Editing Ford Model T (section)

==Characteristics and design==
[[File:1908 Ford Model T.jpg|thumb|1908 Ford Model T advertisement]]

The Model T was designed by [[Childe Harold Wills]], and Hungarian immigrants [[Joseph A. Galamb]] (main engineer)<ref name="ceautoclassic"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28540 |title=University students compete to create 21st century Model&nbsp;T |publisher=Ford |access-date=2011-01-17 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711020343/http://media.ford.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=28540 |archive-date=2011-07-11}}</ref> and [[Eugene Farkas]].<ref>{{cite web |title=History Lesson: Hungary Celebrates the Ford Model&nbsp;T. |url=http://www.fadaweb.com/news_details.asp?id=n24705 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120905150814/http://www.fadaweb.com/news_details.asp?id=n24705 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-05 |publisher=[[Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations of India]] |location=India |date=2006-02-27 |access-date=2012-12-24 }}</ref> Henry Love, C. J. Smith, Gus Degner and [[Peter E. Martin]] were also part of the team,<ref>{{Harvnb|Wik|1972}}</ref> as were Galamb's fellow Hungarian immigrants Gyula Hartenberger and Károly Balogh.<ref name="ceautoclassic"/> Henry Ford supervised the designers himself. Production of the Model&nbsp;T began in the third quarter of 1908.<ref name="Clymer1950p100">{{Harvnb|Clymer|1950|p=100}}</ref> Collectors today sometimes classify Model&nbsp;Ts by build years and refer to these as "[[model year]]s", thus labeling the first Model&nbsp;Ts as 1909 models. This is a retroactive classification scheme; the concept of model years as understood today did not exist at the time. Even though [[#Body|design revisions occurred]] during the car's two decades of production, the company gave no particular name to any of the revised designs; all of them were called simply "Model&nbsp;T".

{{clear}}

===Engine===
{{main|Ford Model T engine}}
[[File:Fordsidevalve.jpg|thumb|Model T engine]]

The Model T has a front-mounted {{convert|177|cuin|L|1|adj=on}} [[Straight-four engine|inline four-cylinder]] engine, producing {{convert|20|hp|kW|abbr=on}}, for a top speed of {{convert|42|mph|abbr=on|0}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.ultimatespecs.com/car-specs/Ford/20867/Ford-Model-T-.html |title=Ford Model T Specs | access-date=2021-10-17 }}</ref> According to Ford Motor Company, the Model&nbsp;T had fuel economy of {{convert|13|-|21|mpgus|mpgimp L/100 km|abbr=on}}.<ref name="MediaFordCom">{{cite web |url=https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/08/05/model-t-facts.html |title=Model T Facts |publisher=Ford |access-date=2012-12-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130928165026/https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/news/2013/08/05/model-t-facts.html |archive-date=2013-09-28 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The engine was designed to run on [[gasoline]], although it was able to run on [[kerosene]] or [[Ethanol fuel|ethanol]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.hemmings.com/stories/fact-check-henry-ford-didnt-design-the-model-t-as-a-multi-fuel-vehicle/|title=Fact Check: Henry Ford didn't design the Model T as a multi-fuel vehicle|first=Daniel |last=Strohl |work=HEMMINGS.com |access-date=2024-09-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2008/07/25/mnmodel125.xml |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120529160308/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/main.jhtml?xml=/motoring/2008/07/25/mnmodel125.xml |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-05-29 |title=Ford Model T reaches 100 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |date=2008-07-25 |access-date=2012-12-24 |first=Andrew |last=English}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://journeytoforever.org/ethanol.html#ethintro |title=Ethanol fuel: Journey to Forever |first=Keith |last=Addison |work=Journey to Forever |access-date=2012-12-24}}</ref> although the decreasing cost of gasoline and the later introduction of [[Prohibition in the United States|Prohibition]] made ethanol an impractical fuel for most users. The engines of the first 2,447 units were cooled with water pumps; the engines of unit 2,448 and onward, with a few exceptions prior to around unit 2,500, were cooled by [[thermosiphon|thermosiphon action]].<ref name="Kimes1989p551">{{harvp|Kimes|Clark|1989|p=551}}.</ref>

