Jack Sparks was lucky enough to spot this touring T at a garage sale back in 1995. After a lot of hard work it has become quite the heirloom.

I bought the T at a garage sale in Dallas in 1995. It was disassembled, had been sand blasted and primed. I wired the body to the frame to haul it home. I started working on it in 2015. The previous owner had bought a lot of new parts for it including a complete wood kit, running boards, splash shields, chrome headlights, radiator cover, windshield stantions, seat springs, upholstery, floor mats, side covers and a stop cover. 

Two years later with the help of members of the Fort Worth Cowtown Model T Club, it was reassembled, painted and ready for its debut. The Club provides the T’s to provide rides for the Fort Worth Veterans Day parade. Three times, my T, named Rollnhope, has been the lead car. She is a lot of fun to drive and a real eye opener for first time T drivers. 

Our family uses her for drives to the local Dairy Queen and around the local countryside. Wherever she goes she gets an abundance of honks, stares, waves and inquiries. The T club sponsors a couple of tours every year, the longest was 90 miles. She sits in the garage under a cover a lot during the hot Texas summer days and the few cold days of winter. But, during the spring and fall don’t be surprised to see old Rollnhope (rolls down one hill and hopes she gets up the next) out and about in Palo Pinto County, Texas!

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We don’t see as many Model T’s as we once did. Especially ones as clean as this one we stumbled upon at the 2023 Iola Car Show. 

If you want to learn more about this stunning Model T, we featured it as one of our Cars of the Week – <<CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE>>

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Bethesda, MD, — Todd Touchberry will spread awareness about hydrocephalus and his daughter’s journey by driving his 103-year-old Ford Model T from South Carolina to California starting November 17, 2023.

What is Hydrocephalus?

Hydrocephalus is a chronic, neurological condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within cavities of the brain called ventricles, resulting in pressure on the brain.

It affects over 1 million Americans, ranging from infants and older children to young and middle-aged adults, as well as seniors.

There is currently no cure for hydrocephalus, but it can be treatable.

The Touchberry’s would do anything for their daughter, and raising awareness and funds for hydrocephalus research is at the top of the list. Nothing is too crazy or off-limits!

They will hit the road on 11/17/23, leaving from the East Coast in South Carolina and planning to cross the finish line on the West Coast in California, all within 13 days. Aiming to beat the existing 14-day record. This will be an action-packed trip full of many experiences to share. And a fantastic way to raise awareness across the country for hydrocephalus.

Their goal is to raise at least $10/mile and donate funds to assist with critical research to help those living with the condition and eventually find a cure.

There is no cure for hydrocephalus. The only known treatment is brain surgery. The most common surgical treatment for hydrocephalus is shunting the excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain, which has one of the highest failure rates of any medical device on the market. There are approximately 10,000 pediatric hospital admissions for shunt malfunctions each year. Hydrocephalus and a shunt can mean a lifetime of multiple brain surgeries. Dozens of brain surgeries are common and 100 or more is not unheard of.

For more information on Coast to Coast for Hydrocephalus, visit: https://www.hydroassoc.org/coast-2-coast/

About the Hydrocephalus Association:
Founded in 1983 by parents of children with hydrocephalus, the Hydrocephalus Association has grown to become the nation’s largest and most widely respected organization dedicated to hydrocephalus. The Hydrocephalus Association began funding research in 2009. Since then, HA has committed over $13 million to research, making it the largest nonprofit, non-governmental funder of hydrocephalus research in the U.S. For more information, visit www.hydroassoc.org.

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Roger Hansen, Jr. never expected his first attempt to restore an old car would be easy. But he figured starting on a Model T Ford might be a little less challenging than some of his other options.

The Appleton, Wis., resident was right on both counts: doing a meticulous remake of his lovely 1912 T was, indeed, not particularly easy, but he is still convinced it wasn’t nearly as tough as something more modern — and less primitive.

“A gentleman I just talked to probably had it right. He said, ‘It’s just like a lawn mower. Give it gas and a spark and it will go.’ There’s really not that much to it,” Hansen says.

Still, Hansen was determined to do the best job he could and try to do the wonderful survivor T justice, so he took his time … which turned out to be about four years. He began tearing down the car in 2019, and finally got to the last of the major work — having the wood-spoke wheels rebuilt — in 2022.

Between those steps was a lot of learning, researching and networking with other old-car folks.

