MTFCA Forum

Awesome old pics! Those hats, wow. Would be cool to teleport back then for a few weeks

Boy, would I like to spend some time examining how that motorcycle
was built !

The snazzy looking tourer in front of the Avoca Soldiers Memorial was taken in Avoca in Victoria. Avoca is in the goldrush area of central Victoria.
Being in Victoria, I expect it is a Tarrant bodied car, Tarrant's being the distributors for Victoria. However, the clean lines are reminiscent of Davies and Fehon bodies from New South Wales. Altogether, a really attractive car.

Allan from down under.

Thank you Allan B for the information on that wonderful tourer!

The second photo, J. W. Tracy's Firestone service vehicle appears to be a NRS Ford with a modified and cutdown body. Note the odd position of the rear end, full elliptic rear springs and the non-T appearance of the engine pan.

The fifth photo appears to be a very late 1917 or early 1918 removeable pillar couplet.
Edit! I think Bryan O (old_charley) is RIGHT! I must have been too tired last night and missed the obvious! Thank you for catching my error.
Likely a typical 1919/'23 coupe.
This is what I want on these threads! Friendly and helpful discussion on these photos of a time gone by so that we all may learn from them!
(By the way, I do make mistakes from time to time, and I usually do not hide behind an edit, instead leaving my error to be seen and discussed.)

The first photo looks like a brand new 1915/'16 touring car! Way too new to need a dip in the creek.

Several nice brass era Ts, including a dolled up brass era speedster. And that motorcycle isn't the first T engined motorcycle I have seen a picture of. But I think it is the best looking one I have seen!

More great stuff! Tank you Tom R!

About photo no1; who said the world wasn't flat ?

Wow that car in pic #1 really does look brand spanking new! What a shame! Maybe it was even the owners first T, and he didn't know how to handle it properly and that's how he ended up there. Hope no one was hurt or worse too. Bit further down looks like a nice almost new '11 or '12, they're often hard to tell apart. And it was great to once again see original '13 & '14s that clearly show the correct top boot with that little "flap" on the sides. So many repops do not provide that, and it's just plain wrong, right Original Smith? I'm glad I paid a little extra to Mike at Classtique to have mine added on my '13s top boot. It really looks cool too!

I thought the car in the creek may have been the victim of a new-minted driver.
The motorcycle looks well-engineered for a shade tree blacksmith build. He'd better have a crew on hand if he lays it down.

The truck in photo #2 is an NRS chassis, but appears to have a Model T radiator & hood. I wonder how the NRS engine faired with no water pump.

That motorcycle appears to offer an interesting way to die.

It looks like it has a chain driven magneto mounted up on the frame. Is that a pre-T Ford transmission behind the engine? I don't see any cooling equipment. Maybe it's the original drag bike.

Do you suppose Mr. Tracy painted the Firestone imprint on his service car's tires ? I don't think I've ever seen an imprint n contrasting color on gray or white tires. Is the air tank on the curb, or in the car? Great pix ! Again, thanks Tom !!

The motorcycle is shaft drive. I wonder how he kept it running cool.

Knowing that Model T's run just barely below boiling over anyway (and some PAST that point!), why would someone design an aftermarket "speedster" radiator shell that blocks almost 1/3 of the radiator's core? The pictured speedster has sacrificed that much of its radiator core up top. Wouldn't blocking that much airflow contribute to overheating, especially when idling on a hot day or driving slowly in a traffic jam or parade?
Marshall

Just for the sake of discussion, in looking closely at pic #5, I see demountable rim wheels, a lack of cowl lamps and despite the lack of clarity of the picture, what looks to me to be a hinge at the top of the door. I'm inclined to think plain old run-of-the-mill '19-'23 coupe.

Rich, Yes the air tank look's to be in the back of the bed, also the truck is right hand drive could it be down under. And last but not least did they have some kind cell-phone service that we are just learning about?(auto phone) Jim

Hi Marshal,
I think if you look you will find that is the same radiator shell that Ed Archer runs on his speedster. The emblem on the radiator appears
to be a Gold star flag ( hard to tell in black & white) and its upside down? That would indicate the loss of a family member in the first
world war. That would help to date the picture because the star flags didn't appear until 1917 when Robert Queisser came up with them
to honor his sons service in WW1.
Craig.

Allan wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 15, 2023 3:18 am

The snazzy looking tourer in front of the Avoca Soldiers Memorial was taken in Avoca in Victoria. Avoca is in the goldrush area of central Victoria.
Being in Victoria, I expect it is a Tarrant bodied car, Tarrant's being the distributors for Victoria. However, the clean lines are reminiscent of Davies and Fehon bodies from New South Wales. Altogether, a really attractive car.

Allan from down under.

History preserved note the surrounding buildings as well https://www.warwicksgenealogyservices.c ... morial.pdf

I am always interested in surviving buildings and what might parts may be in those old towns - 3rd photo
Same windows and cornice. Looks like the original siding too

Regarding the speedster with the aftermarket hood and radiator shell, the gold star speedster. Notice the car’s 1915-16 front fenders. That type of aftermarket radiator shell was made to fit a brass radiator but take a aftermarket hood to make the front of the car look more modern. The radiator fill has been extended up to a new fill location and that shell doesn’t block off part of the brass radiator core.

Kevin,
This could be definitive proof that the more resent speedster builders didn't come up with using what ever you have around to build a
speedster.
Craig.