Coupelet Club

[Grntea]

I am trying to SPARK an interest in forming a Coupelet Club. I have had discussions with Russ Furstnow (the coupelet King and Speedometer Czar). Together we have a list of 79 people who own (or previously owned) a coupelet (1915-1918). These rare model T's are quite a sight to behold and a real blast to drive. All coupelet owners are invited - MTFCI, MTFCA, or any other claim to fame. Dues are $0, and you can join NOW by answering this forum post! You can email me, or PM me. I will respond with my phone, email and physical address. Russ and I are hoping to start a coupelet registry - complete with pictures, engine number, and previous owner history. This will hopefully be a benchmark of the remaining coupelets and serve as a historical backdrop for validation of the actual remaining coupelets. Russ (former chief judge of MTFCI) is specifically intersested in accounting for the 1917 leatherbacks. I am specifically interested in documenting all current owners of this infamous model T. Perhaps a newsletter in the future. Perhaps a national showing. Perhaps a directory of owners. The sky is the limit. All personal information will be kept private. If you own a coupelet or know of someone who owns a coupelet - please respond to this post! Hopefully we can generate some coupelet comraderie so that all coupelet owners can benefit!!!

[Poppie]

Hi David and Russ,
My Wife and myself have owned a 1918 T coupelet / Coupe for near two years and would like to be involved in your club group and hopefully get "Clara's Henry" mobile again. Thanks for your time. ..Regards Neil.

[Model T Mark]

I have two both 18s with removable posts. One is just a body knocked down and the other is a complete car but completely disassembled. The body is currently in its original state with good wood and most the glass. it is next on my cars to restore list after a 1925 touring. Mark Eyre

[Russ_Furstnow]

I want to commend Dave Tagert for taking on the task of identifying coupelet owners and cars. Information about these cars is very limited and more needs to be discovered. One interesting note is that the 1917, 1918 and 1919 coupelets/coupe have a factory serial number that can be found on the bottom of the removable posts. I believe this is a sequential number, but have no documents to prove this. The number on my 1917 Coupelet is 194 and the number on my 1918/19 coupe is 57669. These cars have the original wood in the body. On the 1917 Coupelet, the number T-194 is stamped into the right sill, just behind the floorboard riser. I cannot find the number 194 stamped anywhere else on the wood framework.

It would be interesting to find what numbers are found on other coupelets. I have identified the number T-2419 on the 1917 Coupelet owned by Steve Ellis (formerly owned by Dave Simmering), and the number T-1384 on the 1917 Coupelet found in the Warp "Pioneer Village Museum" in Minden, NB. These cars have the original body wood. These numbers are also stamped into the bottom of the removable pillars.

I hope coupelet owners will respond to Dave's request.
Russ Furstnow

[KimDobbins]

I have an original 1916.

[1915ford]

Heres my early 15. I would like to sell it…..

[Aussie16]

A wonderful initiative Dave. Great to see these rare and unique Ts getting the attention they deserve. Of course, the new facebook page you are part of is also a growing group and resource with lots of great pictures and information being shared. Although I don't own a Coupelet yet but some day I will? I hope you will accept me to the group as a "future" owner? I have lots of photos of Coupelets, many of which are located in various Museums across the world! Happy to share with you any you may not have records of in your research.

[Grntea]

Thank you MTFCA members - all of your help identifying these remaining coupelets is appreciated. Maybe some day we can form a national model T registry!

[BluMoon Histori]

We have a late 1915 Coupelet with opera windows too on our farm in Maryland; we drive it a lot during Spring/Summer and have taken it to the Old Car Festival @ Greenfield Village/The Henry Ford Museum.

[KMcoldcars]

I have a 1916 coupelet. The body was found in the hills above Spokane, Wa. in the early 1970s. It was restored as a 1915 with brass trim on the sidelights and no windows in the top. However, the trunk lid is on the top of the trunk, not the rear as a 1915 is. It is a nice running car.

[Grntea]

Thanks Keith - great looking example of ANOTHER beautiful Coupelet. I have most of your information for the registry - can you email me your engine number?

[KMcoldcars]

The engine number is 1000270, which is December, 1915, which is when coupelets were being made for the 1916 model year. The previous owner was Mike Kennedy, whose father discovered the body in the hills above Spokane, Wa. and restored the car. The picture is of Mike sitting in the body as discovered

Model T 2.jpeg (21.93 KiB) Viewed 5728 times

[frontyboy]

My father bought a couplet body in 1965. Doing research the paten date was 1917 and it was determined to be a Fisher Body with removeable door posts. Because it was not a brass T it just sat in the back of the carriage house for years.
After moving it and other cars to a new facility, he decided to get it out and restore the couplet. Sadly that building had a fire and 12 cars were lost, including the couplet.

We saved all the bits and pieces plus the sheet metal. They were stored for a number of years. After having Ray Wells do a couple of brass era big cars for me, Ray mentioned he was restoring couplets I asked him if he wanted a bunch parts. He jumped at the chance and bought them.

The removeable posts , the cowl metal, the turtle deck lit and side panels, all the door metal with a lot of charred wood. Ray used everything to make a complete body. I have no idea who has that body now but the good news is it is on the road today.

