MTFCA Forum

The cloth shades are super easy to find. It is the spring loaded roller tube that the shade is mounted on that is most difficult to find. I have been looking for one for decades. There used to be a MTFCA member named Mike Peterson who would buy 1926-‘27 Improved Model T’s and part them out. For thos...

I am painting some parts with a gloss paint (Rustoleum Appliance Epoxy). The directions say that a second coat cannot be applied unless the gloss is dulled with sandpaper. The parts are very irregular and cannot be sanded. Is there any chemical or solvent that can be applied to the gloss finish that...

How are you keeping the overspray off of your driveway?

If you prime and paint by brush like I did, it is easier to do horizontally. Less chance of runs. If you spray, do vertically since you normally hold the gun vertically as you are spraying. Holding the gun horizontally and spaying down, the gun tends to sputter big droplets of paint, ruining your sm...

If that Fastback was painted dark green, it’d look just like the Mustang Steve McQueen drove in the movie “Bullitt”. Nice!

Being as the Model T hobby is a labor of love and not a good investment, don’t look to the next generation to carry on. It cost too much, takes too much time and is way too much work than today’s generation is willing to invest. This is not a criticism. If I were in their shoes, struggling to make t...

Turned 72 on my last birthday in November, 2025. Born in 1953. Became interested in the Model T in July of 1963 at the tender age of 9 upon receiving my copy of Popular Science which contained two articles on the Model T. Jim Patrick

In those 56 years it has only been in the rain one time in 1982 when we got caught in a heavy rain storm during a long 50 mile drive from my apartment in Lakeland to my hometown of Brandon, Florida. It was harrowing when, in rush hour traffic, all the windows fogged up. When operating the windshield...

Thank you for your responses. There should be a lot of 1926 and 1927 T’s celebrating reaching the century mark this year and next year. I’m sure Henry would be surprised at how far his Model T’s have come. They were not designed to last this long and with all wars and scrap drives, Boyd Coddington, ...

One. I answered an ad in the Tampa Tribune in the Fall of 1970. When my Dad got home from work that day, he drove us the 20 miles from Brandon, Florida where I grew up, to Tampa and I bought it from an old man who was the original owner. He looked to be about 75, which would have made his birth year...

One hundred years ago in March of 1926, My Model T coupe rolled off the assembly line. When it was 44 years old in 1970, 56 years ago I bought it for $600.00 and began restoring it when I was 16 completing it 2 years later when I was 18. I am now 72. Jim Patrick IMG_6603.jpeg IMG_6602.jpeg IMG_1257....

He has reason to be proud. I’ll bet he polished it every day for a month before giving up and allowing it to take on the appearance of every other Model T on the roads of the time.

A great loss to us all. RIP Norm.

Perfect! Thank you Dan.

Does anyone have a good source for nickel or chrome plated brass or steel oval headed (not full round headed but shallow round headed) tubular rivets of various small sizes. Also in stainless steel. Thank you.

In 2022, I replaced my 52 year old, 21” “Universal” tires, tubes and flaps (purchased from Mark Auto in 1970) on my 1926 coupe with (5) new 21” “Goodyear” tires, tubes and flaps and they are superb. I could not be happier with them. Good luck. PS. Increasing the diameter of the tire will throw off y...

I installed a new style crank seal in 2010 during my last overhaul. Has not leaked since.

If you position the transmission horizontally to adjust the magnets, keep in mind that when the transmission is installed in the car vertically, the weight of the transmission will cause the upper measurement to open and the lower measurement to close which needs to be compensated for. Ideally, the ...

Mine would bottom out (third picture) so I removed the pedal and put it in a bench vice and repeatedly struck the pedal shaft with a mallet until it gave me quite a bit more space between the floor and underside of the pedal (last picture). I documented this in a thread when I did it a couple of yea...

Very common. Especially if a former owner was heavy or obese.

New spokes are too easy to install for you to waste valuable time and effort trying to restore spokes that are too far gone and dangerous…

Darel. I’m extremely sorry to hear of the loss of your wife of 57 years. May the Lord be with you during this sad time. Jim Patrick

One of the more beautiful girls featured in early Model T photos.

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Judging by the matching scuffs on the side and doors of each car, pictures 1 and 3 are of the same car and the same girls.

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If you are going out tonight to celebrate the New Year, please be careful. Don’t drink and drive.

My 1926 Coupe turns 100 years old in March.

Happy New Year to you and yours.

Jim Patrick

Hi Tim. Good luck. Only 3 weeks to go. I’m one of the ones that is glad I had it done. Of course I had a great orthopedic surgeon with 20 years experience that kept my worry to a minimum, which is one of the biggest concerns on the minds of those having this surgery. Fear of complications or infecti...

I have found that the absolute best physical exercise to achieve full range of motion is to sit on the tailgate of my truck and swing my leg to and fro trying to swing it under as hard as I can to gradually reach the fullest bend possible. I do this for 30 minutes 3 times per day. Then I walk down t...

