Hi all. A Few years ago I purchased the 23 T that my grandfather owned. It came with a set of skis, but it seems to me there must be some parts missing to mount them, maybe some different spindles?
It is in need of some serious attention. I am researching where I want to send the drive train. I found a couple shops online out east that look good to me, but if someone knows of a shop within a 8 hour drive of northeast Iowa please let me know.
How about Iowa City? Talk to Dean Yoder about your drive train. http://ttyoder.com/
Thank you Steve. Iowa City is just a couple hours from me.
i suspect those skis clamp to the axle and you temporarily remove the spindles and draglink and use those ones shown in the picture.
Joe, the next time you winch your T up onto the trailer, DON'T grab the front axle, you can easily pull the wishbone ball from it's socket, this will create a lot of problems, but rather wrap the pull strap around the frame and spring next to the crank. JMHO
Nice car!
I wonder if it was built on a runabout or a cut off touring?
The windshield looks like 1917-22 and the front engine/ spring mount is 1921 and later so maybe it's a '23 but the windshield was changed when the delivery body was added, or perhaps it's a '21,'22 or a mix of years as so many of our cars are after 90 years.
Great "survivor" look, should be a hit at any old car meet with just a mechanical fix up.
Don't be afraid of doing some work yourself, if you've been able to let's say, fix a flat tire on a bike you can learn to fix your Ford too
There are books to buy and dvd's to look at for learning - see MTFCA:s shop:
http://modeltstore.myshopify.com/products/service-manuals
http://modeltstore.myshopify.com/products/restoration-videos
But the first book to read is the owners manual, it's online here for free:
http://www.mtfca.com/books/21manual.htm
The engine should have a serial number above the water inlet on the drivers side. We can date it to the day but here's an online source showing serial numbers by month: http://www.mtfca.com/encyclo/sernos.htm
Kep, I will give that a shot and see how it works.
Wes, thanks for the advice on loading it.
Roger, thanks for the links. The title says it's a 23 so that's all I was going by. I have a body shop and work on cars day in and out, so I will be doing some of the work myself.
I have been wanting to get it running for the past few years but never seem to take the time. I have had it started but it runs poorly and leaks oil like none other. I am at the point where I want to send the drive train off and get it back in like new condition.
Sounds like Dean is your guy. That is, if he ever gets a break from working on Rob's Model K's.
With that enclosed "van" type of body made using a pickup bed, I wonder whether that car might have been used by a mail carrier.
I really love your truck. Gave me some ideas about making some changes/improvements to mine.
Keep on T-ing!!
Mike, the story my grandfather always told me is that it was used to carry the mail, and that is why it also had the skis. I have been tempted to remove the "van body" and get the "rods" to mount a canvas top. Starting to have second thoughts about that now.
I looked up the serial number and it shows to be April of 1922.
Joe -- Modifications such as that body and the skis help to tell the story of that car's existence. You can put it back to stock, and it will be like all the others. As it is, it's unique.
You can drive it in the warmer months without the skis (as the mail carrier doubtlessly did), but fit the skis when there's snow on the ground. In that way, you get to enjoy the car as it is (and has been for some time), while preserving its own "personal" history.
There is some special significance to that model T. Its history should be preserved. I can't tell from the photos if that is some sort of original gray? Or has it been partially stripped and primed? If it has been partially restored (stripped and primed)? Finishing the restoration back to near new but era modified correct would be a good thing.
Anybody can get or put together a standard runabout or touring car. And they are wonderful and historic things to have. But what you have has its own, special and unique history. It should keep that.
Welcome to the affliction!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2
The body has been reworked at some point. Who ever did it used alum tape over some rust outs and primed over it, some of it is starting to come off. The grey primer is very thick and flaking off in some areas. The wood beams under the bed are so dry rotted that it crumbles under very little pressure. My grandfather bought it in this condition 30+ years ago. It was only driven in parades.
I appreciate the input guys. I can picture it black, I'm expecting to find black under the primer, with maybe a nicer quality wood top of the same design, possibly oiled or stained instead of painted.
I agree that keeping the mail truck configuration is a good idea. There are lots of stock tourings and roadsters, but not many of these. When you paint it, just be sure the wheels are black the way God and Henry intended.
Joe -- Please resist the temptation to put some kind of stain or clear finish on whatever body you put on it. It was a work vehicle, not a showpiece.