Search found 109 matches
- Sat Dec 05, 2020 12:53 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Vintage Weaver Tire Changer
- Replies: 15
- Views: 1123
Re: Vintage Weaver Tire Changer
Wow! Nice job. And what a useful tool! I gotta find me one of those!
- Tue Oct 20, 2020 9:45 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Is There A Right Way, Or Just a Cosmetic Way?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 612
Re: Is There A Right Way, Or Just a Cosmetic Way?
When the front wheels of a Model T are properly aligned, the car will naturally tend to track straight ahead on a dead-level road. Unfortunately, there are very few dead-level roads. Most are crowned in the center for the purpose of drainage. And because we, in the United States, drive on the right...
- Mon Oct 19, 2020 5:21 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Switching Gears
- Replies: 5
- Views: 461
Re: Switching Gears
DRIVING A MODEL T FORD 101 I'm going to oversimplify and tell some mechanical "half-truths" here, which might be helpful for a new driver to understand (and then I'll make them full truths at the very end). The Model T Ford has two forward gears and one reverse. _Each gear has its own clutch and be...
- Mon Oct 19, 2020 2:46 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Commutators
- Replies: 5
- Views: 707
Commutators
Commutators b flat.jpg For a good many of us, the experience of driving a century-old car isn't about convenience or reliability. In fact, historical purists see frequently required maintenance and inconvenient breakdowns as part of the game. Other folks are just looking for some reliable fun. They...
- Tue Jul 14, 2020 12:53 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: You Can't Make This Stuff Up.
- Replies: 10
- Views: 1991
You Can't Make This Stuff Up.
You Can't Make This Stuff Up.jpg Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I posted a want ad in the antique car classifieds. See, I was shopping around for a Brass Model T Ford, something I'd wanted since I was a kid. Well, middle age hit, my daughter was grown up and with the credit cards mostly p...
- Wed Apr 15, 2020 6:00 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Katie Across the Nation
- Replies: 5
- Views: 1375
Katie Across the Nation
Here in Suffolk County, New York, the hottest hot-spot for the Covid-19 virus in the United States, I and most of my neighbors under the protective custody of voluntary house-arrest are just about climbing the draperies out of an odd combination of boredom and anxiety—two paradoxical emotions which...
- Sun Mar 29, 2020 1:36 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: A Complicated Man
- Replies: 29
- Views: 3534
A Complicated Man
a complicated man f.jpg Henry Ford was a difficult man to understand. Those who invested in his vision did, for the most part, come out ahead in terms of dollars and cents, but when he parted company with the likes of Alexander Y. Malcomson, John and Horace Dodge and several others, it was not on g...
- Sat Feb 22, 2020 9:09 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: '15 Roadster on e-bay
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1092
- Thu Feb 13, 2020 12:53 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Non-Tarnishing Coolant
- Replies: 2
- Views: 809
Non-Tarnishing Coolant
The neck of my radiator drips anti-freeze and this tarnishes the heck out of my brass radiator. Of course, I need to get that fixed, but in the meanwhile, is there a coolant (besides distilled water) that does not tarnish brass?
- Wed Dec 11, 2019 9:18 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: on E-Bay
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2649
Re: on E-Bay
Somehow, I got placed on a mailing list that features several Model T auctions every week. Most are steel cars and hot-rods. Very few of these are 1916 and older, which makes me suspect that the owners of brass cars just aren't as willing to part with them as once was the case. That's why, when I g...
- Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:56 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: on E-Bay
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2649
- Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:29 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Source for Hard-to-Find Fasteners
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3286
Re: Source for Hard-to-Find Fasteners
Excellent! Thank you.
- Thu Nov 07, 2019 5:26 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: ‘Understanding Your Brass Car’ by Harold Sharon
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1991
Re: ‘Understanding Your Brass Car’ by Harold Sharon
This is pretty much the only book of its kind. It deals with nomenclature, theory and everything from simple tips to advanced repairs. The writing style is breezy and enjoyable, not at all like a dry textbook. Very informative and very enjoyable.
