What was your most memorable newbie mistake?

Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration
Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2012: What was your most memorable newbie mistake?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 12:07 pm:

There is currently a thread about removing the starter without removing the bendix. I thought that a thread dedicated to common mistakes made by newbies and what our mistakes as newbies were, would be interesting. So, as not to highjack the other thread, I thought I would start this one.

Luckily, I made it a practice of reading My Model T Service Manual before attempting certain procedures, so I did not make that common starter removal mistake, however, the mistake that stands out most in my mind, that I did make, was when I was removing the right front wheel from the spindle. Using the old rule of righty tighty, lefty loosey, I attempted to remove the nut, by turning it counter-clockwise, but it wouldn't budge. I tried everything, including pushing down on the wrench with all of my weight and am lucky I didn't wring off the spindle or crack the nut. I finally took a close look at the threads and realized my error. It was a L.H. threaded nut and came right off when I turned it clockwise. Boy did I feel dumb. Jim Patrick.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Paul Allen Vitko on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 12:23 pm:

BUYING A T!! Once the bug bites its in your blood with priorities taking a back seat no mater what your real talents are!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rick Goelz-Knoxville,TN on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 01:07 pm:

Easing the T into the garage the first time and pushing the " clutch pedal" in all the way and almost sticking a bench vise through the new radiator.
Rick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Royce in Dallas TX on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 01:42 pm:

Going towards Estes Park, CO at 45 MPH leading a whole bunch of other Model T's, a modern car suddenly passed several of the T's behind us and cut in front of me, then slammed on his brakes to make a right turn. I locked up the back wheels and slid around him, narrowly missing running head on into an 18 wheeler coming from the opposite direction.

Newby mistake thinking it was safe to drive that fast in a Model T.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Aaron Griffey, Hayward Ca. on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 02:23 pm:

I bought my first model T and after paying for it and telling the old owner I would come back for it the next day, he asked if I wanted to drive it before I went home.
I did want to.
So he asked if I knew how to drive a T. I said I did.
So I went around the block and I stopped in front of his house to back it in the driveway and pushed the low pedal down into low and the car lurched forward.
He said he thought I was gonna go around again, but I told him I had never driven a T before and wasn't used to the low/clutch pedal.
So he said, you said you knew how to drive a T".
I said , "Yes, I do know how, but I have just never driven one before".
I know how to jump out of an airplane without a parachute too, but I have never done it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JAMES STARKEY Naperville, IL on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 03:09 pm:

Cutting the two running board brackets off a chassis I was building for a Speedster. Had no use for them & this was my first T project. Didn't take long to discover one T project is never enough and I soon wanted the two brackets I destroyed. I now save everything. Jimmy


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Duane Markuson on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 03:23 pm:

How about rebuilding the front axel/spindles, finding that the T is higher on one side. In time I figured out that 26/27 spindles are different than the 25.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 03:33 pm:

Relining the bands by starting at one end and going to the other and cutting of the excess. Trouble was that the lining was stretched between rivets and not flat against the band. It didn't last very long.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Duane Markuson on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 03:47 pm:

Guess I should have said that I had a 25 spindle on the right and a 26/27 spindle on the left!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 04:15 pm:

I suppose anything you do for the first time is "newbieish".
When I put the top half of the windshield back in the Fordor I figured "Well.....this looks easy......."
So I screwed the side pieces in.......first.......and wrestled with the window (HOT day of course) till there was sweat running into my eyes.
Then the light came on.......the windshield goes FIRST.....THEN the sides....... <bonk>
Gotta give those boys in the plant credit.......Those side pieces, the ones with the window clamp screws, have a slight interference fit so they help hold up the windshield hinge too....... :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tom Miller, Mostly in Dearborn on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 04:34 pm:

It was 1979 and I had just reassembled the body of my Coupe onto the frame and I had to test drive it that afternoon. The car refused to start and I ran the battery down. So, I grabbed my daily use car and put the top down so my wife could hear my every command and then hooked the cars together with a nylon tow rope. I could hear every individual cylinder doing a slow pop and the thing still refused to start. I yelled FASTER! to my wife and she floored our car and I saw the nylon strap stretch, pop off the trailer hitch ball and fly back at me into the T's radiator iron hook first.

She came to a stop and I looked at her and said something like "Golly Honey, I wish this hadn't happened." (my memory of the exact words I used has faded) and she replied with something like "Oh yeah? Well who the hell is stupid now?" and she disappeared into the dusk with my only running car.

She gave me enough time to cool down and I was able to have a delightful talk to a elderly neighbor lady with a walker who thoughtfully diagnosed all the problems that could be causing it not to start.

