area 11

All Model “A” Fords had a floor covering
1927-1931
Front floor early carpers had a heel pad sewn in approximate size 8”x11”x1/4”. The pad was beneath the pedals, stopping short of the shifts
1927-March 1928
Front carpet of closed models had a stamped steel trim ring, black, crimped on to the carpet around the gear shift tower
1927-March 1928
Carpet binding was matched to each trim scheme

Carpets had a cut out for the throttle and foot rest. It was finished with edge binding
1927-June 1928
Used until the hard brake was relocated
Early Tudor sedans had a full width support on the front seats and a sewn in leather rest on the carpets
1927-March 1928
There was a pyramid patterned rubber pad, weather seal with a metal core around the steering column
1927-October 1928
Used with multiple disc clutch
Floor board assemblies were 11/16” thick dipped with water repellent
1927 through 1929
Front floor board assembly #2 had no forward extension of the lower black metal support
1927-February 1928
Floor boards were trimmed with a brownish fabric anti-squeak webbing
1927 through 1929
Metal rubber boot on left-hand emergency brake
1927-June 1928
Base of accelerator foot rest was completely round
1927-June 1928


Interior Area 12

Ford closed body models used molded rubber door check straps
1927 through 1929
Door check attachment point on doors was much lower
1927-February 1928
Standard model hardware before was plain and plated bright nickel
1927-May 1928
Early head liners were wool matching the upper trip color
1927-March 1928
Cut out at or around the door dovetails 15/16” tap to bottom

All closed passenger vehicles except soft tops had a curtain at the rear window. Standard models, curtains were plain cloth
1927-1931
Original rollers zinc or cadmium-plated and thinned ¾” diameter.
1927-1931
All brackets were bright nickel
1927-1931
Window slide arms for closed models. No dent notch on the slide arms
1927 until 1929
The color of interior moldings was generally close to the predominate color of the seat fabric

Dash rail windshield post moldings were painted body color

All vehicles had some kind of anti-squeak material visible at the end of the dash rail.

Most were extensions of the dash panels.

In 1928-1929, the anti-squeak was a small trim welt to match the seats.

Trim Scheme – 1928 Tudor 55A grey cloth with a stripe (dropped in February 1928)
- Seats piped 3-3-8-8
- Seats sides, seat faces, seat backs, doors and quarters were grey cloth with wool stripe with a strip of broad lace across the top of the doors and quarter panels
- Back roof rail, windshield headers were plain grey wool cloth
- Headliner – Grey napped cloth
- Window lace trip welt was grey Wooster cloth
- Cowl, seat bottoms were grey Colonial-grained cardboard
- Blue cloth window curtain had no pattern or pull tab
- Window cord were mercerized blue with braided cotton cord.



Sheet Metal Area 13

Hoods had 2 piece black leather corners sewn with a double lock stitch along both edges and a staple near the top of the stitch line
1927-January 1927
First style hood shelf was ¼” staggered ½”- 1 ½”
1927- March 1928
Hood bumper and bracket assembly. Flat bumper added to inner edge of the hood shelf
1927-March 1928
Hood shelf panel had a rolled reinforced edge on the outside
1927-Juley 1928
Hood hook sockets with round corners
1927-early 1929
Front and rear fenders had serrations completely around the rolled edges
1927 through 1929
Front fenders were curved at the inner skirt at the rear of the hard shelf. These fenders had a metal reinforcement spot welded on the inside of the fender bead at the bracket hole
1927 through July 1928
in some plants
The height of the flange attached to the running board was decreased from 1 1/8” to 13/16”
January 1928
The front fender skirt was changed increasing the sweep at the front to provide additional clearance at the shock arms
February 1928
The fender brackets reinforcement was changed from flat stamped steel to a steel forging spot welded to the fender
April 1928
The reinforcing plates for both the fender brackets and running boards were flat
1927-June 1928
Anti-squeak welting was installed between the fender and running board
1927-January 1928
Running board shield Type 1 splash aprons with early brake systems were secured to the body blocks
1927-July 1928
Splash shields did not overlap the frame from the cowl rear word
1927-July 1928
Running boards were sheet metal with rubber matting and zinc edge trim
1927 through 1929
Running board matting was a ribbed pattern running the length of the board
1927-1929


Painting Area 14

Some early cars were all one color with no contrasting reveal color

Passenger cars had exterior striping at 1/8” to 3/32” wide stripe

On the down grey Tudor, the stripe would be straw

Trim color refers to the secondary color used on the belt moldings and/or upper body on Model “A”

In 1928 and 1929, the trip color was applied only on the raised portions of the moldings. It didn’t extend into the doorpost and door jams.

