Should I attempt to restore it

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Model T Ford Forum: Forum 2014: Should I attempt to restore it
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 06:55 pm:

i came across this model t over the weekend. i do have the time, tools and knowledge but i am not sure if this truck can be saved. please give me your opinion. i am not looking to make any money i just want to fix it up and enjoy most of it seems to be there it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:02 pm:

A picture would be good.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mark Strange on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:04 pm:

Todd, be aware that pictures have to be resized to under 194K to fit on the forum. A resolution of 150 dots per inch and a width of 6 inches works well.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:09 pm:

working on it now. thanks


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:13 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:16 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:18 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:19 pm:


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:20 pm:

thats it for pics.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Dennis Seth - Ohio on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:22 pm:

I love it! I think every Model T should be saved and restored. If you undertake this project please remember it should be a labor of love because you'll never get back the money you invest in the restoration. If you decide not to undertake the project perhaps you could share the location with us because someone else may want to save it.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Kevin Holland, Utah on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:22 pm:

Todd, That is a least a truck. I started with a part here and a part there. It would be fun to bring it back. I would not hesitate if the price is right. I did not even have an engine, drive line wheels to begin with.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Wrenn on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:23 pm:

I know most of the guys would say "go for it"....I would run from it! Just too bad people let these wonderful machines go to pot. :-(


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Hal Schedler, Sacramento on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:25 pm:

X Time

X Tools

X Knowledge

?? Money

Go for it!! I'v seen worse, although I can's see the whole thing. It looks like a fun project


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Travis E. Towle on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:31 pm:

It can be saved, I would do it. Beware I have around 46,000.00+ in my 1926 runabout and it's still not done.

Travis


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:31 pm:

i can get it from my uncle for practically nothing. just gas to haul it home.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:34 pm:

maybe i wont even finish but enjoy doing the work. i am in the process of restoring a 1929 dodge /graham brothers truck i hope to be driving by next spring. if i started and didnt finish it somebody else could


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mike Garrison on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:48 pm:

Don't restore it. Get it to where you can trust the running gear enough to get you down the road, put plates on and take care of it until it's time to move on. It's as beautiful now as it will ever be unless you take it home. Don't ruin that kind of patina.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael R Beary on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:52 pm:

Seems there is a 26-27 cab off to the side of it. Looks to me you have a lot to start with. the windshield appears to be there. The top appears to be mostly complete to use for a guide to restore. I have a rustic C-cab I'm putting a new top on. It has bullitt holes in the cowl. I put it on a car chassis with a pickup box and two cheap fenders from Farm and Home. It will never take home any trophy but I'm having a blast bringing it back from the brink. Haul it home and play with it!!!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ron on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 07:56 pm:

No question - save her!! And I completely agree with Mike Garrison's formula above. That patina is priceless. Get her running, dependable and linseed the hell out of her to preserve that patina.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Andy Loso St Joseph, MN on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 08:08 pm:

Don't you have it home yet?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Elliott on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 08:25 pm:

Take it home It's a C cab. I got one or two running that was worst. And drive the one. Every week. It's worth about z$20,000. I'm not even done with it


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Colin Knowles - Moncton, New Brunswick on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 09:15 pm:

And while you are getting it, pick up the TT cab in the background as well!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Justin Heim on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 09:24 pm:

Grab it quick. Look around for the doors or any parts of them as they can be a bugger to get. I only wish mine was that solid to start. There are guys on here that would kill just for the upper windshield frame!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Burger in Spokane on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 09:41 pm:

My vote is unquestionably to grab it for yourself, or to pass on to someone else who will PRESERVE it. The key
being, DON'T leave it to waste away !

Not sure how my fellow T and TT guys fall out on this, but to my way of thinking, being into old cars is about
keeping some tiny fragment of an America now gone still out there and occasionally glimpsed by the new society
that thinks vinyl siding and video games are the only way to go. As such, I am a big advocate of preservation over
restoration, or to be more verbose, to drive them in a state of "as found" or "nice used vehicle" condition, as opposed
to trailer queens. Museum-quality restored cars are cute and quaint in a museum setting, but tend to be trite and
contrived being driven in parades/trailered about as novelties. Sort of a genuine Americana thing as opposed to
some sort of Happy Days / Disneyland recreation of bright red steam locomotives and an overly sterilized "Main
Street".

