In May I had the pleasure of visiting the Ford museum and Greenfield village in Dearborn Michigan.
While there I had a ride in a Model T. That cost me $5 but it was well worth it. Riding in a piece of history that transformed the world and became ''[b]the car[/b] of the 20th century!''.!!!!
I did some reading and was impressed even more.
The model T internet clubs are very active(my favourite being MTFCA of course) and info about them is astonishing! The ''T '' became prized for its low cost, durability, versatility, and ease of maintenance.
Parts are still availible and running cars can still be bought. And Jay Leno owns one....[url="http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/cars/ford/1925-ford-model-t-roadster/index.shtml#i tem=84445"]click here[/url]
So, I figure I better try to get one!
I was also please to discover that over 750,000 model T's were built in Walkerville ,Ontario, Canada.
So, with the blessing of Liz (my wife), I began my search for a Canadian made Model T touring.
Luck would have it that a month later the first T that we went to look at (only 1 1/2hrs away) was exactly what we wanted.
It was a 1921 Touring that was in good condition, and seemed to be original. He had replaced the transmission bands and owned it for 5 years. He beleived it had been restored in the 60's. A clever fellow because he let me drive her after a short orientation.
I knew right there that I would want to own one like this.
A week later I went back for a second look. Just before I got there my wife called and advised me to make a serious offer. She had scouted the internet and felt the T that we looked at would be a good buy.
I made the offer and then 2 weeks later he accepts and even delivers the ''T'' to me.
There were a few ''teething'' problems, but I was assisted by a fellow Canadian , Dave Wells, who owns a 1919 and is a MTFCA member.
I installed new coils from John Regan and my T became less cantakerous to start. My wife and I learned how to drive ''Lizzie'' on the quiet roads of our subdivision. We then ventured farther afield going to a car show and showing the car to family and friends.
We did find the brakes to be inadequate for modern traffic. That proved itself when we rear ended a truck at low speed. He had zoomed around us and then jammed on the brakes when a traffic light turned to amber. A slight bend in the driver side fender and a little ding in his tailgate.
That convinced us to order some Rocky Mountain brakes. Those are still waiting to be installed because I have too many ''bread and butter'' jobs to do. Looking forward to the winter so that I can fine tune the ''T''.
The Model ''T'' is truly in my blood. My grandfather- Russell Richardson- owned a touring in 1913.
He was raised on a farm just west of Brandon Manitoba. He was one of the first to own a ''T'' in that area.
Being inquisitive he learned how to maintain and repair his car. Others soon were bringing their cars for repair to him and thus began his 30 year career as a mechanic.
I have a similar story but it involves ''smart cars''- you know- those ultra small 2 seaters that are made by Mercedes Benz. I became aware of the cars in 2000 after reading a story about them.
I was intrigued with this super efficient vehicle and was the first in London Ontario to place an order.
Mine arrived in Dec of 2004 and I have enjoyed her ever since. I do all my own maintenance, like my grandfather, and soon had people asking me to work on their smart cars.
I did more and more as the car aged and now I have a shop with a hoist and the smart car repairs keeps me busy 3-4 days a week. It turned out to be a profitable little hobby
The other 3 days of the week I work at the hospital, hopefully to retire in a year or so!
Sorry I've rambled a little but I do get passionate about my''babies''!
I hope I can learn and contribute to the club and will meet you on the road some day- hopefully in a ''T''!
Cheers!
Glenn & Liz.
Welcome to the fun and Season's Greetings!
Welcome to the MTFCA , I joined in 1966 member # 2088, the last founder of our chapter. John Danuser Fulton Mo danuser88@ktis.net
Hey Glenn, glad to see you made it over here. Glenn has been a friend of mine for a long time. He is a serious car enthusiast and all around nice guy, always looking to learn more about his vehicles. Perfect candidate to be a Model T owner and a member of this forum. His only fault is that he lives too far away from me. Nevertheless, my wife and I went to visit him last summer and surprised him by showing up in our Model T, a 260 kilometer round trip. Welcome aboard Glenn.
What a very nice introduction. Welcome aboard and I'm sure you'll fit in well here.
Tyler
Hello Glenn!
Welcome to the world of T ownership!
I find it interesting that you hail from London, Ontario...as my family also hails from there. my Great-Great Grandfather (Great Grandfather's side) and his new bride settled there in 1869 from England and had 4 sons there. My Great-Great-Grandparents (Great-Grandmother's side) settled in 1812from Ireland. The family left and immigrated to the U.S. in 1901.
Sorry....didn't mean to get off topic. Again, Welcome!
I agree, Glenn, welcome to the forum and to T ownership. Like Clayton, I also have a London tie, although more tenuous than his. My great-uncle's last position before he retired was as a Bank of Montreal branch manager in London, then he retired there.
Merry Christmas with your new T!
Sounds like you were pre-primed to fall for this specific malady we call T ownership. Super good to have you involved. Even wife named Liz, ha. Wish you both many happy hours with your new Lizzy.
Thanks guys for the welcome!
And you even guessed the name of our T correctly.
''Lizzy'' it is!
Glenn,Welcome. Have you had your first [free start] yet? Bud.
Hi Glenn,
I live about 30 miles east of you,at the west end of Woodstock.I own a 1913 T touring , a 1926 T fordor , a 1915 T roadster in pieces & a 1923 Model T lawnroller.There are at least 6 people in the area with "T"'s.
I am glad you have been bitten by the Model T bug.
Scott
Hi Glenn,
I live about 30 miles east of you,at the west end of Woodstock.I own a 1913 T touring , a 1926 T fordor , a 1915 T roadster in pieces & a 1923 Model T lawnroller.There are at least 6 people in the area with "T"'s.
I am glad you have been bitten by the Model T bug.
Scott
Dave,
Last summer when you visited Glenn,did pass thru Woodstock ? I saw a car like the one on your profile parked on Dundas Street in Woodstock in front of Union Burger.I have asked some of my old car buddies if they knew who owned the 1919 T roadster in town,no luck finding out ,who owned it.
Glen,
Welcome to the affliction! Model Ts are such an iconic piece of our history. They have a way of connecting their keepers to the history of the world around us.
Drive carefully, and enjoy! W2