Featured Projects Uh Oh, here comes trouble with a capital T

A new addition is coming.
I'm a movie guy. Two cars stand out to me as actual characters in the movies they were in. It can be debated that in a sense, these cars stole the show.
#1, The "Thunder Road" '50 Ford
#2 The "It Happened One Night" 1926 Model T Touring

I have wanted a Model T. To me it's a fascinating car.

Why in the world would a "hotrodder" want such a thing? The answer is simple for me, it's the first.
Yeah, I know it's not the first car but the Model T undoubtably is the first Jalopy.
This is going to be fun.

 

Congratulations! Nice solid T to start with, you will enjoy the 26-27 T history. If you study things closely you will find that Ford redesigned a large amount of parts over their production run. There are "Early" and "Late" Windshield posts, doors, door sills, rear crossmembers, dash boards to name a few. Look forward to following your T project. Bob

 

Congrats! That's a deep rabbit hole, with driving, maintenance, history, parts and upgrades all having one hundred years of knowledge. Books, websites, videos, catalogs, just a ton of media to go through. Please take us along on the journey of discovery and ownership.

 

My dad had a 17 Model T touring car he restored back to mostly original; as third owner of the car. Added a water pump and rocky mountain rear brakes, as well as later Model T electric starter. It was neat and could drive around town just fine. Limited to about 35 mph, maybe a little more but the higher rpms were hard on the unbalanced crank and babbit bearings. I drove it, not that hard to do, just different. After he had a stroke and couldn't drive it, I helped get it sold so another person could have fun with it. Me being a hot rodder, a real nice original stock Model T was something best to pass on to another Model T enthusiast.

 

They're neat cars. I had one a few years ago, took it all apart and put it back together again. Fun experience that everyone should have.

In less than ten years, the movie will be 100 years old! wow

 

There's currently a Model T Roadster for sale (NotMine) on craigstlist Central NJ
1919 Ford Model T Roadster - antiques - by owner - collectibles sale - craigslist

 

You can cut it in half and have a modified. Well that’s what I did! That little kid is now 23!

 

I’m on the way home
We stopped to eat.

 

Nice! Reminds me of the story of the 400MPH Model T block....................

a Pan Am pilot had it in the cockpit as additional luggage.

 

The T is home.
It looks like a pretty impressive hot rod with the hood off.
My brother and I talked of how the “stock” T will eat all the Mustangs and Chargers we saw collective lunches.
A stock T doing drifts, power slides and epic burnout.
Smell that?....
Yep.....
It’s Hickory!!!!
It’s all in fun.
We got behind several Amish wagons on the way home. One of those little Amish girls was pointing to that T.
We have Minonites (they drive cars) around here but not Amish with horse drawn vehicles.
It was a blast.

 

While on Tour in our 1912 T in Pennsylvania we got a flat on the left rear. Jacked up the rear and an Amish buggy went by. Got the tube out, applied the patch, stuffed it back in pumped it up and continued on our way. Ought up with the buggy and passed him. Felt like a very early NASCAR pit stop. You'll enjoy your T. Bob

 

I've owned a '24 Tudor for 32 years now. Fun to play with easy driver
Always feel like a celebrity when folks gawk, stare and wave .
Lately though my health hinders my activity.

 

T Model Fords are cool. Even though we all enjoy different brands, we all owe a debt of gratitude to Henry Ford for the T. There is a small but very neat Model T Museum in Richmond Indiana. The T is where it all got started.

 

Thought of something from back with my dad's Model T. Everyone you drove by, and that is everyone from little kids to very old, would wave and smile. The Model T just makes people happy.

Model T was a vast improvement over horse and buggy. But the technical advances in the 20s-30s made vehicles so much better. But the Model T is what enabled the majority of people to become motorized transportation.

 

I think we all like them, I'm sure you have a grin on your face that a side-grinder wouldn't remove! HRP

 

^^^
Very wise words.
As always your comments are simple, to the point and true.
In having this car in less than 24 hrs I realize a bunch of things. Mainly it’s perspective and learning new things.

This is one big thing I have learned so far.

We tend to look backwards from where we are now or even from the 1960s.
With a Model T, the look is forward.
You can learn so much from this.

If you understand the Model T, it helps you understand all that follow.

There’s a lot to learn and much of it is surprising.

 

I happen to love their concept of a steering box.

 

It's really fun when the steering gear gets worn enough that you can flip the linkage around, and steer backwards!

 

I’m going very very slow to wake this old girl up.