“When I lived in New Jersey, I had a bunch of buddies and we always hung out; just a crazy group of guys, and they all did something different. But they all collected cars,” Hansen said. “I was talking to them and told them I wanted to get one, and I found this one and asked their opinion and went ahead and bought it from a guy out in Colorado. Basically…. he had gotten it running, but that was about it.”

“When I first got it, my wife and I would drive around in it a lot, but it was not very reliable. Sometimes it would start, but there was always something going wrong with it and it was in pretty rough shape. She finally said, ‘I’m not going to ride in it again until it’s pretty.’”

That was all the inspiration Hansen needed to take the plunge and start trying to make the old Ford look and drive like new again. He was buoyed by the notion that his 1912 Ford was worthy of such efforts seeing as it had survived more than 70 years sitting in a dealership showroom — most likely without ever moving under its own power. It seemed like a car just waiting for the right guy to come along and give it a second life.

“When we moved to Appleton, I started taking it apart, and next thing you know, it was just a pile of nuts and bolts on the floor,” he recalls. “My wife came home one day and the garage was just littered with nuts and bolts and parts. “She’s like, ‘Are you going to put that all back together?’ And I just said, ‘I hope so.’

“I used to work on my cars when I was young, and I’d get the old Haynes manuals and fix little stuff here and there … With this, I didn’t rally want all that electronic stuff to deal with. That is another headache to trouble shoot. I figured this is pretty basic. This is going to be the easiest thing to do.”

1912: A Transition Year at Ford

Model T historians have come to the conclusions that no verifiable production figures exist for the 1912 model year cars, but the consensus is that Hansen’s car was one of between 67,000 and about 70,000 that were assembled that year. They could be ordered as a five-passenger touring, torpedo runabout, two-person commercial roadster, seven-passenger town car, two-passenger delivery car, two-passenger coupe or just as a chassis. Prices started at $590 for the torpedo runabout and commercial roadster, and topped out at $900 for the seven-passenger town car.

By late 1911, Ford began adding “fore” doors, which enclosed the front compartment. These were removable, and many have been lost over the years. The metal side panels of the touring were now relatively smooth from top to bottom, eliminating the “step” under the seats which marked the 1911s.

The two-piece firewall remained, with the front door sections dropped down to the level of the firewall. Later, the firewall was changed to the one-piece design, and the fore doors no longer dipped in front.

The redesigned 1912s had smooth body sides, rear-opening rear doors and a top-support strap which now hooked to the windshield. There is a confusing number of variations in the bodies, and it wasn’t long before the 1913 bodies began showing up in cars built later in 1912, adding even more confusion for history buffs to unravel.

One thing that didn’t change much was the engine. The same basic L-head 176.6-cid four-cylinder continued to chug along, propelling the T through a planetary transmission with two forward speeds and one reverse gear. The cars used a multiple-disc clutch and torque tube drive with a straight bevel rear axle. The brakes were the same contracting band style on the transmission. The hand brake slowed the rear wheels while the foot brake stopped the driveshaft. Standard equipment included a speedometer, three oil lamps (two on the sides and one on the tail), headlamps, horn, a top and a top boot.

Even though the production timeline remains a bit sketchy, 1912 is considered a transition year when Ford took a leap forward into the future. The new three-door style continued until mid 1925, when the new “Improved Fords” for 1926 were introduced.

MILES OF SMILES

As far as he knows, Hansen is the fourth owner of his 1912 touring. The previous owner had left the Ford “as is” for the most part, cleaning it up some and getting it drivable. Hansen had much higher hopes for the car.

“It was my first try, so I went and reconditioned everything I could,” he says. “I got replacements for things worn too badly. I went over every little nut and bolt and bushing. The engine, the rear end, the whole thing. I wanted to make sure I had everything safe, and I got everything all back together and redone.”

Luckily, he had one car buddy who was willing to tackle the engine rebuild… “And he basically just stripped the whole thing bare and made it look like it was brand new.” He found another local shop near his home that painted the body, “and did the timbers and the running boards and some of that stuff for me. The dash and the rest of the paint and the frame and the axles, I did myself. It’s pretty fun. I learned a lot and saw where I’d made mistakes, and I tried to go back and fix them. But now it runs and drives like a dream.”

Hansen farmed out the upholstery work to a small shop in California, and turned to an Amish craftsman in Ohio for help refurbishing the wheels.