The [[ignition system]] used in the Model T was an unusual one, with a low-voltage [[magneto]] incorporated in the flywheel, supplying alternating current to [[trembler coil]]s to drive the [[spark plug]]s. This was closer to that used for stationary [[gas engine]]s than the expensive high-voltage [[ignition magneto]]s that were used on some other cars. This ignition also made the Model&nbsp;T more flexible as to the quality or type of fuel it used. The system did not need a starting battery, since proper hand-cranking would generate enough current for starting. Electric lighting powered by the [[magneto]] was adopted in 1915, replacing [[Carbide lamp|acetylene gas flame lamp]] and oil lamps, but electric starting was not offered until 1919.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.modelt.ca/history |title=History of the Ford Motor Company – Fast Facts |website=The Frontenac Motor Company & The Ford Model&nbsp;T |access-date=2017-09-27}}</ref>

[[File:1920 Ford Model T Controls (1495288990).jpg|thumb|View of the driver's controls, 1920 Model{{nbsp}}T]]
The Model T engine was produced for replacement needs as well as stationary and marine applications until 1941, well after production of the Model&nbsp;T ended.

The [[Fordson]] Model F tractor engine, that was designed about a decade later, was very similar to, but larger than, the Model&nbsp;T engine.<ref name="Manly1919p268">{{Harvnb|Manly|1919|p=268}}</ref>

===Transmission and drive train===
[[File:Model T pedals.jpg|thumb|The three pedal controls clutch, brake, reverse of the Model{{nbsp}}T]]

The Model T is a [[rear-wheel drive]] vehicle. Its [[Transmission (mechanics)|transmission]] is a [[planetary gear]] type known (at the time) as "three speed". In today's terms it is considered a two-speed, because one of the three speeds is reverse.

The Model T's transmission is controlled with three floor-mounted [[Gas pedal|pedals]], a revolutionary feature for its time,<ref>{{Cite episode
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}}</ref> and a lever mounted to the road side of the driver's seat. The [[throttle]] is controlled with a lever on the [[steering wheel]]. The left-hand pedal is used to engage the transmission. With the floor lever in either the mid position or fully forward and the pedal pressed and held forward, the car enters low gear. When held in an intermediate position, the car is in neutral. If the left pedal is released, the Model&nbsp;T enters high gear, but only when the lever is fully forward – in any other position, the pedal only moves up as far as the central neutral position. This allows the car to be held in neutral while the driver cranks the engine by hand. The car can thus cruise without the driver having to press any of the pedals.

In the first 800 units, reverse is engaged with a lever; all units after that use the central pedal, which is used to engage reverse gear when the car is in neutral.<ref name="Kimes1989p551"/> The right-hand pedal operates the [[transmission brake]] – there are no brakes on the wheels. The floor lever also controls the [[parking brake]], which is activated by pulling the lever all the way back. This doubles as an emergency brake.

[[File:Ford model t 1919 d044 lubrication chart.png|thumb|Model T rolling chassis – top view]]

Although it was uncommon, the drive bands could fall out of adjustment, allowing the car to creep, particularly when cold, adding another hazard to attempting to start the car: a person cranking the engine could be forced backward while still holding the crank as the car crept forward, although it was nominally in neutral. As the car utilizes a [[wet clutch]], this condition could also occur in cold weather, when the thickened oil prevents the clutch discs from slipping freely. Power reaches the [[differential (mechanical device)|differential]] through a single [[universal joint]] attached to a [[torque tube]] which drives the rear [[axle]]; some models (typically trucks, but available for cars, as well) could be equipped with an optional two-speed rear Ruckstell axle, shifted by a floor-mounted lever which provides an underdrive gear for easier hill climbing.

====Chassis / frame====
{{Expand section|1=discussion of the standard model T frame design, working, and production|small=no|date=February 2021}}
The heavy-duty ''[[Ford Model TT|Model TT]]'' truck chassis came with a special [[worm gear]] rear differential with lower gearing than the normal car and truck, giving more pulling power but a lower top speed (the frame is also stronger; the cab and engine are the same). A Model&nbsp;TT is easily identifiable by the cylindrical housing for the worm-drive over the axle differential. All gears are [[vanadium steel]] running in an oil bath.

