APACHE JUNCTION - If you close your eyes and listen to the Brooklyn accent of the taxi driver, you might think you're in New York City.

       But only for a moment, since you'll feel a slight vibration and hear the sound of an updated 1915 Model T engine and the whoosh of wind along the Apache Trail from the open-air vehicle.

       Phil Rauso Jr. of Gold Canyon took four passengers on the first ride down the trail Dec. 31 and plans many more excursions in the antique vehicle he found in a Chicago-area museum.

       As he navigates the hairpin turns on the Apache Trail's steep inclines, passengers who dare to look over the side may see shadows from the spokes of the wheels.

       Those with their eyes closed tightly in fear of looking down the 2,000-foot drops will still enjoy the vehicle's clip-clop sound made as the wheels make the sharp curves. "It really does sound like a horse," says Kathy Schmitt, a winter visitor from Iowa.

       "Wow, it's beautiful!" she exclaims as the taxi proceeds down the trail.

       The authentic wooden taxi owned by Debra Morelli has been modified with a 185hp fuel injected motor, automatic transmission and four-wheel disk brakes for safer traveling on the Apache Trail, and also has taken families on Christmas light tours in Gold Canyon.

       Rauso is the expert Model-T driver and carries a satellite phone since cell phones don't work in the Superstition Wilderness, and a 1915 tool kit comprising a flathead screwdriver and 7/16 and 9/16 open-end wrenches in case repairs are needed along the way

       Passengers once rode on Model T taxis from Globe to Phoenix if they booked a side trip from their coast-to-coast journey on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Rauso recreates part of this excursion on the paved portion of the road.

       The Apache Trail was built between 1903 and 1905 as a haul road for supplies during the construction of Roosevelt Dam east of Apache Junction, and after completion of the project adventurous Phoenix motorists loved to traverse the "roadway" and report on its conditions when and if they returned.

       Rauso likes to point out the rusted hulls of vehicles that have gone over the side and jokes that he's the only taxi driver now since his other students failed to listen to instructions.

       During pull-offs to allow faster traffic to pass, Rauso shows remnants of stonework used as guardrails that once lined much of Apache Trail. When the Arizona Department of Transportation completed in 1922 what is now the U.S. 60 from Globe to Phoenix, that became a more direct and efficient road on which the grades were not as steep.

       By 1928, most of the service stations that had been constructed at Government Well, Mormon Flat, Tortilla Flat and Fish Creek were closed as travelers took the safer route. Mormon Flat was covered by the creation of Canyon Lake, but Rauso points out these former service stations where vehicles such as the Model T needed to stop for water.

       "They also carried buckets and stopped by streams to fill up the radiators," says Rauso, who has modified the Model T used on the tours so that it is stronger and less likely to overheat.

       Although it now has a high performance engine he never goes faster than 35 mph in Apache Junction and usually no more than 15 to 20 mph on the trail, the slower ride with someone else doing the driving allows passengers to experience views they wouldn't normally see.

       Amazing scenery abounds, including Weaver's Needle, a tall and narrow rock outcrop, and Fish Creek Canyon.

       There are some quiet periods with no music, but Rauso has selected tunes from the earlier 1900s, such as the Charleston, for the ride north on the trail and others such as "40 miles of bad road" as passengers end the trip.

       "I'm grateful it's not against the law to go under the speed limit," says Rauso, as "Ol' Geezer" passes a Department of Public Safety officer.

       "I'll never have to worry about a speeding ticket," he quips as the song, "Not a cop in sight" plays, followed by "Six days on the road and I'm going to make it home tonight," as the vehicle pulls into Apache Junction and all the passengers applaud.

       "I would definitely recommend it," says Schmitt, who stays in Gilbert during the winter. "But thank goodness for the blankets," she quickly adds. "It's educational, and being able to ride in a vintage vehicle is very unique." Her husband, Rick, plans to bring relatives on another trip in a few weeks.

       Michael Rinaldi, a chef visiting from New Jersey, agrees that he would suggest the trip to friends. "The slow speed helps you see more. How many types of cactus are out there?" he asks in a voice full of wonder.