My wife returned a few minutes later and towed me home and then pointed to the picture in the manual as to how the coil box wires were really supposed to be hooked up.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By michael grady on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 04:43 pm:

Still making mine....Dan Hatch is trying his best to keep me out of the ditch. He's got a lot of work ahead of him :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By James Adair on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 04:49 pm:

Actually, it was my dad's "mistake". Before he got a Model T, he dealt exclusively with horses on the farm. I was probably about twelve years old at the time he got the car (I am now 75). He just could not get used to pedals and levers and such so he would yell "Gettyup...or Whoa...or Gee...or Haw...and add DAMN IT" at the top of his lungs. He never really did get the hang of driving that car. That's about when I learned to drive the Model T. What Fun !!!! Jim


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dare - Just a little South West . on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:00 pm:

Saying quite openly that l'd only have one T ...... now l have three !!!!....maybe l should find a coupe too ! and a pickup !!.
Its in the blood now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Huson, Berthoud, Co. on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:01 pm:

I have to tell one on my Brother in Law. He had a brand new beautiful restored 24 touring. On his first tour he went to stop behind a 26 roadster pickup. Being a rancher he was used to driving pickups all his life where to get neutral you push the clutch all the way to the floor. When he came up behind the 26 pickup in front him and tried to stop he put the clutch all the way to the floor. He took a good jump ahead and his head lights just fit the back of the pickup box. It destroyed both headlights and also a PAIR OF DEEP PURPLE HEAD LIGHT LENSES. It did not hurt any thing else on the touring or the pickup.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chris Barker, Somerset, England on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:04 pm:

I went to a lot of trouble to rebuild the Bergs water pump on my T. I found some modern seals and turned the shaft round so that the seal worked on a good surface. A complete success and a complete waste of time.
Having read others' advice I took it off and haven't had a problem since!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Shawn Hayward on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:07 pm:

Well, mine was kind of my dads fault ,,

I figured out that the brackets that hold the metal firewall to the frame
............................
ARE NOT all the same

My father found a "better pair" on our parts,and installed them (I did not know),
it was weeks before I figured this out,the body would not line up no matter how I tried, and it was the same body that came off the frame
turns out there is a different set back on some


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John F. Regan on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:32 pm:

Jacking up a T rear end by placing the floor jack directly under the differential center section. Realized soon enough that the bolts stretched and oil began to leak - I was lucky that I didn't bend the housings which I am told also sometimes happens.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dexter Doucet on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:47 pm:

Broke a iron warford shifting fork. It was broken once before and brazed. The braze joint was no match for my gorilla fly shifting. Some of y'all have heard this one before. I had good auxiliary brakes but they're Rockies and I was going up a levy, which is the only incline in this part of the world. Yep I rolled back down narrowly missing a friends 29 A coupe.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerome Hoffman, Hays KS on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 05:48 pm:

Running out of gas. The miss conception that my T gets better gas mileage than it does. First time, I was in High school and had "borrowed" it when my parents were out of town for the weekend to go to a drive inn movie, the problem was after the movie it wold not start, and messing with the mixture I had it so very screwed up even after getting a couple of gal of gas it would not start, the battery went dead and got towed home, pushed the car back in the garage and waited till dad came home the next day. It's here posted because he died in 05' and I never told him. Did get a lot of thumbs up at the DI.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Perigo - Linton, IN on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 06:01 pm:

Bought my first T in 1971. Shoulda kept that one because it had Simplicity body on it that was found in a craft in the old Simplicity factory in Evansville, IN. Today it could be a dead ringer for an early T.

Anyway, thought I knew how to drive it, so I drove it right over the front of the trailer when I got it
home. I would attribute it to youth but I backed my huckster off my trailer a couple of years ago without the ramps. I had a lot of sympathetic comments from my "buddies!"

Mike


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George_Cherry Hill NJ on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 06:03 pm:

Going over the crest of a hill in high all the way up, being proud of the fact and deciding to enjoy the roller coaster downhill effect in a Fordor.

Sharp left hand curve at the bottom and yes they do lift on two wheels. Then being smart enough to instantly realize tranny brake would be useless so pulled back on wheel brake stick....about 50 feet later after being a snake, she settled back on all 4's with a thud. Lucky!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Stewart -Calif. on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 07:26 pm:

My 1st Model T was a 1923 Touring. Trailer-ed it home. The next day I was going to drive my family across town to see my parents. Never drove one before so I started out with the clutch petal in neutral position and then let it out. I could not make it across the intersections before the lights changed red all the way across town. Got a lot of honks and middle fingers crossing town that day.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By William L Vanderburg on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 07:58 pm:

Do NOT unload a T off a trailer by yourself. I was almost killed....


