MTFCA Forum

ryanf1023

Thank you. We certainly had fun with the Stude on that gravel road. I was thankful we didn’t puncture a tire!

ryanf1023

We had a 5-day tour in the Southern Alberta Rockies with the VTAA, our pre-1932 touring group. I captured a good amount of footage and made a compilation video featuring Ts, As, a pass by of a 1912 KisselKar, and a 1915 Studebaker climbing a rocky incline. I hope you enjoy! https://youtu.be/jJRZoZY0...

ryanf1023

Thank you all for chiming in. It’s such a charming unit I may just use as is for now on my speedster firewall. That is a brilliant looking unit Haydon.

ryanf1023

I came across this at an antique store today. It seemed too good to pass up. I’m wondering if anyone can please inform me on this? Earlier threads seemed to point out 1914-1915 cars had these. I may or may not keep it depending on its rarity or if someone needs it for their car. image1.jpeg image0.j...

ryanf1023

I extended the stringer on my speedster body. I also took the time to put in some built in storage as space is incredibly limited on a speedster, and I want to use this for touring and travelling.

ryanf1023

Dan, The aged look is something I was attempting almost as an “undercoat” to a potential paint job in the future. The 2:15 timestamp of me sanding is probably the best look I would have liked to preserve. I should have finished that with a matte/flat varnish, if such a thing exists. I do hope the gl...

ryanf1023

Art, I used spar varnish. 220 grit between coats. I chose spar varnish because a thread on here from a decade ago said that. I used 220 because that was the finest grit I had on hand. I figured that any shoddiness that may come from the wrong type of varnish or grit would not be noticeable by any sh...

ryanf1023

Allan, that’s exactly what I did. I found it worked very well. I did one coat of the stain/varnish mix, and the subsequent two coats of straight varnish. I errored on the mixing. I was non-chalant and imprecise when mixing. What’s done was done for the first wheel, and I chose to carry on with the o...

ryanf1023

Thank you all for the comments. As a long time follower of the MTFCA forum, I figured I would attract a few comments on the colour choice! Truthfully, they turned out darker than I wanted. I was going for a plain varnished look with just a bit of brown stain to “age” them a hair. I still may paint t...

ryanf1023

Hello all, I've set up a YouTube channel, mainly for my small woodworking business but also to showcase antique car musings that I think people will find interesting. I invite you to watch my first video, a montage/timelapse of finishing my brand new wooden wheels. I welcome any and all feedback on ...

ryanf1023

I began varnishing the wheels. For my first time, I chose to do the rears as a pair and finish with the fronts. One of the rears is better than the other, and the two fronts undoubtedly will be improved upon further. Not entirely sure I’m going to keep them this way. I may start over or I may paint ...

ryanf1023

Wayne, I’m indeed Canadian, so that makes sense. Thank you for the information.

Thank you for the suggesting Frank. I’m going to spend a little more time searching locally here first but will keep Bob in mind.

Ryan

ryanf1023

Thank you all for the replies. What I’ve learned is that the hardware/brackets/irons are far scarcer than the buckets themselves. I suppose that’s the constraining variable I have when it comes to finishing my car.

ryanf1023

Here is my headlamp

And here is the set I was shown. Clearly different mounting methods, but I don’t know the years for this set.

ryanf1023

I’m looking for a matching headlight and bracket for my speedster. The one I have (driver’s side) is labeled “1917-1925” that I picked up at a swap meet earlier in the year, and that’s the era I’m sticking too for my speedster. I put an ad in the Foothills T Club looking for a matching set, and I go...

ryanf1023

I progressed on my Speedster body. Almost all went together perfect during my dry fit, although the driver’s side stringer didn’t mount nicely in the frame bracket. I had to use a lot of clamps, and the stringer is quite bowed and got even a small split where the notch is for the handbrake. It’s cer...

ryanf1023

I broke ground on building my speedster body this month. My goal is to have it ready in time for the Foothills Model T Tour in Alberta next July.

ryanf1023

You both have great looking cars. I really do love the landau bars, blue colour, brass radiator and white tires of your car.

