MTFCA Forum

First look, two nice 1915 model T touring cars.
The first photo. a typical true standard issue 1915. The common standard brass trimmed headlamps and oil sidelamps The car also has a bulb horn. All typical for an open body model T manufactured from late February into July of 1915. Although, some open cars were getting the electric horn by June of 1915, some continued to get the bulb horn somewhat later than July of that year.
Which in turn brings us to photo number thirteen. Another typical, albeit a bit later typical 1915 touring car. Notice that the car has black trimmed headlamps and oil sidelamps. That detail makes this car "probably" later than photo number one.
As always, although not always said? Of course, some things, details, could have been changed or altered at any time. Brass trimmed lamps continued to be issued on some cars for fully two months after the black trimmed lamps began to show up early to mid July 1915. And, bulb horns continued to be sent out on open body model Ts about three months beyond the electric horn beginning to be used on open Ts about June of 1915.
So, "assuming" nothing was changed since leaving the factory, any given open body Ford manufactured between early July and late August of 1915 COULD have any of four combinations of those two standard issue "accessories". Cars produced in June or early July of 1915 could have either horn, but only the earlier brass trimmed lamps.
Photo number thirteen shows the later black trimmed lamps, but with the earlier style bulb horn.

It is actually possible, that the brass trimmed lamps car, even with the bulb horn, could have been assembled as late as late August of 1915. Meanwhile, the black trimmed lamps car also with a bulb horn could have been produced as early as early July of 1915. So the car that "appears" later? Could actually have been a month and a half earlier.
Gotta love the model T!

Number eleven is interesting. The horn button is the early type mounted onto the top of the steering column. So, the car is likely a 1917 or very early 1918 model before the combination horn/light-switch was added. It is not likely to be an early 1917 due to the later style windshield brought out in mid 1917.
A couple interesting details, the license plate is from 1923, indicating that the car is about five to six years old, still looks pretty nice. Unusual is that the radiator shell appears to be nickel plated, not commonly done, but was available after-market in those days.
Note also, that the side apron has the bulge out the back end like the 1915 and 1916 models had.
Anybody know how late that detail went? I used to have a set of that 1917 style side aprons, but used them on a car many years ago. I did not know at that time just how rare those side aprons are! I have been looking for many years, but only have seen a handful of original ones like that.

However, what really caught my attention? Look closely at the driver's side oil sidelamp. It has the small clear lens on the outer side of the sidelamp! As far as I have ever heard, that option was not offered at any point by Ford factory on the cars. However, that style lamp was available as an after-market item, either as a pair, or singles for either side. Somewhere years ago I saw an era advertisement showing them. Among other things, those lamps were sometimes mounted on the back of trucks as work lamps so that a truck could be loaded or unloaded at night. I have only a few times seen those mounted in place of the standard T oil sidelamps in era photos. That makes this particular photo very unusual.

By the way, I have a pair of this style lamps. They are later square inside and missing a few pieces as I had to rob the burners for one of my cars.

The 1915 touring in the very first photo has Minnesota 1915-16-17 license plate 87307 which was registered to A.L. Synnes of Gonvick, MN.

I've done casual research A.L. Synnes in the past - he was a photographer and passed away in 1970.

RE: nickel plated radiator shell on 1917 Ford touring

When I acquired my 1917 roadster, it had aftermarket nickel-plated headlight rims and radiator shell and a honeycomb radiator. However, the radiator and shell were in rough shape so I sold them (the original owner had pushed portland cement into the bottom fourth of the radiator fins to keep it from leaking). In hindsight, I wish I had kept the radiator and shell as wallhangers.

Erik Johnson wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 13, 2025 11:42 am

RE: nickel plated radiator shell on 1917 Ford touring

When I acquired my 1917 roadster, it had aftermarket nickel-plated headlight rims and radiator shell and a honeycomb radiator. However, the radiator and shell were in rough shape so I sold them (the original owner had pushed portland cement into the bottom fourth of the radiator fins to keep it from leaking). In hindsight, I wish I had kept the radiator and shell as wallhangers.

Note, that shell has ford script.

speedytinc wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 13, 2025 11:45 am

Erik Johnson wrote: ↑

Thu Mar 13, 2025 11:42 am

RE: nickel plated radiator shell on 1917 Ford touring

When I acquired my 1917 roadster, it had aftermarket nickel-plated headlight rims and radiator shell and a honeycomb radiator. However, the radiator and shell were in rough shape so I sold them (the original owner had pushed portland cement into the bottom fourth of the radiator fins to keep it from leaking). In hindsight, I wish I had kept the radiator and shell as wallhangers.

Note, that shell has ford script.

I was aware of that. That's why I noted in my post that the nickel-plated radiator shell on my '17 roadster was aftermarket.

A lot of tacks along the upper passenger door on No. 1. I’ve had to redo trim worked loose by passengers getting in and out, this might be similar.