Hello,

I am thinking of buying a Model T but have no idea what to look for. I will be able to tell if it is in good condition and all, but are there special things I need to look for? things like VIN numbers or authentication marks? Any help you have would be great!!!

Look at the pictures in the photo gallery of the forum and decide what body style and year you want, then look for one like it. Vin numbers etc are good if you want a show car. There is a book by Bruce W. Mc Calley "Model T Ford the car that changed the World". I've heard that it is now out of print. Maybe, someone else on the forum can tell where you can get a copy or borrow a copy. It lists the changes, year by year, that were made and also a list of vin numbers with the date they were manufactured. It's almost impossible to prove today whether the original engine is still in the car, but at least if you are interested, you can find out whether it is the correct number for a car made that year. Condition is in the eye of the beholder. One way to tell about the condition is to look under the fenders to see if they have had a lot of body work. Most people get the top side to look good, but the bottom is rippled, welded or has rust pits. Mechanical condition is determined by compression testing, sound of engine whether it smokes, or overheats etc.
Norm

Bob see if there is a local club, and or at the least a form member in your area. I am sure that they will be more than willing to help you. Dave

When you find a car, take a MTFCA member with you to look at the car, if possible.

Folks -
go on amazon.com right now. there's a few of the Bruce W. Mc Calley book on there for $100 or less.
I am (im)patiently waiting for mine to arrive as we speak.

There is SO MUCH to the world of model Ts. From early cars to late and beyond. Show cars to "beaters". Open cars, closed cars, vintage speedsters and modern re-creations. And they all are among the most fun cars you can own.
My advice to anyone getting into this hobby, has almost always been to figure out what it is you want and can afford. Get involved with a local club to get better acquainted with the cars, people and available resources. You will hear many opinions, some good and some bad. But all that will help you to get the right car for you.
And drive carefully, W2

Yes, what David said.
Where are you located? Check Local Model T Clubs via our Home Page.

Harvey .....

Bob,

I've posted the information below before, but hopefully it will give you some additional ideas.