I have a similar condition truck AND a restored one (purchased that way). I will use and abuse the restored one
until it needs fixing, but allow it to "weather" into the appearance of a well cared for TT, as might have been seen
in 1940. The ragbag truck will be rebuilt to top mechanical shape, but the appearance will only be brought up to
carry the wonderful patina that the rest of the truck now exudes. In other words, an appearance of a not-so-well-
cared for TT a la 1940 ! The real goal being to present a functioning aberration, a fleeting glimpse of something
real, something that really happened, something that some loon was crazy enough to keep on working with, when
the rest of the world "upgraded" to plastic, automation, and backup cameras. The smiles it puts on peoples' faces
are priceless and the old codgers I meet and the stories they tell are worth 100x any money I spend in "living the
dream".


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 10:31 pm:

Git it home and at least keep it from being lost to the scrappers.
I started with a bare chassis and had to replace both crossmembers before I could build a truck.So I Know what is there can be fixed.Takes time and money and WORK.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Chuck Hoffman - Gold Country of Calif. on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 10:35 pm:

For that price, I'd jump on it faster than a duck on a junebug.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Rich Stinchcomb, Trumbull, CT on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 10:55 pm:

Kind of looks like this one on eBay: http://www.ebay.com/itm/1925-FORD-MODEL-T-TRUCK-TT-C-CAB-RARE-ORIGINAL-RAT-ROD-I N-SOUTH-DAKOTA-/361137191056?&_trksid=p2056016.l4276


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Monday, December 01, 2014 - 11:31 pm:

Parts car. And not many parts there to boot. I see a bottomless pit. Most of what you can see is junk. That cab is probably a cheese grater. Hood & radiator shot. Fenders? Trash. Engine/drivetrain? Lord knows. Will have to be pulled down to nuts and bolts and built up from scratch. That is if their even there. The only thing I see that's possibly useable is the steering wheel. Do yourself a favor Todd. If your interested in T's look around a bit. I think you'll be surprised at what's available. Besides that wreck isn't going any place.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Craig Anderson, central Wisconsin on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:07 am:

Todd.......would you happen to be related to Rumely Ray Slabaugh?


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Christopher Vasconcelos in Fairhaven, MA on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 09:16 am:

Save them all.

Henry Ford would have his men drive around looking for treasures like that. If Ford pointed to something off in a field...it would be in his museum shortly after. He believed in saving everything manufactured in this country.

I say we continue to do the same.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Mack Cole ---- Earth on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 10:04 am:

Charlie would you want a doctor thinking similar about you? :>)
" Oh hell his heart is wore out,his knees are shot,lord knows if his lungs will hold air,about all we got here is a couple eyeballs,Let's see if we can find a better patient to fix,He sure aint going anywhere in his shape,he will be here if we cant do any better".
There is alot more TT there than most of us start with and later drive.
The educational value of learning how to do the work is worth the job and the finished truck is the graduation certificate.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 10:25 am:

People have started with far less. Go for it!


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 10:36 am:

Mack you're describing obamacare. What did I say that was wrong or incorrect? I know a lot of the guys out there have started with just a frame but I can't in good conscience white wash what's ahead for Todd. He's in for years and $ thousands just to get to the point where it still looks like it does now except that it sits a little higher off the ground and moves a bit. Devil's Advocate if you will. Tellin' it like it is. Sell off the parts and find a more complete vehicle to spend the money on. It'll be cheaper and a faster project in the long run.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Jerry VanOoteghem on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 10:48 am:

"He's in for years and $ thousands just to get to the point where it still looks like it does now except that it sits a little higher off the ground and moves a bit."

Sounds like every old car restoration...

If you buy a better example, you pay your money up front. If you buy a basket case, you pay your money later. It all works out the same. There ain't no free lunch. Paying it later, or over time, is great if you've got skills but a small budget and enjoy doing the work. If you got the dollars and are anxious to drive it sooner rather than later, or don't have the time or skills or desire to do the work, option #1 is for you.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Steve Jelf, Parkerfield KS on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 11:12 am:

Yes, but...
I agree that a basket case and a more complete vehicle will both cost money. But the basket case costs more. The guy who sells you the complete vehicle he put together is almost always taking less than what he spent on it. There's nothing wrong with resurrecting a basket case, but you should be aware that you're doing it for fun, not because it's going to save you any money. Fortunately there are a lot of folks who enjoy the work, which is why the number of complete Model T's continues to grow. Lots of the T's you see driving around have been made up from parts by hobbyists, and that's a good thing.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Wes Nelson ........Bucyrus, MO on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 11:24 am:

Todd, I think you found a nice treasure, now I wonder is it the right treasure for you?
For me when I find something I try and figure if I can make a buck on it. Most of the time I lose money, but for me I like to retrieve them (including the trip) and scrounge my parts to make at least a running chassis. I figure if it's running and standing on it's own at least someone has a decent start at whatever direction they wish to go. I don't fall in love with them. JMHO


