My wife has absolutly no interest in the car and never really listens when I talk about it. Yesterday: Me "Hey honey you know our car has patina." Wife "Mmmmmm haven't had that in a while."

I am very lucky, both my wife and children come on all the rallies and most club runs. Some are not so fortunate to such an understanding and supportive family. I don't drink, smoke or gamble but I love veteran cars. My wife knows where I am, in the shed!

Well my granddaughter likes it. She asked me Pop Pop can your car crunch up like an accordion like Laurel and Hardy? No sweetheart that was the 27's.

Sorry it's not a T, but here is my wife at work in 1971. We had only been married two years, but she had already succumbed to 'old car madness', and fortunately her view about old cars continues to this day.

My wife likes to take the occasional ride in our car but other than that, she has no interest in it.

When T guys are no longer here their wives usually sell their cars and parts or maybe just give them away.
My neighbor that has a yard business was just about given (500.00) for the yard work a 30 Model A roadster that had been restored.
It had belonged to her late husband and she just wanted it out of the way.
If you want to get something for you old car you had better sell it before you pass on!
Time just goes on you know.

My wife owns her own T and helps pretty regularly in the shop. We probably average putting 100 miles on it each weekend. I just wish she would drive it more often. She much prefers to be driven around in it. She has driven it, but it's so seldom, she usually has to be reminded what to do. She would never admit it, but I think she's scared she's gonna hurt it somehow. She prefers to say "I just don't want to." when asked why she doesn't want to drive.

My now ex-wife was/is interested in the old Fords. Even tho we've been divorced going on 4 years now, she still maintains an interest and sometimes takes one of the old Fords for a spin during a visit.

A couple of the women I'm seeing now have a small interest in my cars that are shiny and run, but have zero interest in my cars that don't run.

We're in the same boat Dennis.

My wife says old cars are noisy, smelly, jiggly, hot in the summer, cold in the winter, wet in the rain, cantankerous and dangerous. But, except for Antarctica, she has been on every continent of this planet for at least one, week-long, point-to-point trip - on a horse. Noisy, smelly, jiggly, - - - Does anyone hear an echo?

Gil Fitzhugh, Morristown, NJ

My wife likes old cars.
She wants me to buy more...we have 12.
She'll work on them and drive anything but the Ts.
Says she likes riding in them because it seems like we're on a date (after 50 yrs).

Mary likes old cars and I pretend to like to go dancing, works for me ;~) She cried when I sold our 1912 Model T Paddy Wagon back in 1963. Of all of the old cars we have had over the years she likes our Speedster #22 the best and brags that she is the riding mechanic and navigator.

My wife goes with me on most club events, and in parades. However, she won't drive a Model T. I have tried to get her to learn to drive just in case I should become incapcitated she could drive to obtain help. She will drive a Model A which I think is harder to drive than a T.

I go every year with her to Las Vegas and spend a week there. She really enjoys it, but I could do without it.

For a marriage to work, we must share with each other and do some things the other likes just because they like it and we want to please them. It's kind of like choosing where to go to eat. I'd rather enjoy her cooking at home, but sometimes she wants a "day off" so we go out to dinner at a restaurant of her choosing. She asks where I would like to eat, and I say I prefer her cooking, but she should choose the restaurant.

It seems to be working. We have been married for 54 years and still love each other.
Norm

My wife is supportive but not too interested in T's. She does have a sense of humor, though. When I was putting the TT back together I would occasionally order a needed part from T-Bay. Some showed up looking pretty cruddy, but beautiful in my eyes because it was a useful thing I wanted that just needed cleaning up. She would look at these items when I took them out of the packages and ask, "Just how much did that cost?". It wasn't that she cared about the money I spent but she was incredulous over the fact that I or anyone else would actually pay money for such an item.

