must've been exciting. Looks like a '14?
Is that an acetylene tank on the running board I've heard of them but that is the first one I've seen.
Yeah, that looks like a '14. I've seen Prest-O-Lite acetylene tanks on Model T's before, but those examples are rare enough for me to guess they were after-market retrofits. I suppose the tanks were less of a bother because unlike the carbide generators, they didn't require cleaning after each use. But to my mind, carrying a pressurized bomb on the running-board constitutes a significant hazard. The carbide generators contained low pressure and low volume.
Gas lights are ever so much cooler than electrics and at car-shows, you can demonstrate their use by having a spectator light them with a match (and then follow that up with lighting the oil lamps and ahooga-ing the horn, after which you can demonstrate hand-cranking the engine).
I believe they were an option and the car could be ordered either way but the basic car came with the generator unless specified otherwise. It may have been a dealer change item however and not an option from the factory. I would love to know the real story if someone has the information.
I don't think you'd see the Presto-lite tanks out on the farm much but I understand they were quite popular in the cities where it was easy to exchange them when needed.
Prest - O - Lite tanks were factory optional on pre - 1915 Model T's. They were often noted in the Accounts receivables ledger.