Model T # 714

[pete eastwood]

my sister recently sent me some old family photos .
This photo was taken in 1965 , that's me behind the wheel of our model T .
Brother David in the passenger seat & my dad in back .
This car is serial # 714 , 2 pedal , 2 lever !
This car was sold new in Colton Calif . In 1918 it was traded in on a new Ford .
The dealer " Banta & Smith " in Colton kept the car as a novelty .
My dad bought this car in 1953 from Mr. Smith , former owner of the dealership , that made my dad the third owner .
It was all original , including paint & upholstery when he got it .
Dad sold it to Bill Harrah , it now resides in the Los Angeles County museum collection .
Sadly their collection is stashed away in a warehouse .

[KimDobbins]

Cool pic Pete, I wish the county would let go of those vehicles so they could have good homes!

[Rob]

Thanks for the post. I agree Kim, wish they would let them go. I think they have an early T motor too (77?).

[Wayne Sheldon]

Does that car have a louvered hood? Or is that maybe pinstriping.
Funny. I was just sorting through a couple hundred era photographs and saw a louvered hood on a 1912.
The funny part about it is that I have an original louvered hood for a pre1912 T. I can't tell if it is an original Ford factory hood that had louvers added, or an after-market hood offered with louvers. Both things were done back then.
I didn't realize what it was when I bought it about ten or twelve years ago. I intended to use it on my 1915, but when I began fitting it onto the car to straighten it out and repair it? It didn't fit! The full length side hinges were in the way. Upon closer examination, I realized the louver's cuts and spacing wasn't quite right for a 1915 either. So I switched to another 1915 hood I had which was in considerably worse condition.

A wonderful photo of the car and your family. Thank you for sharing it again.

[Kerry]

Could have Wayne, looks to me like it's had a few up-grades, looking through the front wheel spokes on the photo blown up, I reckon you can see dipper pan bolts.

[Tourabout]

Look at the horn, open bell. That’s the horn that came with my 09. Lots of people say that horn isn’t correct for an 09?

[varmint]

Very nice. I suppose that I will ask the question. What color was it?

[John kuehn]

That would a T to see on a Tour again! Hopefully that can happen before the time comes before sanctions are put on vehicles or outlawed that use gasoline. Hope that doesn’t happen but you know how Callyfunny is and that’s unfortunate.

[Original Smith]

Too bad your dad sold it. I know you would never get rid of it, but he did sell it. We are lucky to have you in our clubs with all of your knowledge.

[NorthSouth]

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Hey Pete,

I enjoyed meeting you on the Rose Parade Route Tour last month. Here's a photo taken of my father, Lee Chase, who is still touring with our Southern California Chapter. It was with his 2 pedal car. When he wakes up I will call him so that I may include more details about it. By the way, this image is from about the time Original Smith and my father became Model T friends.

OK, Lee is awake now. He told me to pass on that his 09 was Number 452 and it had the original red lining inside the top. And, he wanted me to say hello to you Pete and that he hopes to see you on the Malibu Renegade Wildcat T Tour March 12-16th. And, share stories about your father and your uncle. Larry Smith has all those tour details.

Steven

[Rich Eagle]

It's great to see that photo Pete. I was very fond of your family and cars on the brief moments I was around them.
This is #714 I believe when it was displayed at the LA Co. Museum. It was the early '80s when I took these. They had some big murals behind the cars then.

You can see the louvers cut in the hood. The top and windshield have been removed.
Rich

[Ron Mac]

I remember seeing this car several times at the LA County Museum, although it has been years ago. I also remember some of the other great cars like the original Welch, American Underslung, early Pierce Arrow, and a six cylinder Pope Hartford as well as the famous Model T engine #77. What a great collection. Are any of the cars on display anywhere? From memory, I know some of them were at Peterson but then they got removed?

Thanks for sharing photos of #714.

[pete eastwood]

Steven ,
Your Dad's T came from Ray McIllwaine . I remember the serial # was around 450
Ray restored it in the early '60's . Ray & his father inlaw both had 2 pedal 2 lever T's .
I have a picture somewhere of the three early T's out in front of our house in Pasadena !
I believe this is the car that is now in the Harrah's museum collection in Nevada .

[TWrenn]

Gorgeous car. One thing that does stand out is the is the Acetylene tank. I thought they had to have the off-set valve for safer operation...the proverbial Prest-o-lite "B"?

[NorthSouth]

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OK, Lee is awake now. He told me to pass on that his 09 was Number 452 and it had the original red lining inside the top.

And, he wanted me to say hello to you Pete and that he hopes to see you on the Malibu Renegade Wildcat T Tour March 12-16th. And, share stories about your father and your uncle. Original Smith has all those tour details. I hope that you show up for at least part of it too. There are some who are saying that the Santa Monica Mountains are too steep for a Model T. My dad says, "NUTS" to that.

In any case, he sold the 09 way back to a guy in Amsterdam. If it's in Harrah's Museum now then it crossed the Atlantic twice.

Smiles,
Steven