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 08:12 pm:

Forgetting to put blocks under the end of the trailer before driving up the ramps. The rear of the trailer dropped out from under me, as the hitch and the rear of the truck went up, like a see saw. I luckily got her stopped using my brakes and emergency brakes, as the front of the trailer slammed back down and before driving off the front of the trailer into the bed of the truck. After that wakeup call, I rigged up a battery powered winch to the front of the trailer and winched the car up onto the trailer after, of course, blocking up the rear of the trailer with blocks I always carried with me. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Will,, Trenton,,,New Jersey on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 08:29 pm:

My first goof other than thinking that left peddle didnt need to go to the floor for a clutch was getting ready to take some friends for a ride I checked the air in the tires and found some nut had blown them up to 55psi,,, I let the air out of them till they were all a nice 28 psi.. With about pounds 800 of humans in the car it did not handle well at all. Felt like the front end was going to fall out of it. Didnt take long to find out the only nut was the one behind the wheel


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Roger Karlsson, southern Sweden on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 08:40 pm:

Pulled the head off my first T engine and was delighted to see it didn't have any ridges worn in the cylinders. All the engines I had worked on before used to have various degrees of ridges worn into the top end of the cylinders by the top piston rings. Naturally I thought the T engine was almost unworn and bought a set of std pistons when I saw a set at a swap meet.

Later when I tried to fit the pistons I learned something about T's - they never wear ridges in the cylinders with original rings, the top ring goes all the way to the top of the cylinder without risk of popping out since they're so wide. The std alu pistons had way too much play so it was time to oreder 0.030 oversize instead.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Patterson (Aust) on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 09:45 pm:

Well, here we go.
Apart from my starter error (seniors moment) my most embarrassing episode would have to be when.......
I picked up the freshly rebuilt '21 engine/trans from a T engine rebuilding specialist.
I eventually fired the engine up and it ran beautifully. We tuned it and ran it and each time we did so the thing got slower and slower to start. Eventually, refusing to wind over at all.
It turns out the engine builder had put rags in all the opened orifices and unknown to me, on the 200+kms trip home, one of them had fallen inside the engine from the starter hole.
To remind me of my mortality, I have on the top shelf above my workbench a glass jar full of chewed up, very oily, blue rag. It took me several visits to the engines innards and flushes to be confident that I had removed all of it.
How silly do you think I felt at the time? Eh? Nearly as silly as I do now telling the world. But I think I'm old enough and big enough to absorb the comebacks.
Cheers,
Rob
PS; I thoroughly recommend fitting a transmission oil screen in your T if you dont have one. This excersize proved to me just how well they work.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By JohnH on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 10:07 pm:

The starter removal thing - I didn't have the manual at that stage and had just got the car. The magneto was buggered anyway so the extra damage was no loss.
I've always read all my manuals several times before embarking on anything and taken a very methodical approach to what I've done, so haven't been caught since.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George Button III (Chip), Lake Clear, NY on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 11:15 pm:

Backing into my garage when I first got my T. I have wide feet and when I got it in the garage far enough, my foot got stuck between the brake and hi/lo pedal. I a panic, I got my foot loose and hit all three pedals at once! She stopped real quick and it was a good thing! I squished a clamp that was clamped to a shelf in the back of my T garage. Another 2-3 inches and I would have busted the upright post for the roof on my depot hack!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Heffey on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 11:21 pm:

Restoring a RHD tie rod to put in my LHD car. I thought that I could just turn it around. Well you can just turn it around, but the oilers are on the bottom. It now hangs on the shed wall waiting for my next project. LHD and RHD are just the same, but different.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gordon Byers - Rangely CO on Sunday, June 10, 2012 - 11:40 pm:

The first winter I had my T, took it out during a snow storm, streets were icy to begin with and another couple of inches of new snow on top. Started up a pretty good hill in town, 7 or 8 percent I would guess, got about 2/3 of the way up and spun out on the ice. Locked up the brakes but went back down the hill faster than I went up it! Thankfully with the front wheels not locked up I was able to steer and keep from going off the side into a pretty deep ditch and also no one was behind me. Turned it towards home and before I ventured out again I had manufactured a set of chains for it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 08:18 am:

Thinking I was coordinated enough to remove the transmission band washers and nuts without stuffing rags all around the drums. I wasn't. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 08:57 am:

Where to begin? I will share a couple. Thank GOD I had a very experienced T guy over to help me the first time we drove it. He instantly reached over and turned off the key just before I plowed into the garage door. I didn't know about having to put left foot half way for neutral, or was to busy thinking of what to do with each limb. He was ready for that newbie move. Thanks Bill Smith.

We put the top down so it would fit into the garage when she first came home. Of course I put it up inside so it would stay nice. One day I just had to take my first solo drive so I carefully did a pre-flight, fired it up, ran her backward, and off we went. Not until we got back did I realize what a terrible mess I would have made it the top had hit the doorway. I shrugged to myself and said, "well, I guess it fits with the top up".

How many times did I try to start Lizzy while in high gear? So glad she didn't fire up. How many times did I ram my head into the front top bow? Ouch.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Coiro on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 10:58 am:

There have been several times when I've goofed up badly enough to spontaneously utter the venial, two-word malediction that begins with "Oh."

