Herb I have a Metz model 22 rdster body like the one going in the door of that building.
Interesting Herb.
Thanks
I've been to Wagon Mound, and don't remember it being that big!
I thought the metz was primarily sold as a kit car ...
I am pretty sure the cars pictured are "plan cars"
The Metz story is very interesting, and I'm going from memory, so could be off a bit. Charles Metz was a very successful businessman, involved with motorcycles and orient automobiles and delivery vehicles. He was brought in to salvage the troubled Waltham manufacturing co. His plan was to offer a kit car, by subscription. Called the "plan car", a monthly payment was rewarded by a pile of parts In the mail. Every month another subassembly of the car would arrive and the subscriber would assemble that and anxiously wait for the next delivery. The Amazing thing is the heart of the car , the engine, was never even designed when the plan was hatched. The whole thing worked, got the company back on the road to solvency and success and many "Plan Cars" were sold and assembled. The engine turned out to be a two cylinder air cooled apposed engine, with ball bearing crankshaft. A sturdy little engine. Somewhere about 1909 or 10, Waltham started offering a ready built auto, a spiffy little torpedo, now with a fantastic 4 cylinder water cooled engine very much resembling the model T engine. (Some parts can interchange with light modifications. A friend is running a Metz head on his T) I believe I read a story that HF and Charles Metz were very friendly , and Waltham ,Mass was courting Henry to relocate his company there. Metz continued to make improved models through the late teens, but when the US government delayed payment to them on defense work for WWI , they collapsed. I also remember the 1912 torpedo I owned had really unique wheels all around, and could be reversed to handle northern or southern (wide track) wagon ruts. The friction drive is much maligned today, but when adjusted right, work very well, and a very simple drive system.
I believe John is right. I see the front one looks just like a 1912 Metz 22, the others are a bit different body, but all have a radiator cap, so they probably aren't the air cooled plan cars . GREAT PHOTO !
Herb and Tim I'd aimed on using it on a assessory T that I have my T frame has full ellipitic springs up front w/an upside down or reversed spring in front that ties the front end together, it has large flat washers inboard of the spindles, and 3/4 ellipitic springs on the rear, at one time it had a Chicago trans, so rear end is shortened up for that, I and my wife found this body in New Mexico while we were on a return trip from Flagstaff tour, as We and a buddy drove out from Fulton Mo to Flagstaff and made the tour, I put the body in the back seat and the seat portion we tied to the rear bumper area, I know have NOS top-bows for it, and correct windshield setup, but I don't have the turtle area of the body. I had hopes to build it w/brass raid. and brass side lites and taillite, individual front and rear fenders to show the springs front and rear, and I have the fenders and some hardware, but w/ this heart problem I'm unable to play with it. I have engine and trans w/shortened A crank I was going to use. But not now!
A good friend of mine grew up there in the 50s/60s.
Famous for Bean Day (click on that link from below link)
http://www.wagonmoundnm.com/
wait, so the 4cyl torpedos weren't sold as a kit? I've seen some Metz 4cyl blocks, they look like a clone of the T's, except with a regular flywheel and the friction-plate transmission.
No, if it has a 4 cylinder engine, it was a factory built car. The block is not interchangeable. The early ones were open valve, like ford, but to my knowledge, only the manifolds were interchangeable with ford and the head with some minor rework. Not sure why anyone would want to do that, but perhaps the combustion chamber is a bit better.