I'm curious, is there any difference between the Canadian removable post coupelets of that era compared to the US versions?

ryanf1023

Allan, thanks for the info. I knew those were lowered, but I didn’t know they were moved outboard as well. That must add some breathing room between the column and the generator and intake assemblies. You’ve a beautiful looking T. Kevin, I misspoke and meant to say drag link. Thanks for the clarific...

ryanf1023

I'm building the body for my speedster. I do plan to lower the steering column using the wedge/washer method. This will move the steering column away from the firewall. I'm hoping to find out how thick the firewall is to begin with, at least the horizontal distance from the firewall brackets to the ...

ryanf1023

I chose to buy a running chassis for my speedster rather than do it all from scratch. Cheaper, easier, and quicker than my original intention. I began mocking up the body prior to starting the final one. It's been a challenge but one where I have the skills to do so, I believe.

ryanf1023

It reminds me of the large, heavy duty early trucks like the Liberty Truck. Very neat! I think that’s a great looking aesthetic to your TT.

ryanf1023

Got my front axle rebuilt by Strong’s Garage. Straightened, rethreaded, bushed/reamed etcetera, and good usable spindles. I’ll need to straighten my frame and do a good once over on the front spring before I mount it.

ryanf1023

I appreciate you drawing that out. It looks like I don’t have to modify it as much as I first thought.

ryanf1023

Thank you all for the replies.

ryanf1023

That’s an option too. Thanks for sharing. I would be interested in seeing a photo.

ryanf1023

My T is being built as a black era car, although I'm not super strict on any particular year or wiring configuration. I have the coil box with the front mounted switch, with the separate posts on the rear for each of battery and magneto. My thought is to use these posts as a junction box for all ele...

ryanf1023

Great batch of photos. The tread pattern on the centre door really caught my eye (10th photo overall) I like looking at tires from eras gone by.

ryanf1023

Thank you both. I found the plans from a forum post in 2011, from a fellow named Jim Patrick.

I plan to ship via FedEx ground. Not sure about the return. It may be almost as costly to pick them up myself. Atleast that way I can make a road trip out of it.

Ryan

ryanf1023

I built a crate to ship my rims and hubs out for new wheels.

The shelves are a bit too short so I’m glueing extensions up this evening.

ryanf1023

04058E9C-4A8B-4C9D-8B29-2F887F20B1FB.jpeg I brought my basket case to my new and first home after three years of pieces stashed away like a squirrel in different places. It’s been a stalled build, but seeing the parts in the flesh and a better work ethic I’ve developed since acquiring the car I tru...

ryanf1023

Touring is what I enjoy the most about the hobby, by far. This was a great one to be on, despite getting stuck in the river.

I'm looking forward to building my Model T and seeing what travelling with strictly Flivvers is like.

ryanf1023

I've been spending some time in fellow T-er Chris Bamford's shop as of late, getting my hubs prepared for new wooden wheels made up. This peculiarity of a wheel from my parts stash stumped us. IMG_0309 (1).jpg IMG_0310 (1).jpg IMG_0311 (1).jpg IMG_0312 (1).jpg I grabbed it from the junkyard to poten...

ryanf1023

I guess I never knew the airflow pattern. I suppose I could light it again and keep the window open and see if that’s any better. With the closed glass, perhaps it’s suffocating.

Any suggestions on proper wick height?

ryanf1023

This past weekend, I lit up my oil lamps for my speedster project for the first time. They look great, except the fact that I had a hell of a time keeping them lit. With common lamp oil/paraffin, I used the original wick, a brand new wick, and several combinations of wick height, etc. but at best, o...

ryanf1023

I appreciate the replies, thank you.

Interesting approach Steve. Perhaps I’ll try the same.

ryanf1023

I got this tail light from a box of miscellaneous parts from the major donor to my Model T project. I’m guessing there is a clear lens that goes here. Any input? I’m planning to use this as a brake light (perhaps LED) as I have an oil lamp as my tail light.

ryanf1023

Thank you for the reply. That makes sense to me.

ryanf1023

I've a very nice period 6V battery horn (non-Ford) that I will be using on my speedster project. However, I am looking at having the car wired as close to a non-starter T as reasonably as I can. This includes the magneto horn and lights. Although an unusual set up with respect to modern conversions,...

ryanf1023

This thread has been idle, but the car has not been. The magneto was finished earlier this month. It was a lot of work, I made many mistakes which had to be rectified, but I'm glad to say that I rebuilt it and that it's finished. magneto.jpg I've dug deep into the wheels. I finally removed the final...

ryanf1023

After seven months of on and off work, I can finally say that my field coil ring is completed.

Being able to tackle this gives me so much more confidence for the rest of the build.

ryanf1023

Happy Canada Day. This country has done me well. Despite our flaws, I love it here. Embarrassingly, this is the first year since I’ve had my modern Ford (1929 Model A) that I haven’t decked it out in Canada colours. Here’s a photo from last year with the flag over the rear deck. 4FF4C174-DE9C-406F-B...

ryanf1023

Thank you everyone. I managed to solve my issue.

