I have recently acquired this 14 Roadster, I'm not sure how I want to, put it together what do you think? The car is very solid but the drivetrain needs to be overhauled.

Oh yes I would rebuild it. I have to admit I am a serial restorer, can't help it. I am compelled to fix and restore to old objects. There may be a support group for this but I have yet to find one. Be cautious, once you start and the rust gets into your veins, you can't stop at just one.

Make it safe and run good and drive the wheels off. It only looks that way once. It alot easier to buy a shiney one than one like that. Your car your choice but I really like it .
Drive safe and often

Make it safe and run good and drive the wheels off. It only looks that way once. It alot easier to buy a shiney one than one like that. Your car your choice but I really like it .
Drive safe and often

Cosmetically, I love it just the way it is. You may want to do something with the top but other than that do like Dallas(above)suggests. Have fun!!

Make safe and drive the way it is, they are only original once and have earned every bit of that patina.
More people will spend time looking at your car as it is. Try putting next to the same year/model and see which one people spend their time looking at!

Nice find!

I would restore if you have the means.

Plus, I would consider moving the jack stands out a tad towards the spring shackles to make it a little less top heavy and prone to tipping over. Just my 2 cents worth. Beautiful flivver!

I myself would just make it safe, and conserve all the patina I could. And also search out nice matching patina items to finish it up. then drive the crap out of it. But that is just me, and everyone knows I am a "patina junkie" Im with Dallas, "they are only that way once" But I really think you need to call "Freighter Jim" and have it delivered to me in Arkansas. That way you will not be burdened with the problems of "decisions, decisions" Will be a nice project no matter how you decide to go. have fun and be safe ... Donnie Brown ....

Nice '14 runabout. Looks like solid wood frame on nice original body sheet metal and deck. If you have the funds and time, and want to restore it...do.

But, with less time, and fewer funds, you can do a mechanical rebirth, and add matching patina pieces, like complete the top bows, and find old top coverings, replace the fenders with more body matching patina ones.

You will then have the object of jealous car buffs, who seek out 'barn find' looking autos.

The running sweet, diamond in the ruff Model T's will draw more interest from the public than any $12K+ restored shiny new like Ford. IMO

My advice would be to complete the restoration. It doesn't have "patina" because it's been assembled (LF fender in primer and right side running board doesn't match splash aprons.)Someone made a benign attempt to assemble and upholster the runabout. Love the accessory wheels.
Restore it. It'll be cuter than a bug.

Since it is a solid car it would be an ideal candidate for restoration. Save the patina for the ones that are too much work to restore.

Andy

Overhaul the drive train just clear coat everything with engine Matt clear and run it

Looks too far gone to me. Let me help you out with it. I'll just take that off your hands so you don't need to bother with a lost cause.

I am thinking about a over head with a set of old rocky Mountain brakes on a Ruxsell.the wheels are steel spoke with demountable steel rims (no bolt tabs) anyone have a clue who made them ?

I would "hop it up" a little and make a good runner for the roads where you live. As far as paint etc goes I would clean it up give it a good coat of probably rustoleum gloss black (spray it on). Drive it then after a few years seal the patina you've attained.

As far as hopping it up, I would probably "build" a new hot engine if the original is worth keeping in original condition. And other bit I would make sure are bolt on so they can always be unbolted in the future.

Yes !! Definitely. Build a "hot" engine . . . 350 Chev, bored, stroked, supercharger, the works !! Paint ? I've always been partial to fifteen hand-rubbed coats of candy apple red. Re-do the top, add AC, for real comfort on those hot summer days.

Rich
Thanks for the suggestion, but do you think the spoke wheels will take that much power?

I'd swap 'em out for a set of mag wheels...just to be sure.

It's gonna be great no
Matter how you do it spend forever restoring it or get her running right and start driving!!! It will be a great ride and people will love it. Tim

I doubted that I needed to specify hot "T" engine but since you brought it up . . .

As a flathead:
Flathead of your choice (not ford or ford look alike) maybe a sherman. Drop a dist on it, pull out the mag stab an A cam in there slot the cam back for a bug pump and run pressure to the mains (dips on the rods) with a bypass to the timing gear. Toss a 26/27 intake on inverted with an adapted stromberg carb.

