MTFCA Forum

I make it a point to stop and visit “ The Richmond Boys “
whenever I have an unusual - obscure - rare example
of auto history

On May 26th in the afternoon I will be stopping at
The Wayne County Historical Society to show
a 1917 White Four Passenger Sedan

A largely original survivor that runs and drives.

This - may be the only example of this model
in any condition - these are rare vehicles

Read up on this thread that is ongoing:

@ https://mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php? ... 23#p163123


Questions ?

FreighTer Jim
260-804-6695

Is it actually a touring with a California top?

One of the photos in the other thread shows what appear to be side curtains attached to the windshield. That indicates touring to me, not sedan.

Jerry Kramer discovered the unique original
sliding windows

YouTube video @ https://youtu.be/c590HKuBpAo

This 1917 White is a Four Soor Sedan which
sold for $5650 new





FJ

After seeing the video, it appears to be touring with a Caifornia top. It's not the sedan shown in the sales brochure.

Note the gypsy curtains attached to the windshield in the video as well as the photo in your other thread. Also, definitely a driver's door (not a center door like the sedan in the literature) as evidenced by the door latch.

Typically, the sliding windows can be completely removed without the need to remove the California top. That gives you three options:

- California top completely removed, folding top (if the car was so equipped from factory or body maker) put back in place
- California top installed, windows removed
- California top installed, one or more windows installed as desired

There are probably less than (5) folks
living who have firsthand experience with
1917 White passenger vehicles - they are
quite rare and quite obscure.

This White has an original front full bench seat.
I have seen the full catalog for the 1917 model year.
The touring cars have front bucket seats.

I see in the illustration that the 1917
Four Passenger Sedan shows no driver door.

The door handles are inside the body.
There are four doors but unless you are short
and slender - no way can you get behind the
huge steering wheel thru the driver’s door.

Of course - anything was possible to order.
The White records show that just over (500)
passenger vehicles were sold in 1917.

But some folks claim that very few passenger vehicles
were produced on the 3/4 ton White chassis in 1917.

The top is fixed and non removable.
We will double check if it is removable
but that is unlikely given it has a headliner
and dome light.

It appears to be a closed car - not a convertible
and not a touring car.

The “ California Top “ material extends to the
top of the doors ( which are flush fit to the body).

This makes for a comfortable arm rest.

The same material extends from the two piece
adjustable windshield - it is removable with
snaps - a primitive vent window.

Everything about the body - top - interior
appears to be original except possibly the upholstery
which shows excellent wear ( if original ).

There are saddle bag pockets on each door
that allow full access to the door interior.

The driver door has an additional tool kit
pouch with cover ( no tools ).

Quite A Cool Car Indeed


FJ

It’s not model T so get it outa here!

Dropacent wrote: ↑

Fri May 21, 2021 3:56 pm

It’s not model T so get it outa here!

Even worse, it is either a GM or a GMT chassis... The horrors!!!

There is a fellow in Florida that got a 1917 big White sixteen valve car out of a long-time collection last year. The car is in 'preservation quality original condition'. He and his helper spent a few months carefully going through all the mechanicals and have recently begun driving it quite a bit. He plans to keep the car, in HPOF condition, and tour it extensively. The car is scary fast and scary powerful!


For anyone interested, the AACA thread for their adventure is quite LONG! More than fifty pages at forty posts per page! It is also an excellent tutorial on proper ways to take a hundred year old car out of deep hole storage and return it to the road.

https://forums.aaca.org/topic/348445-th ... /#comments

Wayne

Ed Minney reached out to me thru FB messenger
when I posted a video on my FB page.

He owns that car.

I have been on The AACA Forum since 2008.

His car is the same chassis & engine
but with a slightly longer wheelbase.

BTW ….

White designed - engineered - built their own
vehicle chassis and most of the associated
components in 1917 ( which was unusual ).

This car was rumored to exist - no one really knew
where it was but there was anecdotal references
to it over the years - the trail
went cold in the 1970’s - now it is again.

Ed & I have been in communication thru phone calls
and messaging - I have read about a third of the
posts on his AACA thread you linked.

Currently he is on The Amelia Island Tour

I don’t know if he took his White Limousine
on the tour but he has toured with it since
his restoration work wrapped up ( over 70K cost ).


FJ

Wayne Sheldon, I can't thank you enough for that link. I had missed it when perusing the AACA site. I'm halfway through it but can hardly believe those photos. That motor is more similar than any of the White motors to my 45 HP bus motor. It's absolutely delightful.
Rich

Jim's photo of the wheel shows a Betco beaded edge tyre. Betco, [Beaded Edge Tyre Company] was an Australian startup company making various sizes of good quality beaded edge tyres. Unfortunately, they were bought out by Coker tyre, and there went the quality tyres they made.

Allan from down under.

I had received a message from Ed last night.

The catalog showing White Models
does not apply to this car.


FJ