Trekin' with the Cartwrights: A visit to a Model T "dealership"

Craig, another of Will's friends, collects Brass Era Fords. From Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brass_Era_car):

The Brass Era is an American term for the early period of automotive manufacturing, named for the prominent brass fittings used during this time for such things as lights and radiators. It is generally considered to encompass 1896 through 1915, a time when these vehicles were often referred to as horseless carriages.

He has about 25 (!) of these cars, lovingly restored. I wish I could replicate all the information he shared with us, but... alas, I cannot! Hopefully you will enjoy the pictures!

1916 Sedan - original cost $750. we did some rough calculations - based on the numbers of what Craig had that the folks made who built these cars, it would have taken 1.5-2 years salary for them to purchase one...

In the front of the building, Craig had 5 cars set up much like a showroom in a dealership.

He was telling us that sometimes people stop by and say, "What is this place?"
He has come up with a story that the leader of the Amish has decided that they can start driving motorcars, but can only drive ones like the Model Ts, so his is the first of a number of dealerships that are being developed across the country to provide vehicles for the projected Amish demand!

Did you know that rubber is naturally white?

Carbon black is added to the rubber (http://www.hugtheroads.com/why-are-tyres-black/):

...the main reason for black tyres on cars today, is the chemical compound ‘carbon black’. It is used as a stabilising chemical, which is combined with other polymers to create the tread compound of a tyre. Once added to the rubber, carbon black increases the strength and durability of the tyres, which is understandably seen as a desirable trait for tyre manufacturers and car drivers. One way carbon black expands the lifespan of tyres is by conducting heat away from parts of the tyre that tend to get particularly hot when driving, such as the tread and belt areas. Carbon maintains the quality of tyres by protecting them from UV light and ozone, which are known to deteriorate tyres.

This lantern looks like it might be new, but Craig told us that it was cleaned up and treated so it has stayed that nice looking!

Are you looking at the colors of the cars and wondering why he is putting any color other than black on them? Isn't that a violation of what the colors originally were?

From http://www.autonews.com/article/20030616/SUB/306160713/model-t-had-many-shades%3B-black-dried-fastest

You've heard the phrase umpteen times: "You can have any color as long as it's black."

It's one of the most famous quotes attributed to Henry Ford - his retort to customers asking about color choices for the Model T. No one seems to know whether Ford actually spoke those words.

But that quote is the reason why generations believe all Model T's were black.

Too bad it's not true.

Indeed, Model T's came only in black for 12 out of 19 model years. But in those seven other model years other colors - such as green, bright red, dark blue, brown, maroon and gray - were available.

It was only after the cars went to assembly line production that the only offered color was black, and it was because that color dried the fastest. The colors that Craig has the cars painted are the colors they would have originally been, or a close reproduction.

Do you see the picture of the building on the wall beyond this car? That was the building where these cars were built, on the third floor, each in its own bay by a set of technicians working together.

Do you see the awards on the front radiator of this car? Many of his cars had these recognitions...

If I remember correctly: The "first" award would be "National First Prize". When a vehicle had won that, it could compete for "Senior National First Prize"...