"New" Ford Model T
"New" Ford Model T donated by Linda and Larry Doerre
In late 2014, Linda and Larry Doerre donated a Ford Model T that had been rescued from the Red River near Wichita Falls by Linda's father, Hal Mabry, many moons ago, to the Texas Transportation Museum. The vehicle has had a most interesting history. Back when folks were far less concerned about the environment, people would simply dump unwanted vehicles over an embankment into the river. When Linda was still in middle school, she and Hal found the site and wandered through the remains. It struck Hal that he could probably make a drivable vehicle from all the parts scattered around when the river changed course and left the dump high and dry. And this he proceeded to do. By the time he was finished he had a running Ford Model A Tudor, which the Doerre's intend to keep, and a Ford Model T coupe. Linda recalls being driven in both cars before graduating high school and moving away. In due course, Hal moved close to San Antonio. He decided to rebuild the T as a speedster and was well into the project when he died, at the age of 90. The old T was in danger of being scrapped again until the idea came up of donating it to the Texas Transportation Museum, which plans, with the help of the local Ford Model T club, the "T Fords of Texas," to restore it as a five or six seat depot hack.
Here are a few snaps of the T in November 2014.
Please help TTM to restore this Model T as a "Depot Hack"
What the T could look like
The museum has long wanted a "depot hack." This kind of vehicle would be purchased as a chassis and built by local craftsmen using plans and kits available from national companies or developed locally. Vehicles like this would be sent by hotels and restaurants to the railroad depot to pick up guests and luggage. They would also be used by taxi companies for the same purposes. Hence the name "depot hack," hack being an old fashioned term from the horse drawn era for a taxi cab. (Cab is short for cabriolet, but that's a whole new story.) The term 'station wagon' derives from the same usage.
Please make a donation towards the restoration of this Model T
Volunteers from the "T Fords of Texas," the San Antonio Ford Model T club, will donate their time and efforts to get the T running again and make the conversion. If you would like to make a contribution to the restoration of the vehicle, it would truly be appreciated. TTM is a registered 501(c)(3) charity that can provide you with a receipt for tax purposes. You can make a donation, of any size, by clicking the following link:
If you want more information about this project or need a receipt for your donation, please send a request to Hugh Hemphill - TTM Manager.