1917 Ford Model T Doctors Car

[Robin1956]

Hi Everyone.

My name is Robin I'm in the UK. Does anyone recognise this car? I own the car now but have no history with it.

Any help at all would be usfull.

 

Regards

Robin

 

 

[alsancle]

Best bet is to go backwards through owners.  It also may be in the roster of the Model I club.

 

I love doctor's coupes.  Nice car.

[Guest]

It looks like it has dual front radius rods which is unusual.

 

It would be worthwhile posting photos on the MTFCA forum if you haven't already.

 

 

[wayne sheldon]

That is a tough one! Even determining the correct year might be difficult. It is not any sort of standard model T coupe. USA and Canadian coupes from 1917 through 1918 came in at least four standard variants. All of which had removeable door and body pillars so that the windows could be lowered and have a more open side (like a 1950s hardtop?). For 1919 and later, the removeable pillars were replaced by fixed window framing on both the doors and the body (more or less like yours. 

The wrench on the works, is that all the standard coupes (and folding top couplets) from 1915 into 1923 had doors that the hinges were at the back of the door, opening in "suicide door" fashion. Not like your car.

In 1923, for the 1924 model year, the coupe body was modernized with a larger trunk, and the hinges were moved to the front of the doors attaching to the front body pillar on each side of the windscreen where they remained until the end of model T production.

Your car has features of several different year and body style Ts. The cowl looks like an early (1922/'23) four door sedan cowl, the rear window is close to square cornered, like the sedans and 1924/'25 coupes, along with the previously mentioned door opening and side windows.

 

A lot of UK model Ts were manufactured in England, and had locally built bodies unique to the model Ts sold there. It is very possible that could be what this is. It is also possible that it could be something someone made up about fifty years ago? I hope someone can supply a definitive answer, and I hope to read it.

 

That it is a 1917 (?) with a very nice and maybe custom built body seems odd. England and most of Europe were embroiled in the great war, and had been for more than two years already. Most model T production there was for the war effort.

 

The chassis appears to be early enough? I can see forged running board brackets, and the wishbone appears to attach above the front axle, with an added brace to below the axle. That was a common accessory for the earlier model Ts. The original "over axle" wishbone wasn't as stable as the later below axle wishbone, and many people added the brace underneath to correct that issue. Ford changed to the under axle design around 1919.

 

There was a book published about fifty years ago about the English manufactured model Ts. I have never had a copy of it, however have heard that it is really good! If you can find a copy, it may have some of the answers you seek.

 

Looks like a really neat model T! (Whatever its story is?)

[Walt G]

Really neat the way the tail lights were added at the rear on arms connected to the chassis, most appropriate and well designed and thought out to be compatible with the rest of the car. EXCELLENT. You have an excellent car.

[Robin1956]

Hello every one.

 

Sorry I have been so long replying, getting on in years and took some time out without phone and computer. Some very interesting reading for me, so thankyou for all the valuable comments and remarks. Regarding the origin of this car is very interesting, here in England we have a model T club, they put me in touch with two brothers that run Tuckett Brothers, model T specialists and according to my findings they are concidered our countries experts. I sent my car to them to be checked over / serviced and setup for use, also to see why the exhaust manifold was getting red hot, normal I've since been told. Regarding the origin they were of the opinion it was built in Manchester England. I have had the chassis number checked out, as far as we can ascertain the year is correct.

 

Once again thanks for all your input

Kind regards

Robin.   

[wayne sheldon]

1 hour ago, Robin1956 said:

Regarding the origin of this car is very interesting, here in England we have a model T club, they put me in touch with two brothers that run Tuckett Brothers, model T specialists and according to my findings they are concidered our countries experts.

 

Yes, the Tuckett Brothers have been well known even in the USA for many years. I considered mentioning them myself, but hadn't actually heard anything of them for several years, so I wasn't sure they were still active now. I am pleased to hear that they are.

[58L-Y8]

Robin1956:

Wonderful Model T you have there.  I believe you will discover the body is by a coachbuilder in your country.  If no builder identification plate can be located on it, compare the styling and details to other contemporary cars of similar size whose makers sourced their coachwork from production body makers.   It was common American car manufacturer business practice to ship chassis without coachwork to counties around the world to have the coachwork locally sourced.  Not only did it save shipping costs, the local content duty and tax regulations favored directing business to domestic operations.  It will be interesting to know the coachbuilder identity for your Model T coupe.

Steve