MTFCA Forum

I am in the final phase of restoration of a 1915 Centerdoor sedan. This car used the larger belled headlight. I have a comparison in the photo of the regular 1915 headlight and the one I need (on the right). I just need one to complete the set...

BTT.

Still looking.

Robert,
I always thought the 1915 model sedan initially used gas headlamps, then switched to electric with the buckets mounted on the same forked mounts. Your example does not appear to have the forked mounts, so must have been a third type used in 1915. Is that your understanding?

Daniel, the 1915 Centerdoor sedan headlamps did not use the forks, but it is possible that the Canada sedans used them. The first prototype sedan did have the gas headlamps.

Still looking

Finally was able to log back in. Still looking

SurveyKing wrote: ↑

Sun May 03, 2020 2:50 pm

Robert,
I always thought the 1915 model sedan initially used gas headlamps, then switched to electric with the buckets mounted on the same forked mounts. Your example does not appear to have the forked mounts, so must have been a third type used in 1915. Is that your understanding?

Daniel Snell,
That is a common misconception, deeply ingrained in the hobby during the 1950s. Numerous photos were taken of the prototype center-door sedans built fairly early in 1914. How many were made? Nobody knows for sure. However there were at least two, and maybe three or four of them (I suspect maybe only two?). But to confuse the issue, the design team took numerous photos, a few showing two cars in single photos, with several variations of the hoods, fenders, and lamps. I suspect that the design team kept switching hoods and fenders and headlamps on the two cars, taking numerous photos, accidentally creating an image of "early production" that never existed.
Most of those prototype photos do show fork mounted gas headlamps, but not all of them. I have been looking for over thirty years for an era photo showing a USA built production center-door sedan with fork mounted electric headlamps. I haven't seen one yet.
Thirty years ago, I had what was probably one of the few real early 1916 USA built center-door sedans, which I restored. A longtime good friend had a real early 1916 Canadian built center-door sedan! We compared our cars a lot. They shared several details in the construction that neither of us ever found on any 1917 or later built center-door sedans. His was clearly Canadian built, with Robertson screws everywhere, and other Canadian details. Mine was clearly USA built. His had fork mounted electric headlamps, as did nearly all Canadian production model Ts for 1915 and 1916. His also had the 1915 style original gasoline tank under the rear seat! Mine was set up like his for that early style gasoline tank, however appeared to have had the 1916 and later style gasoline tank under the driver's seat.
Unfortunately, both his and my car had suffered from bad 1950s restorations, with numerous early parts having been replaced with later parts. Sadly, that makes anything on the cars suspect as far as originality goes. Neither car was "original enough" to be considered good examples of how they were built originally.
My car had been taken apart years before I got it in an abandoned attempt to re-restore it. It bounced through several owners before I got it and did the re-restoration, making the best effort I could to make the car as correct as possible for an early 1916.

The 1916 brass radiator center-door sedans are the first of the line that followed through to early 1923, the low production 1916s being the only ones still using the earlier style brass radiator. The real early 1915 center-door sedans are unique with numerous (and more expensive!) interior and other details. They had different rear fenders than any other model T (mine had those special rear fenders!). Less than a thousand of the true 1915 center-door sedans were built.

Interesting cars!

Back to top.

Forked mounted would work too. I can remove the brackets. Still looking 5 years later.

Have you tried an ad on HCCA? You do not have to be a member to place an ad. Also, there is AACA, same thing. I have only seen one set of those. They were on a very original 1915 center door.

I might try those avenues Mark. Right now the car looks like a cyclops

Still looking.

Yearly bump

I have a set of 15 head lights they came off a touring car if that’s works for you give a call at 631- nine 0 five - four 634

Craig Raynor wrote: ↑

Thu Feb 13, 2025 9:42 am

I have a set of 15 head lights they came off a touring car if that’s works for you give a call at 631- nine 0 five - four 634

Thanks Craig, the lights I need are larger than usual 15 headlights. They were only used on Centerdoors and maybe coupes.

Ok I wish you good luck, I will keep an eye out for them