Ford Model T became the first ever weird-looking car thanks to its high water kit sold in Florida
Published on Sep 20, 2025 at 4:00 AM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Sep 18, 2025 at 2:24 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
The Ford Model T became the first ever weird-looking car thanks to a high-water kit sold in Florida.
One of the most popular cars in the world, the Model T effectively mobilized a nation, and it’s one of the most iconic vehicles in the automotive world.
Yet even as far back as the days of this Ford, modifying cars was not something that was out of the question.
As seen on Reddit, there was an optional high water kit sold by Trilacoochee Ford in Green Swamp, Florida.
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The kit lifted the Ford Model T higher
As the image revealed, the Model T was lifted rather high thanks to the high water kit.
The body and engine of the car now sit quite high above the ground.
Below that is plenty of space for water to travel through, should it find itself in a deep swamp or floodland.
It did look quite crude and primitive, but this was very much in the early days of car modding.
Ford Model T with optional high water kit sold by Trilacoochee Ford in Green Swamp Florida.
byu/sglogulcluckets inWeirdWheels
Why it was done isn’t made clear in the Reddit post.
However, we can probably agree that it is one of the earliest instances of a car looking weird!
A little bit of digging, though, does reveal a few more pieces of information about the kit.
How the first-ever weird-looking car came about
With many parts of America more remote in America in the 1920s, there was a need to traverse barriers such as swamps and rivers.
As such, it made sense that one Ford dealership from the period decided to produce this modification.
More research and surfing the web reveal there was no official kit or Ford dealership in Green Swamp in the 1920s.
Perhaps it was instead a homegrown kit, made by a lucky owner of the Model T at home.
Perhaps it was actually official, but just kept from the records.
It does make us wonder whether this is the first time anyone has modified a production car.
With so few options available at the time, the idea of modifying a car was probably very new.
That is, if it was thought of at all!
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
