MTFCA Forum

Photo number one is interesting. The body is a cut off center door, around 1920. The engine was been moved back. What is investing is how the steering worked. The steering wheel does not show in the photo, so the steering colunm has been lowered. I wonder how it was then connected to the tie rod.

maybe not a cut off center door, perhaps a 23-25 coupe?.

The first T is a one of a kind. I wonder what happened to it as it was a odditie but still looked good. Somebody put in a lot of work on it and especially the redone loooooong hood!

If it’s a coupe it would have to have had the rear body redone to have the smooth back end.
Not really sure if I know what it was. But again it took a LOT of work to build it.


The ninth photo from the top looks like a well used T that became some sort of cut down speedster that was in a lot of mud. There is an interesting story behind that one for sure!

The first one I wonder if the car is a tandem block eight cylinder. I am fairly sure I have seen that photo before, but I do not recall when or where? (Maybe here?)

The muddy speedster, the body looks a lot like the one I restored about twenty years ago and used for my gray racing car. Sure wish I still had that one.

The last photo is quite interesting. I suspect the windshield may be another after-market one like the one hidden under all the fellows in a touring car about a week ago. I have seen a few like that in the thousands of photos I have closely looked at over the years. But to see two of them in about a week? One of the interesting things about them is that Canadian production began using a similar folding (and slanted) windshield about 1920, fully two years before USA production model Ts got them. I have seen advertising from the late 1910s for after-market similar fancier windshields.
Moving on however, what year model is that T? Pay attention to the side apron. The front edge is cut for the earlier style flat front fenders! While the hood and radiator appear to be early black era stuff, the hood does not fit well on the firewall. Very likely there is a 1915/'16 hood former under that. Also notice the running board/fender brace rod attached to the sidelamp bracket on the windshield to cowl bracket. Also no stove-bold screws holding the windshield frame in place, likely riveted. Most likely, that is or was a 1915 or 1916 runabout before it was updated.
And by the way? That turtle deck lid looks like it could have been the one I restored for my 1915 runabout! Between cracks and dents and folds, lots of fun making it look nice. That crease on the side of the turtle deck was also like mine. Also lots of fun.

Number eight. I always like to see brass era English model Ts! They are so interestingly different. So classy. So many variations in the fenders themselves. Cowl lamps inset into the firewall. And The 30 X 3 1/2 all around demountable "wheel" wheels! Jolly good!

Picture 1 , I am guessing it is a modified 1920’s T center door body with a modified T engine , either a 6 cylinder or 8 cylinder conversion . That was a lot of body work to go through with out going to more cylinders under that longer hood.

I was intrigued by the building in no 5 photo. To my eye, it looks about *' x 12' and about 10' high, covered in some kind of fabric that is weighted down around the perimeter with stones. No sign of any vegetation, just that black construction in the middle of nowhere. If that is is his home, he will/is having a tough time.

Allan from down under.

It looks like an old time "tar-paper" shack. With curtains in the windows, most probably not just a miner's shack or storage. Depending upon local resources, homesteaders sometimes built shacks like this as they worked to build their place.

First picture : I believe we are witnessing the very moment it is turning back into a pumpkin

Here is an Australian version of No 1. the chassis in this case was a Buick.

Wayne you may have seen one that is close in The Model T Ford Owner by Murray Fahnestock on page 441, but it didn't use a cutdown center door or coupe body, it had extended frame with full center door body in place that looked like the one that Peter posted.

Tom,

I don't know if you're on Facebook, but if you are there is a page called "Old American Photos". Lots of Model T stuff that would fit into your posts.

Keep 'em coming!

The idea of a shortened T has fascinated me for many years. In the 60s I built a model of one similar to the 2 below. The photo at right is my '25 Tudor modified in Photoshop from a VF cover photo. I fear I have miss led some by my Photoshop offerings here. The first photo in question I believe to be a doctored photo. I can't be sure I didn't do it and forgot but can't find a trace of it on my computer. In red I have circled: the 2 windows that are too perfectly identical to be different and several features that are repeated in the lengthening of the hood. Some of the early humor here on the forum seemed harmless, but now with AI it may lead to confusion and too misleading. I hope folks will take my posts with a grain of salt and forgive me. There is still some fun to be had if we aren't too subtle.
Thanks
Rich

I have to admit to being alarmed by AI images. I was caught up short by an appealing image of a running sheep dog - that on close examination had five legs.

Lately Facebook is rife with spurious images of non-existent antique cars with accompanying text that purports to be factual and of historical relevance. That is a real crime, as it’s difficult enough to follow historical details without someone purposely misleading folks.

Rich, I’m certain you have never done so, your “collages” and manipulations have always been in the realm of a good spoof, and, I should add, with an artistic merit at par with your paintings and drawings of automotive subjects. The cover of “The Adventures of Kalamity Dick” comes to mind.

Trick photos have been around almost as long as practical photography, but usually in the vein of our favorite Idaho post cards of the elusive “jackalope”, or potatoes so large as to require a flatbed semi to haul a single tuber.

OK. I found it after 60 years. Don't throw anything away.
Rich

I agree with what Rich Bingham said.

The AACA forum has a "What Is It?" section. In the recent past couple years, more and more AI/Photoshop pictures have been showing up asking for help in identifying the vehicles. Most are quickly identified as fakes, however a few are really well done and hard to be sure they aren't real. Almost a week ago, in response to complaints by others about people trying to pass fakes off as being real, I posted the following;


"AI is like any and all tools. Whether it is good or bad depends upon how it it used.

A hammer can be used to build a home. Or it can be used to bash in your brains.

AI if it is used to create beautiful imagery, and identified as such? It may be art (maybe a good thing).

But if it is put out there to see how many people you can fool? I don't consider that a good thing any more than rationalizing stealing from people thinking that they need to learn to better protect themselves could be considered a good thing.

Key words in the above bit is "identified as such". Most real artists (yes there have been exceptions in the world of art history?), sign their work."


The above photo posted by Tom R is probably an old fashion "cut and paste" as was popular in trick photography a century ago and as pointed out by the two Riches.
It was very nicely done, and maybe could have been more recently done using computer technology. The two windows are in fact too much alike.

I know that many people that believe AI will save us from ourselves, think training AI to pass itself off as real people and making fake photographs look real is a good way to make AI ready to save us. (This I have read, written by people pushing for AI !)
I do NOT agree with that. Our biggest problem with ourselves today is our own dishonesty! Training AI to be dishonest can only make things worse.