Replica Automobile Took Years To Build

2003 - Volume #27, Issue #5, Page #23

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Peter Doerksen doesn't know the cost of his biggest shop project.
    The Camrose, Alberta, retiree spent 2 1/2 years building a replica of the 1901 Pierce Motorette, one of the first horseless carriages.
    Doerksen spent hours researching the car before he built it. "I went through hundreds of photographs, and was able to get all the dimensions from the California Horseless Carriage Club's research museum," he says. Only 12 Motorettes were built in 1901. The following year perhaps as many as 250 were built, but the only remaining original is at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C.
    Using wood and steel, he made every part of the basic automobile except the wheels, springs, lights, horn, transmission and engine. "I started with nothing and made all the parts, from the axles to the clamps and brackets that hold it together," he says.
    "The front is solid oak and the carriage body is made of marine plywood," he says. He says the most difficult part of making the car was building into it the ability to flex when one side drives over a bump or into a ditch. "A wooden body doesn't twist, so I had to come up with a design that could take the stress," he says. "I finally put it together so it has wooden panels that can move against one another."
    Doerksen estimates he worked an average of eight hours a day, sometimes seven days a week over a 2 1/2-year period making the parts and assembling his car.
    The top is made of a man-made leather-like material that's stretched over a frame he made of electrical conduit. The springless seat is hard foam laid over a wooden bench and covered with English leather from 1 1/2 hides he purchased from a leather wholesaler in Calgary. He looked all over the continent for a pair of matching brass headlamps like those on the original Motorette. "I finally found a pair from an antique car parts dealer in Oklahoma City and flew down to get them. They were originally used on a 1904 Reo that had been purchased new by someone in Maine," he says. He found the horn, a reproduction, in a local antique store.
    The original car featured a 2 3/4-hp. single-cylinder gasoline engine, imported from France because there were no internal combustion engine makers in North America at the time. The engine had to be hand cranked.
    Doerksen decided on a 9-hp. one-cylinder Honda engine for his Motorette. "It has plenty of power and an electric starter," he notes.
    He installed a rebuilt 5-speed transaxle that had been used in a garden tractor.
    "The original Pierce Motorette had a top speed of 22 mph, so I used gears and a governor on the engine to give me a top speed of 22 kilometers," he says.
    Doerksen built his car alone but he got a lot of advice from his three sons. To recognize their contributions, he calls the car the Doerksen Brothers Horseless Carriage.
    While it's not an exact replica, Doerksen says that cosmetically, it's almost identical. It's licensed and insured, so it's legal on the road. During the spring and summer, he drives it to the coffee shop two or three times a week, accompanied by his dog Hank. And every year, he takes it to a parade or two to show it off.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Peter Doerksen, 4423-67 Street, Camrose, Alberta, Canada T4V 3B2 (ph 780 672-1688).

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Replica Automobile Took Years To Build AG WORLD Ag World Peter Doerksen doesn t know the cost of his biggest shop project The Camrose Alberta retiree spent 2 1/2 years building a replica of the 1901 Pierce Motorette one of the first horseless carriages Doerksen spent hours researching the car before he built it I went through hundreds of photographs and was able to get all the dimensions from the California Horseless Carriage Club s research museum he says Only 12 Motorettes were built in 1901 The following year perhaps as many as 250 were built but the only remaining original is at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D C Using wood and steel he made every part of the basic automobile except the wheels springs lights horn transmission and engine I started with nothing and made all the parts from the axles to the clamps and brackets that hold it together he says The front is solid oak and the carriage body is made of marine plywood he says He says the most difficult part of making the car was building into it the ability to flex when one side drives over a bump or into a ditch A wooden body doesn t twist so I had to come up with a design that could take the stress he says I finally put it together so it has wooden panels that can move against one another Doerksen estimates he worked an average of eight hours a day sometimes seven days a week over a 2 1/2-year period making the parts and assembling his car The top is made of a man-made leather-like material that s stretched over a frame he made of electrical conduit The springless seat is hard foam laid over a wooden bench and covered with English leather from 1 1/2 hides he purchased from a leather wholesaler in Calgary He looked all over the continent for a pair of matching brass headlamps like those on the original Motorette I finally found a pair from an antique car parts dealer in Oklahoma City and flew down to get them They were originally used on a 1904 Reo that had been purchased new by someone in Maine he says He found the horn a reproduction in a local antique store The original car featured a 2 3/4-hp single-cylinder gasoline engine imported from France because there were no internal combustion engine makers in North America at the time The engine had to be hand cranked Doerksen decided on a 9-hp one-cylinder Honda engine for his Motorette It has plenty of power and an electric starter he notes He installed a rebuilt 5-speed transaxle that had been used in a garden tractor The original Pierce Motorette had a top speed of 22 mph so I used gears and a governor on the engine to give me a top speed of 22 kilometers he says Doerksen built his car alone but he got a lot of advice from his three sons To recognize their contributions he calls the car the Doerksen Brothers Horseless Carriage While it s not an exact replica Doerksen says that cosmetically it s almost identical It s licensed and insured so it s legal on the road During the spring and summer he drives it to the coffee shop two or three times a week accompanied by his dog Hank And every year he takes it to a parade or two to show it off Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Peter Doerksen 4423-67 Street Camrose Alberta Canada T4V 3B2 ph 780 672-1688

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