MTFCA Forum

Nice! I don't know if Livingston made one exactly like that or not? But it is a very nice looking radiator and hood upgrade for the 1915 Ford T! It is funny how the Ford car was stepping into more modern styling at that point, but for some people, it wasn't going there fast enough! At that time, that after-market upgrade wasn't cheap.

That looks to be an accessory radiator, rather than just a dress up shell on a Ford radiator. In Australia, Tarrant motors, Victorian Ford distributors, offered such an upgrade on the cars for which they built the bodies. This meant a custom made hood as part of the upgrade.

Allan from down under.

Thanks Allan B, I always look forward to your postings! I was fairly sure it was Australian, wondered about Tarrant.

Wayne, this one is not exactly like the Tarrant ones. I believe theirs still had a flat core. The top tank was rolled back from the base towards the neck, and the corners were rounded. I'll look for a photo in the morning. I had not registered that the car in the photo was RHD!

Allan from down under.

Now that I have had a close look, the car has a standard Ford factory body, rather than a Tarrant body. The hood has a glossier finish than the paintwork on the body, suggesting it is a different paint finish. No doubt it was likely fitted when the radiator was upgraded. The rest look like a standard 1915 model, complete with brass trim on the sidelights. I will go out on a limb here and suggest that it is an Australian car, based on the type of trees in the background.

Allan from down under.

Here is an upmarket T from Australia with the same radiator. This one is a Davies & Fehon Deluxe from 1918.

I really like the Australian upmarket model Ts. They have a great look about them. And I thought D & F was always Duncan and Fraser?

It's a Livingston radiator called the Bulldog. Made in new York City. Here's some info on it.

More pics

The Aussie photos prove at least a few of those radiators found their way out to Australia but in all my years around T's I have never spotted a surviving example. wonderful to see the original advertising and confirm that the Bulldog style was actually a Livingston product.