There was the time I busted a headlight lens while trying to reassemble the brass ring to the headlamp housing.

Then there was the time, while applying a wrench, that I said to myself, "Just a teensie bit tighter on that nut" and wound up twisting the top of the soft brass magneto terminal completely off.

Then there was the time I noticed a little green discoloration at the top of my brass radiator and decided to make it go away by putting a wet washcloth on it and letting it soak overnight.

Then there was the time I had just driven the Model T to a car show and this distractively attractive blonde lady in short-shorts walked up and asked me to demonstrate how to start the engine with the hand-crank. As I bent to the task, I braced myself by taking firm hold of the brass radiator with my manly hand—and a microsecond later, screamed like a girl.

I blame it all on brass.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 11:41 am:

Keep the hand brake in neutral when pulling into the garage. Requires less thought. (Brains)? The tires hit the bench and I bounced off. No damage.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Van Evera on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 12:12 pm:

Good one Erich, about banging your head!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Derek Kiefer - Mantorville, MN on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 12:29 pm:

Burned up 2 generators before I learned to ground it when the cut-out isn't working. Also cracked some drums before I knew Model T pedals aren't supposed to feel like the brake pedal in a modern car.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dan Treace, North FL on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 06:53 pm:

When I got my first T, as a teen, a '24 cut-off, the horn didn't work.

So ordered a nice shiny chrome plated 6v Model A type ahooga from JC Whitney...and threw away the original non-working battery horn!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bob Ronning on Monday, June 11, 2012 - 08:59 pm:

. I bought my first T in 1972. oiled up everything including filling the timer with oil. the T would not start till I cleaner the timer


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Greg Whaley, Georgetown Ontario Canada on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 03:19 am:

My first newbie mistake made me need a change of shorts.

I took the Depot Hack (read top heavy) out for a drive (my dad had dropped it off so I could get it all cleaned up for an upcoming event.....). I tooted around town for a bit and decided to pull into the gas station for gas - turned in and the entrance was sloped up - was going to fast and everything just got ugly. I thought for sure I was going over.

I got it to drop down again by turning into the flip (this was be sheer luck I think - I KNOW I'm not that good). I had to get out and stand in the parking lot for a few minutes to collect myself after that one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 04:06 am:

Let's see...

We were towing a recently restored speedster with a TT, trying to loosen up the engine. When we were up to speed, I kept trying to put the speedster in low gear, but the engine was just too tight to turn over. I kept locking the rear wheels.

Finally I stopped, and one of my friends, who isn't overly knowledgeable about Ts (no offense, Al), asked me why I didn't use high gear.

I just slapped myself in the face.

Yep. Trying to get the engine to turn over in low gear spun both rear tires right off the rims!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bede Cordes, New Zealand on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 06:40 am:

When was probably about 12 or 13 or so, here I was one night helping Dad test some coils he had just been given for his 19. Anyway, I had the bonnet open on the Morris 8 and using it's 6 volt battery, sat the bottom contact of a coil on one battery post, and using a long screwdriver, touched the end on the other battery post and the shaft of the screwdriver against the top side terminal, making the coils buzz. (Little did I know then, the quickest way to stuff a coil, running it with an open secondary) Anyway, after "testing" a couple, on the next one my little finger must have hung down close enough to the sparkplug terminal for a good 'ol spark from Henry's buzzing box to jump across. I screamed, dropped the coil, screwdriver, and ended up thrown against Dad's Rotary Hoe.

I'm an electrician by trade and have had my fair share of good belts, but that one I'll never forget.

Regards,
Bede


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Sam Humphries on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 06:48 am:

OK, I was making a permanent installation of a 12v battery under the rear seat of my 16 touring (Small lawn tractor battery) and was making connections to brake and turn signal light. Keep in mind that I have experience with electronics as an Amateur Radio Operator and 37 years in the telephone industry and know better.

I forgot the one thing that is essential to an electrical circuit, A FUSE. Almost had a RED HOT T when I connected the wrong wire.

My next immediate step was to put a master fuse at the battery. Somehow we often do things we know not to do.