There was an additional rivet through the each half felloe and one spoke on each end. Perhaps evidence of an early repair. I know now what to look for on my other wheels and should be able to do the same disassembly relatively smoothly.

ryanf1023

Yes, they will be professionally rebuilt.

Are there four rivets in addition to the hardware holding the felloes down? Or are those the rivets you are referring to?

ryanf1023

I am taking apart my original wheels. The spokes and felloes are too far gone to reuse. However, the (non demountable clinchers) rims are quite usable with sandblasting and perhaps a bit more work. I have three of the four hubs out (last one is real tight). I'm not sure how to further disassemble. I...

ryanf1023

I bought the High-Strength Fiberglass Electrical Tape with silicone adhesive. Product #'s 7574A35 and 7574A11

ryanf1023

what is the exact tape you ordered. I went on the site and it gives a whole bunch. Thanks Nick I ordered from McMaster-Carr on Tuesday. They processed my payment Wednesday. They arrived today, Thursday morning. Unbelievable. I was weary about McMaster-Carr's willingness to ship to Canada, but I wen...

ryanf1023

The blue body looks fantastic on the coupelet. That, and the brass trim and white tires bring so much life to the car.

ryanf1023

Thanks everyone. I opted for the book. Delaying the inevitable I suppose!

ryanf1023

I took a look at my ring gear, spider gears, and carrier this evening for a visual inspection. I want to figure out the best ones to use. Photo doesn't show much detail, but here's what I have: 2021 06 07 rear end.jpg Visual inspection shows no chipping to any teeth. Both carriers had no obvious sig...

ryanf1023

The electrical system has kept me awfully busy. Today I was able to begin on an entirely new part. The wooden wheels donated to me need a lot of work. I should have four useable but in need of repair non-demountable rims. Other rim hardware and hubs are questionable, which I why I began disassembly ...

ryanf1023

: 720B972E-6D8E-4C1E-8C8A-AD8818F734AB.jpeg (26.67 KiB) Viewed 18114 times

Finally finding the motivation to finish off my magneto ring after multiple hiccups along the way since beginning in December. Checking clearances from the poles

ryanf1023

Things have been sitting for a while, but have finally made some progress on the build. The field coils have finally been epoxied down; just need to solder and seal, which should be done in an afternoon. 2021 04 13 epoxied coil.jpg I'm in the process of "rusting" up my coil box lid to match the base...

ryanf1023

That photo of it in the container looks a lot like the photos of Ts shipped in crates back in the day.

ryanf1023

I’ve decided to do a small test. I’m going to glyptal a small piece of wood wrapped in the tape to a similar surface, and see how well it holds. If it’s alright, I’m going to go ahead without using the epoxy.

ryanf1023

I’ll search for topics by googling “MTFCA field coil ring” or “MTFCA tire size” or whatever I want to look for. I usually get back pretty good results from Google, any other search engine is pretty poor.

ryanf1023

Thanks both. Steve, I’ve been following your progress on the ring. That rivet that wasn’t counter sunk has made me triple check for my mag post installation. Still not there yet. How high does one need the post and the button? 6144AD5A-56CA-407A-B977-E4593B3FCE6C.jpeg I took another look at it today...

ryanf1023

I’m almost ready to finish my field coil. Just need to trim the ends, connect and solder, then seal with glyptal. I bought a fairly expensive two-part epoxy for use in electrical applications. I’m wondering if this is necessary to fasten the coils to the insulating paper to the ring. Some coils fit ...

ryanf1023

Finally got back to my coil box after months of it sitting. My soldering is getting better with time and practice. I also put fish paper underneath the wires to prevent any shorts to the box itself. The battery connection is bothering me. The tight wire connection has the switch rubbing against it. ...

ryanf1023

Was great fun. I thoroughly enjoyed my first ride in a doorless T. Sitting there all exposed and turning to see a field of snow was quite memorable!

ryanf1023

It looks like the car is a RHD based on the steering column? It would make sense if that’s a BC license plate. I believe they switched over from driving on the left to the right in 1922 or 1924.

ryanf1023

A fantastic looking speedster. One of my favourite styles and one to take inspiration from!

ryanf1023

The lowest poles still provide a bit of height over the poles. I’m still a wee bit nervous on the usability of this, but as of right now, it seems to be okay.

ryanf1023

It was fantastic getting out with the Ts yesterday. I'm thankful for the club members who are indifferent to virtually all weather conditions. It's just a car driving in winter. Nothing more ;) Much more fun than a football game, I might add. Tim, if you thought my face looked bad there, here it is ...

