How different are the dimensions and how different do they look from eachother. I found a pretty rough box forsale and the guy says it's for a 28-31 but I can't really tell. Thanks in advance. I'll try and post pics of it tomorrow.
pm me for my # i have both look up pix, but t beds say 26/27 use same tailgate as a.. now t beds do not have the beading all the way around like the a but say 25? 26 27 have a half circle at the bottom in wheel well area model a have tear drop above wheel well and if it hasn't been taken off the model a has a half circle that the rear fenders bolt to
Here are a couple of pic's of a model A box. The model T box is very similar and probably exactly the same dimensions as I believe the tail gates will interchange. The main differences are that the front stake pockets on a model T box are not at the front but set back about 12 inches from the head board and the swage around the wheel fender area is different there is some sort of place in the box up near the head board for the model T battery. The model T box is not so pretty to look at and maybe made of a slightly thicker material.
I have also been told from many sources that the tail gates from a Model T are the same as the tail gate from a Model A. I have a Model T bed and it has a Battery box opening towards the front of the bed, that Model A beds don't have. ...and fiftyv8 is correct about the the front Stake pockets being set back about 12 inches. Hope these photos help ya! cheers, cab
Nice work on the RPU Chuckles, Ive been following some it on your Thread. Looks like a project after my own heart as mine is a 1927 closed cab on a home made 32 rails. Keep up the good work.
Thanks guys. That definafely solved it. It's a T box, the front stake pockets are set back. How do you think it would look behind a closed cab A?
Your choice, for me no. The reason I believe for the stack pockets being set back as they are on the model T was to allow for the top to be folded down and have a place to rest without affecting the stake sides. I have often looked at the T box and wondered how it would look as a shortened box if the head board was moved back to the front stakes and the front portion of the box was cut off.
The Model T box also has a short mounting flange as it mounted on the body extension on the T body (can use the Box or a turtle deck on the same body). Whereas the Model A has a longer panel at the bottom and mounts with wood blocking. Model A has a separate fender mounting flange riveted on.
Most others will not know the difference. You could buy it and keep it incase you can not find an A bed. If you find an A bed down the line, turn around and sell the T bed.
he's going to send me more pictures of it soon. i can't find any boxes around here. so i may just have to pic this one up and make it work for a bit like you said. thanks for the info and help everyone!
The filler pieces on the front of the 1926-27 box are the easy clues. I'll post photos of one a friend has tomorrow.
JUst to confirm what somebody else said, The tailgates are the same. I was checking in my Mac's T catalog for something and noticed the tailgate was the same up to '31.
The 1925 T pickup bed, the first Ford ever offered, did not have the wheel half-moons embossed in the sides of the bed as the early fenders mount to a fender iron rather than bolting to the bed. In late 31 the Model A had a wide-bed model Pickup with a totally different bed than the 26-31 bed.
The '25 box is a one year only design. What you may not know is the early '26 boxes had the stake pockets at the very front like the '25 and Model A boxes. I have one going onto a "26 RPU. Took 10" out of the rear overhang to create a much more pleasant profile and balanced appearance to the RPU. These early '26 boxes are few and far between. I have only seen one other. Ford discovered their mistake early in the 1926 production year when their RPU owners were unable to install the front stake posts due to the slant on the seat backs!
he just sent me the pics, it's definitely a T box. I think im going to buy it as i still can't find anything else around here. I don't mind the looks of it. No one local around here will even notice it's not an A box.
If you look past the Roadmaster bike in the picture below (sorry it's the best pic I have of the stake pocket), you'll see said early '26 box. Ford's mistake is our gain! p.s. Hi, dad!
Okay, I haven't seen any body mention it so I'll go ahead and tell the biggest secret of this deal. Dimensionally, the '26 '27 "T" and the "A" up to mid year '31 are the same. Tailgates interchange, rear U-channel interchanges, head panels interchange except for the "T"s battery cut out. Where the two are different is where the wheel wells are located. The "T" has a stamped half moon shaped fender pad that is 2 1/4" forward of where the "A"s stamped steel fender pad goes. this can be viewed as good or pad for number of reasons, but in my book it's good for a very simple reason. "A" pickup cabs are super small, tight little boxes. As hot rodders, the first thing we all do is hang a V8 in the frame, and slide the firewall back. Even less room than before. Boo! With a "T" bed, you can center the wheel wells on the rear axle, and slide the cab back a touch over 2" and do a small block V8 without cutting up the firewall. Use the Model "A" fender pads on the "T" bed sides and it doesn't look any different than a stock "A" bed. This is what I did on my roadster pickup, and the leg room will be greatly needed with my all arms and legs space alien build. On my roadster pick up I intend to shoerten the bed about 4" or so. I have to admit that I picked this up by studying the Don Montgomery books wayyyyy too long!