MTFCA Forum

Is there a Tri Motor it that there crate…?

Thanks for posting!! What's with the tires in pictures 5 and 9?

Number five, the Dept. of State delivery vehicle, is hard to know for sure. The wheels are after-market five lug, similar to Firestone and Perlman. The "tires" may be puncture proof non-pneumatic tires with a lot of holes in the cushion tires? Similar type tires were available on many common rim styles.

Number nine appear to be studded "slippers". Often, these were made out of leather, sometimes heavy canvas, with a whole lot of metal studs around the circumference (hopefully a barrier between the studs and regular tire?), loose sides to slip over the tire. These appear to have a whole crazy bunch of some sort of straps to hold them in place, at least two per spoke! The sides of the "slippers" bunch up between the straps. Whether the straps have to be tied, or have some sort of buckle or catch? I cannot tell.
In theory, the "slippers" should provide better traction under muddy or icy conditions. It appears odd that they should be on a car where and when the weather looks so nice?

I have a very old model T era boot that is sort of similar, except that it is only about ten inches long, and meant to be used over a damaged area in a tire to keep it going for awhile. My "boot/patch" has three straps with small buckles to hold it in place. It also is studded.

The photo that caught my attention? Is number twelve, a Ford dealership with several cars parked out front.
The car that caught my attention is the folding top couplet! And not just that they are rare to be seen in era photos. But look closer. At a glance it appears to be a "black era" T, the folding top couplet was built for the first few months of the 1917 model year. However the front fender is flat across the top, as in 1915/'16. Looking even closer, the hood has too many louvers. The car is a late brass 1915/'16 couplet with an after-market update kit over the radiator with a matching hood flowing into the car's cowl.

Another great bunch of photos Tom R!
Thank you again.

Good eye Wayne. But doesn’t it have a brass radiator and accessory 5 lug demountables too ?

Number 5 shows the White House in the right far background, with the (now) Eisenhower Executive Office Building in the immediate background. Cool!

Love the warning on #3 - "Drive Slow". You can tell it's a Ford agency...

George House wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 06, 2024 7:42 am

Good eye Wayne. But doesn’t it have a brass radiator and accessory 5 lug demountables too ?

I am fairly sure it does have the five lug accessory demountable wheels. The radiator? That small corner of the photo lacks sufficient detail to be certain about the radiator itself. It looks to me to have a shell over probably a brass radiator, and the slight angle of the hood suggests that the shell is taller than the brass radiator itself, as many of those after-market update kits did.
The couplet also has the little corner "windows" (actually often referred to as "lights" originally). Making it likely a 1916 model year car rather than a 1915.
Neat car regardless!