Hallo,
As I am new to this forum, let me first introduce myself briefly.I am Hans van Geffen, and live in Thailand as a retiree.Great place to live, but no old cars, and no model T's here.So as the next best thing to do I bought some Gabriel Model T kits of Ebay.Meal kits, in the odd 1/20 scale.
The first kit is a 1909 Runabout, and the instructions told me that yellow was an early Model T color. Surfing the net for confirmation, I found this forum.Let me congratulate all of you with this source of information, and thanks to all who make this happen.
Yellow did not look like an option, and then the first victim of my search were the louvres on the hood.Filed away.Then the engine should be an open valve, so major surgery there.It got worse, the fenders are not 1909, so out with the saw.Then I found out that the hood has the appropriate length for a Torpedo Runabout, not standard.Made me wonder what Model T had been their inspiration.
The instruction sheet mentioned Gene Zimmerman's Automobilorama, near Harrisburg, where they photographed and measured the restoration of his 1909 Sport (?) Runabout.Looking on the net I did find that the museum at one time had a 1910 Torpedo/Speedster.Yellow.
Would this have been the source of info for 1909 Gabriel Runabout?
Has any of you more information on this?
Thanks,
Hans
Hans,
Here is a photo of a brand new 1909 runabout. The cars were originally either red or grey. The one in this picture is grey. The grey color was most common. As you can see the car is entirely grey including top bows and running gear.
Thank you, Royce,
Great picture.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1910-FORD-T-SPEEDSTER-AUTOMOBILORAMA-HARRISBURG-PA-/26 1491007123?
This is the Speedster/Torpedo from Automobilorama.
If this Model T was the inspiration for Gabriel, then that would explain their long Torpedo hood on their Runabout, and the other Model T's in their product range,
Does anybody remember Automobilorama ?
Did they have more early Model T's in their collection?
Hans
I have stayed at the Holiday West motel in Harrisburg several times while attending the Carlisle All Ford swap meet. It is a little run down but OK.
The model T shown parked in front of the hotel is a fantasy car built from modern fenders and reproduction 1911 style torpedo hood. It does not represent anything Ford ever built. It was originally yellow in the 1970's perhaps, but never in 1910.
Thanks again Royce,
I guess this explains many of the anomalies of the Gabriel Model T...
And funny to see how a museum car can put one on the wrong track.
Amazing, as the Gabriel 1909 Touring and 1912 Delivery Truck probably got a Torpedo hood as well this way.
Now I only have to file them to the correct size.
A great way for me to learn about the early Model t's.
(Maybe in the future I could try my hand on a Torpedo, and a pickup conversion...)
Hans
It's a shame that a model company spent all that money tooling up to make a series of model kits and didn't do any proper research, just measured one car and assumed it was correct.
The Yellow car looks likes someone's idea of a poor man's Stuz Bearcat.
Hans, glad you did some research; good luck fixing the kit--at least the parts are smaller than the real thing!