slant windshield town sedan

[dave in australia]

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

[Jim/GA]

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

[dave in australia]

Originally Posted by Jim/GA

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

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.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by dave in australia

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.

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

[dave in australia]

Originally Posted by JayJay

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

Here they are,

[dave in australia]

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[Oldbluoval]

Best info I have is April-May

[rotorwrench]

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.

[WTSHNN]

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

-Tim

[Bob Bidonde]

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.

[JayJay]

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

[Jim/GA]

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.

[Keith True]

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.

[JayJay]

Originally Posted by Keith True

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.

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

Originally Posted by Brian SATX

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.

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.

[Richard Knight]

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.

[JRrev]

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.

[WTSHNN]

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

[A Model A]

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).


Here is a Factory Photograph dated 3/18/31, it is one of many images taken of SW Fordors that day including interior pictures.


The 1 Millionth Ford Made in Canada was assembled on 3/24/31 and it was a Slant Windshield Town Sedan.


Also the 4/2/31 Chicago Service letter includes SW Fordor specific parts added to the parts list.

[Oldbluoval]

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

[jw hash]

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