What a lovely couple showing the joy only a speedster can bring.
Thanks
Rich

This picture never gets old.

I've always felt that one of the few things more fun than driving a Model T might be driving a piece of one.

Man, that's about as bare bones as you can get!

The girl is very obviously the understanding type.....but (ahem) she needs to change into pants.......

Man that must have been a bumpy ride!

With no dash, I'd sure like to see how the steering column is supported. I really like this picture !!

I know that look. "Only guy in town with a speedster and he's all mine !"

She resembles Reese Witherspoon.

Anybody notice that it doesn't have a brake rod on her side. - Matt

She has to put her feet down to stop.

It looks to be a 1914 chassis, the steering column has a 1914 riveted case, rear shackle with oilers and taper spring, frame with long crossmember. Steering wheel looks like 1920's 16" pressed steel.

I think she resembles Meg Ryan.

I worked on an original Frontenac racer once that also only had a wheel brake on the left rear. They did that to help in corners on a dirt oval track.

I have no clue how that worked trying to go fast in a corner wild and trying to slide the rear end around with one break but that is what some of them did. I would guess that with a stock motor and not an overhead they can't power it up and fish tail the rear end around so would loose control. The car I worked on had evolved from a stock T motor to a RAJO then a Frontenac so over time the engineering could not be understood. It also had skids on the front axle so if a front wheel fell off the axle would not dig in to the dirt and flip the car over.

Tim Moore

I agree Hal !

Rich - most likely some angle iron brackets holding the steering column base.

My question is where is the steering column in relation to the pedals? As low as it is unless it is to the right of the pedals or squeezed in between them that won't work. Did he take reverse out?

I think she looks more like a young Melanie Griffith. Here's a photo for comparisons.

Tim Moore, You are correct about having the left rear brake only to get into the corners. The hand brake lever would be pulled back to set the brake for a instant and then released, this got the car into the corner faster because all the power went to the right (outside) wheel for that instant.

I should have added that this brake change was mainly done in the days before tire stagger, (larger outside tire diameter than inside tire), and locked rear ends.

Jay, that must have been the same photo opt
Thanks.

Hal..thanks! THATS the name I was thinking of and for the life of me couldn't!! And I've always been in love with Meg Ryan!! LOL.

I like driving a T but couldn't imagine running a T that hard. The girl in the speedster is very pretty for that time. Yes she does favor Meg Ryan..

Hal, Steve & Tim - You guys are right about the "Meg Ryan look-alike", and I think it's mostly because of the short hair and especially a nearly identical smile! When I saw that picture of the gal in the old speedster picture, I immediately thought of Meg Ryan in, "Sleepless in Seattle".

Accessory springs, ignition coils are hiding, overheating would be cause to pull over, interesting bracket at rear motor mount.

Hal, I loved that movie! Don't know why in the heck I couldn't think of her name in my first post looking at that picture! I've always had a "thing" for Meg...but of course now she's not near as cute as she used to be. Time takes its toll.

Time does take it's toll.

Bettie Page as a young woman.


Bettie Page at 80 years old.

Quote from Dolly Parton in Steel Magnolias, "Time marches on and eventually you'll realize, it marches right across your face".

The young lady is striking... almost too striking for 1931. Could it be photo-shopped? The hair and ear ring on her left side appears cropped. It is hard to believe anyone could smile like that in the middle of a depression.
Mike

Could be her family was like mine, so poor that The Depression didn't have much effect on daily life. Going from having nothing to having nothing does not change one's lifestyle.

Tommy, that's exactly what my parents said about the depression. You can't lose what you don't have. They struggled, but they made it. Dave

The way the girl is dressed and wears her hair, I would guess that picture was taken in late 1930's or early 1940's. The car would have been old by then and the economy picked up enough that the parents could have purchased a later car and given the T to their son, who is making it into a speedster.
Norm

I say she looks more like Meg Ryan.

looks like she could get a hot foot off that ex pipe,ha,ha. charley

Jay,

A little tribute song to Bettie Page:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PS33YDThMl8

I always thought Meg Ryan was cute. She hasn't held up as well as say Christy Brinkley, but then again, not many do. The girl in the original photo is every bit as good looking as Meg was even in her heyday. Hope they guy was able to keep her.

They say there's more than one way to loose a gal. I'd sure hate to see her lost, by bouncing over the side of the frame, and ending up in the dirt road back there.