As an overhead:
Start saving . . .

Parker wheels maybe? Worth quite a bit. Scott Owens

Scott I have 7 more wheels with rims BUT there missing the clam things for the center.

Hello Robin: Well it is easy for to say but;
Start at the front wheels, tight spokes good wheel bearing , good spindle bushing and bolts, tie rod and drag link, steering column and gear cluster under the steering wheel.
Then look for oil leaks, then gas leaks, do the rear end and look for the Babbitt thrust washer, good tires and tubes and do a little bit of something on the top material and bows and then go out and as they have said drive the heck out of it.
A friend of mine has a 14 and it had not been started in 45 years and WE have it running. He is installing new rear axle sleeves and brakes ;and drums. Good luck and Happy "T"ing

Bill in Redding

one more thing is check the Radiator for leaks

Robin, It has survived this far without fancy engine stuff, I'd leave it as it is. The light roadster body doesn't need a lot of power.
I'm with the "leave it be, make the mechanical s good" group. You can always restore it later, if you find you just must, but right now it has Character--spelled with a capital C.

I'd put in good /safe running condition, wet sand the sheet metal and coat with boiled linseed oil.

Although it looks like a good candidate for restoration, a restored 1914 is a restored car that looks like any other restored 1914.

I would get it mechanically operational and then do only as much cosmetic work to get it pleasing to your eye. Replace the top bows. You may be able to find a 1914 top that someone is replacing that will be ideal for your car.

Drive it and enjoy its character as many of the other "leave it original" proponents suggest.

The car can be restored any time, but it is original only once.

: ^ )

The steel spoke wheels on my speedster were made by Atlas Wheel Co and are stamped with the company name on the outside of the fellow near the hole for the valve stem.

Make it safe, reliable, fit a new top and use it as is. That's my advice!
It will attract a heap of attention and you will have fun with it in that condition. Alan in Western Australia

The fenders can be reworked to more closely match the body, that's what I would do. I have both original and restored T's, the original ones get way more attention than my restored ones plus you can use them with out worry. Once restored if you use it, it won't stay "mint" and you will just have another T. Remember anyone can have a restored one, very few can come up with a decent original.

Robin
Those old T rear ends are known to have issues.
Put a Buick rear end in it.

I supose the real question is do you want a driver, a show car, a tour car, or simply a parade car. Depending on what you want to do with the car can drastically change what is done to the car.

I'll go along with Dan and Keith. When you buy the top bows, be sure to get the correct size, and since you don't have patterns, but sure to place them in the sockets correctly.

Your touring car fills the bill for a pretty one, I'd keep this rustic. Probably Ruckstell and brakes and higher compression flathead above a good crank. I know 35 doesn't quite do it for you but it wouldn't take much to make that a real nice run around and touring car.

Just be thick skinned enough when the boring know it all dumb shits ask when you are going to restore it, to look them straight in the eye with a little gleam in your and snare on your lips and tell them, IT IS! LOL

I had a lady tell me that she liked my car. She said it looks like you just drug it out of a barn somewhere. And then she asked if I was going to restore it. I said no!!! It took 90 yesrs to get it to look that way. She said good for you I love the way it looks. That was its 1st trip to town. No pressure of a bit of dirt or a scratch. Just fun.

Make it look like your 1926-27 Roadster that you had for sale awhile back!!! Did you ever sell that one?

I would rebuild the chassis and keep the exterior cosmetics just the way they are. It would look sharp with some appropriately weathered 30 x 3 1/2" wire wheels. Putting an overhead motor in it would certainly make it a "sleeper". That's what I would do.

Nice find!!

I'm not boring.

Andy

I vote for underhood flavor enhancements.

Andy's not boring he is just as exciting as me and my granddaughter needs him!

Thank you for your suggestions

I think we have some "sleeper" hot-rodders here! IMHO, your car is too intact to be subjected to some "go fast" modifications. In spite of its good looks, it is in a somewhat "delicate" situation. Most body wood gets brittle as it ages--the nature of the species of the wood. Hickory fares much better, which is why some of us are driving on original wood wheels. To me, this is a perfect car to leave as-is, but mechanically safe (replace the thrust washers in the rear end for certain!), and use it for "gettin' Ice Cream, and other casual, pleasant drives. No need to go 45 to 50 mph!
But that's just my opinion!