I only wish I had kept the bits and pieces and had Ray build the body for me.

just sayin'

brasscarguy

[Grntea]

Bump me up to the top please!

[Mikes 1912]

I bought my 18 coupelet from Ray Wells some years back. Went to the trouble of collecting upholstery samples and trim and had it weaved to match. Everyone should try that at least once. Being 85 I have found it hard to finish the last 10% to complete it. I know a friend of mine will see this post and it will be OK for him to comment about the washers. I was lucky to find all the parts to complete it, at a high price. I hope the white tires are still white after being wrapped up for 20 + years. Mine was not in a fire but ran across one that was.

[Allan]

Ben Ostergren had a couplet with weird curved flat spring steel spokes in wheels. Bryan may know more of its history.

Allan from down under.

[Russ_Furstnow]

The coupelet that Allan is refering to was featured in Bruce McCalley's book. I has gone through many owners and the chassis was modified. I purchased the car from Larry Smith, and Larry purchased it from Bryan Ostergren. The car is currently undergoing a complete restoration. The body on the car has perfect sheet metal and excellent original wood. The number T-194 is stamped into the sill and the bottom of the removable window posts, indicating it is probably one of the earlier 1917 coupelets. An original 1917 chassis has been restored and will go under the car.

[Allan]

It is good to know it has ended up in good hands Russ. It did look a solid car when I saw it, except for the green wheels!

Allan from down under.

[civinwt]

If memory serves correct, one of our late participants in the CAN-AM T tours, the late Bob Reeves (RIP), Renton Wa, had a 17 rounded corner leather top coupelet which had later early 20's running gear in it.
What jogged my memory is the model A manifold set up as shown in the picture.
As told to me, it was once owned by 2 spinster sisters who occasionally had the car upgraded as need be. he also indicated that it was the same car as in the Model T encyclopedia.
Maybe Steve Tomaso could chip in with any memories of Bob and the car.
I will try and locate some pictures of the car from the early - mid 1980's

[Bill Mullins]

Here are some pictures of that Coupelet at the 2012 Can Am Bremerton tour

[RajoRacer]

Bill - that 1916 Couplet belonged to my dear friend - the late George Wood from Stanwood, WA. I restored the running gear for George back in 2009. Last I heard, a couple years ago, it was currently in the possession of his son in Eastern, WA.

[TXGOAT2]

There used to be a T front axle and wheels with flat, spring steel spokes in front of a gas station near here. I don't know what became of it. I have seen an ad for such a wheel somewhere, but I don't remember where.

[Russ_Furstnow]

Bruce, My car was once owned by Bob Reeves. I believe he sold it to Ben Ostergren many years ago. Russ Furstnow

[Grntea]

A quick update on the coupelet club registry. I started with a list from many years ago (before cell phone and emails) and have been steadily updating it. I currently have almost 70 coupelets listed (4 year production) to include individual owners and museums. I also have 28 verified pictures. The work continues - please don't hesitate to email me with coupelet "discoveries" as I am trying to benchmark the remaining coupelets for the annuls of history. Thank you for your help MTFCA!!!

[Wayne Sheldon]

I don't know why the "couplets" have fascinated me so much for so long, but I have always been interested in them. I am a bit surprised about seventy of them still surviving? I would sure be interested in a year by year breakdown of the numbers. And for 1917, if known a breakdown between the last of the folding top version, the early "hump-top" removable pillar cars manufactured for only a very few months during 1917 (estimates I have heard for those are less than five?), and the flat-top removable pillar couplets produced late in 1917 and through 1918. The estimates I heard or read some years back for all removable pillar couplets was less than twenty total.
I suspect, from how many I have personally seen over the years plus photos in club magazines and forums I have seen of surviving and restored cars over those same years, that there likely might be more of the folding top couplets (1915 into early 1917) surviving and/or restored today than there are of the removable pillar couplets.
More than forty years ago, a number was tossed around of removable pillar couplets surviving being between five and seven cars. I personally doubted the number was quite that low, as I personally knew of four of them (although I had not myself seen them) at that time. I could not accept that I would have personally known of more than half of the surviving cars. (Two of the four I knew about have already been discussed earlier in this thread, one is currently being restored by Russ F.)
Since that time, I have heard of several others surfacing, including at least one intact body only (maybe two bodies only?). That one's last known (by me?) whereabouts being in Montana.

Also, a few years ago, there was a sometimes poster on this forum, a resident of Scandinavian Europe, that had found a mid 1917 hump-top removable pillar couplet near his area in Europe. He had acquired the car, and was restoring it at that time. There was some question about whether the car and body were USA built or from some other English or Canadian source. However, the body was so similar to the USA built hump-top couplets that it was difficult to think it likely to be anything else.
I cannot recall the fellow's name at this time, but have not seen a posting from him for a few years now. Any idea what has happened to his car?

Good luck putting together a registry of the model T couplets!

Henry Ford's model T was and is the ultimate icon of mass production! Its production opened the door to manufacturing on a scale never before seen on Earth! Fifteen million model T Fords produced in eighteen years, all alike! Yet, ultimately, no two were exactly alike.