Gas tank in the passenger compartment were painted the lower body color



Exterior Plating Area 15

Closed end front and rear bumpers varied in curvature. The outer radius was 11 ½”. Afterwards, the radius was 16 ½”.
November 1927-February 1928
After pre-production, vehicles second style bumpers were 3-piece assemblies with two bars connecting plates with closed end bolts
October 1927-March 1928
Front and rear bumper clamps had a 1/64” shallow relief
1927-April 1928
Rear bumper clamps were marked “Made in USA”
1927-April 1928
Radiator and gas caps were low or high domed
1927-March 1928
Filter screens served as a flame arrestor
1927-1931
Original filter screen unplated brass 1 ½” diameter 5/8” shorter
1927-May 1928
All 1928-1929 headlamps were acorn shaped and bright nickel. Initially, they did not have any markings.
1927-March 1928
Lamp and horn conduits were ½” in diameter used on vehicles equipped with fluted lenses.
1927-February 1929
Radiator shells with round holes for lacing and the rare crank hole cover with a vertical finger grip
1927-February 1928
(25,000 cars)
Blue vitreous Ford radiator emblem with a stepped edge
1927-April 1929

Accessories Area 16

Restored vehicles are judges in comparison to the typical Model “A” Ford as it was driven off the assembly line

Ford authorized
Dealer supplied accessories



Tools Area 17

Each Model “A” was equipped with a tool kit

At the introduction of the Model A Ford, it was an engineering requirement that some of the tools have the Ford script identification. This requirement was removed by the end of April 1928.

Oil cans were used in “A” and “AA” through April 1928

The grease gun was produced by “Alemite.”

Tool bag – Common sense fasteners were single twist snap fasteners
1927-May 1928
Tool bag had two common sense fasteners
January 1928-May 1928
“Ford” script was on the jaw of the wrench
1927-April 1928
Ford script spark plug wrench
- unpainted
- black lacquer

1927-January 1928
February 1928-April 1928
Ford script pliers A17025 was unpainted 1 ¼” script across closed jaws
1927-January 1928
Ford script pliers were painted black; one handle was tapered to a screw driver
February 1928
Ford script open end wrench A17015 7/16” and ½”
1927-April 1928
Screw drivers A17020 overall length was 8 9/16” fluted handle

Jack A17080
1927-October 1928
Jack handle A17081 – 16” long, 7/8” wide, ¼” flat steel

Tire iron spoon on one end of a round hole, on the other end to line up with the 15/16” hole to with the handle socket

Tire iron A17019 was a straight-sided tool with no Ford script. Prior to February 1928, unfinished. It was painted black thereafter.

All tire irons were 10” long

Ford designed the first tire pump. The Ford script was on the right side of the tire pump pad.
1927-April 1928
Starting in January 1928, an instruction book was provided with every vehicle sold.

In 1928, first book round shift lever ball, left-hand brake without book, multiple disc clutch

Ford script lug wrench 11/16” used on vehicles with left-hand brakes (P/N A17036) 1” socket end 1” OD 7/16” deep. Second was January through June, 1 1/8” OD socket end.


Lamps Area 18

Before December 1927, “Ford” script was at the top of the headlight-fluted lens. After December 1927 to early 1929, the script was relocated to the bottom.

The headlight bar may be stamped with one or more “Ford” scripts along the tubular section of the bar
1927-April 1928
The rear lamp shell was stamped inward or outward with “Duolight” and “Ford”
1927-March 1928
Duolight on the drum rear lamp shell had lettering 7/32” high

Script was dropped by March 1928

Rear license plate bracket on 1927 and some early 1928 vehicles had an embossed “Ford” script just below the word “Duolight”

Earliest style brake light plug tail lamp socket used through March 1928 was round and completely ribbed.

The second style had a flat section at the area of wire attachment
April 1928-January 1929


Horn Area 19

From the beginning of production through 1927, horns had a square post plug-in connection instead of clips

There were two styles of square post connections. The earliest with receptacles in the bottom and the later plugged in from the side.

In December 1927, the clip design was introduced and both styles’ connections were produced through early 1928. Thereafter, only the clip design was used.

Horn mounting bracket was 1” wide at the top edge
1927-April 1928
Patent date plate indicated date of manufacture R21928
February 1928
First and second variations had no markings
1927-March 1928
Windshield Wiper Electric
- ODC1A large Ford script
- Made in USA
- 1927: S was backwards
- 1928: Ford script in oval. Introduced January 1928 and discontinued early February 1928
- March 1928 – ODC1B was introduced