I’m new to the Model T rebuild process. I have two Ts that I am working with to put together into one working T. I have a good/functioning high radiator and a metal high firewall, but the body of the T I plan to use has a low cowl and wooden low firewall (cracked low radiator, and almost useless hood)… Anybody have experience with just swapping the low cowl and firewall out for a high cowl and firewall? Will other measurements be off that will prevent me from doing so?
My hope is the metal on each side below the low cowl can be shifted/bent slightly out to accommodate the wider high firewall and I can just put the high cowl where the current low cowl sits, but before I start messing with things I want to see if anyone has helpful experience with this.
Thanks!
Not that simple. Everything forward of the front door hinges and windshield posts (and the fake door on the driver’s side if it is a USA built car) is slightly different shape and dimensions. The body structure is different, angles are different, the cowl is very different. It can be done, and a few people have even made it look good. It really matters just what body style you have, and how much of it you have to work with. If a roadster or touring car, and you are going to re-wood everything? Also, a wooden firewall means the body you have is an early '23 or earlier. How much earlier would also matter. Bodies changed quite a bit around 1920 and '21.
Again, we are assuming the body in question is a typical open style (roadster or touring). You would really need to get a later cowl top piece. Just can’t really reshape the earlier one enough. Some scabbed in wood to the framework could widen things. However, you would need to weld on about an inch and a half at the top of the side panels (tapering down toward the windshield). You would really need to have a local friend with a car (or body) that you could look at and take measurements from.
Probably better to barter for a late body, or the radiator and hood for the earlier body. What would be best also depends upon what you want to wind up with.
That is not a simple task by any means, because you’ll end up having to reconfigure the front of your body to make these parts fit, and when you’re all done (and I’ve seen projects like this abandoned), you’ll still have a car that is (kinda obvious to those who know) incorrect… add to the money you’ll have to throw at it, and you might be way ahead swapping what you have for the low parts, or swapping with some cash trading hands…