ryanf1023

A fellow club member Chris B offered his expertise, and we ground down one of the poles. 4AE35056-439B-40C1-8C13-B91B3A027C83.jpeg This did work with an early test. However, it did prove fairly labour intensive. As it sits, this will be the last resort method. We made the mandrel wider by wrapping t...

ryanf1023

I’ve original sheet music for “On the Old Back Seat of the Henry Ford”. Still gets its original use from time to time; here it is on my piano. EFB1029C-810C-44FE-8FD3-D6E65D211832.jpeg CD2D9A94-54DF-4F2C-9A26-ADF3CD51507F.jpeg Recently, I’ve been listening to “Lord, Mr. Ford” by Jerry Reed, written ...

ryanf1023

Thanks Alan. Unfortunately I’ve no budget or space for more tools at the moment. I tried doing the opposite, actually. Slicing open the tape and unwinding the copper from the inside 82903E06-7CCC-4F48-BB50-AC108B0C0FBF.jpeg Quick test shows that is doesn’t ground to the ring. But the height clearanc...

ryanf1023

I hit a major snag today and not sure how to proceed. I had a sneaking suspicion I made the mandrel too small for the mag coils, and sure enough, they are too tight to be hammered onto the ring. I’ve tried hammering gently and not so gently. I’ve tried clamping them on. I even tried torching the end...

ryanf1023

Thanks Frank. I didn't know there were multiple types.

Is there an easy method to remove the switch lever? If I could remove that and clean the bottom contact and the switch lever itself, that would solve my issue and I could move on with the project.

ryanf1023

I've a question for my switch and figure I could reuse this old thread. In order to properly clean this, I'm going to have to undo the rivets. However, it is incredibly unclear to me the general construction of the switch. If I were to drill from the back side, would I not damage the threads for the...

ryanf1023

Thanks Allan. For what it's worth, here is the maximum clearance I have prior to priming, the insulating gasket paper, and any grinding on the poles. I am also placing a lot of pressure on that side of the coil! 2021 01 28 coil height 2.jpg I did finish all sixteen coils tonight. I don't want to tes...

ryanf1023

Should finish up wrapping the coils either tonight or tomorrow. I sure hope they will fit the poles/cores. I’ve a hunch I may have made the mandrel slightly too small. I won’t know until I get a usable stator ring.

ryanf1023

Attached are more photos of the ring. Do the tops have to be perfectly flat in order to function, or just ground level (if necessary) in relation to each other to ensure the magnets will rotate with a uniform gap?

ryanf1023

Just an update on my progress over the past couple of months. I've asked questions in lots of other threads, but it's nice to consolidate the whole build here to look back on some day. I cleaned all of my coils (bobbins?) from the field coil ring in December. Was a little hard on the back with my cr...

ryanf1023

Peter, I won't be wrapping them and sealing them until I know they will fit. That will REALLY make that a permanent option. I might consider rewrapping my first ring now that I know how long the lead should be. However, I start the wrapping process with the desired lead already (other than the first...

ryanf1023

I'm finally able to carry on with my field coil rebuild. So far, I've done four of the sixteen, all of which are clockwise wound with the tab up. And, my fear has come true. The coils don't all finish at opportune lengths, some to worse degrees than others. 2021 01 21 5.jpg The top right one to me i...

ryanf1023

Although not quite cross country, I took my Model A on an 800km trip a year and a half ago, getting some good elevation in Jasper. I’d say what helped me the most was having quite a few hours behind the wheel of an A already (three full driving seasons). It sounds like you and I are opposites; I’ve ...

ryanf1023

I did as you suggested Frank, and yes. I got 1.3ohm for the mag and 1.2ohm for the battery. I think the difference of 0.1ohm is that the contact on the bat is slightly tighter than the mag one, perhaps due to more mag driving in its lifetime than bat. If this is normal I’m happy to proceed with the ...

ryanf1023

Thank you everyone for the replies. When I connect both probes together, I do usually get the 0.0ohm reading, however, a little bit of readjusting and often the 0.3ohm reading will come up. I don't know the exact age of the meter. I would guess in the 15-20 year range. I did test on the base instead...

ryanf1023

You'd think ideally that 0 ohms would be the ideal amount. In my coil box, there are certain things that I, can not for the life of me, get below 0.3 ohms. I've soldered the posts to the cleaned up bronze contacts, and before and after soldering, 0.3 ohms was the lowest I could get between both cont...

ryanf1023

Does anyone know more about that Model T sedan at 0:50? It looks like a custom body.

