I think it more interesting to build a machine from parts that come from scrounging swap meets, flea markets, eBay, junk yards, etc. That is the excitement of having a *find* of that part you need. And then what you learn from the experience of the *treasure hunt*.
Consider it....there are tons of T parts out there just waiting for a home in someone's restoration or recreation project.
I have done it both ways and it always costs more to "do it yourself from scratch" than it is to buy one either up and ready to go or half done with a pile of parts and some trading stock.
If you have ever experienced the thrill of finding a prize under a pile of dust and rust and had to cut down a tree to get inside the barn you will know what these guys are talking about ;~)
A dear departed friend of ours found a 1910 Maxwell Touring Car behind a barn with a tree growing up through the floorboards. They had to cut the tree down carefully so as not to have it fall on the car and break something. As I recall it was an abandoned barn and so all of the stuff was free to all takers. The lamps were gone and there were bullet hols in stuff but he found it and loved it.
The land where he found it was not fenced or posted in any way and was just out in the woods. They had to drag it out on a chain for about a quarter of a mile. The block had a hole in it with a rod hanging out of the side. That's the way to find them. It wasn't a barn find though. It was a behind the barn find.
Here is one of my barn finds . . . . it had been there for about 35 years and was not a true "Barn Find"
Well John, if you find the parts in a Barn, then it's still a "Barn Find"!!!
heh heh heh.
My choice of a "barn find" was quite deliberate.
I didn't want to spend 20 yrs looking for parts and assembling them before being able to drive a Model T. I see this all the time; someone joins the club full of enthusiasm and a trailer load of parts. Years go by and they still don't have a T to drive. Then, the "unfinished project" ad appears.
I wasn't too keen on an already restored car either, because of the likely possibility of badly done work and strange modifications which I would find out about later down the track.
By luck what I ended up with was a complete, low mileage, unbutchered car that was simply put in a shed when it was traded in on a modern car. It actually only needed new tyres and relined bands to get it drivable.
A running chassis is not a difficult thing to create....all parts readily available and from there, find/make a body, build a speedster/racer or a depot hack or ??. If you are a purist, then the challenge will be to get correct year parts.
There are at least two complete chassis', fenders, etc. in this heap. Some assembly required.
Frank, what is that thing?
Tim: Here's the answer to your question:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/484000.html?1415246219
Tim, see here: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/411944/484000.html?1415246219
Thanks guys. Somehow missed that one! Looks like it's gonna go pretty fast!!