MTFCA Forum

Russ T Fender

Plymouth had free wheeling on the PA and PB models.

Russ T Fender

If you jack up a rear wheel, chock the front wheels and put the hand lever in neutral without it engaging the rear brakes you should be able to crank start the car with the switch in the battery position. Take out the plugs and put a couple of tablespoons of gas in each cylinder before you replace t...

Russ T Fender

My late slab side '12 has the bend

Russ T Fender

It all boils down to the fact that "you can't fix stupid". No amount of lights , flashing or otherwise, is going to protect you from the morons out there driving these days. I have been passed by women putting on their makeup, men reading the newspaper, people texting with both hands and any number ...

Russ T Fender

Last run of the year

Russ T Fender

I believe there is a small difference between the '26-'27 top and the earlier one man top.

Russ T Fender

I will take one also

Russ T Fender

If there is a musical instrument repair shop near you they can probably repair your lamps. They are used to straightening mangled and dented instruments. I had one do a horn for me.

Russ T Fender

Jeff what you are saying is true when driving but if you have the engine set at a certain rpm with the timing retarded and then advance the timing the rpms should increase without touching the gas. When I start my stem winders with the spark lever in full retard position and the throttle open a bit ...

Russ T Fender

I was able to work in the gears with time saver on my '14 column. It was time consuming but I wound up with a nice tight, smooth running set of gears. It was well worth the effort.

Russ T Fender

I'll also take one.

Russ T Fender

Could it be an earlier replacement block that was stamped with the number of the block it was replacing?

Russ T Fender

Titles started in 1972 for NY. Prior to that you transfer via the registration which has a provision for that on the back. If you get the registration filled out for the transfer and a bill of sale it should not be a problem. I have transferred cars from NY to Florida that way without a problem. Flo...

Russ T Fender

Scott I am confused. I read your link but the cops told me that the exemption for seat belts in cars built prior to 1968 does not apply to children. It is true that I don't need seat belts but according to the police I do have to have them if I want to take my grandkids in the car. I have been stopp...

Russ T Fender

Well I guess my grandkids won't be able to ride in my cars until they are 18. Hope I live long enough to see that day. Right now I would have to live to be 91 and that assumes I won't have more grandkids! There is a risk in everything we do and a reward associated with that risk! Depriving me and my...

Russ T Fender

I think Florida deleted the exemption for cars not originally equipped with seat belts, at least as it applies to children and the use of car seats. That is what a police officer told me when he pulled me over for having two of my grandkids in the back seat of my touring. He just gave me a warning b...

Russ T Fender

If the car you are looking to put a top on is the '21 roadster and you already have the body irons, sockets and bows all you need is the kit from Classtique and a little bit of patience. I did my '14 Runabout using their kit and it came out great. I had never done anything like that before but it is...

Russ T Fender

Nice castings, who do you use? I have some things I need to get done and your castings look like they do a fantastic job!

Russ T Fender

If you go for a low head you will need shorter head bolts too. In either case I would get new head bolts if the old ones show any signs of stretching.

Russ T Fender

Hibernia Restoration in NJ has what you need. They were able to match the lacquer I painted my car with in 1970 perfectly. They say they can ship to all 50 States.

Russ T Fender

Years ago I bought a T that had been sitting for years. I offered one price if I could hear it running and it sounded OK and a considerably lower price if it was not running. They agreed and spent 2 hours trying to get it to run before they finally agreed to accept the lower price. I loaded the car ...

Russ T Fender

Moth balls used to be an effective rodent deterrent but no more. The environmental police must have mandated a change in their composition because I found them in a nest last year. Dryer sheets seem to work better but they leave the garage smelling like a French whore house!

Russ T Fender

I have similar storage facilities (unheated with temperatures as low as minus 20). I also let 20 pounds of pressure out of the tires and keep them fully off the ground. I place dryer sheets around the interior and plug the tailpipe and carburetor openings to keep the critters out. I am not keen on c...