David Dewey: As I said in a previous post make it safe and drive it for what it is worth.

Running gear first for the reasons stated above. That's necessary. Me? Don't care for the rust look at all and that car would be a real looker done up prerly.

WELL : IF YOU LEAVE IT LIKE THAT , WITH ALL RUST THAT LOOKS NICE PATINA , WHAT WOULD IT DO TO THE BODY ? IN 5 OR 10 YEARS WILL THE RUST TAKE COMPLETELY OVER ?
IF YOU COULD STOP THE RUST AND LEAVE IT THE WAY IT IS ..... BUT IS THAT POSSIBLE ?

I would redo the car. That rust ''patina'' is not original, the seating surfaces are not original, a couple of panels are not original. That shifter sticking up thru the floor is not original. A really nice little car! The latest driver, regardless of age is certainly not original! ha Restore the car, in 40 years or so somebody will have it and be asking the same question.....Gary I've enclosed the following image to insure you will have something to strive for.

If you are asking others what to do with it, it sounds to me like you do not have a vision for it. It sounds like many others may. Leave it alone or restore it or mod it.
Consider selling it to those that have their own vision for it and use the funds to purchase something you don't have to ask others what to do with it.

If you don't know where you are going, any road will take you there.

Have a passion for what you do and you'll never work a day in your life.

Stretch the frame and put the Buick engine in it along with the Buick rear end. And- no thrust washers to change. Find another hood with the same patina and rivet them together and the length should come out about right. I'll donate the rivets with the necessary patina. Andy can hold one end, Mike the other and you can be in the middle.

But Dan. That just brings up the whole hot rivet, cold rivet argument.

Andy

A stretch limo T?

Hmmmmmm.. wonder what the Uber market would be for that ride?

Wonder what Bitchin Rides, Overhauling, or West Coast Customs would do with a T?

All joking aside, the front axle, front spring and the wishbone appear to be from a later year. I'd get the correct ones for the car. Otherwise, looks great.

Bill

I'm gonna bump this thread. Been wanting to for a couple days. Sorry Robin and Andy.
What a gorgeous little Runabout!
As is. Bring the original colors back out of that body and hood. :-)
If it were me, soften/adjust the colors of the fenders, boards and shields to sort of match the enhanced original paint on the body/hood.
Its not patina, it's factory. 103 years worth for that little car. It can be enhanced. That's not the correct word. Aha! Rejuvenated.
I have a similar low turtle deck/trunk that doesn't properly fit my 18 Runabout but it's factory original and it'll never be touched other than clean up. It ain't perfect with its factory paint; runs and all. It's beautiful.
The earlier turtle deck/trunk down in my woods with no paint, no wood and no patina? Restore and paint!

That is such a subjective question! _My personal 2¢ allows for patina, but not breakage, so I'd feel the need to do something about the broken top hardware. The easiest solution would be to remove that stuff.

The way to keep your options open would be to make only whatever mechanical repairs and adjustments are necessary to make the car handle correctly, pleasantly and safely. _There's no messing around when it comes to safe wheels. _If the spokes are shot, you must replace them. _Stutzman's Wheel Shop will rebuild your wheels, but leave them in bare wood, so if you like, you can stain them blotchy, dirty gray and seal the wood with some kind of flat, clear finish.

After you've gotten the above stuff done, drive the car and take a couple of seasons to determine whether you like the way it looks. _By that time, you'll either love the look or hate it and will have no question in mind as to whether you want to restore the cosmetics.

More of my 2¢:

Patina has to be congruous. _Folks, there are unwritten rules! _Ideally, anything made after 1949—and by that I mean; if it's got fins or chrome bumper-boobs, the exterior needs to look like a freshly minted penny. _For intentional effect, a subtle amount of wear is grudgingly allowed on the interior. _And absolutely no rips in the fabric. _Period.