====Transmission bands and linings====
Two main types of band lining material were used:<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fordmodelt.net/transmission.htm |title=Ford Model T Transmission |website=FordModelT.net |access-date=2017-07-06}}</ref>
* ''Cotton'' – [[Cotton]] woven linings were the original type fitted and specified by Ford.  Generally, the cotton lining is "kinder" to the drum surface, with damage to the drum caused only by the retaining rivets scoring the drum surface. Although this in itself did not pose a problem, a dragging band resulting from improper adjustment caused overheating of the transmission and engine, diminished power, and&nbsp;– in the case of cotton linings&nbsp;– rapid destruction of the band lining.
* ''Wood'' – Wooden linings were originally offered as a "longer life" accessory part during the life of the Model&nbsp;T. They were a single piece of steam-bent wood and metal wire, fitted to the normal Model&nbsp;T transmission band.<ref>{{cite book |last=Pagé|first=Victor Wilfred |date=1917 |title=The Model T Ford Car, Its Construction, Operation and Repair: A Complete Practical Treatise Explaining the Operating Principles of All Parts of the Ford Automobile, with Complete Instructions for Driving and Maintenance|page=241 |publisher=Norman W. Henley Publishing Co.}}</ref> These bands give a very different feel to the pedals, with much more of a "bite" feel. The sensation is of a definite "grip" of the drum and seemed to noticeably increase the feel, in particular of the brake drum.

====Aftermarket transmissions and drives====

During the Model T's production run, particularly after 1916, more than 30 manufacturers offered auxiliary transmissions or drives to substitute for, or enhance, the Model T's drivetrain gears. Some offered overdrive for greater speed and efficiency, while others offered underdrives for more [[torque]] (often incorrectly described as "power") to enable hauling or pulling greater loads. Among the most noted were the Ruckstell two-speed rear axle, and transmissions by Muncie, Warford, and Jumbo.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_1921_fahnestock">{{citation |last=Fahnestock |first=Murray |url=https://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Articles/1803ExtraTransmissions.pdf |title=Multi-Speed Transmissions: Utility and Pleasure of Auxiliary Transmissions |year=1921 |magazine=Ford Owner and Dealer |via=Vintage Ford (Model T Ford Club of America) |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref><ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_ted_aschman">{{citation |last1=Aschman |first1=Ted |last2=Houston |first2=Fred |last3=Klehfoth |first3=Jay |url=https://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Articles/2602AuxilaryTransmissions2.pdf |title=I Didn't Know That!: Auxiliary Model T Transmissions |date=March 1991 |magazine=Vintage Ford |publisher=Model T Ford Club of America |access-date=November 30, 2022}}</ref>

Aftermarket transmissions generally fit one of four categories:
* ''Replacement transmission'' – usually a sliding gear/selective transmission, intended as a direct replacement for Ford's planetary-gear transmission.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_ted_aschman" />
* ''Front-mounted auxiliary transmission'' – designed to fit between the engine and Ford's transmission, to add additional gear ratios.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_ted_aschman" />
* ''Rear-mounted auxiliary transmission'' – mounted at the rear axle housing, and attached between it and the driveshaft, to add additional gear ratios.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_ted_aschman" />
* ''Multi-speed axle'' – designed to fit ''inside'' the differential's housing, to add additional gear ratios.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_ted_aschman" />

Murray Fahnestock, a Ford expert in the era of the Model T, particularly advised the use of auxiliary transmissions for the enclosed Model T's, such as the Ford Sedan and Coupelet, for three reasons: their greater weight put more strain on the drivetrain and engine, which auxiliary transmissions could smooth out; their bodies acted as sounding boards, echoing engine noise and vibration at higher engine speeds, which could be lessened with intermediate gears; and owners of the enclosed cars spent more to buy them, and thus likely had more money to enhance them.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_1921_fahnestock" />

He also noted that auxiliary transmissions were valuable for Ford Ton-Trucks in commercial use, allowing for driving speeds to vary with their widely variable loads – particularly when returning empty – possibly saving as much as 50% of returning drive time.<ref name="auxiliary_transmissions_1921_fahnestock" />

===Suspension and wheels===
{{More citations needed section|date=September 2017}}
[[File:Ford model t suspension.triddle.jpg|thumb|The suspension components of a Ford Model&nbsp;T. The coil-spring device is an aftermarket accessory, the "Hassler shock absorber".]]

