MTFCA Forum

An intriguing photo. The car has seen some rough use, modifications, and is likely a few years old by the time this photo was taken. However, it appears to be (or have been) a 1912 torpedo roadster. Based upon the firewall and the lamps (remember, I have said I am NOT a lamp expert!), probably a mid year '12. The '12 torpedo roadster originally had the fuel tank mounted on the rear deck behind the seat. This car appears to have been converted to a practical pickup. So, where IS the gasoline tank? They may have gotten a standard Ford gasoline tank and put it under the seat? Or maybe the larger torpedo tank is simply hiding in the pickup box?
Some people may notice the curved rear fender unlike the standard "flat-top fenders common on model Ts from 1909 through 1914. We almost always remember that the 1911 torpedo and open roadsters had curved fenders front and rear. What we often forget, is that the more standardized '12 torpedo and open roadsters also had curved rear fenders. The running boards and front fenders were however just like all the other model Ts that year. 1915 was NOT the first year for curved over the top rear fenders.

One other thing I noticed. The front wheels and tires appear to be 30X3.5, not the usual 30X3 used on USA built model Ts. Could this be a Canadian model? It wasn't common, however, local wheelwrights back in the day did sometimes replace the front wheels with ones to match the rears for people that really wanted to have a single size to carry a spare for. So that is another possibility.