Russ T Fender

The early treatises call for 20 pounds per inch of tire on clincher rims. That's 60 front and 70 rear.

Russ T Fender

My '10 is a mid-March car. It did not have babbitt inner bearings but it did have straight, not tapered, axles. I just swapped axles using the gears off the old ones so the rest of the components were from the original 6 rivet rear.

Russ T Fender

I replaced the straight axles in my 6 rivet rear without issue. Of course I had to change hubs as well. It was many years ago but, as I recall, I used the rest of the innards from the original axle and replaced the thrust washers with brass and steel. Set up was difficult but it all worked.

Russ T Fender

I am a big advocate of seat belts and wear them religiously in my modern cars but after a lot of analysis I have concluded that seat belts in a Model T are not a good idea. You could span between the frame rails with angle iron to provide a location for anchoring seat belts but doing that has at lea...

Russ T Fender

Steve, they don't know but that does not stop them from rejecting a mint plate as restored. Those morons at the NYDMV are often wrong but never in doubt! I had a mint 1913 Plate they rejected. I had a trashed plate they approved and then I had it restored. Bottom line, their stupidity cost me the $1...

Russ T Fender

A lot of the local shows support great causes but do not have very sophisticated category designations. At this show I was in the Ford category. There were 35 Fords, only one Model T and two from the 30's. I ask not to be judged as I would rather see trophies going to the newcomers. Hopefully it wil...

Russ T Fender

Oops! Allan, obviously, I can't count. Six, not eight sides on the plug

Russ T Fender

I still can't figure out how you can tour as much as you do and still keep that '11 in immaculate condition!

Russ T Fender

I believe that smaller octagon is for the crankcase and differential plugs. The early plugs were slotted so the early wrench did not have it. After the change the later crankcase continued to use the octagonal plug but the later differentials used a plug with a recessed square. The later adjustable ...

Russ T Fender

Thanks Allan. I have 12 matching lugs that are on the car but one rim is a Hayes with fixed lugs. The spare is a Kelsey rim and I want to start using it in place of the Hayes so I just need 4 more matching lugs. Hopefully the ones I have will match. If not there's always Hershey! My problem is that ...

Russ T Fender

I have some Kelsey loose lugs that are unmarked and some identical Stone lugs marked 44 C. I understand that the Stone lugs are aftermarket. Does anyone know if these are correct for the Kelsey clincher rims on my '22 Centerdoor. The car is in Florida and I am heading down there next month so I am n...

Russ T Fender

It took me years to locate an annoying rattle. Timer rod. At idle with spark moderately advance no noise. On the road with the spark advanced for normal driving rattle. I would have never found it if I had not removed the timer for cleaning.

Russ T Fender

It can take a lot of work to get a car tour ready. You just have to run it and address issues as they come up. Eventually you will get it all sorted out and have a good, reliable, road worthy car you can drive and enjoy. Don't give up. For your current issue I would pull the rear with the radius rod...

Russ T Fender

Since your post was in part intended as a learning experience for newbies I would add that with rags stuffed around the transmission you don't want anyone turning the crank. Many years ago while changing bands I was called in to lunch by my wife so I left the garage and went inside. A friend stopped...

Russ T Fender

Chad that is a good question.That seems to vary. Where I am no one will fill a tank with a gauge. With the gauge removed and a plug in it's place they will take it for refill but only on exchange which doesn't work because you rarely find a tank where the valve is offset. Years ago there was a guy i...

Russ T Fender

I run straight 30wt oil in all my T's. One chatters, the others don't. They all have Kevlar bands. It might be that heavier oil helps but there has to be more to it than that!

Russ T Fender

My approach is to send them to Russ Furstnow. I have been running speedometers serviced by Russ without issue for more years than I care to admit.

Russ T Fender

Is the cam for the low speed pedal worn? Was it ever replaced? If not, that's what it might be. If that is the problem you can compensate for the wear by placing washers behind the band ears. Not the best solution but it is a temporary fix until you can pull the hogs head and replace the cam.