- Mon Nov 04, 2019 8:17 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Anti-Freeze and Brass Tarnish
- Replies: 3
- Views: 979
Anti-Freeze and Brass Tarnish
Is there such a thing as an anti-freeze which doesn't tarnish brass?
- Mon Nov 04, 2019 4:23 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Vintage authenticity?
- Replies: 104
- Views: 11477
Re: Vintage authenticity?
New Patina Combo b jpeg.jpg One of the hottest topics among antique car enthusiasts, one that never seems to cool, is the subject of originality. It's been done to death, but it won't go away. In that realm, we use different terms of only slightly diverging connotation; words like "stock," "unmoles...
- Wed Oct 30, 2019 2:27 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 1916 Roadster moves forward when starting.
- Replies: 12
- Views: 1973
Re: 1916 Roadster moves forward when starting.
My '15 Touring had the same habit until I switched to 5W30 oil.
- Tue Oct 29, 2019 4:41 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Spark plug recommendations?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 2530
Re: Spark plug recommendations?
There seems to be some kind of mystique surrounding old-stock Champion X spark plugs. When reading about these plugs on the forum, I can faintly hear the sound of angels singing and herald trumpets blowing. Super Spark Plug.jpg So I purchased a set of Champion X plugs and used them to replace my or...
- Sat Oct 19, 2019 8:49 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Langs catalog
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2128
Re: Langs catalog
You can order Lang's old-fashioned paper catalog for free and find it in your U.S. Mail box within a few days. It's as simple as picking up the old-fashioned land-line and dialing (800) 872-7871 and talking to a real, live human being who will not only mail out your catalog, but also give you that ...
- Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:36 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Strictly Model T Humor
- Replies: 114
- Views: 18948
- Sat Oct 12, 2019 12:13 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Upholstery Quandary
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1531
Upholstery Quandary
I'm in a bit of a quandary as to how to solve an upholstery problem with my '15 Touring. See, my upholstery looks okay; it doesn't have any rips or threadbare spots or anything like that. The problem is, whoever did the last upholstering job overstuffed the seats to the point where I lost about thr...
- Wed Oct 09, 2019 1:01 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Brake or Break
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1351
Brake or Break
Brake or Break E flat.jpg A couple of years ago, I read in Car and Driver of a 680-mile race between a new Tesla and a century-old horseless carriage whereby the drivers of the latter sustained highway speeds for protracted periods—even at night. Luck wasn't just with those guys, it was bear-huggin...
- Sun Oct 06, 2019 8:07 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: What type of grease do you use in your bearings?
- Replies: 9
- Views: 1664
Re: What type of grease do you use in your bearings?
When it comes to slow-moving cars such as ours, it's probable that just about any automotive grease will do just fine. The problem comes in when we mix two different types and I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I started out with the usual red Timkin wheel bearing grease, but when that ran ou...
- Sun Oct 06, 2019 2:09 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: CAR SHOW SPECTATOR DAMAGE
- Replies: 25
- Views: 4246
Re: CAR SHOW SPECTATOR DAMAGE
I've seen car-show spectators do the darndest things. The first and most memorable incident took place at the annual AACA show at Westbury Gardens. This is the show that many very serious award-winning competitors attend and their cars are either restored to almost unattainable standards or careful...
- Fri Oct 04, 2019 8:15 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Brass T on E-bay
- Replies: 1
- Views: 863
- Fri Oct 04, 2019 6:28 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Is a water pump necessary?
- Replies: 39
- Views: 5086
Re: Is a water pump necessary?
coolant man.jpg If your engine and radiator are not clogged with gunk, you should be okay without a water-pump. This will be especially true if you have a flat-tube radiator rather than a round-tube radiator. If you climb steep hills, your engine will run hotter and you'll feel the heat coming up t...