1. I generally recommend that folks purchase a Model T NOT as a financial investment but as an investment in fun and meeting folks with similar interest. While old cars in general tend to hold there value and go up -- you don't want to be disappointed if they do not. The 1970’s muscle cars were appreciating a lot more the last time I checked the old car market. The Model T’s appreciate some but I anticipate more and more of them will be coming up on the market as the "Greatest Generation" passes away. I know my Dad's cars would have been sold if I had not wanted them. I'm sort of emotionally attached to them -- most of the ones I have a NOT a great financial investment -- but they do have a lot of great memories.
2. I would recommend you not rush into purchasing a Model T or Model TT truck before you have had a chance to look at several that are for sale and had a chance to ride in and drive a few. A short ride in a few vehicles will give you a lot better feel for how they perform. The words slow (T) and slower (TT) come to mind. How you plan to use the vehicle should have a big impact on what type of vehicle you want.
3. a. Based on your future plans – if you primarily want to trailer the vehicle to parades and then drive the T or TT in the parade – the TT with the lower gearing and room to put displays, float riders, etc. on the back might be the better choice. But again…
3. b. If you want to drive a distance more than 30 miles, the T will serve you a lot better. Both are considered hard riding antiques compared to modern cars. We had a club member that loved his 1912 touring but as he grew older and his arthritis got worse, he stopped enjoying riding in his T because it physically was uncomfortable. And a TT is even a stiffer ride than a T.
3.c. If you want something to “putt” around the neighborhood either would work fine (I’m assuming a low speed traffic neighborhood and not one with lots of 45 mph drivers). If you have a farm and want to haul stuff the TT is the better choice.
3. d. If you are single and don’t want to take other people for rides, a single seat racer body works great. If you have 4 grand kids and you want to take all of them at one time then a touring, depot hack, or sedan (they had different versions), or town car would be a better choice. You can pile them all in the back of the truck bed – but depending on the kids and how high the sides are – it is often nicer to have a seat with a door helping to keep them all in.
3. e. An enclosed car is nice if the weather is bad – but do you plan to drive your T when the weather is bad? If not – then that probably isn’t as high a priority as if you were going to drive it in the sleet and snow.
3. f. Are you a good woodworker? Then a chassis with a wooden speedster, depot hack etc. might be just the thing for you. Jay Cramer at Wagon Works sells plans for wooden depot hacks etc including one for the TT chassis. He can be reached at Wagonwork2@aol.com. Also the vendors have depot hack and truck type bodies for the T
3.g. Do you want something that will keep up with modern traffic or at least get out of the way of modern traffic? If so a modified engine and better brakes with a light chassis (speedster or roadster) would be something to consider.
4. In general I would recommend joining the local T club, see what the different cars and trucks are like. Let them know what you are looking for. Don’t get in a hurry, they made 15,000,000 plus T’s and they come up for sale often compared to 1908 Model S Coupes that they made approximately 28 of. If you have the choice between a new model that drives nice and an older model that needs lots of work – I would suggest the newer one that drives nice. You can enjoy it, learn a lot from it, and if you decide you want to obtain an early car or truck you can do that and either sell the first one or “ta-dah”, you have two Model Ts now. And in general for a first T I would recommend a T over a TT unless you have a compelling reason to choose the TT. The T in general is easier to park in a normal garage, takes up less room, and is easier to obtain parts for (the engine and transmissions are the same in both the T &TT but body parts, frame, rear wheels, rear axle, etc. are different).
5. Below is a posting I copied from David Grant in 2003, which gives a good summary of Model T Prices: Ignoring the impossibility of such a request, I [David] submit my observations in the hope that they may provide some orientation to some uninitiated soul who would like some guidance without having to become an expert. Model T Values - Thumbnail sketch, in United States 48 contiguous states as of Monday 10 March 2003:
Cars and original depot hacks and pie wagons 1917-27:
Parts car only, not restorable: <$1000
Not complete, restorable with a lot of work, engine may or may not run: $1,000
Mostly complete, correct, disassembled, restorable: $2,000.
Mostly complete, correct, recently assembled, restorable: $2,500.
Complete, correct, never disassembled, restorable: $3,500.
Runs, drives, correct, needs total restoration $4,500
Runs and drives, mostly correct, looks like a 10 year old used car: $6,000.
Everything works, not correct (wrong year engine, etc.), looks decent: $6,000.
Everything works, almost all correct, looks decent: $7,500.
Show room condition, correct, needs nothing functionally or cosmetically: $10,000.
Completely "restored" but with incorrect "upgrades" such as pre-1919 starter, incorrect accessories, etc.: $10,000 but buyers will be a different group than previous item.
Rip van Wrinkle: Car stored inside since new, less than 1000 miles: $20,000.
Complete factory type restoration, every nut and bolt reconditioned, completely correct: Ought to be worth $20,000, but the market will not pay much more than $12,000.
Trucks other than original pie wagons: Deduct 50%
Depot hacks, reproduction bodies: Deduct 50%
Speedsters, reproduction bodies: Deduct 50%
Town cars with original bodies: Add 100%
Pre-1917: Add $1000 for each year down to 1909.
Body only: 60% of the value of the car. Chassis only: 40% of the value of the car.

Generally, cars needing total restoration are overpriced because they are a liability, not an asset, and the cost of restoring them far exceeds their finished value. This is unfair, but true. Generally, cars restored with thousands of hours of expert work are under-priced, but no one will pay their true value. Again, it’s unfair, but true. If you want to make money restoring cars, the best way to do it is to buy a car that is complete, original, and basically sound, but does not run. Spend 50 hours and $500 on it fixing only what is broken and give it a nice paint job so that when you're done it runs, everything works, and it looks decent, and advertise it for twice what you paid for it. If you want to do it right (partial translation: take everything completely apart), forget about making money. Subsidize it with your regular job. Buy a good working car to enjoy until you get this one done. It will take longer than you thought. It will cost more than you thought. It is impossible to restore any part without complete dismantling. You never know what you have until you take it apart. Caution: For any car that has been "restored" request a photographic record of each stage, and information on the experience, background, and motivation of the restorer. The word means ten different things to ten different people.
6. Additionally there are price guides that can give you some ideas of what cars and trucks have been selling for. Also look at the cars that have been selling on e-bay; MTFCA swap shop http://mtfca.com/showit1/index.html ; Model T Haven http://www.modelthaven.com/cars1.html ; The Horseless Carriage Club website http://www.hcca.org/sellit.html ; and Hemmings Motor News http://www.hemmings.com/ has lots of Model T’s listed for sale every month. The TT trucks are under the truck section and the Model Ts are at the beginning of the Ford section under the “F” section of cars for sale.

Good luck with your search and decision. Feel free to join the next local antique Ford meeting near you – you will see a lot of cars and often times trucks and be able to make a better judgment about what you like.

Respectfully re-submitted,

Hap l9l5 Model T Ford touring, cut-off and made into a pickup truck & l907 Model S Runabout. Sumter, SC.