Model T suspension employed a transversely mounted semi-elliptical spring for each of the front and rear beam axles, which allowed a great deal of wheel movement to cope with the dirt roads of the time.

The front axle was [[drop forged]] as a single piece of vanadium steel. Ford twisted many axles through eight full rotations (2880 degrees) and sent them to dealers to be put on display to demonstrate its superiority.

The Model T did not have a modern service brake. The right foot pedal applied a band around a drum in the transmission, thus stopping the rear wheels from turning. The previously mentioned parking brake lever operated [[band brake]]s acting on the inside of the rear brake drums, which were an integral part of the rear wheel hubs. Optional brakes that acted on the outside of the brake drums were available from aftermarket suppliers.

Wheels were wooden [[artillery wheel]]s, with steel welded-spoke wheels available in 1926 and 1927.

Tires were [[Tire|pneumatic]] [[Clincher tire|clincher]] type, {{convert|30|in|mm|0|abbr=on}} in diameter, {{convert|3.5|in|mm|abbr=on}} wide in the rear,  {{convert|3|in|mm|abbr=on}} in the front. Clinchers needed much higher pressure than today's tires, typically {{convert|60|psi|abbr=on}}, to prevent them from leaving the rim at speed. Flat tires were a common problem.

Balloon tires became available in 1925. They were {{convert|21|x|4.5|in|mm|abbr=on}} all around. Balloon tires were closer in design to today's tires, with steel wires reinforcing the tire bead, making lower pressure possible – typically {{convert|35|psi|abbr=on}} – giving a softer ride. The steering gear ratio was changed from 4:1 to 5:1 with the introduction of balloon tires.<ref>{{cite book |title=Model T Ford Service |publisher=Ford}}</ref> The old nomenclature for tire size changed from measuring the outer diameter to measuring the rim diameter so {{convert|21|in|abbr=on}} (rim diameter) × {{convert|4.5|in|mm|abbr=on}} (tire width) wheels has about the same outer diameter as {{cvt|30|in|mm}} clincher tires. All tires in this time period used an [[inner tube]] to hold the pressurized air; [[tubeless tire]]s were not generally in use until much later.

[[Wheelbase]] is {{cvt|100|in|cm|0}} and standard track width was {{cvt|56|in|cm|0}} – {{cvt|60|in|cm|0}} track could be obtained on special order, "for Southern roads," identical to [[Track gauge in the United States#5ft|the pre-Civil War track gauge]] for many railroads in the former [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]]. The standard 56-inch track being very near the {{cvt|4|ft|8+1/2|in|cm|1}} inch [[standard-gauge railway|standard railroad track]] gauge, meant that Model&nbsp;Ts could be and frequently were, fitted with flanged wheels and used as motorized [[Draisine|railway vehicles]] or [[Railroad speeder|"speeders"]]. The availability of a {{cvt|60|in|cm|0}} version meant the same could be done on the few remaining Southern {{cvt|5|ft|cm|0}} railways – these being the only nonstandard lines remaining, except for a few narrow-gauge lines of various sizes.  Although a Model&nbsp;T could be adapted to run on track as narrow as {{cvt|2|ft|cm|0}} gauge (Wiscasset, Waterville and Farmington RR, Maine has one), this was a more complex alteration.

===Colors===
By 1918, half of all the cars in the U.S. were Model&nbsp;Ts. In his autobiography, Ford reported that in 1909 he told his management team, "Any customer can have a car painted any color that he wants so long as it is black."<!-- DO NOT TRY TO COPY EDIT THIS QUOTE; IT IS ALREADY *VERBATIM* AND ALREADY ACCEPTABLY WRITTEN. --><ref>{{Harvnb|Ford|Crowther|1922|p=72}}.</ref>

However, in the first years of production from 1908 to 1913, the Model&nbsp;T was ''not'' available in black,<ref name="McCalley 1994">{{Harvnb|McCalley|1994}}.</ref> but rather only in gray, green, blue, and red.  Green was available for the touring cars, town cars, coupes, and [[Landaulet (car)|Landaulets]]. Gray was available for the town cars only and red only for the touring cars. By 1912, all cars were being painted midnight blue with black fenders. Only in 1914 was the "any color so long as it is black" policy finally implemented.