Those four years of varying couplets are a special niche in the world of model T Fords. Any owner/caretaker of one should be especially proud of it!

[George Danek]

Just joined the Coupelet club. Attached is a photo just after delivery of my 1918. I posted on this forum about getting it in May of 2017. The in the other photo taken last April, my restored 1920 Runabout was just delivered and the Coupelet is being loaded up for a trip to have some woodwork done, paint and upholstery.

[Stephen1915]

These are fantastic cars, glad there is renewed interest in an official registry. I have a December 1915 Coupelet (1916) I think it is in the register already

. I would like to sell mine as well, only to fund another car purchase!

Not the level of Mark Cameron’s car, but an excellent quality car. All around. Mechanically excellent. Lots of Nos parts. Top and upholstery by Ernie Romero. Sidelamps and Windshield will be installed. Asking $32,500

314-287-1901

[old_charley]

This is somewhat "off topic" given the likelihood that this T has been gone for 100 years, but it is a mid year '17 coupelet. The photo was taken by my grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Ostergren Sr. of my grandmother Agnes Dephine Wernstrom Ostergren at Atasca State Park in MInnesota in June of 1919 while on their honeymoon.

[Wayne Sheldon]

While a "register/club" may be primarily for currently existing cars and owners? I personally would not consider sharing era photos off topic. However, it is not my thread , so not really for me to say.
Era photographs are very important from a research standpoint, and also help in building interest in the subject.

That is a good look at the rarest significant variation of the Ford model T couplet manufactured from early 1915 model year through 1918 model year. The 1915 to nearly mid 1917 folding top couplets were manufactured in fairly small numbers for well over two years. The flat top removable pillar couplets were manufactured in greater numbers per month of production from mid 1917 through 1918, about a year and a half.
The "hump" top model T couplets were only produced for a few months in mid 1917 only. Not many were made, and I think only less than a handful still survive. Era photos of them are few and far between.

[Erik Johnson]

honeymoon cropped.jpg

This is somewhat "off topic" given the likelihood that this T has been gone for 100 years, but it is a mid year '17 coupelet. The photo was taken by my grandfather, Benjamin Franklin Ostergren Sr. of my grandmother Agnes Dephine Wernstrom Ostergren at Atasca State Park in MInnesota in June of 1919 while on their honeymoon.

Bryan:

I sent you private message regarding your grandfather - refer to the teaser below.

[JTT3]

Love the Coupeletes, I saw this two piece tail light bracket & license plate holder & immediately thought about the unique turtle deck opening on the earliest of this model.

[KimDobbins]

John, thanks for posting that, give never seen one of those.

[JTT3]

I’ll see if I can get more detailed pictures of the tail light bracket.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Russ F needs to chime in here. I certainly am NOT the expert on these.
However, I "think" that the earliest folding top couplets built late in calendar 1914 that had no "lid" on the top of the turtle deck, instead using an awkward small door on the back of the turtle deck might have used a "spade" mounted tail lamp. IF so, that probably would not have been for very long or many couplets. They went to the bolt mounting for side and tail lamps fairly early. Those actually went through a few variations before Ford settled into the long running (with minor changes) style we are all familiar with.
I believe that the couplets were using any of a few of the single bolt mounting side and tail lamps well before the change in the turtle deck itself. Those few variations in oil lamps for early 1915 style production continued into at least February, and maybe March of 1915.
Early variations are fairly easy to spot in good photographs due to significant changes in relative sizes of lens and bezel. The later pre-common style is difficult to see in most photographs because the lens and bezel are practically the same as the later lamps, although every other part of the lamp, although similar in appearance, is very different than the later common lamps in important details.
I don't have good photos of Russ' early 1915 couplet handy. However, as I recall, the tail lamp does sit very low for the back door to clear it.
I look forward to seeing more facts about this.

If that tail lamp bracket is for an early couplet? It would be appropriate for only a very few VERY early couplets?

[RajoRacer]

I sold one of those 2 pc. brackets but it had the Ford license plate holder - that's an accessory plate holder. The bracket went to a fella for an early truck ?

[old_charley]

Erik,

Thank you for the info on Grandpa's T license. I sent you a PM last night with a bit more information on that car.

Bryan

[ryanpad]

Love the Coupeletes, I saw this two piece tail light bracket & license plate holder & immediately thought about the unique turtle deck opening on the earliest of this model.

I’m trying to put together a similar setup using a third party bracket (acme) that appears to have been mounted to an “iron”. It has a clamp built in that will accept 7/16” +\- round stock bracket. Now the hunt for the red light bracket.

[Russ_Furstnow]

The 1915 Coupelet had the trunk door opening at the rear of the trunk, making it nearly impossilbe to load anything. The tail lamp was mounted on the passenger side of the trunk so the trunk door would clear the lamp. Here is an original photo of the rear of an early coupelet and a photo of my 1915 car. The tail lamp uses a blade type mount. I believe the tail lamp/license bracket shown in this post is an accesory bracket for a truck, but I am not positive. I hope this helps. Russ Furstnow