Russ T Fender

While a shut off at the carburetor is a good idea and most convenient it is not ideal unless you also have a shut off that does not require the hood to be raised. If you have an engine fire, and that's most likely the place a fire will occur, you may not be able to get to the shut off. In addition, ...

Russ T Fender

I guess I should have mentioned that I took a light radius cut on the nut when I used the later wishbones. I did not contour the nut to be flush with the concave contour of the wishbone however, just enough to seat it in the contour a bit. I have not had any movement on any of the ones that I did an...

Russ T Fender

I was able to add the lower wishbone to all my early cars using a '26/'27 wishbone and the thinner drive shaft pinion nut. No modification required other than removal of the wishbone ball.

Russ T Fender

I got one to expand the tour groups I could drive with. It was the only pre 1915 car I could afford at the time and it made a great reliable vehicle for touring with the HCCA. It also made it possible to tour with the numerous Model T groups. But, be careful! I have one 2 cylinder car to tour with t...

Russ T Fender

Don't know about anyone else but I have found that a patch kit is no longer worth carrying. For some reason these new tubes just won't hold a patch. I don't know if its the tube, the patch or the glue but I never had any problem patching a tube until recently and I am still running tubes with 3 or m...

Russ T Fender

Started my '14 after a nap since October and moved it into the summer shed. Two pulls with full choke, turned on the switch and got a free start! The road is still too muddy for a drive but I'm looking forward to it!

Russ T Fender

Cuts in the stem almost always come from under inflation. I run both metal stems and rubber stems on my cars and have never had a problem with either style stem. I run 60 pounds in the front and 70 in the rear on my clinchers. I use flaps and have found that removing the tube is easier if you break ...

Russ T Fender

Mark, I have 7 Model T's and all have Kevlar bands. One chatters at the end when braking but none of the others do that. I doubt it is the Kevlar lining causing the chatter but sure would like to know what is causing it.

Russ T Fender

I removed the tank from my '10 Touring without lifting the body years ago. As I recall it seemed impossible but with enough jiggling there was just one spot where it could be done with a little brute force. Not so lucky with my Chalmers-Detroit. 07D587AC-360C-4171-8A7D-B9D73A0D92C4.jpeg 9619873C-DB5...

Russ T Fender

I made the change on my '14 speedster and love the results. I was able to work the gears into the '14 steering column using time saver and a lot of patience but the results were well worth the effort. I replaced the steering shaft as part of the process.

Russ T Fender

Been there done that! I finally moved to Florida. First pull cold starts.

Russ T Fender

Nice Centerdoor! Looks like a '22 to me as it has the ratchet window risers and no visor. My unmolested '22 has Kelsey rims. Someone added side lamps at some point and an after market cowel vent as well. Lots of cars were modified like that. I like the look! 28640EDA-596A-445C-A2F8-19027525E91A.jpeg

Russ T Fender

Great shots. Wish I had roads like that to run on. Cold starts are hard on the back but jacking up a rear wheel makes them a little easier.

Russ T Fender

If you run 12 volts you will find the coils perform almost as well as they do on Mag. To some extent it is a matter of how the coils are adjusted. I ran one car for a year on 6 volts until I rebuilt the mag and adjusted the coils for maximum performance running it that way. Once the mag was redone I...

Russ T Fender

For what it's worth I had a similar issue with my '14 and it turned out to be the switch. Even after cleaning the contacts and not seeing anything unusual the problem persisted. As a last resort I swapped it out for an old switch and the problem went away.

Russ T Fender

I rarely use WD 40 anymore in the shop but my wife uses it on stainless steel appliances and I now use it on the gas barbecue grill. Works great for that.

Russ T Fender

I rarely use WD 40 anymore in the shop but my wife uses it on stainless steel appliances and I now use it on the gas barbecue grill. Works great for that.

Russ T Fender

I used Clastique for my '14 runabout and was very satisfied.

Russ T Fender

Sounds like it might be a wrist pin. Does the knock get softer or go away when you retard the spark while the engine is still cold?