It is often stated Ford suggested the use of black from 1914 to 1925 due to the low cost, durability, and faster drying time of black paint in that era. There is no evidence that black dried any faster than any other dark varnishes used at the time for painting,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Casey |first1=Robert |title=The Model T: A Centennial History |date=2008 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |isbn=9780801888502 |page=67 }}</ref> but [[carbon black]] pigment was indeed one of the cheapest (if not the cheapest) available, and dark color of [[gilsonite]], a form of bitumen making cheap metal paints of the time durable, limited the (final) color options to dark shades of maroon, blue, green or black.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mtfca.com/encyclo/P-R.htm#paint4 |title=P-R |publisher=Mtfca.com |date= |accessdate=2022-08-06}}</ref> At that period Ford used two similar types of the so-called [[Japan black]] paint, one as a basic coat applied directly to the metal and another as a final finish.

Paint choices in the American automotive industry, as well as in others (including locomotives, furniture, bicycles, and the rapidly expanding field of electrical appliances), were shaped by the development of the [[chemical industry]]. These included the disruption of dye sources during [[World War I]] and the advent, by the mid-1920s, of new [[nitrocellulose lacquer]]s that were faster-drying and more scratch-resistant and obviated the need for multiple coats.<ref name="Dutton_1942">{{Harvnb|Dutton|1942}}.</ref>{{rp|261–301}} Understanding the choice of paints for the Model&nbsp;T era and the years immediately following requires an understanding of the contemporaneous chemical industry.<ref name="Dutton_1942"/>

During the lifetime production of the Model&nbsp;T, over 30 types of black paint were used on various parts of the car.<ref name="McCalley 1994"/> These were formulated to satisfy the different means of applying the paint to the various parts, and had distinct drying times, depending on the part, paint, and method of drying.

===Body===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160px">
File:1910Ford-T.jpg|1910 Model T, photographed in Salt Lake City
File:Ford_T_1917.jpg|1917 Model T
File:1915 Ford Model T (01).jpg|1915 Model T Speedster
File:1925.ford.model.t.arp.750pix.jpg|1925 Ford "New Model" T Tudor sedan
</gallery>
Although Ford classified the Model&nbsp;T with a single letter designation throughout its entire life and made no distinction by model years, enough significant changes to the body were made over the production life that the car may be classified into several style generations.  The most immediately visible and identifiable changes were in the hood and cowl areas, although many other modifications were made to the vehicle.
* 1909–1914 – Characterized by a nearly straight, five-sided hood, with a flat top containing a center hinge and two side sloping sections containing the folding hinges. The firewall is flat from the windshield down with no distinct cowl. For these years, [[Carbide lamp|acetylene gas flame headlights]] were used because the flame is resistant to wind and rain. Thick concave mirrors combined with magnifying lenses projected the acetylene flame light. The [[fuel tank]] is placed under the front seat.
* 1915–1916 – The hood design is nearly the same five-sided design with the only obvious change being the addition of louvers to the vertical sides.  A significant change to the cowl area occurred with the windshield relocated significantly behind the firewall and joined with a compound-contoured cowl panel. In these years electric headlights replaced [[Carbide lamp|carbide]] headlights.
* 1917–1923 – The hood design was changed to a tapered design with a curved top. The folding hinges were now located at the joint between the flat sides and the curved top. This is sometimes referred to as the "low hood" to distinguish it from the later hoods. The back edge of the hood now met the front edge of the cowl panel so that no part of the flat firewall was visible outside of the hood.  This design was used the longest and during the highest production years, accounting for about half of the total number of Model&nbsp;Ts built.
* 1923–1925 – This change was made during the 1923 calendar year, so models built earlier in the year have the older design, while later vehicles have the newer design.  The taper of the hood was increased and the rear section at the firewall is about an inch taller and several inches wider than the previous design.  While this is a relatively minor change, the parts between the third and fourth generations are not interchangeable.
* 1926–1927 – This design change made the greatest difference in the appearance of the car.  The hood was again enlarged, with the cowl panel no longer a compound curve and blended much more with the line of the hood.  The distance between the firewall and the windshield was also increased significantly.  This style is sometimes referred to as the "high hood".

The styling on the last "generation" was a preview for the following Model A, but the two models are visually quite different, as the body on the A is much wider and has curved doors as opposed to the flat doors on the T.