Happy T'ing

Sam


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joe Van Evera on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 08:01 am:

When we bought the T it had a really bad wheel which had caused the tire to wear in one spot. I drove it for awhile until I was down to the cords and I knew I had to change it. No problem, I'd changed lots of bicycle tires! Since it was shot, I simply cut it off, taking care not to hurt the tube. I then struggled for over on hour trying to put the new tire on. I was using all sorts of screwdrivers and pieces of steel and the wife was recruited to help. "Pinch" would be a mild term for the "assault and battery" I committed on that tire/tube! Anyway, I was bending over the tire putting air to it when it blew up with a very loud bang! It blew the tire completely off the rim. My wife turned around and without saying a word (God bless her soul) walked back to the house..... Eventually I conquered the clincher, but most important, we're still married and she still loves going in a T. She just won't help me with the tires, however......... (Oh,and by the way, this is just one of a long list of newbie screw-ups which continue to this day......)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:27 am:

I never made a newbie mistake - It was always the car's fault! :-)

The first one I remember was when my dad asked me to remove the pan from the motor of our 1919.
I was about 11 years old.
The fenders were off so I sat on the floor with my legs under the car and proceeded to remove the bolts.
The next thing I knew was that I had a lap full of oil from the dips and my dad was laughing at me.
Mom was a bit unhappy with the condition of my pants!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 10:30 am:

All this should make newbies feel alot better. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:00 pm:

I am still making "Newbie Mistakes" so I haven't made my favorite/most embarrassing one yet.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob from Nova Scotia on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:16 pm:

I once rebuilt a Kingston L4, had everything looking just perfect, was so sure I had done everything by the book. I set the float height, disassembled to seat in the needle valve, put it all back together. Put it on my 23, and turned the fuel on, and I had a gasoline waterfall. Tapped it with the hammer, hoping to free up the valves, no change. I shut the fuel off, cleaned up the mess, and fired up one of Fidels finest cigars, and a dram of twenty year old scotch to calm myself, wondering what I had done wrong. As I put up my feet, there was my shiny float, sitting on my bench


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:25 pm:

When I was about 10 years old or so, for some reason lost to memory I was riding on the left front fender of the TT. My grandfather was driving, we were in the orchard doing something or other. I fell off and the front wheel of the truck ran over my leg. Fortunately, the orchard had just been disked (sp?) and was consequently very soft. It just pressed my leg into the soil, but no damage. There was a lot of commotion for a couple of minutes until it was known that I was unhurt.

The first time I drove it (or at least attempted to drive it) I was about 11 or 12. My grandfather my uncle and I went out into the apricot orchard to bring in full boxes of ‘cots. They loaded the boxes; I was put in the drivers’ seat and instructed to press the forward pedal when told and move from one stack after it was loaded to the next. Well, the first time I pressed that damn pedal I killed the engine. If looks could kill, I would not be here to tell the story.

45 years later when I came to have the truck and began the process of getting it going again it provided countless opportunities for my grandsons to learn some expanded vocabulary not acceptable in earshot of the ladies.... :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Henry Petrino in Modesto, CA on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 12:39 pm:

I think this also qualifies as a "newbie" mistake:

In the late 1940’s and/or very early 1950’s when I was 2 or 3 years old the whole family (grandparents, aunt, uncle, cousins, parents) would climb on the truck for a trip to the peach trees in the back of the orchard. It was like a trip to the ice cream parlor, a real treat. I wouldn’t get on it and instead I’d run behind and tell them, “I’m not riding in that old piece of junk!”

My grandmother teased me about this for the rest of her life, particularly since I later came to really love the ol' truck.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Gary Hagen on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 02:27 pm:

I had the radiator off the car (brass) and had it leaning against a chair. It fell over and got a dent on the side. Could have cried. For those of you who have a brass "T" and the previous owner did not give you a box for the radiator. You can order a empty radiator box from The Brassworks for storing the brass radiator.Not too expensive. Lesson learned the hard way.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Leming on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 02:36 pm:

trying to drive it like a model A - and expecting it to just be sort of a model A with an automatic stick shift! too fast and not understanding enough! Im mellowing out, and its alot more fun!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By ROBERT BERGSTADT on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 03:25 pm:

When I was about 3 or 4 my dad had a 1923 touring that had taken 21 1 st place trophy's, the night before a show he was under the car checking something, well he saw two little shoes and heard a weird sound, he asked what I was doing, I replied polishing the car, then he came out with a very bad look, I was polishing the fender with 60 grit sand paper, he stayed up all night re painting the fender and still won the trophy


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bruce Koch on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 03:45 pm:

Has anybody not made a newbie mistake?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dave Young in Mays Landing, NJ on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 03:49 pm:

Rebuild the rear axle, install it and find out the the car now goes BACKWARDS !


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Matthew Eppley on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 05:03 pm:

My 26 had apparently been run out of gas in the garage while my son was preparing to fix the carburetor. He went inside to use the phone, but the key was still on battery. Well, as I leaned on the frame with my left hand, and bent over to fix the loose spark plug wire I...WOW! Hello! Won't do that again.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Dare - Just a little South West . on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 05:24 pm:

Rob Patterson .... l'm gona bet you are not the only one who has had or has left rags in the trans when say reinstalling bands....they do make a mess and when you have your wife say, "did you pull that rag out ? ", cause l did .....Doooooh !!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rob Patterson (Aust) on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 06:34 pm:

Thanks David.....I feel better now.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Neil McKay on Tuesday, June 12, 2012 - 08:55 pm:

