Please help identifying car in family photo

[Guest jrjones1956]

This photograph is of my Grandfather and Grandmother riding in "Whoopy". I suspect it is some kind of Stutz car from 1913-1916, based solely on the photos I have found on the Internet and on this website. I have not been able to find any pictures that combine all of the features I see in this photo:

-Strap over the engine cover, and six vents in the side

-No door on the passenger side, but also not open, almost like a boat

-Fuel tank partially recessed in the body

-"Pinstripes" around the body work

It seems like the fenders have been removed, and the wheels don't appear to be original to the car.

I don't know for sure when this photo was taken. It is possible that the photo has been flipped right-to-left, making it seem like the steering wheel is on the left when it was actually on the right.

If anyone has an idea of what year and model this car was, I would be very grateful for the information. Photos are also helpful so that I can compare them myself.

[K8096]

I don't know what kind of car it is, but it is most definitely not a Stutz. It kind of looks like an aftermarket speedster body. You might want to post this photo above in the AACA general forum under "What is it?" for better exposure.

[Ivan Saxton]

It all looks very much T Ford Speedster. Just look at what you can see of the engine and transmission below the frame. It is really nothing like Stutz, which had a 4 cylinder engine roughly twice the displacement of Ford. And because the Stutz transmission was an integral part of the rear axle, you would not see anything of it behind the flywheel. You need "Fast Ford", and "T model Ford in Speed and Sport" to get an understanding of what people did to secondhand T Fords 80-90 years ago, and what people still build from parts today. You can have a huge amount of enjoyment building and driving your own T Ford speedster. You have a good concept to follow that your grandparents have left you. In 1923 Lora L Corum placed a Fronty-Ford 5th at Indianapolis at 83mph, behind 4 straight 8 Millers. Milton's HCS-Miller had substantially increased compression ratio to benefit from the experimental quantity of tetra-ethyl lead which Charles Kettering provided for him. Several other drivers were apparently also given this dope for the race, but probably Corum was not among them. Light weight and increased power will enable a T speedster to really shift the scenery. But if you value your future, don't neglect to engineer safe and reliable brakes.

[JohnBoyle]

I can't tell if it's left or right hand drive. That would help in ID'ing it. But I agree, it's not a Stutz....

[keiser31]

Definitely a Model T Ford. Looks like he's driving, to me.

[JohnBoyle]

If Stutz had actually sold the cars that people swore their grandfathers/uncles etc. owned, Stutz would still be in business today. And 12-16 Bearcats would be as common as 65 Mustangs.