MTFCA Forum

A nice T, a good mechanic, and a faithful friend !

Might be the only known picture of ford pliers without the screwdriver tip handle.

Look again, Jeff - the right handle goes out not in like the opposite side.

Reminds me of Darren Liepold's car somewhat.

What a great picture!

The nice thing about a mechanic that size is he can walk under the car to check the oil level without bending over.

Herb Iffrig wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 21, 2025 6:39 pm

Reminds me of Darren Liepold's car somewhat.

Darrel’s is a 1910, this one might be a ‘10, can our experts date this car ?

perry kete wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 21, 2025 7:01 pm

What a great picture!

. . . a mechanic that size . . . can walk under the car to check the oil level without bending over.

Thanks, Dennis. Another reason to miss my grandsons !!

I don’t know them that well but is it a 2 lever car? It’s hard to see

Bryant

Bryant wrote: ↑

Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:36 pm

I don’t know them that well but is it a 2 lever car? It’s hard to see

Bryant

Good question ! One lever (that appears to be brass plated) is clearly visible. I think the “thing” in front of it is the speedometer cable. I don’t know enough about the two lever cars to say whether the reverse lever would be visible if the brake lever is that clearly visible. Anyone ?

Pretty sure it is a 1909. It has the two bolt front body bracket, replaced by the three bolt bracket on touring cars mid to late 1909 model year (roadsters continued the two bolt bracket into early 1910 models).
It does look like it could be a two lever car? However, the front fenders are not the blunted square ones found on a lot of the earliest Ts. Front fenders went through several variations during 1909, They may have had some billed fenders during the two lever time? Or of course the front fenders could have been replaced at some point. The paint is faded, and other signs of considerable use. I wonder how old the car was when the photo was taken?

Would an early two lever car have had that windshield on it?
I guess it could have been added.

1909 and much of 1910 models the windshield was optional. While many buyers got the optional windshield from the factory, many others did not. And quite a few people bought the cars without a windshield and later (usually fairly soon?) got an after-market windshield as "no windshield" was becoming old-fashioned.
Acetylene gas headlamps and the top were also optional on the early model Ts. All three, the top, the windshield and the headlamps became standard equipment by some time in mid 1910 model year (early 1910 calendar year!!). I think a couple of those things may have become standard earlier than others?

I tried zooming in to look at the brake lever. Whatever that other thing is near the brake lever just doesn't quite look like the reverse lever of a two lever car. Whatever it is? It appears to have a slight curve where the reverse lever should appear straight. It also appears to be a little bit forward of where it should intersect with the brake lever below the floor line. All that could be an illusion? Not enough clear detail and bad angle to see a reverse lever if there is one.

A wonderful photo of a really early model T! I just wish we knew exactly how early it was?

Looks like the speedometer cable housing to me.

it does looks like a speedo cable. But one can dream
Bryant

Maybe a byline to the original poster?