When I was 14, I taught myself to start and drive my dad's 1926 coupe. We lived on a farm near Fort Wayne, Indiana. The county roads tended to be icy for weeks during the winter. One winter day that year, I decided to drive the T a half mile down to our neighbor's farm on the icy county road. Somewhere I had read that one could slow a T already in high gear by stepping on any pedal. Slowing for the turn into our neighbor's driveway, I chose to step on the reverse pedal to slow it. The coupe did an instant 360 degree spin but fortunately stayed on the road. Never tried that stunt again. Driver's license: ha! That was 51 years ago and I still have that coupe (which is now in Oregon). neil


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Robert Poane on Wednesday, June 13, 2012 - 06:30 pm:

I am a member of the model T Topless club because I ran the top of my hack into the top of the garage.

I also spent a long time and aggravation banging the right front tire trying to screw it off. Come to find out it is unscrewed clockwise! (Whichever side I forget)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Joseph Sedlacek on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 06:34 am:

Buying a 1923 T and not knowing a darn thing about it 12 years ago and then finding out three weeks ago when I now have time to work on it that the crook that sold it to me gave me the shaft because there is no drive shaft in the shaft tube at all and the rear needs a complete restoration. The right side shaft is totally messed up. So I am now rebuilding it. I am learning it all by way of self taught. I received a lot of help from a man who owned a T parts business through the e mail system and I am now pretty confident working on it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andrew Heffey NZ on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 07:00 am:

No offense intended here, but as I read this thread I cant help but think that we, myself included, are to dumb to be in this hobby. I will admit that I have learnt more from my mistakes than I have doing things right the first time.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George Button III (Chip), Lake Clear, NY on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 08:07 am:

Note to all "Newbies", I found out last night that you can NOT try to reach in and check the timer for looseness or slop, with the engine running and the fan spinning!!!!! There just ain't enough room! and Man that fan hurts!!!!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 08:38 am:

Good suggestion George. Which reminds me. It is also a good idea to shut the engine OFF while topping off the oil through the breather cap. Not only will it blow oil back all over your firewall, cowl and windshield, if you get too close to that fast turning invisible fan, it'll smack your knuckles for being so dumb, causing you to drop the oil can and make an even bigger mess on your engine pan and garage floor. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By George Button III (Chip), Lake Clear, NY on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 09:00 am:

Good one Jim!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 09:27 am:

We don't need no steenking fans!

Unless you go less than 5 mph for several minutes at a time, you don't need the fan. I haven't run one for several years.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 09:58 am:

Ralph on the day it smacked my knuckles, had I had a hammer handy, my car almost certainly would have involuntarily became fanless, however a cooler head prevailed and I still have my fan, but I did have to go soak my hand and have a beer before cleaning up the mess. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By R.V. Anderson on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 06:49 pm:

I once got a phone call from a complete stranger, a fellow who said he was phoning from Exit 59 on I-90, 45 minutes north of here. He was delivering a T and wanted to know how much oil a T took. I told him between 4 and 5 quarts. He got quiet. Then he asked how the level was checked, and I told him about the crankcase petcocks. He said "Oh." Finally he said that he had found the oil fill cap and thought it was like a lawnmower engine: Add oil until you can see it staying in the bottom of the filler tube. When I asked how much he'd put in there, he finally said he'd stopped after 15 quarts.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 07:52 pm:

Sounds like the '27 Tudor I just bought.......I checked the oil at the top cock and it poured out.
At least 6 quarts later it was where it should be.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Erich Bruckner, Vancouver, WA on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 08:09 pm:

I put the main power on the wrong side of the starter switch so the car only had power if the starter button was pushed. She sure didn't want to start. An old hand ran me through all the possible reasons why she wouldn't start and I was sure each thing was correct.

He rubbed his chin then touched his finger against under something in the engine bay and told me to push the starter again. He jumped and yelped and said he had located the problem. Sure enough, she started fine after changing that wiring mistake.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Scott Kramer on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 10:09 pm:

One of the best newbie mistakes was committed by a Model T friend who had played with T's for over 50 years.Saturday afternoons I usually ended up at my friends place to see what he was working on.I found his wife towing his coupe down the shoulder of the road trying to get it started with Carl behind the wheel blessing the T & giving his wife a rough time.When she saw me she said you can deal with him & I will go put a pot of tea on.Carl told me that he had changed the plugs,torn the carb apart,and checked all the coils, & it still wouldn't fire.
I looked under the hood and he replied well what do you see.I told him if he turned the gas on it would probably start.We towed it 2 feet & it did start with the gas turned on.Carl drove it into the garage and his wife asked what the problem was,he didn't say a word.So she asked me and I told her about the gas being turned off.I have never seen anyone laugh so hard in my life.
Scott


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 10:24 pm:




I failed to recognize this as a symptom of something else.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Cameron Whitaker on Thursday, June 14, 2012 - 11:02 pm:

Here's another one from me.

