MTFCA Forum

I've been sorting through and copying some old family photographs and would love to have someone who knows more about Model Ts tell me about these. My grandparents moved to Arizona from South Dakota approximately 1917 by Model T. Family lore says it was quite a trip as the car couldn't haul all the people and everything they'd crammed on board up hills--some hills required three trips and they thought they'd never get over Raton Pass in New Mexico. I've been searching the internet, looking at old Model Ts, and I THINK it's a 1916 or 1917 model, but the hood looks different from any other pictures. I wonder if my grandfather made a custom hood? He was a mining engineer and did a lot of tinkering with later cars, including adding a bunch of gears to one that my father remembers. I"m not sure if the first photo (0757) is the same car before modifications--it's with a bunch of photos taken when he first arrived in Arizona, before going back to South Dakota for the family. I'm pretty sure the rest are of the same car. He apparently converted the trunk to a rumble seat. The last photo (0919) shows the car on a camping tour of Arizona, 1920. The top has either been replaced or covered with a lighter color (better for hot Arizona) including an extension to shade the passenger in the rumble seat, and boards on both sides to create storage space for camping gear and suitcases along the running boards.

Thanks!!

First photo is of a 1915 or 1916 Runabout...remaining pix are very likely the same car with modified hood and body, and the windshield turned around to fold down "forward" rather than backward.

What wonderful family photos!

I’d say 1916 judging by same length windshield hinges, black headlamp rims and louvered hood. But the crown fenders and homemade cowl is confusing.

It could be the same T in all the photographs. in the 1st photo the car doesn’t have the altered or aftermarket hood and cowl. The rest are the same car after it had the cowl and hood changed. I think it’s a 16 Roadster. The cowl and hood could be an aftermarket “custom “ body attachment. I’ll bet the aftermarket cowl and the hood extends fits over and extends to fit right on the original radiator. Looks like it was a big hood to raise up to check the engine.

The body mods may have been done to increase cargo space.