Henry: Sounds like my wife. I ordered a mag ring and some other parts and the box came in and she said "what in the box" , What do you need now, I thought it was done, more parts.
She really does not have any interest,but tolerates them. She said the other day you should get them out and clean them up dust them off ,oh yeah but when are you going to mow the lawns and put up the dead berry vines spray the drive way pad pull the weeds on the gravel drive way.
I am Re-assembling one engine that had a knock and am waiting for the piston and rods to be done.
Heck just another day in the life of a "T'r"
As one of our local retired Hiway Patrolman said in his newspaper column "Go out and enjoy the ride"
bill D

I couldn't STOP my wife from going on a T outing. People always say "Here comes John and Renea... in separate cars again!"

I was going to say that my wife was like Henry's and Bill's
("My wife is supportive but not too interested in T's")
until they talked about money.

When I got through with remounting an old tire she asked how much new ones would cost.
My reply about $700.00
Her reply, "Why not just get new ones?"
I was surprised because I was not willing to spend $700 on a hobby when I could make do with what I had.
She dosen't get excited about a trips in the T but will do once-in-awhile to make me happy.

I'd say that was supportive from a wife that dosen't like to shop and insists that we use coupons or takes pride in purchasing things we need when they are on sale. (please notice - I said we buy things we NEED on sale - not just buy things that are on sale.)

We are not cheap --- We are conservative and want to make money go as far as we can make it go!

When Anja was a child in Holland, her parents had a 1928 Chrysler Touring that the whole family would go on vacation in every summer - parents and four kids. Her father also had a 1931 Morris at one point. Having old cars has always seemed perfectly natural to her. We bought the 1936 Austin Ten in 1974 and shipped it here when we moved in 1977. Drive it 6,500 miles from New York via North Carolina, Maine, Nova Scotia, and Chicago to St. Louis. We bought the T in 1996 and drove it only locally until 2003. That year, seven Ts from St Louis drove to Dearborn for the Ford Centennial and we were hooked. At the club's 2003 Christmas party, Ken Meek said that he and Marge had signed up for the 2004 Show-Me Tour in May and asked if anyone else was interested. Four couples ended up going. Anja and I made every Show-Me Tour from 2004 through last year, plus Lord only knows how many other tours around the country. Anja has only driven the car once, but she is an outstanding navigator. We'll have to see what we can manage this year. I'm hoping at least for a few local tours.

My wife enjoys the musclecars more than the T, but I sold her Chevelle and tore my Chevelle apart, so the only "fun" car we have that currently runs is my Roadster.

She enjoys it, but we're more limited on trips we can do with it... can't run 100 miles each way after work to an event, then drive home at night on the freeway, so we don't get to do some of the events we would like to take it to. Most of our T driving is just short trips to take the kids to the park, and be back before dark.

The kids like the T more though, and I think that really helps "mom" enjoy it.

Dane,
I know this is a T site, but that A chassis your wife is touching up is a real early one (forged running board brackets & solid front motor mount). What's the story?
T'
David D.

My wife loves our T and can't get enough of riding in it. We ride and eat, eat and ride. Whenever I get home, the first thing out of my wife's mouth is: lets get the T out and go for a ride. That got me thinking......

I told my wife that she acts like a bi@#$.

She likes to:
ride in THE car.
eat
and sex only happens when she's in the mood.

Sounds like a bi@#$ to me.

She just laughs and tells me to get the T out of the shed.

I'll send you a P.M. David, but yes, it is an early one, it even had a red steering wheel. We sold it on after about 250,000 miles in it.

My now ex wife loved old cars so much we planned our honeymoon so we could spend it on the 1984 cross country run . She still loves thems

Umm... l guess l just lucked out !

My wife loves going out in the T. When I say lets go for a ride, there are two ladies at the door wagging their tail---only one has a tail and 4 legs!!!. The only down side is it seems that it costs me a new period outfit every year so she can go to the shows and not be seen in one of the same outfits that she wore last year. It's a girl thing I guess. I guess it's the price you pay! Ha ha ha!

My wife loves Model T's. So much she built one herself, and probably puts close to 3000 miles a year on it. She finished 2nd in the Montana 500 this year.

WOW Mary Kay has been around much longer than I thought....eeeccchh ~

Don - Did you write the check for the paint?

