Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

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Luke
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Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by Luke » Wed Feb 05, 2020 8:56 pm

As part of some research for a friend I came across some interesting newspaper clippings:

The first was a letter to the Otago Daily Times, dated 16th Dec 1929. Clearly there had been, or was about to be, a significant increase in the cost of spares, and the writer was unhappy:

odt_16_dec_1929.png

Following this was a couple of adverts for Model T's that appeared in the Western Star, 3rd Nov 1933, and in the Alexandra Herald of May 1939.

FYI in 1933 £15 would have been around $10.50 USD. To give some perspective a Model A Phaeton was £145 at the time, and secondhand Model A Roadsters were selling for circa £95:

western_star_3_nov_1933.png
alexandra_herald_3_may_1939.png
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DHort
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by DHort » Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:37 pm

I never knew you could buy an Electric Model T. Must have only been for sale in NZ.
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Mark Gregush
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by Mark Gregush » Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:43 pm

It has a starter/generator/battery.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup
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Topic author
Luke
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by Luke » Thu Feb 06, 2020 12:06 am

DHort wrote: ↑
Wed Feb 05, 2020 10:37 pm
 I never knew you could buy an Electric Model T. Must have only been for sale in NZ.
We're pretty special down this way :D

Actually, I recently took my T to an electric car group evening 8-) .

Took several people for a ride and generally had a good time - there's just something about the beat of a T with the muffler end disconnected (not deliberately!) that you don't get with a 'leccy car. I think it was talked about as much as the new Tesla that also attended!
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DHort
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by DHort » Thu Feb 06, 2020 1:44 am

A Model T does not really need a muffler. Just lengthen the tail pipe.
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John kuehn
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by John kuehn » Thu Feb 06, 2020 2:51 pm

We have to remember that Model T’s were the average mans car. In other words poor to maybe the middle class. And in later years the low to bottom rung in the used car lots. And still the cheapest antique car to restore for the average person.
And still the most popular in the antique field. My opinion of course.
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Topic author
Luke
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Re: Grumpy writer on cost of parts, and cheap Model T's

Post by Luke » Fri Feb 28, 2020 5:33 pm

As a result of some other research I was doing I came across a little more New Zealand motoring history. More earlier Ford related rather than specifically Model T, but perhaps interesting all the same.

In 1905 and 1906 we imported several hundred vehicles, of which approx twenty were Ford's and specially designed for our conditions:

progress_mag_2_sept_1907_imported_vehicles.png
progress_mag_2_sept_1907_imported_vehicles.png (241.4 KiB) Viewed 2702 times

And in just one month of 1908 the NZ agents delivered ten Model N's:

model_N_Progress_mag_2_may_1908.png
model_N_Progress_mag_2_may_1908.png (96.23 KiB) Viewed 2702 times
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