MTFCA Forum

I believe it said it was a shipment to New Zealand
Insert part A into part B and you'll have a T !!

Early 1915? Fork mounted headlights.

It looks like fork mounted headlights. So that would be a 1915. I can't say that the headlight rims are brass, but that is hard to tell.

My Dad was outbid on a black Model T Touring packed in a shipping crate similar to the photo above back in the early 1960's at an auction on the Seattle waterfront - it came out of warehouse being renovated - brand spanking new !!!

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Sat Jan 26, 2019 6:26 pm

My Dad was outbid on a black Model T Touring packed in a shipping crate similar to the photo above back in the early 1960's at an auction on the Seattle waterfront - it came out of warehouse being renovated - brand spanking new !!!

Do you know the winning bid ?

I don't recall.

The photo in the OP has been discussed before (Good to have it back in the new format!). I believe it was found to have been taken in Australia or New Zealand. If I recall correctly, another photo from a different angle (appearing to be the same crated car), showed an identifiable building. It is a 1915 Canadian built touring, which is why the forked headlamps. That is one of those continuing discussions. There seems to be little proof that USA built model Ts ever had fork mounted electric headlamps from the factory on touring cars or runabouts. The prototype closed cars did have fork mounted headlamps. And a few very early center-door sedans may have had them, however even that is still debated. Most photos of '15s with fork mounted electric headlamps have been found to be Canadian built Ts.
There have also been quite a few pictures of '15s/'16s and even a few '17s with acetylene headlamps being fork mounted. They appear to be a dealer swap-out and maybe not factory authorized. People are funny things. Many are afraid of new technologies, and some did not want electric headlamps until they became better proven. Since shelf acetylene headlamps were used, the forks to mount them also needed to be changed.

I think that's the Colonial Motor Company in New Zealand, which still exists.

http://www.colmotor.co.nz/about-us/company-history

The photos below are from Teara:

https://teara.govt.nz/en/cars-and-the-m ... try/page-3

There was an old Shop in Georgetown, Texas, that had been the Ford Dealer back when. He said that he got new cars crated as show, put them together, and taught you to drive one, all for one price. He did a valve job on my 1926 in the 1950's, he was still going strong at the time but shut it down about then. He was the one that told me he could put insert bearings in it for $50.00, which I thought was too much, still wonder how he could do it. When he closed he had new blocks, cranks, all of it, I think it all went to someone in Austin.

That photo reminds me of how Jeeps were shipped in WWII......virtually the same setup. Frame bolted to the crate bottom and wheels packed inside or on top. And who was manufacturing/shipping the Jeeps? Why, Ford of course!

Batteries not included.

Grady Puryear wrote: ↑

Sun Jan 27, 2019 7:00 am

There was an old Shop in Georgetown, Texas, that had been the Ford Dealer back when. He said that he got new cars crated as show, put them together, and taught you to drive one, all for one price. He did a valve job on my 1926 in the 1950's, he was still going strong at the time but shut it down about then. He was the one that told me he could put insert bearings in it for $50.00, which I thought was too much, still wonder how he could do it. When he closed he had new blocks, cranks, all of it, I think it all went to someone in Austin.

That's a neat story Grady.

Georgetown is still a beautiful town, even if it has been swallowed by Austin.

I'd like to see details of the tire mounting tool in the bottom picture.

Where is the top? I assume that they were loose and all you did was tack the rear of the top to the back seat.

Great photos of the N.Z. assembly facility - there are also TT frames & rear axles.

I'm with Keith on a close-up of the tire mounting station - I've built a similar stand to get off my knees !