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Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:10 pm
by KE5LIB
Hello everyone.

I'm new to all things "T" as far as the hobby goes. After being introduced to them by a friend who loves and restores speedsters
he asked me what style of T I was drawn to. After some thought I came up with two, and that's as specific as I can get. The Roadster/
Pickup appeals to me because of the practicality of the pickup bed in the rear, and most times I drive alone. I don't know what the other
one is called- a Coupe, I guess. I've heard it referred to as a "Doctor's Coupe". The Roadster/Pickup's open top capability is a draw, but
would be a fair-weather vehicle (unless I became very adept with putting side curtains on!) and the Doctor's Coupe would be a wonderful
all-weather vehicle, albeit a bit warm in the summer?

I'd welcome anyone owning either style of T to chime in and tell me what you love about your T.

I'm in Oklahoma, and haven't started looking for a T of any description, but I know I'd love to find one and restore it. Some things in my favor
for doing this?...

#1 I do have some degree of mechanical, fabrication and welding skills, tools and a shop to work in.
#2 I am a musician, which means I am patient and methodical. I will invest time and resources to do things right, or not at all.
#3 I am too dumb to know when I have been whooped. I just keep going on. Run Forrest, run...
#4 My wife calls me the "Thirty Minute Expert"- if it has a manual, I can read it and usually figure it out in thirty minutes or less. If
coffee is available, processing speed increases. Cold start times may take hours or days.
#5 I am also a ham radio operator. I talk to anyone within a three foot radius, and know no strangers. If blood alcohol level is correct
or close I will do karaoke, and "channel" Elvis or Roy Orbison. It can get really painful. Friends don't let friends do karaoke.
#6 It makes my wife happy for me to have a hobby that keeps me at home. She says it keeps me off the streets and out of the bars.

My ambition is to find, restore/build and maintain a reasonably dependable Model T I can be proud of and pester the locals with. Oh,
and did I mention take grandkids for rides in? That kinda goes with the territory...

Hope to hear from y'all soon.

Most respectfully,

Mark

from the syndicated Walt Kelly comic strip "Pogo", sung to the tune of "Row Row Row Your Boat":

"Roar or owe yogurt
Jennie Dawn Arlene!
Warily hairily, verily scarily
Lycra butter spleen!!"

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 8:54 pm
by Duey_C
Mark, a sense of humor is almost a necessity! :)
I haven't had a coupe fall into my lap ever. 2 Roadsters/Runabouts and a tin cab Truck here. A Coupe sure would have special appeal when it's cooler out. I leave the upper floorboards out for heat for the fall.
Someone may correct you about "A Doctor's Coupe". Just take it in stride here! :lol:
Welcome! If old iron isn't already in your blood- May the rust of a thousand antique machines infect you tomorrow or next week!
;)

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:16 pm
by John kuehn
If your new to Model T’s I would suggest taking a look at the classifieds section on this site and check out the vehicle section.
There are T’s out there that are good running driver quality cars. Not show cars. If you buy a car that’s not running and needs a lot of work you will spend more on it to make it a decent driver than you could have bought one already ready to drive and not need much.
You can find a T closed car that’s pretty decent for 4-6000.00. A nice restored car would be 8-10,000.
There is always something that can be upgraded or replaced on a T. A car that’s pretty much all there and decent running will give you a good start.

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:17 pm
by Wayne Sheldon
Well, I will say "HI!" Responses will likely be slow for another day or two. Besides the holiday, it is big hobby weekend for several of our best and most prolific regulars.
I had a coupe for several years. I don't know if I can offer much, family issues kept me from driving it much, and eventually forced me to sell it.

The whole "doctor's" coupe thing is a hot button and sore subject for many. There were "coupes" sold as "doctor's" coupes, but not model Ts or Fords in general. The term as a colloquialism is somewhat pervasive. Many thousands of people for many decades did call the cars "doctor's coupes", but as a general rule, Ford did not. If you look much, you will likely see many snide remarks about "engineer's" coupes, "salesman's" coupes, or "mechanics's" coupes in response to the whole "doctor's" coupe thing (and some of those snide remarks may have been made by me?).

I don't know how many grand-kids you have (or may get?), but both coupes and roadster pickups are somewhat limited in passenger capacity. One adult driver and two small kids is about it. The coupe does offer a bit more safety and control with small children. A touring car or sedan is nice because one can always take another adult couple or several kids along.

Welcome to the affliction! Model Ts have an almost magical way of connecting their caretakers to history. To both the caretaker's personal history, and the world's history. Most T owners are thoughtful and intelligent people (there are of course a few exceptions).

Unless you are truly drawn to the work, and the process, the best investment in most antique automobiles is a car that has already been mostly restored, and ready to drive and enjoy. While antique automobiles are a much better waste of money than are most hobbies, one should never expect to get all the money one pays out (however, a lot better than buying a boat!).
Model TS are like the old potato chip commercial. You can't have just one! Usually, the best thing (if you can afford it?), is to buy one car nearly ready to enjoy! And one that needs a lot of work. Drive and enjoy one. Work on and enjoy the other.

Good luck! And have fun.
Also a long-time Pogo fan!

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:22 pm
by tmodeldriver
I still miss Walt Kelly and Pogo. "We have met the enemy and he is us."

