When I went to the auction over in the next county yesterday I passed on the rear axles with drive shafts and radius rods, and the front axles with wishbones, because I didn't want to have to come back with a trailer to get them. But I ended up squandering $60 on a frame and engine with transmission, so I had to do the trailer thing after all. But before I could use the trailer I had to clear off all the treasures that have been piled on it since another auction last spring.
So today I made a place for all that stuff, unloaded the trailer, went to town and got a new battery for the Suburban, aired up all the tires, and drove to Wellington. At the auction site I found somebody had stacked all his purchases in front of the shed containing my engine and frame. So I spent an hour moving all that stuff out of the way, backing the trailer into the shed, and loading up. I ended a long day driving home in the dark. Here's the prize.
Time well spent for $60, I'd say! So what's the vintage, Steve?
1924-1925
Great find Steve! I use to find the piles of parts like you have in this area of Texas but its getting harder to find old T stuff.
Maybe I just missed the farm auctions but dont see many advertised. The ones that are are put on by the auctioneer and usually its newer stuff and usually newer tractors and equipment. Dang it!
Its around but you have to find it or ask I guess.
It broke my heart around 12 years ago when the local junker who had literally tons of old iron and car parts died and his no count son-in-law called in a crusher and sold it all for most likely a few beers to get the acreage cleaned up.
Now that I've had a chance to examine things out in the daylight, I know a little more about what I bought. The serial number dates the engine to Tuesday, August 1, 1922, making it late 1922. The 1923 model year began 9-22-22. The frame is numbered for Friday, March 26, 1926. The carburetor is a Ford Model F (Ford's version of the swayback Holley NH). Something new to me is the aftermarket clip-on pedal pads on the reverse and brake pedals. I assume there was originally rubber in them.
Steve, I bet you just bought it for the two good spark plugs and the custom short intake manifold.
Seriously, I am happy for you to have found a deal like that on T bits. So much better to go to a good home than to be sent to the scrapper.
Steve, you can never have too much Model T stuff. You may want to check the alignment of that T motor in the frame before you start it.
Rich
Steve, I had a NOS set of the pedal pads. Yes
they had rubber inserts. The raised portion
inside the nickel/chrome frame was horizontal
ribbing. When I tried to mount them the
"rubber" shattered. More like hard bakelite
after all the decades. Nice accessory though.
Dennis
I wondered why I feel sore today, then I remembered moving all this off the trailer yesterday.
Would strongly suggest a heavy plastic bag be wired on the U-joint ends of those rear ends. Unless you never plan on using them.
Now I know where to go to get used parts, since Steve seems to have a monopoly on them.
T Haven, Southern Kansas Jelf Div.
Now go into full time production of cars.
Steve -- Talk about organization - I relate to the pile on the trailer better than the neatly stacked stuff.
I also had some clip on pedal pads but they had red rubber inserts in them. Also hard as a rock.
Steve, there is a two wheel trailer for sale in Enid. It is made from a 48 Dodge pickup and has a 48 Dodge rear end for an axle. I suspect these axle parts, or axle itself would interchange with your 53. Is this something you would be interested in? Ed Emerson
Dunno, Ed. It will probably be another couple of days before I get to the truck and find out what ails it.