“One thing about the Model T, they made thousands of accessories back in the day, and I put on a couple different accessories,” Hansen notes. “One of them is the speedometer, and the other is these road smoothers, they are kind of like an accessory shock absorber. There is a bunch of different brands out there, and they work pretty well!”

“The magneto on it, that’s an accessory, but it was already there when I got it. I have an accessory ‘ah-ooo-gah’ horn, and they didn’t come with mirrors. I put that on. I also put the Moto-Meter on there, that’s not standard. And the step plates are not standard.”

Of course, getting an early Model T operational and looking good is one thing. Getting adept at crank-starting it and learning how to drive a 100-plus-year-old car is another.

“We kind of laugh about it [getting stolen] — it’s only a hand crank. … If you don’t know how to start it, you’re never going to get it [running],” he jokes. “And driving it, well, you don’t have any type of spark advance, so you have to use the levers on the steering column, and your throttle is on the steering column. And the pedals, you have three different pedals, and the one on the left controls your low speed and your high speed, and there’s a brake pedal and a reverse pedal. You have to kind of figure it all out!”

One thing Hansen is certain about, he more than met his wife’s hopes to make the Ford “pretty.” The brass, paint, woodwork and upholstery all shine like new. And the “ah-ooo-gah” horn bellows loud and proud.

It all makes the Hansens’ Model T a big attention-getter when it turns up at events like the Iola Car Show in Wisconsin, where Hansen displayed it this past July.

“I think I’ll hang onto it. I don’t think anybody’s going to be able to offer me what I put into it, so I might as well keep it and have fun with it,” he jokes. “We took it in a parade for the first time this year and it was a lot of fun. We got there a little late and we were at the end of the line — the very last vehicle in the parade. And everybody loved it and somebody came up and said, ‘You’ve got the best car here!’ So it’s been a lot of fun.”

“I like taking it to shows and letting people see something they don’t normally get to see…. We drive it around and if somebody wants a ride in it, I’ll crank it up and take them out for a ride. It’s fun to let other people experience a car like this.” 

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Jacob Kluch is the proud owner of a car that needs to be seen to be believed, a wicker Model T! You definitely won’t see another.

This is what Jacob had to say about his family’s wicker T…

“We call her “The Basket Case,” because she’s covered in wicker. She’s been in our family since 1934, and we have the title, registration, window stickers and license plate from that first registration. She was in Menominee, Michigan, the home of a company that manufactured wicker lawn furniture, baby buggies, cockpit chairs, etc. We don’t know who the original owner was, but the initials SCK are woven into the (only) passenger door. The wicker is original, only having been cleaned and repainted. The wicker is held on with brass rivets when both sides of the metal are accessible, or nailed into the Model T wooden frame where both side are not accessible. The wicker is over the original body metal except the hood “vents” were removed to give a smooth working surface, and the turtleback was removed and a wicker “pickup bed” frame was installed instead. This allowed the wicker to be woven completely around the passenger compartment.”

“The Basket Case was featured at the Ford 100th anniversary to represent 1924.”

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Hickory Corners, Mich. –  An opportunity for car enthusiasts to spend a day as a “time traveler” is available at the Gilmore Car Museum, through its popular Model T Driving Experience program, presented by Grundy Insurance.   

Gilmore’s driving experience teaches students all about driving and operating an authentic Model T that Ford built between 1908 and 1927, right out of the museum’s fleet of vintage vehicles. Each class lasts a few hours and will soon have you driving along some three miles of paved roads on the Gilmore Museum’s historic campus with an experienced instructor.

“Think of it as going back to driver’s training – old school, that is!” states Gilmore Car Museum Curator Jay Follis.

Drivers will encounter an entirely different driving experience as compared to modern vehicles, as Model Ts are not equipped with a gas pedal, stick shift, fuel gauge or speedometer. Instead, students will find themselves operating three foot pedals, a hand-operated clutch release and emergency brake, column-mounted throttle control, and spark advance lever.

If experiencing this type of “time travel” in antique cars sounds appealing, you’re in luck. The Gilmore Car Museum — located in the picturesque Michigan countryside just north of Kalamazoo— has offered summer Model T driving courses to the public for more than a decade. Classes sell out quickly, so several additional dates have been added, bringing the total to 30 available sessions for the 2022 season. The complete schedule can be found at www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org

Henry Ford introduced the Model T as a sturdy, low-priced car for the masses.  It became affectionately known as the “Tin Lizzie,” and was soon chugging off the assembly line and into history. With over 15 million vehicles produced, it became the world’s best-selling automobile until the Volkswagen Beetle surpassed it in 1972.