- Mon Sep 30, 2019 11:25 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Cold weather storage tips please
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2544
Re: Cold weather storage tips please
You guys do go to a lot of trouble. When I unexpectedly got sidelined by medical issues, the Model T sat in the garage for almost two years. Since there was anti-freeze in the radiator, I didn't worry about it. For all the horror stories I've heard about the way today's alcohol-infused gasoline goe...
- Thu Sep 26, 2019 9:36 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: tire pressure
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2520
Re: tire pressure
Hi, Neighbor in Northport; The reason we need to run high pressure in clinchers is to avoid shearing the air valve off the inner-tube. Higher pressure forces the rubber clinchers more tightly against the rim, thus preventing tire slippage. If the tire slips along the rim (and this tendency is stron...
- Tue Sep 24, 2019 12:32 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 1915 Model T in New Jersey
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1548
Re: 1915 Model T in New Jersey
Click below to see a Model T Ford buyer's guide. There are things in there of which every first-time buyer should be aware. My thanks to Steve Jelf for hosting it on his webpage.
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG98.html
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG98.html
- Sat Sep 21, 2019 11:43 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Duster, Car coat
- Replies: 17
- Views: 3081
Re: Duster, Car coat
backslide h jpeg.jpg Getting the right Horseless Carriage apparel can be a challenge. The most difficult part is the hat. For that, there are a number of options depending on whether you only want to use the hat for piloting your Brass-Era car or would like to use it in everyday life. For dedicated...
- Fri Sep 20, 2019 10:41 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: on E-bay
- Replies: 0
- Views: 796
- Mon Sep 16, 2019 6:51 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Natural finish on wood wheels
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2106
Re: Natural finish on wood wheels
Matching Wheels b.jpg No Model T Ford ever left the factory with stained and varnished wooden wheels. That having been said, it's also true that at some point, a few dealers were reputed to have been supplying bare-wood wheels as spare parts, and that provides the barest excuse to stretch credulity...
- Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:49 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Whoops .. foot got stuck
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3403
Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck
The Model T Ford is an ergonomic nightmare. At 5'11", I'm of average height, but the driver's seat of my brass-accoutremented pride and joy is so far forward, I ride with my knees high, the steering wheel rubbing my thighs and all my weight on my tailbone. If only the front settee could have been s...
- Wed Sep 11, 2019 10:43 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: What have you done with your T in September?
- Replies: 81
- Views: 11364
Re: What have you done with your T in September?
Not that I expect it to be viewed as a significant accomplishment, I replaced a busted starter button today. Lucky for me, it failed in the open position. Doing this kind of ordinary maintenance had become something of a challenge because of my spine injuries, and with the floorboards out, dropping...
- Sun Sep 08, 2019 12:02 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Lost my Mom today
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3182
Re: Lost my Mom today
Terrible news. Sincerest condolences on so significant a loss.
- Sat Sep 07, 2019 11:54 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: New New York License Plates
- Replies: 16
- Views: 2877
New New York License Plates
New New York License Plate.jpg Here in the State of New York, our illustrious governor—the one who recently told the American people that America was never that great—has decided to confiscate more money from motorists and so, came up with a new license plate which will cost each car owner $25 per ...
- Mon Sep 02, 2019 3:42 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Hand cranking, left versus right hand
- Replies: 25
- Views: 3947
Re: Hand cranking, left versus right hand
The worst possible way to crank is with the right hand in a full circle with your opposing thumb enclosing the crank. Why is it bad? Well, going past the 12 o'clock position is universally recognized as a bad idea, even by those who are proponents of right-handed cranking. This method leaves no esc...
- Wed Aug 28, 2019 3:30 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: How did you acquire your T?
- Replies: 16
- Views: 3061
Re: How did you acquire your T?