ryanf1023

Thanks Andre. I've watched the Model T Tips video several times now, very helpful. I'm wondering if the ribbons need to be surgically clean. The fellow in the video looks to do a fairly quick pass and then puts the tape on. I was quite deliberate going up and down the ribbon with my wheel, and they'...

ryanf1023

Good to know, thanks Steve. Did you have any problems with inconsistent length of ribbon while winding? I know the RH and LH winding, but I worry that the tail of the ribbon will be at the wrong side to connect to the next coil. Nothing a simple trim wouldn’t fix? I’m not sure how the double coils c...

ryanf1023

I ordered from McMaster-Carr on Tuesday. They processed my payment Wednesday. They arrived today, Thursday morning. Unbelievable. I was weary about McMaster-Carr's willingness to ship to Canada, but I went ahead on a whim and there was no issue. 2021 01 07 tape.jpg Barring the high courier cost and ...

ryanf1023

Thank you everyone for the suggestions and PMs. Steve, it’s been said before l, but your dedication to taking photos for almost all you do is invaluable. Especially taking them at times when the work can get super frustrating. I’m too far into this rebuild myself that I wouldn’t want to waste the wo...

ryanf1023

I've straightened and cleaned all of my ribbons for my field coil, and they've been sitting idle for a month now without tape. I can't seem to find the 3M 361 tape by the roll, only the case. Does anyone know of retailers who will sell by the roll? And because the 1/4" width is not available, I've s...

ryanf1023

Thank you, Steve. Is there any reason not to solder the wire to the switch? My only thought would be the limited space you have to work with. I was just surprised to see that the wires in my box were just wrapped around the screw, and not soldered.

ryanf1023

I've acquired a coil box with the switch mounted on the front of the box. This will be wired with ten posts rather than nine, with a separate post for each the magneto and the battery. For the wires that connect the posts to the switch, and then from the switch to the strip on the bottom of the coil...

ryanf1023

Thanks Mark.

Art, sent you an email.

ryanf1023

Hi Mark, Just to confirm, are you talking about the Universal T-Drivers, or the ribbed tread? Interesting point about the rim size. I never did think of that. I do have a set of 4 30x3.5" wheels, which I will get new wheels made, but the rims are still very useable, which is why I'm going to go with...

ryanf1023

In about a year's time, I'm going to need clinchers (all 30"x3.5") for my speedster project. I would love all white tires, but the fear of browning is a bit of a turn off, in addition to the price. Barring discussion on any recent purchases of all white tires, I feel like that subject has been beate...

ryanf1023

I’m with Intact in Canada. Had they not changed their minimum age requirement months before I got my antique car, I don’t know what I would do.

I had to laugh that Hagerty wouldn’t insure under age 25 (in Canada atleast) while also having an awards program for drivers under 20!

ryanf1023

Yesss! Oh so freaky, yet so very pleasing are night drives! Thanks Don! Nice video Don. Nothing like a night drive in an open Ford. Thanks Duane and Ryan. It is fun...quite different than the same drive in the daytime. The headlights are fairly useless...it's almost like they're more for people to ...

ryanf1023

Nice video Don. Nothing like a night drive in an open Ford.

ryanf1023

I finally began cleaning up my field coil rings. The apparatus is a little crude, but it works just fine.

15 more to go.

ryanf1023

Ah, I didn't know a dimmer coil was used on mag lights. I do know of potential burnouts for mag lights, depending on the voltage and how much power the mag is putting out. I just assumed the dimmer coil was for the dim setting for the headlights. Lots to learn!

ryanf1023

Tim, thank you for that wiring diagram. The bottom of the coil box wood was the missing piece. I was losing my mind trying to figure those bottom grooves out. I had mine improperly connected, which is why I was so dang confused. That clears up my entire issue. I guess I have 1919-1925 coil box, as t...

ryanf1023

Hi Mark, Thanks for the info. I always assumed that the coil box switch vs dash switch was differentiated between non-starter and starter, but it makes more sense that it was a timeline thing. To answer your question, my build is bitsa that is almost entirely within the 1917-1925 time frame. I guess...

ryanf1023

I've got a 17-25 coil box that was on a starter equipped T (no switch on the front of the box). I am pretty dead-set on wiring it as a non-starter equipped, electric headlight T. I've finally found the proper wiring diagram, which leaves me a little confused. The one terminal post for starter-equipp...

ryanf1023

I don't know if I'd venture to drop the car much lower than 3"-4". I'd like to keep the geometry as simple as I can relative to the increase in drop height. I have been mindful of wishbones as well. I've considered using both, Allan. Am I correct in thinking that two wishbones equates to more rigidi...

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