===Diverse applications===
<gallery mode="packed" heights="160">
File:Model T tractor.png|A Model T [[Doodlebug tractor|homemade tractor]] pulling a plow
File:Pullford auto-to-tractor conversion advert 1918.png|Pullford auto-to-tractor conversion advertisement, 1918
File:Ford-American LaFrance 1919 Model-T firefighting vehicle.jpg|The American LaFrance company modified more than 900 Ford Model&nbsp;Ts to serve firefighters.
File:Section sanitaire automobile roumaine - Médiathèque de l'architecture et du patrimoine - AP62T123030.jpg|Romanian Model T "Regina Maria" ambulances, 1917
</gallery>
When the Model T was designed and introduced, the infrastructure of the world was quite different from today's. Pavement was a rarity except for sidewalks and a few big-city streets. (The meaning of the term "pavement" as opposed to "sidewalk" comes from that era, when streets and roads were generally dirt and sidewalks were a paved way to walk along them.) Agriculture was the occupation of many people. [[Power tool]]s were scarce outside factories, as were power sources for them; electrification, like pavement, was found usually only in larger towns. [[Rural electrification]] and motorized [[mechanization]] were embryonic in some regions and nonexistent in most. Henry Ford oversaw the requirements and design of the Model&nbsp;T based on contemporary realities. Consequently, the Model&nbsp;T was (intentionally) almost as much a tractor and [[portable engine]] as it was an automobile. It has always been well regarded for its all-terrain abilities and ruggedness. It could travel a rocky, muddy farm lane, cross a shallow stream, climb a steep hill, and be parked on the other side to have one of its wheels removed and a pulley fastened to the hub for a [[flat belt]] to drive a [[bucksaw]], [[threshing machine|thresher]], silo blower, conveyor for filling [[corn crib]]s or haylofts, [[baler]], water pump, electrical generator, and many other applications. One unique application of the Model&nbsp;T was shown in the October 1922 issue of ''Fordson Farmer'' magazine. It showed a minister who had transformed his Model&nbsp;T into a mobile church, complete with small organ.<ref>{{cite book|last=Casey|first=Robert|title=The Model T A Centennial History|url=https://archive.org/details/modeltcentennial0000case|url-access=registration|year=2008|publisher=The Johns Hopkins University Press|location=Baltimore|isbn=978-0-8018-8850-2|page=[https://archive.org/details/modeltcentennial0000case/page/148 148]}}</ref>

During this era, entire automobiles (including thousands of Model&nbsp;Ts) were hacked apart by their owners and reconfigured into custom machinery permanently dedicated to a purpose, such as [[Doodlebug tractor|homemade tractors]] and ice saws.<ref>{{cite web |title=1926 Ford Model T Ice Saw |url=http://owlshead.org/collections/detail/1926-ford-t-ice-saw |access-date=2012-12-24 |publisher=Owl's Head Transportation Museum |archive-date=July 31, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200731165705/http://owlshead.org/collections/detail/1926-ford-t-ice-saw |url-status=dead }} Used for harvesting winter ice from ponds in [[Maine]].</ref> Dozens of [[aftermarket (automotive)|aftermarket]] companies sold [[prefabrication|prefab]] kits to facilitate the T's conversion from car to tractor.<ref name="PrippsMorland1993p28">{{Harvnb|Pripps|Morland|1993|p=28}}.</ref> The Model&nbsp;T had been around for a decade before the [[Fordson tractor]] became available (1917–18), and many Ts were converted for field use. (For example, [[Harry Ferguson]], later famous for his hitches and tractors, worked on Eros Model&nbsp;T tractor conversions before he worked with Fordsons and others.) During the next decade, Model&nbsp;T tractor conversion kits were harder to sell, as the Fordson and then the [[Farmall]] (1924), as well as other light and affordable tractors, served the farm market. But during the [[Great Depression|Depression]] (1930s), Model&nbsp;T tractor conversion kits had a resurgence, because by then used Model&nbsp;Ts and junkyard parts for them were plentiful and cheap.<ref name="Leffingwell2002pp43-51">{{Harvnb|Leffingwell|2002|pp=43–51}}.</ref>

Like many popular car engines of the era, the Model&nbsp;T engine was also used on home-built aircraft (such as the [[Pietenpol Sky Scout]]) and [[motorboat]]s.