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:20 pm:

Steve: concise and to the point as usual. Wes: you're a man after my own heart. "I don't fall in love with them". I've been in the trade professionally all my life and have gone through quite a few collector cars. I was keeping every one of them. Until the next came along. They are cash on wheels to me. That means I start with a fairly complete car. With a title. My pleasure comes from fixing/cleaning up a decent vehicle and turning a profit. A lot of these barn finds I call fire cars. As in they look like they've been in one. No paint, almost no wood, no interior or top, frozen engine, no paper work. No sale. There's too many of them out there to get bogged down in a multi year/$ affair and it doesn't pay. I've found with T's that there are 2 ways to buy them. I've done them both. 1: estate sale. Found by accident. '27 Tudor completely done in the late 80's. Paint interior the works. Running & with a title. Under 5 G's. The bank doesn't want the car just the cash. 2: From an old timer who can't or won't drive it any more. Got 2 Touring cars that way. Both complete & titled. Both were well under $7000. All were within 30 miles of home. The '27 was in fact driven home. Made 4 figure profits on all 3 of them. In fact the only way you won't get a really good price on a T is if you buy one from a T guy. Like me. Whose put in the time and $ to offer a good product.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Aldrich Orting Wa on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:29 pm:

I love the "before" and "after" pictures.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Burger in Spokane on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:35 pm:

I would like to see you money men go play in someone else's passion and hobby. For most of us it is about the love of the vehicle
and the fun we have with them. If a woman was "just doing it" for money, we'd shun her as a whore. But then we hear you say you
just do this for money, and everyone is expected to think this is OK ? What kind of duplicitous logic is that ???

Ten bucks says if someone was pimping your daughter out, you'd be singing a different tune. People have a funny way of rationalizing
their hypocritical behavior, don't they ? :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Charlie B actually in Toms River N.J. on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:44 pm:

That post doesn't deserve a reply.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By John Wightman on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:46 pm:

If you have room for the C-cab truck, go get it. If you don't have the room, I'd leave it for someone else. The C'cab looks like it may be missing the doors. The doors for the C-cabs in my experience are diffucult to find and quite expensive to buy. So if you go and pick it up, make sure you take the time to look all around for the doors and door parts. I have seen people ask a thousand dollars for a pair of C-cab doors.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ryan Glowacki on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 12:53 pm:

Back on track....somewhat...I may have one of those upper window frames. What are the dimensions? I have a pile of old frames my great grandfather stored away in a chicken house. I could check for it if it is worth the time to someone.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Burger in Spokane on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 01:21 pm:

=======================================

Charlie B wrote: "That post doesn't deserve a reply."

=======================================

Typical obfuscation.

You know, I heard Nancy Pelosi say something similar about having to pass O'bamacare into law before
we could know what was in it. Good one. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Eckensviller on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 01:44 pm:

I would think that if you have a place to put it out of the elements it would be worth the trip even if the final verdict is to part it out.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Tim Eckensviller on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 01:47 pm:

Also, for the sake of driving would guys not just make up wooden doors for their TT cabs? I know I would if that's what it came down to.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Norman T. Kling on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 01:52 pm:

Several things you could do with it. Cheapest is "yard art" Just haul it home and leave it as is in your yard.
Next thing would be to restore it mechanically and safety wise and leave it as is and drive it. I will attach a picture of a T which runs good and is on many tours. It attracts more attention than the fully restored cars.

This car doesn't look quite like the picture today, it has a C cab body on it now. Every time I see it something has been added, but still rusty.
Lastly would be to completely restore the truck. Restoration would be quite costly and take many hours work.

The choice is yours depending on what you would like to do or can afford to do. Remember that a TT is much slower than a car. The car is already slow. The TT would be good for shows, parades, and very short tours.
Norm


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Burger in Spokane on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 03:43 pm:

The TT also serves well to adjust your life speed to one we can better appreciate the things around us ...
that old "Stop and smell the roses" thing, you know ? Life is good in the slow lane. :-)


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By todd slaubaugh on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 06:25 pm:

i will take it home. thanks for your input


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Michael R Beary on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 07:12 pm:

Doors aren't really needed on a C-cab. They do add a lot for looks and I have them on mine. I bet back in the day for some they were a pain if the truck was used to make a living. Have them on in the Winter take them off in the summer?

Good for you Todd!!! Get some more pics for us to drool over.


Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ted Dumas on Tuesday, December 02, 2014 - 07:20 pm:

A resurrected pile of bones that runs well and still looks like a resurrected pile of bones will be a lot of fun and attract a lot of attention as Norman has said.


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