Perhaps someone can help a new T owner. A fellow in North Port, FL is being told he must have his car weighed to get a license., he writes...You may remember we recently received a gift from our kids of a 1914 Model T . The car was shipped from California.

The Florida authorities in Tallahassee will not grant me a new title and a Horseless Carriage tag unless I have the car weighed at a Florida weigh station . This is next to impossible for me to accomplish.

He will be watching this post for any ideas offered.

Thanks

What body style is it? There are published weights for each. This should be good enough, why on earth does any one care what a model T weights, plus or minus a few pounds.

I understand, impossible to go on the highway above Min. speed. dangerous.

Take the car trailer down the highway to the weigh station.
Weight it empty. Then put the car on , weight them together, do the math.

Find a local gravel bank or stone place with a big scale.

Go on line and buy a car scale for race cars. These are super accurate. Bring them the police station parking lot. and weigh it while the officer looks on, thereby annoying the Florida hillbillies.

Go to a local airport where they weigh airplanes. They can issue a certified weight. Minus the flubber of course.

If you have a local grain elevator, they have a large scale to weigh trucks on. I think the cost is $20 and they will give you a printed, official weight cert.

Call any trucking company in the phone book and they can advise you how to proceed. It is not difficult. 1500+- lbs. anyway.

Because its a DMV Florida request it has to be done at an Florida authorized station. Here is a list. Your over four hours away from me other wise I could help. If you cant find someone closer to take your car let me know. here is a list of the stations.

http://www.fdot.gov/maintenance/WeighStationListing.shtm

Wow, I can't believe I left that out, it is a 1914 touring.

You didn't leave that out Ben, it is in the title of your thread Simply the first responder didn't read the title.

Maybe McCalley's encyclopedia is "official" enough.

Another source for a set of scales, if needed, might be the local dump. Our city weighs you in and out, the difference is what they charge you for. Drive your traler and t through and then drive just your trailer through. Allow for any gas used during transit and you should have a pretty close weight.

Most, if not all larger truck stops have drive over scales.

Any major truck stop can weigh it.

I have registered 7 Model T's in Florida and most of them were brought into Florida from other states. I never had to weigh any of them to get titles and registrations. Get the title, send it to Tallahassee with the form for Horseless Carriage plates, pay the fee and it is done. Someone there is on dope. I think they are assuming it is a commercial vehicle. the only inconvenience was getting a policeman to verify the Vin # and all I had to do for that was call the local police station and they sent someone right over.

This is simple. Do an online search with this info: 1914 Model T weight. There is 2 or 3 sites that list the technical information for Model T's and more. Doesn't the person asking the weight question have a computer? The so called Authorities?

Any competent DMV, title company or any 8th grader can figure this out. BUT the word is competent!!

Evidently there is a Genuine D O P E who is asking for the weight info. How dumb can you get!!!???

I have a hard time understanding why this is so difficult? Rather than blaming the DMV for their stupidity, take the car to a truck scale (state certified) and get a weigh slip.

If I lived in Florida, which I do not, I would pick the car up and get it weighed and return it and weigh slip to you. There must be an old car friend some where nearby to help.

I had a T weighed at a landfill site. Can't remember if there was a fee or not but no problem getting it done. We brought it there on a trailer, unloaded, drove it over the scale, got the weigh slip, drove it back on the trailer and were on our way.

I would remind Erik that since Florida has no hills our only hillbillies are transplants and nobody gives a rat's patootie if they're annoyed.

I have moved to fl and transferred 4 / 5 cars with no weigh slips at all sheriff came and checked vin numbers against title paper work can be printed off the web went in and did the paper work title /plates in hand out the door

Next time you go back to the DMV, go to a different branch or at least talk to a different person and you will get a different answer. At least around here you can go to any DMV in the state and most will tell you something different. Just keep asking until you get the answer you think is best.

Ben

Get back to your fellow and have him put in the title application weight of 1500 lbs.

It's just one of the top line blanks to be filled in, no real actual weight needed, just something close for the Model T is fine.

