Old Photo - Ford Dealer

[Rich Eagle]

I saw this on the Smokestak site and thought it belonged here. It seems like a nice one.
Rich

[Dollisdad]

Great pic. I like dealer photos. Thanks

[John kuehn]

Here’s a dealer photo but not necessarily a Ford dealership photo but a aftermarket transmission dealer in Waco Texas. But there must have been a Ford TT dealer in the Waco area at that time to be able to take the photo of what looks to be a a new TT Truck!

[Chris Instness]

Nice photo, looks like a 15 centerdoor.

[Wayne Sheldon]

Chris I, I am pretty sure it must be a 1915 center-door sedan, in spite of the fact I cannot make out the two upper panel windshield and visor unique to those model Ts. I suspect it is a matter of not enough of the windshield showing along with some shading and reflection issues. The lamp trim and rims are all brass, and unlikely to have been used on a 1916 at that time. I also can't tell if the headlamps are the common 1915 style (began about December of 1914?) or the earlier larger style (less than an inch larger) used only on early Center door sedans and folding top couplets. They are post mount. There is no real evidence that any USA production 1915s had fork mounted headlamps like the Canadian cars did have. The early built prototypes had fork mounted headlamps, having been hand-built in the summer of 1914. Nearly all other era photos showing fork mounted headlamps on 1915 or 1916 model Ts have been identified as being Canadian built models.

The TT photo is also interesting. I had a Universal Six Speed transmission in my first boat-tail roadster. Very nice well built transmission. It was a three speed progressive shift (under/direct/over) with TWO neutrals to get stuck in! All kidding aside, the design was a constant mesh with sliding dog clutches that shifted so easily, it was almost impossible to get stuck out of gear. (Do NOT kid yourself! Have the necessary brakes just in case!) One time, on a mountainous Endurance Run, I went to downshift from overdrive into direct and the silly thing slid straight through into underdrive! Because of the upcoming hill, I knew I would be headed into underdrive in half a minute anyway, so I just left it there. It was a bit shocking to have a progressive shift transmission go straight from over to under drive without making any sort of shifting sound at all.
I don't know about the TT version, but that car version had the tallest purpose-built overdrive I ever saw! I used it with 4 to 1 gears in the rear end. The overdrive was one turn in, one and two thirds turns out! (A 66 percent overdrive!) I wish I still had it. Both the car and the transmission.

[Robert Kiefaber]

Wayne that’s correct it is a Centerdoor and I am looking for one headlight.
https://www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=7793

[TRDxB2]

Posted in the past https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/3 ... 1375147356

"Otto R. Conrad was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania, October 16, 1871.
He was exclusively connected with the insurance business until 1902, when he became the local agent for the Pierce-Arrow Automobile Company, retaining that agency until 1904. In 1905 he became a distributor for the Ford Motor Company, for the counties of Lackawanna, Wayne and Susquehanna. This agency he has developed into one of the strongest, his sales for 1912 reaching well toward the five hundred mark. The popularity of the Ford is nowhere more strongly manifested than in the territory covered by Mr. Conrad and his force of twenty-five men in field and garage. His business for 1915 was three times that of 1912 and will probably equal the combined sales of the other makers. Steel and wood combined, we care not how skillfully, into no matter how perfect a machine, cannot demonstrate their own perfection, but must have the hustling, energetic business man and selling force to prove their merit and find a buyer. This Mr. Conrad has furnished in his field, and to the man whose brain and energy have placed him in the foremost rank of automobile dealers, all praise is due. He is also a director of Green Ridge Bank, vice-president of the German Building Association, director in the Scranton Board of Trade, director in the Scranton Industrial Development Company, member of the Association of Automobile Dealers, and is an active member of the Young Men's Christian Association, Schiller Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, and the Green Ridge Club. In religious affiliation he belongs to the Green Ridge Presbyterian Church, and is a teacher in the Sunday school connected with it. Mr. Conrad's entire life has been spent in the city of Scranton, excepting the years of 1904-05. During that period he was manager for the Germania Life Insurance Company for Northeastern Pennsylvania, with headquarters at Philadelphia, and the following year after his father's death, he returned to Scranton to look after his many interests here. "

The Dealership building is a parking lot, but the service building has been refaced

[Wayne Sheldon]

Bob Kiefaber,

Wow! That is one rare headlamp you are trying to find! I have only seen a few of them over many years. And it has been years since I have seen one!

I added some comments on your "wanted" ad.

[John Codman]

Didja notice the spelling of Gasoline on the pump?

[Wayne Sheldon]

Didja notice the spelling of Gasoline on the pump?

I did! That was the preferred spelling in earlier days. Although by 1915, the "I"ne had become the preferred way, there were still some people that continued using the "E"ne. Going further back into the mid to late 1800s, the "E"ne had been the more common on flammable fuels and chemicals. Benzene, acetylene, xylene, and several others still use the "ene". Around the late 1890s, "gasoline" became a product to be sold in general stores as a cleaning solution. As automobiles were becoming a reality, it was found to be a suitable fuel for many of them. As often happens (especially years ago before lawyers became so common!), a product name quickly became a generic name and the twisted spelling became the preferred spelling.