I was sitting in my '24 touring car, ready to drive it onto a trailer that my brother was bringing around. We live on a four-acre lot, and I was on a little bit of a hill in the back pasture so I could get a running start and drive the T onto the trailer. I've done this many times before, so no problems, right?

Of course it was about 11:00 at night. He lined up the trailer in front of me, and when everything was ready, I put her in low and up into the trailer I went, just like so many times before. However, my brother forgot to lock the ball hitch on the trailer this time, so I was just about ready to stop, and then suddenly I pitched up about 30 degrees in the air! Ol' Liz rolled back a bit, and of course the engine died due to the old gravity feed fuel system, and there was no hope of starting it again. Because of the hill I had used to gain some speed, we were stuck. We didn't have enough strength to push the T back, and we certainly couldn't pull the trailer forward!

Anyway, some friendly words were uttered, and eventually we got everything straightened out...


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steven A Gulko on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 02:17 am:

in 1972 I bought my first Model T. A beautiful 21 roadster and I was so proud I was a T owner now. I had read everything I could for years and now I had one. The man I purchased it from asked me if I had ever driven one before and I said no but I knew how.
He took me around the block as I got used to driving the car and his last words were "If you need to stop in a hurry turn your foot sideways and push all 3 peddles at the same time and pull the hand brake.
With my wife driving behind me I started out towards home. All was going well and I was driving about 45 mph when the light ahead turned yellow. I pushed the brake and held it down. I slowed a little and then started to accelerate again as the brake band faded and of course I was new so I forgot to take off the gas and push in the clutch.
By now that yellow light had turned to a very bright RED and cars were driving thru the intersection. I turned my foot sideways and pushed with all my might. Immediately the skinny tires started skidding and off I went right into the middle of the intersection. Cars driving all around me and drivers raising their fingers to me telling me that my car was #1. I wont even say what my wife screamed from her car stopped at the light behind me.
I wish that was the only time something like that happened but I do drive a Model T.
I love these cars.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Fred Dimock, Newfields NH, USA on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 09:22 am:

Cameron reminds me of the teeter totter the South Shore (Mass) Antique Automobile Club had at field meets. :-)
People would drive their cars onto the thing and try to find the place it would balance.

It was hilarious seeing grown men leaning forward to get it started toward being level and then quickly leaning back.
There was also the quick stab of the reverse peddle to try and get the balance point.

I wonder if they cracked their false teeth when it finally hit the ground! :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 10:04 am:

My huge Newbie mistake is something I'd really rather not talk about. It hurts too much and has created too much animosity for this old man to bring upon himself. Sometimes PTSD can take over and cost me a lot. I keep calling myself stupid but when I can't control my thoughts it's not stupidity it's more helplessness. Anyway that's how it seems. God bless our Model T's.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jeff Wood, @ Waco Georgia on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 12:52 pm:

This is a great discussion for a "newbie" such as myself. I now know of a lot of things that I won't be doing after reading this. :~)

I bought my 24 Tudor a few years back and just now getting brave enough to tackle my first big job. I'm changing out the wheels, tires, tubes, some of the rims, and hub bearings. I'm sure I'll be back to share an "ought oh, did that wrong" with you later.

Really enjoying the stories. Thanks, Jeff


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 04:10 pm:

Jeff. Alot of folks here don't believe that tire flaps are necessary inside the rims before mounting the tubes and tires and if your rims were nice and smooth, I might agree with them, but, my rims were very badly rusted when I bought my '26 coupe in 1970 and after I sandblasted them the insides were very deeply pitted with some very sharp edged craters, so after I primed and painted them silver, I used the thick tire flaps on all my tires. That was 40 years ago and I still have the original tires, tubes and flaps on my wheels, never having had a flat. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 05:11 pm:

I'm really sorry, Mike G. Cars, especially old cars, leave so little room for error.

If you think it would help you, or help others, this is one time I would encourage logging on with a handle, not a real name. Then, some time after this thread has died, you could start a new one.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By mike conrad on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 07:53 pm:

I have one for you,
this one goes to my dad as I was not old enough to drive my 1st T. Dad was given a five min. demo and ride around the block. As a model A owner this had been his first ever ride in a T. He then soloed the car thru the busy streets of Seattle to ALMOST make it home. At The last stop light he reverted to driving driving a T like a A and put the "clutch pedal" to the floor! opps! The car in frount was a Subaru brat p.u and the T ever so gentliy smashed out the two rear tail lights with the crowns of the fenders of the T before stalling to a stop. The Subaru owner was surprised to say the least but only asked for 20 bucks to fix his car. My poor dad still won't drive a T.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Semprez-Templeton, CA on Friday, June 15, 2012 - 08:21 pm:

I decided to remove the Hassler shocks on my "16 and replace the over-under wishbone with the stock over the top set up.

