nick8086 Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 How many Ford Model T Cars had a six cylinder? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 It's NOT a Model T. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CHuDWah Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 (edited) While it bears some similarity to a Model T and appears to have some T parts, it's not one. It's a custom supposedly built by/for Edsel in 1912. Edsel Ford's six-cylinder Model T speedster heads to auction Edited October 30, 2021 by CHuDWah (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick8086 Posted October 30, 2021 Author Share Posted October 30, 2021 Just took the picture today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 A famous car with a lot of unanswered questions. It was built in the brass era. And it was rebuilt, and altered a few times in the brass era. However, it is not known whether this is the same one as earlier pictures show, whether or how much of the earlier incarnation was used, or was it mostly a separate creation. Edsel Ford may have built some of it himself? Or not? The engine is one of a few special made engines built by Ford personnel. and there is considerable legend behind those engines, much of which is most likely not true. Legend has it that Edsel had Ford Company personnel build some of this while Henry and Clara were visiting Europe. Legend says Henry was so angry on his return he took a sledge hammer and his bare hands and destroyed the experimental car. But there were a couple European trips. And Edsel was on at least one of them. Basically, legend does not reconcile with known timelines. Something did happen. But exactly what and when is still being argued by early Ford researchers. Some think they have figure it out. Others disagree. There are era photographs of about a half dozen incarnations that may or may not be the same car? Different fenders. Different exhaust. Different seats, to a full body with a top! It is known that at least a couple special six cylinder engines were made. Photographs I have seen but do not have copies of show some differences between two of them. Research in recent years has disproved the "Henry hated the six cylinders" legend. He himself kept and used a model K Ford until almost 1920! And he was still rebuilding the earlier wrecked six cylinder racing car in 1910! What the real story is about those few custom sixes made in the early brass T era? I don't know. I don't think anybody has yet found the real truth, yet. However, a few people (one I know fairly well through the internet and early Fords forums!) are still looking for that truth. And, it is known, that Edsel Ford did drive a special six cylinder speedster for at least a couple years. With numerous changes along the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 1 hour ago, Ozstatman said: It's NOT a Model T. Looks like my statement isn't quite correct based on the offerings of others . There seems to be some Model T in it's genes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modela28 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 There was this one in the Wells Museum several years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 https://www.hemmings.com/stories/2012/07/24/edsel-fords-six-cylinder-model-t-speedster-heads-to-auction Find more photos in this story that I saw during a quick interweb search for "6 Cylinder Model T." Nice story, cleverly worded so as to not give the impression it's factual or this is the car in the legend. The car itself is a mess - a hot-rod kind of boat-tailed thing that someone with too much money and time created. It has all kinds of stuff on it, and yes, a few Model T things - but I couldn't see anything 1912. As has been mentioned before, it ain't one! Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 4 minutes ago, Ozstatman said: Looks like my statement isn't quite correct based on the offerings of others . There seems to be some Model T in it's genes. I would say your statement was SPOT ON! While there is some (to use the modern expression?) "Model T DNA" in this car, it is NOT a model T. It apparently is another Ford Special at least partially from their experimental and design departments. At about the time this car was supposedly built, Ford also built at least five Ford Specials for racing between 1910 and 1912. One actually had a smaller displacement than the model T had, in order to qualify to race in lower displacement classes. A 300 cid engine still exists in private hands, and is in a very properly recreated using correct era early pieces racing car. The 410 cid V-radiator car that beat the Blitzen Benz in a fair race in 1912 is still in the 'Henry Ford Collection'. One of the first of those Ford Specials was shipped to France (in 1910 if I recall correctly?), also about 300 cid, and raced by French Ford agent Henri Depasse for a couple years. Although most of those five (actual number not known for certain?) did use a lot of model T pieces in their construction, none of them were really a model T. And this car wasn't really a model t either. Although much of its story isn't fully known. It was a 'Special' of some sort. Not a model T 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Bond Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 (edited) 6 minutes ago, modela28 said: There was this one in the Wells Museum several years ago. Wonder how many of those six cylinder engines survived and have been built into speedsters? Edited October 30, 2021 by Terry Bond (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ozstatman Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 6 minutes ago, wayne sheldon said: I would say your statement was SPOT ON! While there is some (to use the modern expression?) "Model T DNA" in this car, it is NOT a model T. It apparently is another Ford Special at least partially from their experimental and design departments. At about the time this car was supposedly built, Ford also built at least five Ford Specials for racing between 1910 and 1912. One actually had a smaller displacement than the model T had, in order to qualify to race in lower displacement classes. A 300 cid engine still exists in private hands, and is in a very properly recreated using correct era early pieces racing car. The 410 cid V-radiator car that beat the Blitzen Benz in a fair race in 1912 is still in the 'Henry Ford Collection'. One of the first of those Ford Specials was shipped to France (in 1910 if I recall correctly?), also about 300 cid, and raced by French Ford agent Henri Depasse for a couple years. Although most of those five (actual number not known for certain?) did use a lot of model T pieces in their construction, none of them were really a model T. And this car wasn't really a model t either. Although much of its story isn't fully known. It was a 'Special' of some sort. Not a model T Wayne, Thankyou for the background info on the 6 cylinder cars, very interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff Perkins / Mn Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 (edited) Back in the early 1990’s Kirk Wright (Scottsdale AZ.) built from two engines a Model T six cylinder engine. It did run. I am not sure where it ended up, perhaps in the Museum of Speed in Lincoln Neb. There was a six on an engine stand in the museum about 10 years ago. Kirk was also well known for his Model T “skinnin’ truck”. This article from Secrets of Speed magazine briefly tells of Kirk’s engine. Edited October 30, 2021 by Jeff Perkins / Mn (see edit history) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 I saw a 6 cylinder Model T engine in the Ford collection back in 1968. Years later it showed up in the Blue Field in the Hershey swap meet. Depending on who ran the Ford Collection over the years the "Experts" auctioned off a lot of stuff that IMO should have stayed. This was around the time the X engines went into private hands. Bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1937hd45 Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 Edsel Ford's six-cylinder Model T speedster heads to auction | Hemmings Motor News Wonder how that top works in the rain? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wayne sheldon Posted October 30, 2021 Share Posted October 30, 2021 There was a six cylinder 'model T' built by a fellow in the San Francisco/Oakland area way back in the 1950s. I never saw it myself, however I knew several people including a few very good friends that knew the car very well. As an interesting aside, the following link should take one to a discussion several years ago on the MTFCA forum about that car. The discussion includes several photos, and scans from a previous magazine article about the car. http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/708324/742338.html?1499289141 That car was quite successful all things considered. It was driven extensively for many years. And I have good information that members of the family still have it, and that it is still together and could be run. Over the past hundred or so years, a fair number of people have put together a couple model T blocks to create ones like this. I often thought it would be fun to do. But I never had enough spare time to even begin such a frivolous endeavor. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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