While the vehicles themselves may appear very simplistic by today’s standards, they do hold a challenge for drivers of modern cars.

Are you or someone you know up for the challenge? If so, you’re in good company. Most antique car enthusiasts have never driven a Model T, and most students are perplexed by the three pedals and hand controls until they begin to drive one.

The Gilmore Car Museum’s Model T Driving Experience makes for a fun and interesting experience, and is a rare opportunity to interact with these authentic vehicles. The “old school” driver’s training takes about three hours, and each session is taught by long-time Model T owners and enthusiasts. Each class includes practice driving in several different genuine Model T Fords around the Museum’s campus.  Museum historians provide engaging backstories of Henry Ford and the early Ford Motor Company, as well as up-close inspections of various Model Ts during the course’s special guided tours. 

The cost of the Model T driver’s training is only $125.00 per student, and is open to any licensed driver or those with a valid learner’s permit. After successfully completing a road test in a genuine Ford Model T, each student will be presented with a Certificate of Completion and souvenir booklet. Class size is very limited and sell out quickly, so make sure to visit www.GilmoreCarMuseum.org to reserve your spot today.

About Gilmore Car Museum

The world-renowned Gilmore Car Museum – North America’s largest auto museum with more than 400 vehicles on display — is located midway between Chicago and Detroit, just 20 minutes north of Kalamazoo, or 45 minutes south of Grand Rapids. The museum is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, whose mission is to tell the history of America through the automobile. Learn more at GilmoreCarMuseum.org 

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“If you are an antique car enthusiast, interested in Model T’s or just looking for a unique experience, this program is for you!” proclaims Alli Schell, Director of Public Programs. “People who visit are always drawn to our Model T. We decided to offer a unique experience you can’t get in the area,” states Susan Randolph, Executive Director. 

Over the course of four hours, program participants will learn the history of the Model T and early automobiles, get behind the wheel to learn the components of driving and then take the “T” for a ride. Participants can even flex their muscles by trying to crank start the car! 

Instructors for the program are volunteers with the Marshall Steam Museum, who are also Model T enthusiasts and owners. The Model T became the first mass-produce commodity in the world with the introduction of the assembly line in 1913. The museum’s 1914 Ford Model T was gifted by Gloria Riggleman in memory of James D. Riggleman of Wilmington. Riggleman purchased the car in 2008 from a family who had owned the vehicle since the 1960s. 

Those interested in going “back to school” can visit http://bit.ly/ModelTSchool or call the office Monday – Friday at 302-239-2385. Lesson date will be mutually agreed upon by the instructor and the participant. Don’t let this opportunity drive on by, register today! 

About the Marshall Steam Museum Operated by the Friends of Auburn Heights in partnership with Delaware State Parks, the Marshall Steam Museum is located at 3000 Creek Rd. (Rte 82) in Yorklyn, Delaware. Established as a nonprofit organization in 2004, the Friends of Auburn Heights (FAH) operates the Marshall Steam Museum and owns/operates the Marshall family’s extraordinary collection of antique automobiles as well as the Auburn Valley Railroad. Dedicated to educating the public about Delaware’s industrial history and the impact of steam technology, FAH offers programs for all ages, from lively Steamin’ Days, during which the public enjoys rides in antique autos from the dawn of the automotive age, to children’s field trips and outreach programs.

Operated by the Friends of Auburn Heights, Inc.
P.O. Box 61,
3000 Creek Road,
Yorklyn, DE 19736
(302) 239-2385
AuburnHeights.org

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James Walker and Model T 

The man on the left is my great uncle, James Walker, with an unknown associate. Uncle James was stricken with polio as a child and used a low scooter that he pushed with his hands to get around. Later he used leg braces and crutches which you can see in the second photo. He worked as a jeweler and watch repairman in Gulf Port, Mississippi most of his adult life.

These photos were probably taken about 1930 in Rock Hill, SC where he grew up. From my research, the car appears to be a 1925-1927 Model T Coupe. I’m not sure if the car was my uncle’s or his friend’s. If it were my uncle’s, it would be interesting to know if the controls were modified to compensate for his disability. I don’t know if that was even possible at that time. It’s more likely he had drivers take him home from Mississippi to South Carolina, and this photo was from one of those trips.