Russ T Fender

A little bit of noise is a small price to pay for reliability. I don't know about everone elses T's but mine make enough noise from other places to more than cover up any noise from the timing gear!

Russ T Fender

That is a good point you make about the non skid design. The high relief of the lettering puts less rubber on the road and probably causes accelerated wear as opposed to a full profile tread design but the new ones still wore very fast compared to the old ones. I attribute the difference to the mate...

Russ T Fender

I non skids on the front wheels of my car for almost 20 years before they wore out. I replaced them with the non skids available today and they didn't last a year! They might be good for a looker but they stink for a driver!

Russ T Fender

When I went from an original Heinze wood coil box to a repro box that uses the later coils it did not require any modifcation of the dash and In my opinion the difference in size is not noticeable unless the have the two side by side or take a measuring tape to it! Others may be more observant but m...

Russ T Fender

I wouldn't worry too much about using stainless wire despite what Bergs says. If you have a original style round tube radiator you can easily space the stainless wire so it is no where near a tube. I have Ford script mounted that way for more than 40 years on an original radiator without a problem. ...

Russ T Fender

Don't worry about it! If it can go a mile it can go 100 miles. On back roads I can lope along all day at 25 mph and the T happlily keeps right on going like the energizer bunny!

Russ T Fender

My late '12 originally had a Heinze box. Years ago and before they started reproducing the coils for it I replaced it with a metal box when the coils failed. Later, I replaced the metal box with a Heinze repro box dimensioned to take KW coils and the original is still sitting on the shelf with 4 bad...

Russ T Fender

I have to drop the top to get my cars in the trailer but it is not much of a problem as I usually leave the top down anyway. The problem came when I bought my Centerdoor. Can't drop the top on that so it is relegated to local driving or I have to rent an open trailer to haul it. If I had it to do ov...

Russ T Fender

My Centerdoor has original paint and I foolishly rubbed it out to see how it would look. The paint on the vertical panels on the body, as opposed to the fenders, hood and cowel, almost looked like a repaint after I got done. Other than the places where the paint is missing and the small areas where ...

Russ T Fender

My '27 with matching engine and frame numbers is that way. I gave up on the vaporizer carburetor but did not want to punch out the membrane so I ran linkage over the top of the engine and now,run an NH. I have seen them both ways but assume that is because someone punched out the membrane to run the...

Russ T Fender

My '22 Centerdoor has a Beaudette body too.

Russ T Fender

Would it be possible to turn down the heads on the bolts, including the perch bolt, to get the necessary clearance or would that weaken them too much. I am no metalurgist and assume that the bolts supplied with the new kits are somehow stronger to allow for the thinner head. I have turned down nuts ...

Russ T Fender

I will order the the bolts with the thinner heads and try it with the Ford service brake drum using a shim on each side. How does the bearing come out of the axle housing? Does it just pull out or is there more to it?

Russ T Fender

I have had my '14 Touring for over 10 years and when I got it the previous owner told me that he had completely redone the rear axle so other than checking periodically for play I have not done anything to it. It has Rocky Mtn. brakes but the previous owner did not put the Ford service brake drums b...

Russ T Fender

I too am underpriviledged with only 4 points to secure my car with. In front I use a short strap on each side covered with a canvas protector that I put around the front axle just outside of the spring perch and run it to the floor tie down on the opposite side so the two front tie down straps criss...

Russ T Fender

After fighting poor starting and performance on my 1930 Plymouth I finally put a small 6 volt fuel pump in the vacuum tank. No one knows it is there unless they hear the click when I turn the key on. No more issues!

Russ T Fender

This is the original interior of my '22 Centerdoor. Don't know if it is the same for your coupe but it is clearly striped.

Russ T Fender

Russ that helps a lot. I didin't think anyone would make an after market low head that was otherwise identical to the Ford head but I didn't have any other explaination. Thanks.

Russ T Fender

I have a low head with no markings on it at all. I have always wondered if it is a very early head or an after market item.