Welcome to the affliction. ;)

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 9:38 pm
by KE5LIB
Thanks fellas

It's deeply satisfying to know what I surmised might have been a breaking fever is truly the onset of insanity!
Actually, the thought of acquiring a model T has been perking between my ears for a while. I'd heard the term
"doctor's" before associated with the coupe but didn't think it was a marketing term for Ford. So just "coupe".

The Touring might be a better idea. With the coupe or roadster/pickup I'd limit it to one grandkid at a time, and
that wouldn't work out for my crew! I'll start looking for a Touring, or maybe a Fordor...

Many thanks!!

Mark

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:05 pm
by DLodge
There is indeed a lot of disagreement about "Doctor's Coupe." I don't see the problem. I have a "Translator's Touring." :D

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:14 pm
by Burger in Spokane
I think a flatbed TT is your best bet for hauling lots of grandkids. I call mine a
Contractor's Coupe. Essentially the regular coupe seating up front, with lots of
acreage out back for event seating or a load of gravel for the driveway.

2015 17 Oct.jpg

They can sit on your load, be it hay or firewood or lumber or whatever. Maybe
they can even help you load it to !

Not too long ago, someone surfaced a very well preserved TT-based school bus.
That might haul kids real good, but you will suffer for the hay and lumber.

My first suggestion is sell the house and plan on relocating to Spokane, the center
of the Model T universe. Better tell the wifeperson now, so she can get her business
together for the move.

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:18 pm
by Kerry
Mark,
I have 5 T's and all are fun to drive as long as you remember you have poor brakes!
Tourings, pick-up and the latest a Coupe. Besides the lack of space in the coupe for more than one passenger, they are hot inside on a nice day, a great winter T.

As for the term Doctor's Coupe, calling it that could have stuck with that body style as Ford did market the 1910 release of T models quoting the Coupe as
" The ideal Doctor's car at a reasonable price"

Later the Coupe was marketed as "Ideal for Women"

The sedan is a heavy T so for power to weight ratio, the Touring would be my first choice for family fun.

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Mon Sep 02, 2019 10:22 pm
by Duey_C
:lol:

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:00 am
by Dallas Landers
Welcome ! Insane, off your rocker, join the club. For hauling people, I have found this handy. Up to 17 people so far and not full.
imagejpeg_0.jpg

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:42 am
by Original Smith
I own a '17 coupelet and a '25 roadster pickup. I like the pickup much more. The coupe is too confining.

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 9:57 am
by gcomo
We have a roadster pickup and a Tudor. I prefer the pickup, but my wife prefers the Tudor. And the ability to haul the grandkids is a huge plus!

Re: Doctor's Coupe? New to all things "T".

Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2019 7:07 pm
by Hap_Tucker
Mark,

Ditto what others have said about purchasing a good running and driving T to begin with. It usually saves you money in the long run.

There are several Model T chapters (clubs) in Oklahoma -- but a large active chapter is located in Tulsa -- which is very close to you. Recommend you contact them and attend some of their events etc. They have a website at: http://mtfctulsa.com/ and their contact page is at: http://mtfctulsa.com/officers.htm Mike Bender's info is listed there and he is also listed as the contact person for their chapter on the Model T Ford Club of America site (which is hosting this forum) at: https://www.mtfca.com/clubpages/chapters.htm#ok .

In addition to the stock Model T bodies, there were also after market bodies so you have a wide selection to consider. Again at the Tulsa site they have photos of several of the members' cars at: http://mtfctulsa.com/ourcars.htm Take a look at Sharon Osburn's 1914 Depot Hack at: http://mtfctulsa.com/images_cars/OsburnDepot.jpg That is depot hack which was a common aftermarket body and one that has been reproduced for in various forms for years. It hauls 6 folks -- but really young kids would need supervision. It is a woody station wagon look-a-like.

You will discover that most Model Ts are great for folks that are skinny and not over 5' 10" or so tall. But some of them have more leg and stomach room than others.

And with Grand kids having more seats/room is usually better than only have one extra seat. Although if you only take one Grand kid at a time you don't have the issue of "You are breathing my air...."

From Google it sounds like you live in a small town. That can be a real plus for a Model T. I would not want to try and drive a stock Model T in busy city traffic. Twenty horse power and only two-wheel brakes on the back wheels. The stock T is slow but it can easily go 25-35 mph forever. And some drive them much faster -- see the Montana 500 race info at: http://www.antiqueautoranch.com/montana ... sults.html where 13 of the fastest T's averaged 50.29 to 54.34 mph for 495 miles this year. But they are really well prepared (still stock) but I suspect -- but I do not have any supporting evidence -- that they also probably require more frequent maintenance than if they were driven at slower speeds. (Years ago, I had a friend who purchased a low mileage 1970 Hemi Cuda -- it only had about 76 miles on it when he purchased it. But it was already on its eighth engine. They were all quarter miles.) And a stock Ton Truck with the standard gearing is set up for pulling and is generally slower than the stock T. They do have some high speed rear gears but everything else being equal -- the T is faster than the TT. One exception might be going down a steep mountain in neutral.... One reason some folks like speedsters is the lighter weight makes the car perform better (or less slow). The same is true for the touring verses the sedan.

Good luck with your search and welcome to the forum.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cutoff