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Driving a 1934 Ford three-window coupe from an AACA Hershey flea market space to the show field would be less than remarkable if not for one detail.

“We took the shortcut way to get over to the show field,” said the Ford’s owner, Don Weir of York, Pa., “so it’s probably about a mile altogether, other than backing it in and out of the barn.”

The part about the barn makes all the difference, though, as the car had been parked there for a long, long time.

“We bought it in Binghamton, New York, in 1956,” Weir explained. “A buddy of mine bought it in ’56 and I went to New York with him and helped him take it back to Philadelphia. In ’58, I bought it from him.

“It’s been sitting in my barn since 1958 until we pulled it out on August 3 of (2019).”

The friend who’d bought it in Binghamton, he said, was a serious fan of such Fords and understandably so.

Building a ‘better’ Ford

Ford by 1934 had put its too-long reliance on the Model T behind it. While the Model T that had been introduced in late 1908 had done more than any contemporary car to make personal transportation a reality for countless Americans, it failed to evolve along with the world it had helped to create. Its production ended in 1927 and in spite of the fact that it been constantly upgraded and improved during its lifetime, it remained a vehicle designed with 1908’s needs in mind.

The Model T was beloved then as it is today, but it was embarrassingly obsolete and so the Model A that arrived for 1928 was much more modern. Its predecessor’s planetary-gear two-speed manual transmission and the service brake that acted on the transmission were gone, replaced by what had now become the industry standard: a three-speed manual sliding-gear transmission and brakes on all four wheels. The final Model Ts had worn styling upgrades that helped them to look current, if not fresh, but the Model A’s styling was contemporary and attractive. Its 200-cid flathead four produced 40 hp and while that was a commendable improvement from the Model T’s 176.7-cid four with its 20 hp, it was still a four.

The four-cylinder Chevrolet outsold Ford in the 1927 model year for the first time, no doubt in part because Ford shut down to retool for much of the year. Then Chevy switched to a six for 1929. The cheapest Chevys that year were the six-cylinder $525 roadster and touring while the least-expensive Ford was the four-cylinder $450 roadster. Chevrolet advertised that it now offered “a six in the price range of a four” and although Ford wasn’t the only four-cylinder car then on the market, the point was made. In case anyone didn’t get it, the ad noted that “Chevrolet engineers knew that the six-cylinder motor is inherently the more perfectly balanced motor — the ideal power plant to meet the growing public demand for greater reserve power, faster getaway and, above all — smooth, quiet performance.”

Ford’s response came in 1932 with the V-8. The new car was an evolutionary step away from the Model A thanks to a general softening of the lines and was “the greatest thrill in motoring” thanks to its new engine. The 221-cid flathead V-8 developed 65 hp and Ford promised that the driver would notice the “flashing acceleration, the ease with which (the car) will reach its maximum speed, and hold it.” The new 221, it explained, “for the first time brings into the lowest price field the V-8 type of engine, which has previously been confined almost exclusively to cars selling in the highest price range.” In a shot at Chevrolet’s claim of “smooth, quiet performance” from its “more perfectly balanced motor,” Ford added that “one of the important characteristics of the V-type engine is its smooth operation.”

While Ford’s earliest V-8s were not without problems, Ford worked to correct them and soon had a winner. Its descendants would be in production two decades later, but more immediately, the V-8 for 1933 was bumped up to 75 hp in bodies that “are new and distinctive in their graceful streamlines and they express the new mode in motor car designing. In every detail, you see evidence of a carefully planned harmony of line, proportion and direction.” It was more than puffery, as the new Ford replaced much of the 1932 model’s boxy vertical theme with a gently sloping look. The softening that had appeared one year earlier was enhanced and the 1933 Ford represented an almost-complete break with the styles of previous Fords.

Not surprisingly, although the V-8 was boosted to 85 hp for 1934, the Ford’s body was only mildly updated with changes including a slightly different grille, reconfigured hood-side louvers and smaller headlamps and cowl lamps. It was “the ideal choice for all the people, everywhere” and “the complete answer to your motoring needs.” There might have been some truth in that rather broad claim, because like most prewar Fords, the 1933 and ’34 became popular with collectors (and hot rodders) long ago. Clearly, Weir’s friend was one of those who fell hopelessly under the spell.