Things I do know.
It has ran recently.
It has compression.
Lights work.
Horn works.
The starter will not crank the engine. After tightening the finger tight starter connection, it would very slowly crank the engine and stop. I checked the hand crank and it seemed jammed.
Keep in mind I’m being very careful and I’m not forcing anything.
Piddling with it, it turned.

I disconnected the battery and removed the Bendix cap. My main concern was improper installation with damage. It all looks good.

I suspect a weak battery. I had to check that bendix first just to make sure. I feel I can proceed with a hot battery.

 

Congrats! I had a stock 26 T coupe for a while. Neat cars!

 

Waalll I'll be switch't-----

 

Have you invested in an owners manual? Have you sent for a Lang's parts catalog ( they are HAMB Members)? Jack up the rear axle and place two jack stand under the axle. Play around with the hand brake and discover where neutral really is. Am I correct it thinking you have never driven a T? They all have a different feel, and you need to get familiar with things.

 

Congrats.

 

True Dat,, Using "the book" for setting adj. the handle comes vertical for neutral

 

I got the books!
I ordered the shop manual, (The Big Green Book). The yellow 1926 owner's manual and the "Improved Car" wiring diagram.
The starter is history.
That Bendix cap.....What a nightmare. Without grease on the tip of a magnetic screw driver or a "gripping driver", you'll go coo-coo for co-co puffs trying to get that cap on.

I have an original starter delete cover coming with the starter drive cover, new bolts and the gaskets to delete the starter for now.

Safety...
I did notice while loading the T on the trailer, the engine turned when it should have been in neutral (brake handle straight up).
This could be linkage adjustment. This also could be the bands in the transmission sticking.
To hand crank the car, the rear wheels will have to be up off the floor.
Thank you all so much. I'm learning new stuff.

 

Where I’m at now....

This wheel is wobbly, bad. The spokes a loose making the whole wheel loose.
I was kind of in a panic. What do I do???
Wire Heels?
A wheels?
Find a new 1926 wheel?
Fortunately it’s a late 21” demountable wheel made for balloon tires. If had been an earlier clincher wheel with a wood fellow, I’d have to have new wheels made by a wheelwright.
With the later steel fellow wheels I can re-spoke the wheel with a new spokes and a homemade wheel jack and spoke press.
Right now that wheel is not good enough to yard drive on.

Top and Tub....
The top is ripped up and the upholstery has come loose from the tub behind the rear seat.
I thought this might be a simple matter of tacking this back down.
The problem is likely due to a previous owner’s trailer tow without the top strapped down.
Another issue is synthetic stuff for the tub rail that will not hold a tack.
I’m going to replace that synthetic tub rail with proper oak.
This part is available but I’m researching a steam box and bending wood.
While I have the seat upholstery is loose I may replace that hardware store pipe and nipple with the correct part.
I don’t know? I may leave it, it works.
I may just remove that stuff altogether like the “It Happened One Night” car and run topless.

I got a car with an oooogah horn.
Fellows! ..... I got a car with a real ooogah horn.
Do you know how long I’ve wanted a real freaking ooogah horn? Since I was like 5.
It works. If worse come to worse, I can hook up the battery and blow it, watching the Germans scramble around the garage.
OK....
We could not get the car to run. The seller came down.
The main issue....
Taint no gas in it.
Another issue is the connections need to be cleaned. The coils buzz but there is some very light corrosion that needs to be cleaned.
It’s a simple matter of cleaning connections.
The wiring looks really really good and the right stuff was used.

I honestly thought I was going to sew that busted top back together with a needle and thread.
After one stitch which I looped and goofed up, I could tell I was going to bleed and bleed a lot.
The upholstery shop in town has a smoking deal on a 1930s Singer.
Another rabbit hole but not now.
The steering pops.
The tie rod rubs the radius rods. I got figure out what’s going on here.
I was going to list plans and performance upgrades but that will have to wait.

 

That starter Bendix cover uses screws with a special thread that Henry got a good deal on, Don't cross thread the tapped holes with hardware store screws/bolts. Looks like some swapped out the 26-27 upper water outlet, maybe because of the water pump, the belt looks out of alignment.

 

Sorry for the dirty floor.
Me need clean.

 

I have new screws coming from Lang’s.
I’m concerned about one screw. Somebody used an Allen head. It looks crossed.

 

I’m thinking going back to the original thermal cooling without a pump.
You get different opinions.
Some people say they tend to overheat with the pump.