This body was purchased on E-Bay by Brent Terry as an exercise to see how inexpensively a brass era type Model T car could be built, yet maintain an above average standard for reliability and aesthetics.
 
As many of you know, true Tourabout bodies were offered by Ford Motor Company in or around 1911 and 1912 as another version of a Touring body.  Most agree Tourabouts were based off of the Commercial Roadster body with the mother-in-law seat removed from the rear and another front seat installed in place of the rear seat.  Bodies like this were also built by buggy manufacturers that just adapted their seats and platforms over to chassis' that could have been purchased new from their local Ford garage.  In some ways, this was the most economic way for a family to own a motorcar.  In some ways with the ever increasing price of the brass T's, this logic seems appropriate in our day and time too.

Since Brent's plans are based on driving and touring this car on Model T tours, total originality will be compromised for safety, affordability, and ease of driveability.  These modifications will only be noticed by persons with the utmost knowledge of brass-era Model T Fords.  Plans are to utilize a middle 1920's chassis with a starter and generator.   Likely the internals of the engine will include a Z head and a Stipe camshaft along with Rocky Mountain brakes for increased stopping abilities. 

Currently the upholstery is complete and is in decent condition.  The paint color will be changed slightly and therefore all of the sheetmetal will receive a new coat of paint.  Other mechanical parts are slowly being gathered and the chassis rebuild will begin sometime during the winter of 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007,  ....or whenever????