The first drive…61 years later

“At one point,” Weir recalled, “he had four three-window coupes in his barn and two five-window coupes. He just liked to buy Fords and he had a place to store them. There were three of us who all ran around together and we all played around with cars, but he had the most money, so he bought them first.”

His friend with the storage space might not have driven the car shown here and it’s possible that he never even heard it run, Weir said, adding that when he bought the Ford from him in 1958, he was sure that he wouldn’t end up in a similar situation.

“My original plan was to restore it,” he explained, “but then I got married in ’63 and, of course, when that happens, a lot of plans are changed… This got put in the back of the barn and as you buy other cars, they go in front of the one that’s in the back of the barn and so you can’t get to it.”

Only a few friends knew he had it, so there was no stream of questions about it and the car might have stayed in the back of the barn if not for Weir’s second plan for the Ford. This time, the plan is to let it go.

“I know that nothing happens overnight,” Weir said, “so I figure it’s time to get started and move some stuff. Fortunately for somebody else, unfortunately for me, this was the one we pulled out first.”

He won’t be disappointed if this plan falls through like his first plan did. Should that happen, there’s actually a third plan.

“I would think that it’s probably about as good as it looks,” he said. “It’s not perfect. It’s going to need some loving care, but if I kept it, it would stay the way it is. I think it’s a good preservation car, it’s a good survivor and it’s a good reference car for anybody who’s trying to restore one and wants to know what’s right and what’s wrong, so I would keep it the way it is.”

The car might in fact be better than it looks, given that he pulled it out of the barn at noon on a Saturday and had it running by noon on Sunday. Swapping out the gas tank for one from another Ford was the only major work and after that, it was ready. It went on and off of the trailer and then from the Hershey flea market to the show field. It was the first time in the 61 years since he’d bought it that Weir was able to drive it on a road.

“That’s why it would be really nice to keep it,” he said, “but I’ve got three cars torn apart in the shop right now.”

The difference between three disassembled cars and four might not seem like a big one.

“Well, that’s true,” Weir conceded. “That’s true until you start mixing up the parts.”

SHOW US YOUR WHEELS!

If you’ve got an old car you love, we want to hear about it. Email us at oldcars@aimmedia.com

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Q. The Model T in the May 30 Q&A is a 1912 model. An open body (no doors) indicates pre-1913, as does the windshield. 1911 and earlier T’s had a two-piece dashboard. The car in the photo appears to have a one-piece dashboard, which is consistent with a 1912 model. The front fenders are 1913 style, so if it is an original car, this appears to be a late 1912 Model T.
— Gary Swenson, via email

A. I plead guilty to focusing on the fenders, so I didn’t scrutinize the firewall or doors/lack of doors. Actually, the “fore doors” began appearing in January 1912, according to Bruce McCalley’s “Model T Ford: The Car that Changed the World.” However, he also shows a 1912 commercial roadster without doors and with the old, 1911-style seat. The catalog illustration for the commercial roadster, however, has billed front fenders. Given Henry Ford’s abhorrence for waste, we can accept that cars were often built with outdated and superseded parts. The car is not completely original, as a pickup box, which was not a factory item in the ’teens, has been fitted to the rear. Other modifications and parts substitutions are also quite likely. Model Ts like this one worked for a living. Their owners kept them going in any way they could.

Q. I have a copper battery ground strap that has a raised bowtie on the battery brass terminal. The strap is 1 inch wide x 6-3/4 inches long. The brass terminal is crimped to the strap. When the strap is in place on the battery you don’t see the Bowtie because it is on the underside of the terminal. I found it one day when changing the battery on my former 1931 Chevrolet two-door Coach. The strap was hanging on the frame, bolted, all cruddy and not being used. Question: Is this a rare part and have you or your readers ever seen or heard of it? Do you know how long this was used or was it a one-off?
— Paul Schmeltz, Leawood, Kan.

A. I have never seen or heard of these, but I’ll be very surprised if Gene Schneider, our go-to Chevy guy, has not. Gene?

Q. Does anyone recognize this old 41 x 12.75-inch windshield glass in a brass frame?
— Gene Johnston, Yates Center, Kan.

A. As it happens, yes. It looks just like the upper pane for a Model T Ford windshield, like the one shown elsewhere in this week’s Q&A. The dimensions are also consistent with Model T windshields. The associated hardware looks different, but it may be from a subsequent, possibly non-Model T application.

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