Pre-war cars are allowed a little more flexibility in the aging department. _Why? _Because that's how we remember them. The median age of most car enthusiasts today is well beyond that of the Clearasil crowd (and yeah, it would be nice if some younger folk would get involved in the old car hobby, but that's not the way it is, right now). _As toddlers and children, we baby-boomers were old enough to have ridden in a few pre-war cars, but at that point in time, such vehicles were pretty much on their last legs and one major repair bill away from the junk yard. _In our memories, they're allowed to be a little beat-up. _It's a nostalgia thing.

But there's a tangible divide between the age of nostalgia and the age of pure, unadulterated history. _People are fascinated by my 1915 Model T Ford, but few get pangs of nostalgia about it because few survive who will have memories of it—and of those who do, most won't be in good enough shape to attend a car show. _Oh, there are joyous exceptions*, but they're few and far between.

Once you go far enough back along the time line and cross that tangible divide, our view takes on an historical objectivity. _Rather than exclaiming, "Yeah, I remember that!", we think to ourselves, "So that's how people lived, back then. Hmm." _That point of view invites weathering and patina because in the historical context, it feels right. _When we clasp our hands behind our backs and stick our heads inside, we're looking for history, and the wear and tear of what we see in there gives us a feel for the vast expanse between the present and an unfamiliar past. _There's a detached reverence you don't get from fuzzy dice and chrome-skull gearshift knobs. _Once you cross that line, the rule book goes out the window and anything from a pristinely restored trailer queen Stutz Bearcat to a Beverly Hillbillies Oldsmobile truck (yes, it was an Olds) is allowed.

*One memorable occurrence took place at a car show where an octogenarian couple approached and the gentleman commented, "That's the kind of car I was driving when I was courting Martha, here." _Of course, the only right thing to do was offer them a ride. _They climbed into the rear seat and by the time we got out of the parking lot, those two were smooching it up like a pair of high-school kids. _An unforgettable moment. _Rare as hens' teeth.

Except for making the drive train solid I wouldn't do a damn thing to that car...

Wood wheels are as good as you can get, providing they are tight. If you put a Fronty in this car, which I hope you don't, those wood wheels will hold up fine. There are several wood wheel people out there that make an excellent product.

Robin: There is a fellow in Folsom you should contact. His name is Richard Gould, and he lives pretty close to the prison. He is extremely knowledgeable on brass T's, and I think he would be able to help you with your questions.

Well guys, everyone has made some very good points, but the only truly safe model T is a dead one without wheels!!

I do NOT want a SAFE model T!!!!

But, then again, about thirty some years ago, there was a short time where several commercial air liners crashed. The combined death toll was in the hundreds. The fact is, it was a statistical anomaly. But all the politicians and pundits and consumer protection leftists were screaming and threatening and demands and promises were being made for hundred percent safe air travel!

Me? I screamed back at the TV (like it would do any good?) "Idiots! You cannot ever achieve one hundred percent no accidents ever safety! It is NOT possible!"
The problem with trying to force it, is that it turns into witch hunts. People start putting more effort into covering their own hind end than they will doing the job they are supposed to do. Mistakes start being made, and covered up rather than fixed. That is human nature.

There is risk in everything we do. Every breath we take poses a risk. The trick is to manage the risks, do what we enjoy, and try to live a rich, full, life. Appreciate nature, music, art of all kinds. Cherish our heritage, our families, our history. Be careful, control the dangers as best as you reasonably can. And enjoy driving that model T.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

Well said Wayne, no matter what you do there is risk. To me the single most lacking part in todays society is responsibility. If I want to take risks others may think are unwise I need to own up to the fact that if something happens it is MY fault. It is not somebody elses responsibility to prevent me from doing something they may consider unwise.

My biggest thrill is going 50 miles an hour in a T with no brakes! ( T brakes at their best is about the same)

Wayne, Yes, nothing is 100% safe, but I had a retired commercial pilot advise me to NEVER travel in an Airbus plane; apparently the design is inherently unstable, and if the "fly by wire" goes out, it is impossible to fly by "hand."
Too many folks today think you can legislate "safety" but I am reminded that nothing is "fool-proof"--only "fool-resistant!"

Robin- look at the bright side- its almost impossible to fall off a Model T. 'Nuf said? At least you have plenty of helmets- sorry, I can't loan you any!
Dan

Model Ts must be very safe! I couldnt find a warning sticker or sign anywhere on mine.