My wife doesn't act like she cares about the T's either, other than its pretty. When I ask her to go with me for a ride she says nah I don't want to smell like exhaust the rest of the day...
But if I come in like I did just a few months ago and say I just got an offer on the T her reply then is your not going to sell it are you?

Ahhhhhh.... Women you gotta love'em.

My wife sounds like Fred's: supportive of my hobby, but not too interested in antique cars, in general. In her works, "it's old and stinky." She has, however, mentioned that I should get an open car as she really likes convertibles. Tours aren't for her. if we're going to spend the money, she'd rather spend it taking the family to Disneyland or someplace similar.

WOW, Mike that's impressive. Does she have a single sister?? I have to say that must be rare. As a single guy all my friends tell me how the women must really love your old cars. I have had a couple of they say nice car and tell me they can remember diving them when they were young (way to old) But in general I have not had much luck with that line. Looking forward to meeting you and your club at the memorial day speedster run.

My wife as a child, her father was a 1/4 miler and when he would bring home another race car it was my wife's job to strip the car of all excess weight, and was at the race track down by Bakersfield every weekend. So when we got married and I started building cars up she just jumped in and started to help. I couldn't begin to count how many nuts and bolts she has started for me because I couldn't get my hands into the tight spots.

My wife spotted a 1915 touring a few years ago so we went to the auction. I was back behind a barn and came around the corner and found they were already in process of auctioning off the cars so I jumped right in the bidding and won the '15 touring at a very low price and I was excited.
The auctioneer then announced that he would now move on to the car everyone was waiting for the "1915 TOURING"--- I had just bid and won a fairly nice 1924 coupe!! wrong car--RATS!!
My wife came running up and said "did you get it?" and I told her what I had done but it was okay as the coupe was a nice car. She said that is not the car you said you always wanted you should bid on the other one, which buy the way had already been bid up pretty high. I said no this coupe will be fine and she said we came here for the '15 model T --give me that bidding card and I will get it and she did!
It was a sight to behold--a circle of bib overhaul big guys and my short pretty wife way in the
back jumping up and down to be seen and waving her card. Someone would bid and bang she would bit and again and yet again and again and the people clapped and cheered when the auctioneer said "SOLD to the little lady in the back waving her card!!" I am lucky--got to love a woman like that! Joe

I left a lot of money in your town, Frankenmuth, Joe. Dunno how the wife knew about that ornament place, but it was on our way north from Dearborn to the UP after OCF in 2009.

rdr

Ricks, Yes, I know what your saying--Biggest Christmas store in the world. Nice stuff-- big bucks!!$$$.
I knew Wally Bronner who owned the store--passed away couple of years ago. Wonderful Christian gentleman-- great wife too. He started out as a sign painter in Frankenmuth years ago as a young man. Wally was known and loved all over the world. Great sense of humor. Joe

Wow thats to bad, mine loves to ride in the T. I told her if we hurry up and get it done we are going for Ice Cream and that was all she needed to here!

Two way radio for my wife and l, she loves driving her 26 Tudor ....me not so much, l love the 13, room, speed ( when needed ) and agility.
It all seems to work well.
The kids dont care which car they're in, but they know which is theirs and l guess they kinda like their own.

My wife spotted our 3rd T in an estate sale and called me. I went down and bought it. Everyone should have 3 model T's. One to drive, one to work on, and the third for spare parts. Unfortunately, I have them all running now, and she says if I want another, one of the 3 will have to go. I said she could park outside and then I could get 4 into the garage, but she doesn't like that idea.
Norm

Norm - Think,....."enclosed trailer"! First, to haul Model T's, but also, ideal storage space for NUMBER 4!

Harold, Don't store your car in a trailer. Trailers get stolen all the time often the thiefs never knew or cared you car was there. Also it would not suprise me your insurance co. would have a big issue with this.

If you have good height clearance, why not consider a car lift, they are pretty cheap now, store one car under the other, you could have your cake and eat it too.

Harold,
I like your way of reasoning.

After the trailer queen, for #5 Norm could get a "Rust Rod" you know, un-restored running original that's too far gone to restore but running way too good to part out. It would actually pass for an actual parts car.