What about this Coupelet?

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2013: What about this Coupelet?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Philip Berg on Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 02:23 am:

Found this posted on the MTFCA classified section.

"Car for Sale: 1915 Ford Coupelet. Fresh professional restoration on a Colorado car absolutely mint condition throughout. Original 1915 engine totally rebuilt and equipped with electric start for easy operation cobble beach concours award winner September 2013 Midnite blue body black fenders aprons and running boards. Black diamond tufted leather over horsehair. Gray wool carpets Stunning example with all white tires on original wood spoke wheels painted to match body. This is one of the only investment quality model T Currently available at less than the cost of restoration at $62,500 Photos and restoration details available on request."

Here's a link to a picture of the car.

http://cobblebeachconcours.com/gallery.php

Listing says it's a 15 but didn't the side windows come out in the 16 model year?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Don Watson -Florence,Colorado on Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 03:02 am:

The Couplet is an Eric Edwards creation
he Red Ford AC is a 1904 Owned by Peter Fawcet
-Don


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 08:28 am:

It's also in the HCCA website. Sure is a nice car. But sure is a lot of money! Too rich for my blood!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 11:02 am:

You can see EE driving a 1905 Studebaker at the Cobble Concours show web site.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Wednesday, December 25, 2013 - 11:05 am:

The listing says it's a '15, but it's actually a '16. Owners (and sellers) often predate Model T's according to the calendar year in which they were made, not the model year. It has an electric starter and some other "upgrades." IMHO, Dave Simmering's '17 Coupelet is much more rare and correct, and a much better deal at 20 thou less.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Fowler - Eagle River, Alaska on Thursday, December 26, 2013 - 04:12 pm:

Philip: The small side windows were definitely there during the 16 model year. Just when they first appeared, however, is not actually known.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Thursday, December 26, 2013 - 11:36 pm:

The consensus among the Model T community is that the porthole windows in the top were a feature of '16 Coupelets but not 15's. I spent a week at the Benson Archives last year trying to find information about when they first appeared. I thought they might have been a running change during '15 model year production, as was the tailgate turtle changing to a top-lid version. But I was unable to find any info about the date of the change. The only mention of it I could find was in a Ford Times magazine issue from the Fall of '15, which introduced the '16 models.

BTW, research by Trent Boggess has revealed that '15 model closed cars (Sedan and Coupelet) were produced only from Dec. of '14 through Feb. of '15.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Fowler - Eagle River, Alaska on Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 05:09 pm:

Trent's research findings are consistent with my Coupelete that has a Feb. 8, 1915 engine. It also has porthole windows.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 06:39 pm:

Barry -- If there is any way to trace the history of your car back to determine that a Feb. '15 Coupelet originally came with that porthole top, that would be the kind of info that "changes the rules", so to speak. That's the type of "smoking gun" info I spent a week trying to find at the Benson last year.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Barry Fowler - Eagle River, Alaska on Saturday, December 28, 2013 - 07:01 pm:

I have tried to obtain paper proof of that as well from the Fisher Body company. To date I have been unsuccessful in obtaining any early body information from them.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Sunday, December 29, 2013 - 11:49 am:

I also contacted the Fisher Body Co. while in Dearborn. I was told that they have no archival records from the time before they were acquired by GM, which was in the 20's. Just one of the many dead-ends I encountered in my search for Coupelet body info.

The closest I got to anything substantive was the Coupelet complete body drawing, which showed the porthole window and was marked "Revised." I believe that was the only drawing I encountered at the Benson on which the revision was not dated. Bummer! :-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Sunday, December 29, 2013 - 12:15 pm:

That's weird - revisions are usually dated in the upper RH corner.

Drawing image property of the Benson Ford Archive. Published here under my license.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Sunday, December 29, 2013 - 03:26 pm:

Yes, I know. Believe me, I looked! That date could have been the "smoking gun" I was looking for all that time. It said "Revised", but there was no date for it.

Everyone who's going to the Benson is welcome to look for it. I'd be glad to be shown I'm mistaken on this one. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Sunday, December 29, 2013 - 10:15 pm:

Mike,

Did you check the Record of Changes, too for that part number? The Change Record (Form 123)

Form 123 05

and Record of Changes (Form 512)

Form 512 07

can provide a bit of detail than the drawing that may pin the date down better. If you have revision dates on a drawing, they will usually correspond exactly with the dates in the Record of Change for that part.

Does anyone know how to locate the letters referred to by number in the Change Record?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, December 30, 2013 - 11:44 am:

Hi, Tom -- I'm not sure about that. This was my first time at the Benson, and I was trying to cover all the bases, but some surely slipped by me. RV Anderson and Larry Smith were there showing me the procedures, but I could easily have missed cross-checking that drawing with those other forms. I think the Coupelet body drawing is #8013, in case you'd like to follow up on that. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, December 30, 2013 - 11:48 am:

In looking back over this thread, I see on the drawing Royce posted that the revision date apparently is above the word "Revised." I might have thought the date above "Revised" was the original drawing date, and the revised date should be below it. Hmmmm...........


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Thomas Mullin on Monday, December 30, 2013 - 12:31 pm:

Mike,

I think Royce's photo shows the original drawing, one that has not yet been revised. That date is the date of this drawing. Here is the date block for the T-1368 Tire Pump "Brisk Blast" that has been revised.

revision block


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Walker, NW AR on Monday, December 30, 2013 - 01:29 pm:

OK, Thanks Tom -- Maybe I was reading it correctly. I guess I need to hunt up my copy of the drawing and see what it really says. (I know I have it somewhere.)


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