First owner

[ian schmidt]

Hi i am in australia i have a 1925 coup the body i imported from the usa .
I had all the mechanicals here.
I have found out the body was built by briggs.

My question is is there a way to find out who it was sold to when new.

I have the body number that briggs put on it but no original engine number

The body number is 388651B

Thanks in advance for any help

Ian

[John kuehn]

Ian
Since you don’t have the original engine serial number and only the body number it would depend if the body number was listed on the title. The engine number is on the title but I’m not sure the body number is. That would depend if the dealer who originally sold it listed it along with the engine number and when it went to the new owner. Others may know how to trace it.
Hope this can help in some way.

[Rich Bingham]

About the only option would be to trace previous owners. Oftimes it ends with the guy you bought it from. My own search (of a whole car) ended two owners back in hearsay. It's fun to know these things, and we're almost always curious. Good luck with the search !

[ian schmidt]

I have done some more research being that i only imported the body i didnt get a title.
I have been able to find what we think is the original engine number.
If it is correct it makes mine a late 1923 coup.

My engine number 7808119.
As the coups didnt change from late 23 to late 25 that would put mine as a late 23 .

I guess i have hit a brick wall but it would be nice if something turned up.

The owner i brought it off found it in a shed that is all i know

[Kaiser]

Hey Ian, body numbers were normaly not registered in the title, they were just for production purposes. cars were registered by engine number and later (from about '25) the engine number was also stamped on one of the framerails.
So the body number you have will prove to be a dead end street, the only way to have chance to find a previous owner of the body is if you have the corresponding engine or frame number that the body came off of originaly.
Enjoy the restoration !

[Hap_Tucker]

Ian,

G'day and welcome to the forum as a new poster! I think you will find the group helpful. Often times you will receive several different recommended ways to do something or thoughts on a subject. And often it is because there is more than one way to do something.

I'm sure folks would like to know if this is your first Model T or if you already have one or more of them. And do you already have the chassis you want to put the body onto?

Good luck with your search.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

[ian schmidt]

Thanks for the welcome.
This is my first t been on the road for 5 years.
Chassis and engine are australian delivered Just parts i gathered. being australian no chassis numbers,the body as i have said is from the usa which i imported.

A bit about myself i live in a small town called stanthorpe queensalnd.
I grew up on the gold coast did my mechanical apprenticship in ford dealers and have been a mechanic for 41 years.

I now work for myself doing mainly t model ford mechanical restorations. Including engine rebuilds.

My next project for myself will be a hearse based on a tt truck will be starting that soon.

Ian

[John kuehn]

Ian
I have a 24 Coupe. The 24-25 Coupes are almost identical. My car has wooden framed doors. The later 25 Coupes have metal framed doors. That would tell you if your car is a 25 model or not since you don’t have a title.

[Steve Jelf]

Ian, engine #7808119 was made on Wednesday, June 13, 1923. It would have gone into a car within less than a week, possibly that same day or the next. That puts it, as you say, late in the 1923 model year. This means the car with that engine would have a low firewall, about 20" high. The high firewall used on 24-25 model cars (beginning August 1) is about 21". If there's any doubt about the year of that body, the height of the firewall that fits it should tell the tale.

[John kuehn]

And if your T Coupe has a cowl vent that makes it a 24 or 25 year model. That’s usually the deciding factor if it’s in that year range.

[ian schmidt]

Ok my coup has high fire wall . It has the cowl vent and has timber door frames.

So making it a very late 23 or 24 model.

Ian

[John kuehn]

You are probably right as to year of car. If it has the wood door frames it’s probably not a 25.
The engine that you got along with the other parts might be the original engine and a late 23.
Good luck with your Coupe.