       Riders are advised to dress for a sleigh ride from November to March and keep hands and arms inside the vehicle, which has a windshield but no windows. The roof can be removed if needed or requested.

       The original Apache Trail was a single-lane pathway with pullouts for passing, and a secondary road was made when Canyon Lake was filled, flooding out part of the roadway that went through where the lake is now.

       Passengers who take the trip before Canyon Lake is refilled will enjoy Rauso's demonstrating where the roadway once ran through what became the lake after the construction of Mormon Flat and Horse Mesa dams.

       SRP has partially drained the lake to do maintenance on the dams, and it is scheduled to reopen in February. The Sunset Limited tours and restaurants at Tortilla Flat and Canyon Lake Marina are still open, but no boating is permitted.

       Although one pickup truck impatiently passes the Model T with a roar, most motorists smile and wave and Rauso toots the horn. Children in the back seats of cars turn around to watch the old vehicle putt-putt along.

       "In a touring car, you go slowly and enjoy things. People don't know what they're missing. I didn't know what I was missing until I started driving this car," confesses Rauso, who moved to the area in 1992.

       Realtors have requested to use the car to acquaint people with the area, and Rauso, who has sickle cell anemia, hopes to take others with similar maladies on rides. "It really helps to take your mind off the illness, if only for an hour or so," he explains.

       As a jet flies overhead and the Model T slowly puffs up the steep hills, Rauso leans over the wheel as if to help the engine along. He includes another factoid for the winter visitors: Vehicles weren't allowed to go fast on the Apache Trail when mules were hauling supplies. The animals would get spooked and go over the side, he explains.

If you go

What: Sunset Route Ltd. Tours on the Apache Trail north of Apache Junction

Where: Tours usually start at the Apache Junction Chamber of Commerce, 567 W. Apache Trail, with stops at Goldfield Ghost Town, Tortilla Flat and other points of interest.

How: Apache Trail Tour price $245 for a custom 1915 chauffeur taxi ride for up to 5 adults. Gold Canyon Tour price $125 for a custom 1915 chauffeur taxi ride with 5 adults. Minimum age for children is 5.

Other events: Ol' Geezer is available for anniversaries, parades and special events at the rate of $100 per hour and $250 per 3 hours

Telephone: 480-288-7480

Web site: www.SunsetRoute.com

Fun facts

-- The 93-year-old car has been undergoing renovations for a year. It runs on regular unleaded fuel and gets 30 miles per gallon. A nine-gallon gas tank under the front seat has been replaced with a 22-gallon tank at the rear. Steep inclines caused problems with the gravity-fed gas tank used in the past.

-- The original cast iron engine has been replaced by an engine half the weight to improve reliability and strength and get better mileage. No cranking to start the engine is needed. Disc brakes have been added for safety. The manifold was routinely used to cook a side of bacon, making it one of the first RVs. The current trip stops at Tortilla Flat for lunch.

-- An air filter now helps with dust, but the original vehicles on the trail used a screen, mesh or cloth to keep out rocks and dust. However, this "air filter" had a habit of catching fire. When the windshield is removed, heat from the engine would come back to help passengers during cold weather.

-- The vehicle's split-rim wooden wheels that needed tubeless Firestone tires have been replaced by more reliable tires. While the original vehicles carried several spares tied to the sides and a change was needed at least once during the trip from Globe to Phoenix, Rauso only carries one spare. Oil lamps have been converted to electric lights, but he still uses hand signals for turns and stops. The wooden sides and top must be sanded and varnished yearly.

-- The 1915 brass "horseless carriage" was the last year the Ford Motor Co. made this type of vehicle, which was constructed by carriage makers. Seventy-five to 80 percent of the vehicle is original, but has been modified because vehicles didn't have the auto safety standards of today. There are no seat belts because there's no way to anchor them into the vehicle, Rauso explains.

-- License plate: S10 Arizona Horseless Carriage Historic Vehicle

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Reserve your 1915 Apache Trail Tour Today!

Now taking reservations for the 2008/2009 season.

Tours run from Sept. 27, 2008 to May 31, 2009

Phone: (480)288-7480  |  Internet Request Form