1921 Ford Railway Express

GR Auto Gallery is pleased to present this absolutely stunning 1921 Ford Model T Railway Express Truck for your consideration. This is most likely the finest Model T to ever cross our showroom floor. A complete show quality restoration with just 5 miles on it ready of AACA and MTFCI judging. The T was just recently completed but never shown. The engine casting date is 4-15-1921 and the engine date is 4881852, assembled April 23,1921. The chassis was shipped to Universal Car and Service Co.(Ford Dealers in Grand Rapids,MI) where a Liberty canopy express body was installed and painted for “American Railway Express.” Ford did not build a truck body until 1924. The American Railway Express Company was formed by merging several railroad companies during WW1. It lasted until it was reorganized into the Railway Express Agency in 1929. It was the largest operator of motor trucks during the 1920's with over 10,000. The owner of the car came into possession of the car a few years ago from a few friends who had purchased the chassis and at the time it still had American Railway Express Dealer Tags on the firewall. This is an exact handmade duplicate with all joints, splines and chamfers per the original as is the handmade iron work and hardware. All fasteners are authentic i.e. antique square nuts, slotted screws, no markings on carriage bolts, etc. Maple and popular were used to construct the body with quarter sawn oak windshield frames and oak top slats original. It is finished in Dupont Nason Urethane with authentic 1920's A.R.E. graphics and striping painted on. The billboards and posters are exact reproductions of original A.R.E. advertising and are heavy paper pasted on as original. No expense was spared to make this one of the best Model T trucks anywhere.

The Front Axle has Ford script, dated 1921, aligned, rebushed, new kingpins and tie rod ends, correct oilers and new wheel bearings

The Engine is an original 1921 engine, bored .040 over, aluminum pistons, reground crank and cam, aluminum Tiger timing gear, hard valve seats, adjustable tappets, new babbit. The head was resurfaced, rebuilt fan, starter and generator. New-Rex regulator and have the original script cut-out with diode for show, rebuilt “straight through” Holly NH carburetor. Stock timer with hardened roller along with rebuilt coil ring.

The transmission has recharged magnets, new starter ring gear, new bushings, new Jackrabbit clutch, Kevlar bands, new brake and reverse drums all balanced, new pedal shafts, O-rings on pedal shafts and new cams.

The rear axle has new ring and pinion standard ratio, new axle shafts, thrust plates and pins, modern cartridge outer bearings with original Ford inner bearings, new driveshaft bushing, brake dams and bushings, improved brake shoes and springs.

The wheels all match and have been given new hickory spokes on Hayes rims. It also has new bearing races, metal stem tubes with quality Firestone tires.

The radiator is new from Brassworks and is a round tube show radiator with correct clamps, hoses, petcock and nickel neck and cap.

The electrical system consists of new authentic harness with correct battery ground cable and hardware. Installed per Ford Service Bulletin dated September 1921. Rebuilt original coils with new capacitors and points, adjusted on an original hand crank tester. Script headlights, with aluminum coated reflectors and green visor lenses used in spring of 1921. Original E&J tail light, original switch and amp meter. Modern spark plugs have brass tops and thumb nuts to look original. Has nickel latches on coil box.

The T has a new gas tank, new sediment bulb, steel battery box, new nickel on spark and throttle rods and the steering gear box and cover. Spark rod has correct swivel at bottom end. Re-bushed steering bracket, correct pressed steel muffler. It also has laminated safety glass windshield. All sheet metal is original genuine Ford except the running boards and depot hack rear fenders.