I recently was showing my 1924 Touring at the local Cars & Coffee in Irvine, CA which I do occasionally. I always like to ask the many lookers if they "have any questions". Most do and I enjoy responding with "no water pump, no fuel pump and no oil pump!". Oh, and there's the New Idea about separate coils for each cylinder. Well, after getting into about 4 sessions in a row of Q&A, a guy started asking questions and said that he had just purchased a 1911 T runabout and didn't know much about it. He did know that it was a "bitsa--bits of this and that" and proceeded to tell me about the modifications on the car and the fact that he didn't yet know how to drive it. He said he would return later and show me his car, which was "nearby". After he left another guy came up to me and said "do you know who that was? I didn't, just another gearhead I suppose. Turns out he's the current Director, Strategic Design at Ford Motor Company Freeman Thomas! Later that day he did return to show me his 1911, which was in the Ford design studio in the building next to the car show. I was accompanied by a few other people including the bombshell of the Vietnam era and "Hurst Queen" Linda Vaughn into a tour of the studio and get a real up close look at a few outstanding vehicles, pictures of the new Mustang, new Lincoln crossover, etc. I spent most of my time on my back underneath his T. Beautifully redone car but sadly only the body and exterior was really 1911. 1920's engine/drivetrain, 12V alternator, distributor, halogen lights, blinkers, hydraulic rear brakes, electric overdrive. He kept asking me what I really thought of his car. I said that it was, indeed a beauty but personally I like period correct modifications only (except for safety glass and a VR). I told him so and that if someone wanted to eliminate all the failings and foibles of the Model T, his car would be the result! I meant this in good spirit and he took it that way. He really was interested in mocking up a period correct "dirt racer" of the early 1920's like the Noel Bulloch race car. Of course, I referred him to this forum.

After the tour I offered to let him try driving my T and give a few "lessons" in the Ford parking lot. He did and he was a natural.

Very memorable day to say the least.

Mike: We go to Cars & Coffee quite frequently. Usually in the Pantera as it is freeway friendly. I've seen Freeman Thomas there just about every time we go. Now that I have the T mostly sorted out, I'm thinking about doing a Cars & Coffee run in the '13 Speedster. Let me know if you are going to plan a get together of multiple Model Ts and I'll put the word out with the Long Beach and Orange County T Clubs.

I will be going tomorrow morning zero dark thirty--that would be a mighty coooold ride from Huntington Beach in that speedster!

Mike Green:

Very good post

Mike: We're going to breakfast with the Long Beach club tomorrow (opposite direction)
I am taking the Pantera the following Saturday. Let's keep in touch and put the word out ahead of time to allow the local clubs to recruit some more Ts. I know that Bob Robb & Alex Watt are both frequent T visitors there.
Here are a few photo links for those not familiar with Cars & Coffee:

My album

http://www.poca.com/index.php/gallery/?g2_itemId=6587

Cars & Coffee site's gallery

http://cncpics.com/main.php

http://cncpics.com/album/201101/110115/CnC+1-15-2011+113.JPG.html

Here's the direct link to Mike's car leaving Cars & Coffee

What are teh dates of this?

Jarome,
Every Saturday morning before daylight 'till about 0830 or so.

Great pictures at:
www.brucebenedictphoto.com

Sorry, that should be: JEROME.

Caught the neighbor kid as he was warming up his Lambo this morning. He had a rider today, but offered to take me next week. Dunno if I'd wanna' be seen in a cheap foreign car..



rdr

We plan on being at the Irvine Cars & Coffee on Sat. morning, Feb 19th. We are from Minnesota, but will be in Laguna Hills for a week in Feb. Can't bring my 1910 with me, so I will show off a Hertz rental car.

Mike: I see you made it

We'll have to make a gathering of it, Darel.

Orange County T meeing is second Tueday, and Long Beach meeting 2nd Thurs. Does that fit your trip?

rdr

That sounds like a great plan Ralph, Bill, Mike and Darel. We'll contact some other members and try and get a few other T's out that way. I wanted to get down there yesterday but couldn't find a rider.

Gene
12 Torpedo

Rick, Dena and I will be in Long Beach the second Thursday in March. We are staying the week after the MTFCA cruise. If we are close to where you have your meetings, would we be welcome to attend? Maybe we can communicate off forum and we can let you know where we will be staying for the week.

Bill, I don't know if you can see it in the picture but my cowl lamps are lit! I had a few guys come up to me and inform me "you left your lights on"--I got quite a response when I said they would burn until I refilled the fonts!!!

Model T's are great fun.

Mike: That's good stuff! We had to run our lights on the trip over to Long Beach due to the thick fog. It was a good test run for my speedster.

Update: I met Freeman Thomas today at Cars & Coffee in Irvine. I gave him photos of my '13 Speedster and Fast Frank's #22 Racer. Mr. Thomas showed me photos of the mock-up he has for the Ford racer that he is building. He is excited about the project and will be in touch for assistance in obtaining additional parts and information. There was some brief discussion of a future "Model T Day" at Cars & Coffee. Stay tuned for more

Ralph,

Looks like your lined up with that Lambo to race. It was mighty nice of you to give him a half of car lead.

Cindy & I decided to make a run over to Cars & Coffee this morning. We were driving our newer Ford powered vehicle. We did run into Mike Green and Bob Robb doing a fine job of representing our fine Ford products! Here are a few photos...

Would that be your Pantera??? Ford powered?

Stan, You are correct
Ford 351C power!

Bill,

Check out today's (5/29/2011) Orange County Register newspaper, Local section, page 6. There's an article on a Model T.

http://www.ocregister.com/articles/robb-302433-car-cars.html

Here's the link

Nice article!

That just looks like a speeding ticket setting in the parking lot. I love those cars, I'm too fat to get in and out of them but have had a couple rides. A guy here in town has several of them. A yellow one and a red one. Zoom Zoom Thanks for the pic, Bill.

Bob, congrats on the nice article!!! Nice speedster and a good write.