This is a 1923 Ford Model T Pickup Truck hot rod that’s been modified with the fitment of a Lincoln-Zephyr V12, a 3-speed manual transmission, and a quick change rear end.
The pickup truck version of the Model T proved popular as it offered a less-costly alternative to the larger and heavier Ford Model TT truck, it was also quite a bit faster, though understandably it had a much lower cargo rating.
Fast Facts – A V12-Powered Model T Pickup Truck
- This 1923 Ford Model T Pickup Truck has been extensively modified, turning it into a hot rod. It’s now powered by a Lincoln-Zephyr V12 with triple carburetors, a dual exhaust, and aluminum Hogan cylinder heads. It has a 3-speed manual transmission, quick-change rear end, and has been lowered.
- Originally producing 20 bhp from a modest 2.9 liter four-cylinder engine, this Model T now has vastly increased power from the Lincoln-Zephyr V12, initially developed in 1936 as an affordable, torque-rich, mass-produced luxury engine, offering up to 110 bhp and 186 lb ft torque, remarkable figures for the time.
- The Lincoln-Zephyr V12, produced between 1936 and 1948, evolved from Ford’s flathead V8. Initially displacing 267 cubic inches (4.4 liters), it later increased to 306 cubic inches (5.0 liters). It powered luxury American vehicles and limited-production British sports cars, like Allard and Brough Superior, due to its V12 prestige and relative affordability.
- This custom-built Model T hot rod includes a chromed front axle, brass radiator, red wire wheels with whitewall tires, pleated bench seat for three, wooden bed floor, roll-up side curtains, cowl lamps, and large drum brakes. It’s listed for auction with Mecum, offering enthusiasts a uniquely upgraded vintage truck.
The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 Engine
The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 was developed to provide a mass-production 12-cylinder engine to power the Lincoln-Zephyr, a luxury car that existed above the normal Fords, but lower in the pecking order than the top-of-the-line Lincoln models.
The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 was a luxurious executive car offering a significant step up on the regular Ford offerings. Image courtesy of the Ford Motor Company.
Perhaps a little confusingly, there was more than one Lincoln V12 in production at the time, the larger units were for the full-size Lincolns and the slightly smaller Lincoln-Zephyr V12 was for the Zephyr series cars which were targeted at America’s growing upper-middle class.
Rather than starting the engine development from scratch, Ford engineers took the then-new Ford Flathead V8, which had only entered series production in 1932 for the Model 18, and used it as their starting point.
They increased the cylinder count from 8 to 12, and narrowed the bank angle from 90º to 75º. A series of other changes were made, and the engine entered production in 1936 with 110 bhp and 186 lb ft of torque.
Though these power figures may sound humble by today’s standards, they were impressive numbers by the standards of the mid-1930s, when the vast majority of cars on the road had a third up to perhaps half of this output.
The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 was designed with torque as a primary objective and the engineers succeeded – a minimum of 180 lb ft of torque was available from just 400 rpm through to 3,500 rpm. Early versions of the engine did suffer from some issues however, like overheating and insufficient crankcase ventilation, however these problems were addressed as the production run went on.
The Lincoln-Zephyr V12 also powered a handful of cars made by the likes of Allard, Atalanta, and Brough Superior in England as it offered an affordable, high-power engine with the added desirability of the “V12” badge which was typically associated with only the finest automobiles of the era.
This hot rod’s Lincoln-Zephyr V12 has been modified with triple carburetors, a dual exhaust, and finned aluminum Hogan cylinder heads.
The engine would remain in production from 1936 to 1948. Displacement would start at 267 cubic inches (4.4 liters) before climbing to 292 cubic inches (4.8 liters) and finally up to 306 cubic inches (5.0 liters). It would ultimately be replaced after 1948 by the Ford InVincible 8, which was a modified version of the heavy duty Ford Flathead V8 originally developed for trucks.
The V12-Powered Ford Model T Shown Here
The hot rod you see in this article started out as a standard 1923 Ford Model T Pickup Truck. When it was originally made it would have been powered by the Ford 2.9 liter flathead inline-four capable of 20 bhp, and mated to the Model T 2-speed manual gearbox.
It has now been completely rebuilt into a hot rod, it’s been lowered significantly and fitted with a vastly more powerful drivetrain headed by a Lincoln-Zephyr V12 which has been fitted with triple carburetors, a dual exhaust, and finned aluminum Hogan cylinder heads.
Power is sent back through a 3-speed manual transmission to a quick change rear end. It rides on red wire wheels with chrome hubcaps and whitewall tires, and inside you’ll find space for up to three people on a pleated bench seat.
Inside you’ll find a pleated bench seat, tan carpeting, and varnished wood frame work.
The vehicle also has a chromed front axle, a wood bed floor in the rear with roll-up side curtains and dual tail lamps. Up front you’ll find cowl lamps, a classic brass radiator, and it has large drum brakes front and back.
It’s now due to roll across the auction block with Mecum in mid-May, if you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Mecum
Articles that Ben has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