My Dad got me started in the old-car hobby about a thousand years ago and I guess he and I were pretty close for most of our lives. _I like to tell stories about him and my Mom and this is one of my favorites: It was Dad's annual habit to celebrate the coming of every spring season by packing the f...
- Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:00 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2452
Re: Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
Back to the Thursday evening cruise-in at Kings Park. We had beautiful weather this week; sunshine and moderate temperatures—and lots of spectators!
Here's another nice family who made donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
https://www.stjude.org/
Here's another nice family who made donations to the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
https://www.stjude.org/
- Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:27 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Wearing straw hats
- Replies: 24
- Views: 4181
Re: Wearing straw hats
The straw hats manufactured today don't look right because they're all made with a too-tall crown. The only examples available for purchase that have the period-correct "short look" are genuine vintage hats, which, as previously stated, are difficult to find in larger sizes. As for keeping a hat on...
- Fri Aug 16, 2019 12:59 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2452
Re: Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
Last Friday, I had the pleasure of making an appearance with the car at Grace Church, where the kids were having their last day of Vacation Bible School. After I stuffed myself full of hotdogs and the usual outdoor summertime fare, we got down to real serious business, giving rides and shooting pho...
- Mon Aug 12, 2019 9:00 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2452
Spectators and Funny Hats 2019
Well, it took two years, but I'm thrilled to finally present this season's edition of "Spectators and Funny Hats!" Those folks posing in the car receive all their photos in color, sepia, black & white and a couple of different types of antique in exchange for a donation to the St. Jude Children's R...
- Mon Aug 12, 2019 12:00 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Question on Oil Fill Timers...
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3308
Re: Question on Oil Fill Timers...
Sorry, Martynn. I misunderstood your comment and assumed because my timer had an oil-filler cap, that this was the topic about which you were speaking. My car is a 1915 Touring with a run-of-the-mill roller timer.
- Sun Aug 11, 2019 2:14 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Question on Oil Fill Timers...
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3308
Re: Question on Oil Fill Timers...
The oil in oil-fill timers gets grimy, gritty and dirty. When that happens, the timer housing needs to be pulled off and it and the roller need to be cleaned. Then, the roller needs to be oiled and the whole thing put back together. After about 250 miles, my engine will start occasionally skipping ...
- Thu Aug 08, 2019 11:19 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Are our cars invisible?
- Replies: 11
- Views: 2777
Re: Are our cars invisible?
This problem isn't new. Some people simply don't look behind them before backing up. They wouldn't notice if the starship, Enterprise were parked immediately behind them. You handled it in the most proper way; you maintained situational awareness and when some hat-backwards, cellphone-texting knuck...
- Tue Aug 06, 2019 9:12 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 1915 Headlight push/pull switch firewall location
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3033
Re: 1915 Headlight push/pull switch firewall location
My '15 was one of those delivered without a speedometer, but that makes it easier to see the placement of the headlight switch.
- Sun Aug 04, 2019 2:47 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Langs
- Replies: 15
- Views: 3388
Re: Langs
There are several excellent suppliers of Model T parts who deserve our business. It happens that I tend to call Lang's. Back when I ordered a top-boot from them, it didn't fit and I forced it, ripping the seams. When I phoned Lang's to get another one, they had me measure out my top and it turned o...
- Sun Aug 04, 2019 7:26 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Today made it all worth it
- Replies: 25
- Views: 4233
Re: Today made it all worth it
Heartiest congratulations! The car looks gorgeous.
- Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:50 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Foto of the Day
- Replies: 450
- Views: 70693
Re: Foto of the Day
One of my favorite "Spectators and Funny Hats" snap-shots.
- Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:26 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: A Complicated Man with a Simple Idea
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1886
A Complicated Man with a Simple Idea
I wrote this for the newsletter of my local horseless carriage club and most of you know the story by heart, but for the newer forum attendees, I figured it may be amusing. So, what the heck... a complicated man f.jpg On the surface, Henry Ford appears a difficult man to understand. Those who inves...
- Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:08 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: How to tell if lacquer was applied to a brass radiator
- Replies: 24
- Views: 3555
Re: How to tell if lacquer was applied to a brass radiator
The ten-year-old, shiny brass doorknob on my front door tells me that for certain applications, lacquering brass makes sense. Where it doesn't make sense is on a brass item which generates considerable heat, such as a brass radiator, acetylene headlamps and kerosene lanterns. That kind is heat is t...
- Mon Jul 29, 2019 6:35 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Lever won’t stay put
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2011
Re: Lever won’t stay put
You might find this accessory helpful. Click on this link:
https://www.modeltford.com/item/3524-25T.aspx
https://www.modeltford.com/item/3524-25T.aspx
- Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:38 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Thanks for the photos, Paul. Nice installation. I hope to do as neat a job. Thanks again.
- Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:38 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
So I drove the Flivver to the local cruise-in yesterday and the lever extension was a real pleasure! Yes, it does take up a bit of side-to-side leg room when in the full aft position, but not so much in the neutral position, and not at all when in the full-forward position. Yeah, I'd recommend the ...
- Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:02 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 3216
Re: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!
Sorry to hear you were injured, Rob. I hope you'll be feeling better soon.
- Wed Jul 24, 2019 4:13 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Thanks. Much appreciated.
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:52 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Dare to Share- Your first T
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2809
Re: Dare to Share- Your first T
This is what my Model T looked like when I trekked upstate to the seller's home for the pre-purchase inspection. As you can see, the car was in pieces. That was because it was in the process of being gone through from nose to tail. She didn't look like much then, but I really liked the seller who t...
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:16 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Paul,
Might you have a cellphone photo of your floorboard modification?
Bob C.
Might you have a cellphone photo of your floorboard modification?
Bob C.
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:30 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: City driving
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2087
Re: City driving
Maybe I'm just getting old. Today, while driving my modern car, some knucklehead in firm disagreement with the 30 mph speed limit zoomed up to my posterior and continued to ride about three feet away from my bumper; this, apparently, to intimidate me into driving faster or, as the case turned out, ...
- Thu Jul 18, 2019 8:46 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Finished up the installation. Pretty easy to do.
To release, pull back slightly, lift then push forward.
Here are some photos of what it looks like in a 1915 Touring.
To release, pull back slightly, lift then push forward.
Here are some photos of what it looks like in a 1915 Touring.
- Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:44 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
I patched together some artwork in Photoshop to show how the extension works. And yes, this accessory would have to be unbolted and uninstalled in order to completely remove the aft floorboard, but rather than do that, I'm sure there must be a way to move the floorboard out of the way sufficiently ...
- Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:58 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3238
Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
For me, it's been a lousy year and a half of no Model T-ing. A third ruptured lumbar disc in April of '18 and subsequent fourth spine surgery in February pretty much took me out of the game. After some months of recovery and having clawed my way back into the cockpit, I discovered that leaning forw...
- Fri Jul 12, 2019 10:56 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Foto of the Day
- Replies: 450
- Views: 70693
Re: Foto of the Day
Getting the exposure right on a photo of a black car is awfully difficult. If you get the car right, the background and everything else will be washed out, or if you get the background and everything else right, the car becomes a solid black blot with no texture or detail. Fortunately, there's Phot...
- Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:13 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Front Wheel Question
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2499
Re: Front Wheel Question
It's a rarity that a wheel runs without a detectable wobble. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 1/8" of wobble is very darned good, 1/4" is quite common and 3/8" of wobble may be approaching the acceptable limit. Just my humble opinion.
- Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:44 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: on E-bay - 1915 For Sale
- Replies: 0
- Views: 782
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:36 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: New tires
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2116
Re: New tires
Because we drive our Model T's mostly on local roads which are crowned for drainage (more so than highways), our cars naturally want to run downhill like water. And that means they tend to pull to the right a bit, so we counteract that with left pressure on the wheel which scrubs the tread on the r...
- Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:47 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Ocean to Ocean Tour
- Replies: 29
- Views: 6282
Re: Ocean to Ocean Tour
Getting a brass Model T was something I had decided to do as a kid in second grade, but it was one of those back-burner things that just seem to simmer forever on the stove of vague aspirations. Dad had gotten me started down the brass-car road, but then things like earning a living, fixing up a ho...
- Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:17 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: “Ford” Amusement Park Cars Up For Auction
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1807
Re: “Ford” Amusement Park Cars Up For Auction
When I was a kid, amusement park kiddie-cars were usually a very generic compilation of recognizable features from the Brass-Era, so they had spoked wheels, gas-headlamps, cowl-lamps, flat radiators and, for easy ingress and egress, doorless tourabout bodies. And that was good enough. But over the ...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:28 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8998
Re: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
Dick, My friend, Steve Jelf, who has tons of hands-on experience with Model T Fords, maintains an amazing website with lots of Model T information on it. In particular, the following items are very useful to someone considering the purchase of their first Model T. http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG98.ht...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:56 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 8998
Re: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
What is it about people who have an affinity for doing things the old-fashioned way? They'll write with a fountain pen instead of a ball-point, pop their own corn in a cast-iron skillet, or fish with a lightweight fly-rod rather than the kind of hefty pole and hi-test line that'll virtually guarant...
- Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:23 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: On the Road Again... Sort of
- Replies: 2
- Views: 941
On the Road Again... Sort of
Three months after spine surgery #4, I'm still wearing a turtle-shell back brace and pushing a walker around the house, but had to drive the Flivver this week because it was due for its annual state inspection. Couldn't postpone it any later than May 31st. Hang in there, this'll be about the Model ...
- Tue May 28, 2019 10:48 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Rules for setting timing as you drive?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3145
Re: Rules for setting timing as you drive?
Driving a Model T in traffic is very demanding of your concentration. More important than operating the car with perfect technique to achieve perfect smoothness and efficiency is situational awareness . Unless you're one of the few lucky ones who exclusively drive their Brass-Era cars on idyllic co...
- Thu May 23, 2019 5:08 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Anything Modern To Help??
- Replies: 17
- Views: 3265
Re: Anything Modern To Help??
It's a little difficult to describe a procedure that involves a "knack." _The knack of peeling tires off a rim and levering them back on is something I learned as a kid and practiced every time I got a flat on my Schwinn. But here are some generalities: First, you need the right tools. _These inclu...
- Thu May 23, 2019 2:30 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Is this 18% grade too steep for a Model T to descend down?
- Replies: 34
- Views: 5805
Re: Is this 18% grade too steep for a Model T to descend down?
An 18% grade is 16.2 degrees from level, right?
(Just making sure I understand the question)
(Just making sure I understand the question)
- Sun May 19, 2019 12:11 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: What timer do you use
- Replies: 43
- Views: 6335
Re: What timer do you use
For a good many of us, the experience of driving a century-old car design isn't about convenience or reliability. Historical purists see frequently required maintenance and inconvenient breakdowns as part of the game. Others are just looking for fun and in a sense, they are purists, too—just of a d...
- Sat May 11, 2019 10:37 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 1913 Touring on e-bay
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1786
- Fri May 10, 2019 10:37 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Lubricants, what do you use?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 3396
Re: Lubricants, what do you use?
I use the type of lubricants that Lang's sells. They deal in Model T parts exclusively, so the heavy differential oil and red grease they sell should be ideal for the Tin Lizzie—wherever you happen to purchase it. As far as motor oil, I myself found that using 5W-30 caused my car to stop creeping f...
- Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:13 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Quality Inner Tubes
- Replies: 18
- Views: 3541
Re: Quality Inner Tubes
There are several absolutely wonderful Model T supply sources. It happens that I started out with Lang's when I bought my Model T in 2010 and for the better part of a decade, they've extended every courtesy to keep me happy. Their service is second to none. When I purchased a top boot which didn't ...
- Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:45 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Non-skids vs standard tread
- Replies: 14
- Views: 2999
Re: Non-skids vs standard tread
As Firestone’s sales strategies went, the iconic, NON-SKID tire was right up there with “Gum-Dipped” cords and according to The Firestone Story, a History of the Firestone Rubber Company, 40% of the 105,000 tires sold in 1909 were NON-SKIDs , as were 60% of the 168,000 tires sold the following year...
- Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:46 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Vibration at higher RPMs
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3470
Re: Vibration at higher RPMs
My car is that way too. Could be your spark linkage needs adjusting.
Meanwhile, when that happens, try retarding a spark a bit.
Meanwhile, when that happens, try retarding a spark a bit.
- Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:14 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Treating wooden wheels.
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2792
Re: Treating wooden wheels.
Painting your wooden wheels black is ever so much easier than staining and varnishing. It's also historically accurate. See, no Model T Ford ever left the factory with stained and varnished wooden wheels. That having been said, it's also true that at some point, a few dealers were reputed to have b...
- Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:52 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: What have you done with your Model T in April?
- Replies: 121
- Views: 21744
Re: What have you done with your Model T in April?
Nothing.
Not a blessed thing.
Still recovering from last month's spine surgery.
Not a blessed thing.
Still recovering from last month's spine surgery.
- Sun Mar 31, 2019 1:54 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Tire wear and Toe in adjustment
- Replies: 14
- Views: 3214
Re: Tire wear and Toe in adjustment
Because we drive our Model T's mostly on local roads which are crowned for drainage (more so than highways), our cars naturally want to run downhill, like water. And that means they tend to pull to the right a bit, so we counteract that with left pressure on the wheel which scrubs the tread on the ...
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:16 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 1911 progress
- Replies: 8
- Views: 2098
Re: 1911 progress
Nice work!
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:14 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 11 Torpedo just sold
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2812
Re: 11 Torpedo just sold
Heck of a good deal if it's in good running condition. Terrible shame about the vandalizing, though. What the heck is wrong with people?
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:52 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: State Inspection of Ellie Mae
- Replies: 35
- Views: 6027
Re: State Inspection of Ellie Mae
I guess it depends on where you go for your state inspection. My local mechanic watches as I demonstrate that all the lights work, that the horn works, that there's plenty of lining on my Rocky Mountain brake bands, that the steering system is nice and tight, that the tires have plenty of tread, an...
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:15 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: MTFCA Magazine Article on 50 mph...
- Replies: 53
- Views: 8184
Re: MTFCA Magazine Article on 50 mph...
The idea of keeping your Model T in tune, with good tires and all the steering and suspension parameters perfectly dialed in and balanced is, of course, a good idea. Such a car is a joy to drive—at speeds for which the car was designed. Still, I read, with fair regularity, the exploits of intrepid ...
- Wed Mar 27, 2019 10:29 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: oil for model t
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2283
Re: oil for model t
Some Model T Fords have a tendency to creep immediately after starting. For obvious reasons, this can be especially disconcerting when hand-cranking. My Flivver stopped that habit when I switched to 5W30 oil. It's just a little more slippery when cold then 10 W30 and that seems to reduce or elimina...
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:49 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Wooden spoked wheel overhaul
- Replies: 9
- Views: 2498
Re: Wooden spoked wheel overhaul
I've used Stutzman's Wheel Shop and can tell you about the services are available there, but not elsewhere. He'll re-wood your entire wheel for about $200. I doubt very much that he'd replace only the tired spokes because it wouldn't pay for him to do that kind of work and the result wouldn't be sa...
- Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:39 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: balancing beads
- Replies: 14
- Views: 3121
Re: balancing beads
I use them and as far as I'm concerned, they work great. Getting the darned things into the inner-tube can be a bit of a challenge, but it can be done easily enough using some kind of squeeze-bottle and a soda-straw or short length of the correct-diameter tubing.
- Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 am
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: At Chickasha, who took my veteran's cap?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 1917
Re: At Chickasha, who took my veteran's cap?
Then can take your hat, but they can't steal away your valor. Thank you for your service.
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:18 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Cheapest 30 x 3 1/2 Tires
- Replies: 10
- Views: 2876
Re: Cheapest 30 x 3 1/2 Tires
My Dad used to say, "Cheap is expensive." If you don't buy your tires from the right seller, you could wind up with old, dried out rubber, even on completely unused tires. I order mine from Lang's because they "drop-ship" directly from the manufacturer and it never fails that when they arrive and I...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:28 pm
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: Be Careful What You Wish For...
- Replies: 19
- Views: 3975
Re: Be Careful What You Wish For...
I have to appreciate the time and effort that goes into maintaining this forum. It is truly unique and Chris deserves eternal credit, kudos and thanks for all he's done. Having said that, I really, REALLY dislike the new format for all kinds of reasons. Some of them may be even be legit. What is un...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:21 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Coolant Recommendation
- Replies: 45
- Views: 7615
Re: Coolant Recommendation
I've been told at car-club meetings that pure distilled water promotes rust and corrosion like nothing else. Is that for real or just an old wives' tale? Beats me. I've been using a 50:50 mix of green Prestone antifreeze and it works okay except that the stuff tarnishes the brass radiator like craz...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:28 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: oil
- Replies: 7
- Views: 2008
Re: oil
Obviously, too little is no good, but too much is also not good. You need enough to keep that front engine bearing bathed, but if there's too much, the stuff will migrate down the drive shaft housing and make a mess of things. Not sure whether that can get into the differential, but if it can, it'l...
- Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:15 am
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: Let's go back to the old Forum
- Replies: 65
- Views: 10497
Re: lets go back to the old Form
One of the things I liked about the old forum was the ability to run a progression of photos, in sequence, as the narrative of an explanation progressed. It was a great tool for explaining your own problem or an answer to someone else's. I miss that.
- Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:15 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: ‘Matching Numbers’ Add any Monetary Value to a Model T?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 3649
Re: ‘Matching Numbers’ Add any Monetary Value to a Model T?
There's nothing like the satisfaction one gets from opening the hood of a numbers-matching car with magnifying glass & flashlight in hand, reading off the numbers on the engine, then reading the numbers stamped into the data-plate and then crawling under the car and reading the numbers on the trans...
- Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:29 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Brass radiator... clear coat?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4924
Re: Brass radiator... clear coat?
buffer.jpg The heat generated by your radiator makes the situation a whole lot different than lacquering things like door-knobs and candle-sticks. If you hate polishing, get one of these small orbital buffers from Harbor Freight: https://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-compact-palm-polisher-90219.html...
- Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:17 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: 2d Gear Difficulty
- Replies: 37
- Views: 5773
Re: 2d Gear Difficulty
I've driven a number of Model T Fords and the thing they all have in common is that unfortunate orchestration which takes place right after up-shifting. They all do that, though some individuals are worse than others. The problem is that the car really needs an intermediate gear between low and hig...
- Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:53 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: How Long Have You Owned Your Old Iron?
- Replies: 62
- Views: 8836
Re: How Long Have You Owned Your Old Iron?
Bought mine in 2010, a year after I'd watched Katie Fleming and her "Katie Across the Nation Adventure" and knew I had to have one. Truth is I'd wanted one most of my life, but that just tipped the scales for me.
- Thu Feb 14, 2019 2:07 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum (started 2019)
- Topic: Show your T
- Replies: 27
- Views: 4775
Re: Show your T
Photo taken at Oheka Castle