At the time I kinda wondered why the seam was up on the wishbone.

I took 'er for a short test drive and at about 10 MPH she was crossing our dirt road like a F-1 driver warming his tires! My wife's standard poodle bailed out of the back seat and headed for home. My 14 year old son yelled "why are you driving like this?"

When I got it back down to a reasonable speed, say 4 MPH, I putted back to the garage and switched the spring perches left to right. The Aw $hit moment came to me as I was wrestling the steering wheel back to center but the car didn't care!

She handled like a "T" driving fast in reverse. Big red face. Big red face!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Saturday, June 16, 2012 - 12:55 am:

Ricks - Surf City. Your post puzzles me. You seem to have something to say but don't quite know how to say it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Semprez-Templeton, CA on Sunday, June 17, 2012 - 06:14 pm:

Mike G., Ralph seems to be commenting on the Male Ego. Model "T's" and ego seem to be at odds with each other. My Ford has made me a very humble man!

My Dad, who grew up in the 20's, told me once, A man who owned a Ford (T) in it's day, "always longed for something better". He would say, "Look at all the accessories available to make a Ford something else" In 1927 he bought a Dodge and never owned another Ford till 1957.

I Love my T in spite of its quirks, and must admit it's made a better man of me!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jim Patrick on Sunday, June 17, 2012 - 09:36 pm:

Mike G. I believe that Ricks, like me, got the impression that, whatever happened to you, is so embarassing, painful, costly and/or bad, that you cannot even talk about it and, that if you do want to talk about it, you can do so by starting a new thread with another name to protect your identity.

It sounds as if whatever your traumatic experience was, it might benefit all of us to know what happened to you that is so bad that it triggers PTSD so that we don't repeat the same mistake.

Of course I really should not be trying to speak for Ricks and could be totally wrong. If I am, I apologize. If I am right, it was a noble effort on his part to reassure you that we are here to help if you'll let us. Jim Patrick


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ricks - Surf City on Monday, June 18, 2012 - 12:20 am:

Exactly, Jim; thanks.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Terry Woods, Katy, Texas on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 10:22 pm:

When rebuilding the front axle on my Grandfather's 27 coupe back in the sixties, my father and I accidentally reversed the spindles, causing one front bearing to automatically tighten when driven. We didn't catch the mistake until the bearing had locked up the hub on the spindle and the pressure actually cracked and broke the hub. Not having a spare we had to have the wire wheel hub welded and remachined to use it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Holzschuh - Panama City, FL on Wednesday, June 20, 2012 - 10:33 pm:

Like others have said it was buying a T to begin with.

My lawn, my boat, and my motorcycles have all gone to seed in the name of T restoration.

schuh


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 12:16 am:

Ricks, I obviously jumped to soon. Sorry about that. In reality you hit the nail right on the head. Normally I'm the first one to laugh at myself and I do it often. But when someone makes a point of rubbing my nose in my mistakes or purposely sets out to make me feel ignorant or stupid I often over-react. I know it should be water off a ducks back but I'm not a duck. Actually your suggestion is quite good. Typically what happens with the PTSD is I'll end up having my meds switched by the VA and while ramping down on one med and up on the other it really messes with my ability to handle sarcasm or even simple correction. When that happens I get sarcastic or vulgar and mean. In my post I was challenging ricks without cause and I realize it was wrong and I appreciate the rest of you setting me straight. I know it's easy for people who don't understand what ptsd is to simply say I use it as an excuse and to just lighten up or take the chip off my shoulder. But those are the people who haven't lost several jobs, had their marriages fall apart or turned some really great people against them. Normally I love to have fun. And right now Model Ts are my life and my therapy. And they're darn good for me too. So to bring this to an end I can say "Ricks I truly apologize and thank you for your insight. God bless. And now I'll go lay by my dish.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Stroud on Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 01:47 am:

Mike, I for one know exactly what you mean about PTSD, first hand. My T is my therapy also. Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 01:58 am:

Dave, I think there are more of us than anyone could imagine. War really is hell on earth. And there are so many guys that have walked those paddies and jungles or sand dunes in the heat or mountains in the cold that aren't willing to seek help and can't understand why life can be so hard. They need to seek help and don't even know it or where to go to get it. Praise God we've got the VA Medical Centers. And now I'm tired and better drag my butt to bed.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David Stroud on Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 02:09 am:

Took me 38 years Mike. Dave


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 12:37 pm:

Yeah, it took me 27 years, and I've been getting help for the last 16 years. 43 years is a long time to deal with it. My salvation has been the VA and my kids.


Posting is currently disabled in this topic. Contact your discussion moderator for more information.
Topics Last Day Last Week Tree View    Getting Started Formatting Troubleshooting Program Credits    New Messages Keyword Search Contact Moderators Edit Profile Administration