On the title, the engine number will be entered for the Identification Number, Year, Make (Ford), Model (T), Body type, Weight, and the Color.

On Body , you have to select from the DMV computer, so you will never find 'runabout', or Fordor, 'touring' or any thing like that, have them use 2dr or 4dr, or similar, they don't have a 3- door choice!

Title sample showing top line items.

With or without a full gasoline tank? 70 pound difference. Driver? Needs to go on a diet? Tools? Top on or off? Tare weight is more specific, if that is what they are demanding. A general weight should be adequate for any noncommercial vehicle. Anything between 1200 and 1500 pounds should be close.
I agree with others. The DMV request is probably in error. Any noncommercial vehicle should be okay using a published weight. Again as always, rules vary by state and jurisdictions. In some areas, tare weight must be rechecked from time to time.

Ben,

I'm not sure in FL on Horseless Carriage plates...but like regular and vanity plates in FL could he have the option to just go to the County Tax Collector office and file there?

Yeah, I know the county tax collector gets a steep royalty fee for processing the filing...but for the modern iron that I moved permanently to FL it was well worth the fee! I went to Pinellas Cty office in Seminole. I was in and out in less than an hour, got the registrations moved over...don't understand the FL no hard title thing but they assure me the computer will remember...but hold onto my receipt as if it was a title they said, got my photo license changed too, got my voter registration out of the way and the one 'customer service' representative did everything including the VIN verification from start to finish!

What impressed me even more (After over 50 years of DMV-NJ snarl and spit) is the missus sent me on a mission as a favor to her. She got her Doctors degree in Education from Nova Southeast over in Ft. Lauderdale and FL offers vanity plates for the Uni. I say to the processing person, and if I want NSU plates for the car, how long until they get mailed? She says, "Why mail...our vault is filled with all of the specialty plates." Must not be many NSU people in Pinellas...wifey got such a low number even I can remember it (grin) Maybe the tax collector offices have HC plates too?

(I'm still trying to get the Hack moved down as soon as I can figure out how to be on both ends and planned on going to the County office anyway so the answer to your question is of interest to me if it can be done)

Where there is a ...... Will

There is a ......... Weigh


Hey Will sorry I could not make dinner Saturday night.

I will stop and visit next time through.


Freighter Jim

George

Good comments, but in FL the Horseless Carriage (avail to only 1927 and earlier autos) are not stocked at the local agency, you can get title and license at any tax collector office. Most counties have several.

After you secure registration of title, printed out, mailed to you, or electronic ones in the system, you then fill out a form for the vintage plates, and mail to Tallahassee with copy of your title application receipt, proof of insurance, and check for proper amount.

Then in the mail within one week you get your vintage plates. Older than 1927 get Antique plate, Street Rods get their own. Horseless Carriage plate is one time fee, good for ownership, but are restricted in use, for tours, shows, and such. The other vintage plates which are renewed each year have no restrictions.


Oh, if you leave the tax collector office with your title registration for any auto they don't have a tag for , that you have to get from the State office in Tallahassee, you must fill out and sign a form they keep copy of that you will not drive the vehicle on any public roads until you obtain and secure a license plate on your auto. No paper drive out tags for Horseless Carriage plates!

Dan,

Thanks for that clarification. I'll now know what to expect when I get one down there...

I have weighted my 14 touring with about 5 gallons of gas and no one inside. This is a restored car, no starter or generator with wood wheels. The front was 740 and the rear was 780 for total weight of 1520 pounds.

Gents your replies were helpful and informative, for some reason his insurance company has decided truck his car to a scale free of charge. Problem solved.

He wrote: Many thanks for your help and concern.

We are "cautiously optimistic" that a solution is near.

Our insurance company American Modern , a sub company of Geico has offered to provide a flatbed truck tow truck and driver free of charge and take Mr. T with us to the Official Florida truck weigh station on #75 in Punta Gorda. We visited the station yesterday and the people there were outstanding. No charge for the weigh. It is a 50 mile round trip.
...

Thanks