Russ T Fender

I think the laudelet has a top that opens over the passengers as opposed to the town car that is closed over the passengers. The chauffeur or drivers compartment can be open or closed on either style.

Russ T Fender

One of my cars sits all winter in the garage of our summer house where the temperature inside has gotten as low as 15 below zero. I keep a "smart" battery maintainer on it all winter and have never had a problem. I just bought a new battery last year and the old one was 7 years old.

Russ T Fender

They are forgings. They can easily be bent cold and often the ones you find have been bent over the years as a result of accidents and people sitting on the fender.

Russ T Fender

I have a watch fob that was given out as an advertising promotion by Bob Blingler Ford Inc. Newport Pike, Marietta, Ohio. The fob pictures an early Ford touring car and the slogan "high priced quality in a low priced car". Does anyone have any information about this Ford dealer. I assume that the fo...

Russ T Fender

Rear side curtains are on.

Russ T Fender

Next time you try to start pull the choke out a bit, not all the way, and hold it there once the car starts and see if the car keeps running. If it does you know you are too lean. My '27 did that. Float level was too low. I eventually switched to an NH as I like to hand crank and the vaporizer was h...

Russ T Fender

If it was done in the 90's it should be safety glass. If you look at the edge of the glass it should have a very thin line down the middle. It is sometimes hard to see especially if the edge has been rounded.

Russ T Fender

It is illegal to use tempered glass in a windshield where I live

Russ T Fender

Bill, I finally got over to my storage space today and the body number on the front seat cross member of my car is B6974 and it was fitted to the chassis on March 24, 1910. Hope that helps some.

Russ T Fender

Is it a vaporizer carburetor? Try a 1/2 to 3/4 turn of the mixture adjustment to richen it. Turn it back after it starts. Crank it with the switch off and full choke a few revolutions then let the choke off and turn the switch on. That worked for me but eventually I switched to an NH carburetor for ...

Russ T Fender

In my experience a well tuned and well worn engine gives the most free starts. After a rebuild with higher compression free starts are a rarety at best.

Russ T Fender

It is the number on the body plate. I will look for the stamped number today when I get over to my storage space.

Russ T Fender

Bill, for what it's worth, my '10 Touring has matching body and engine numbers and the build sheet says the body was supplied by Pontiac, aka Beaudette. The body/engine number is 18861 and the car was shipped 3/25/1910 to the New York City Ford agency. The car was assembled over 2 days prior to ship...

Russ T Fender

My wife is always saying she wants another T but we just don't have any more room. I suspect that is why she says it! That and the fact that it gives her an excuse to buy more dolls!

Russ T Fender

I got my wife into collecting dolls. She collects them and I collect cars. What I didn't realize was that I was creating a monster. If you think Model T's multiply you should see what dolls can do! I may have 10 Model T's but she must have at least 200+ dolls. They're everywhere except the garage!

Russ T Fender

I shipped 6 wire wheels strapped to a pallet from Washington State to Florida for under $200 with Fastenal. No issues. I'd check with them again, something does not sound right.

Russ T Fender

Tom, looking good! We had a club member on Long Island (now deceased) who had a T a lot like yours. We christened it the "desk mobile". He drove it everywhere and it always attracted a crowd!

Russ T Fender

It's not a Ford but it is completely original and has served as the guide for restoration of other cars. There are details that just cannot be picked up from a picture. I have had restorers camp out in my garage for days while they documented every nut and bolt and diagramed the striping and other f...

Russ T Fender

While I prefer open cars, I bought my Centerdoor to save it from a restoration or worse. My wife hates it and wants me to restore it or sell it as she likes shiney restored cars. That ain't gonna happen! The only problem with the car is that I don't feel comfortable using it daily because of the exp...

Russ T Fender

I noticed from your profile that you have a '15. If it has wood felloe wheels forget what I said about the spoke shims. If it is loose at the felloe you need to rewood.

Russ T Fender

I used spoke shims to tighten the spokes on my speedster. They worked great. I had some NOS shims but you can make them from washers if needed.

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