During World War I, the Model T was heavily used by the [[Allies of World War I|Allies]] in different roles and configurations, such as [[staff car]]s, light cargo trucks, light [[van]]s, light patrol cars, [[Liaison officer|liaison]] vehicles and even as rail tractors. The [[ambulance]] version proved to be well-suited for use in the combat areas. The ambulances could carry three [[stretcher]] patients or four seated patients, and two others could sit with the driver. Besides those made in the United States, ambulance bodies were also made by {{ill|Carrosserie Kellner|de|Kellner Frères}} of [[Boulogne-Billancourt|Boulogne]], near [[Paris]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.landships.info/landships/softskin_articles.html?load=/landships/softskin_articles/Ford_T_Ambulance.html|title=Ford Model T Ambulance|website=landships.info|access-date=9 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/103172|title=Ford Model T Ambulance Manufactured during World War I, 1917|website=thehenryford.org}}</ref> The [[Romanian Army]] also made use of converted Model T ambulances. These ambulances, named "[[Marie of Romania|Regina Maria]]" ambulances, were capable of carrying four stretcher patients. Conversion work was done by the Leonida Workshops of [[Bucharest]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=141815951658112|title=Autosanitară "Regina Maria" pe șasiu de Ford Model T|publisher=[[National Military Museum, Romania|Muzeul Militar Național "Regele Ferdinand I"]]|language=ro|date=1 March 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://b365.ro/leonidaco-cum-a-fost-nimicit-un-imperiu-auto-cu-garaje-show-room-si-bloc-corporatist-pe-magheru-azi-extraordinarele-cladiri-de-patrimoniu-mor-sub-ochii-nostri-506915/|title=Leonida&Co – cum a fost nimicit un imperiu auto cu garaje, show-room și bloc corporatist pe Magheru|website=b365.ro|language=ro|date=7 June 2023}}</ref> An [[armored car (military)|armored-car]] variant (called the "[[Ford FT-B|FT-B]]") was developed in Poland in 1920 due to the high demand during the [[Polish-Soviet war]] in 1920.

Many Model Ts were converted into vehicles that could travel across heavy snows with kits on the rear wheels (sometimes with an extra pair of rear-mounted wheels and two sets of [[continuous track]] to mount on the now-tandemed rear wheels, essentially making it a [[half-track]]) and skis replacing the front wheels. They were popular for rural mail delivery for a time.  The common name for these conversions of cars and small trucks was "snowflyers". These vehicles were extremely popular in the northern reaches of Canada, where factories were set up to produce them.<ref>{{cite journal |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yt8DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA878 |title=Snowflyers Replace Dogs in Frozen North |journal=Popular Mechanics |issue=December |year=1934 |page=878 |access-date=2012-12-24}}</ref>

A number of companies built Model&nbsp;T–based railcars.<ref name=mtfca_Model_T_railcar>{{cite web |publisher=Model&nbsp;T Ford Club of America |year=2011 |title=Model&nbsp;T Ford Forum: Forum 2011: Old Photo – Model&nbsp;T Rail Car |url=http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/179374/185052.html?1296125299 }}</ref> In ''[[The Great Railway Bazaar]]'', Paul Theroux mentions a rail journey in India on such a railcar. The [[New Zealand Railways Department]]'s [[NZR RM class (Model T Ford)|RM class]] included a few.

The American LaFrance company modified more than 900 Model Ts for use in firefighting, adding tanks, hoses, tools and a bell.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/74384/|title=1926 Ford Model&nbsp;T Fire Truck – The Henry Ford|website=www.thehenryford.org|language=en|access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref>  Model&nbsp;T fire engines were in service in North America, Europe, and Australia.<ref>{{Cite book |title=Firefighting with Henry's Model&nbsp;T |last=Killen |first=William D. |date=2008 |publisher=W.D. Killen |isbn=9780615223032 |edition=1st |location=Church Hill, TN |oclc=318191997}}</ref><ref name=":1" /> A 1919 Model&nbsp;T equipped to fight chemical fires has been restored and is on display at the [[North Charleston Fire Museum]] in South Carolina.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.northcharlestonfiremuseum.org/collection.html |title=North Charleston Fire Museum|website=www.northcharlestonfiremuseum.org|language=en|access-date=2018-06-19}}</ref>