Update. I had my right knee replaced on July 25, 2025. By October, almost three months later and lots of physical therapy, it fully recovered and I scheduled my left knee to be replaced on October 31, 2025. It is now November 29 and after a month, my left knee is doing very well. Twon’t be long befo...

Granted, a lot of work went into this modification, but not enough thought. I would have preferred the roof be moved forward so as to cover the entire rear seat and rear floor section up to the back of the front seat, with a windshield separating the rear from the driver with just the driver and fro...

Closest coupe appears to be a 1926-‘27.

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More time has passed between this picture being taken and now (62 years), than between the 1909 date of manufacture and 1963 (54 years). What a character he must have been. Where is his car now? Are there more pictures of it?

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While rubber washers at these points were not original, someone in the past probably installed rubber washers at each bolt hole to try and silence vibration noise wherever metal to metal contact occurs. The theory is sound but rubber washers would have a tendency to keep the fasteners from being tig...

From Vowellart in the MTFCA gallery:

Most of the long-time members of the forum do not recommend salvaging rotten or broken spokes with epoxy, glue or shims. It is just too dangerous and even deadly. I would buy a complete new set of hickory spokes and make a jig to replace them with. I actually did this myself in 2010 and it turned ou...

As close as I can determine, it appears to be a pipe or conduit hanger.

Vaseline was used as a very light, clean, non-conductive grease back in the day. It was recommended for Victrolas, Edison phonographs and Singer Sewing Machines and is, no doubt, good for Model T’s. Long ago, I mixed some Vaseline with a can of 3 in 1 oil and arrived at a very thin, non-conductive g...

Here is a helpful thread from 2018 about wood finishing: Www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/822076/86 ... 1527252732

Since the thickness of the coil box brackets are only about 1/8”, the head bolts securing the coil box are not compromised by losing only 1/8” worth of threads. To custom cut three of the head bolts 1/8” longer could be a problem for the next owner if he is not aware that several of the head bolts a...

1926-‘27 coil box was mounted to the top of the engine using regular sized head bolts.

Absolutely. In all cases, especially if your rims are rusted and pitted. Flaps prevent punctures of the tube by sharp points inside the rim. I installed my last set of tires with flaps in 1970. They lasted for 53 years until I finally changed them out in 2023.

I think you had four posts of advice on your last post. Looked like good advice.

Have not seen this advice in awhile. Worth repeating. Whenever working in the transmission cavity, after draining the oil, saving for re-use, tightly stuff the open space to each side of the drums with lots of rags to prevent nuts, washers, cotter pins and small tools from falling into the bottom of...

I found the best aerosol clearcoat to protect polished brass that I have ever used in “Mohawk Gloss Lacquer for Brass” that can be purchased from Amazon. It goes on perfectly clear without fogging up or developing bubbles.

With older Model T’s that had the tank under the seat, running out of gas on long inclines was a common occurrence. Not so much with the ‘26-‘27 that had the tank in the cowl. There was an old T era cartoon of a Model T salesman taking his customer for a test drive. As he approached a hill he knew t...

Judging by the curved path and steps leading to it, I would guess that it is a picnic, swimming and hiking park. I think that the driver parked the T near the edge of the parking lot and forgot to set the emergency brake and it rolled down the steps and into the water. I don’t think it was a boat la...

In 2011, I installed a Fyrac spotlight through the windshield of my 1926 coupe which had laminated safety glass. No one ever told me it couldn’t be done, or discouraged me so, in my ignorance, I went ahead and successfully embarked on the job. I took pictures and detailed the process for the MTFCA m...

Nice! Wouldn’t the proper term be: “My NOS ride”?

When I first purchased my 1926 Model T Coupe in 1970, equipped with an original horn, I was surprised that it sounded like a goose. The first thing I did was buy and install a vintage electric 6 volt Klaxon 8C horn, also leaving in place the original horn. I much prefer the Ahooga sound as opposed t...

She’s hot!

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Are these from one collection or from a museum that closed or from individual families of collectors who passed away and no longer want the T? Whoever buys them, I hope they are not the Boyd Coddington type and leave them as original Model T’s. That is the only danger I see in massive auctions like ...

Good thing about originals is not only that they fit properly, but have the Ford script stamped into them.

Since Model T’s are notorious for riding as rough as a boat in rough seas, it makes sense that a gyroscopic, self leveling cup holder such as is used in boats would be the best choice for a model T. It is more important to have a functional anti spill holder over a non functional vintage looking hol...

That is scary. I am an impatient person and want my recovery to go as fast as possible and am aware of the dangers of doing too much, but how much is too much is the question. I am also worried that my window of opportunity could close in that, if I don’t get the maximum amount of bend as is possibl...

Well, I underwent the knee replacement surgery on July 25 and it went very well. It helps to have a great surgeon. Since pain is one of the main obstacles to recovery from this surgery, he installed a pain pump that, for several weeks, will automatically inject a strong pain medication deep into the...

Just thought you’d all like to know the knee replacement surgery I underwent on 7/25 went very well. Please refer to OT forum to post comments. Please do not post on general form. Thank you all for all your helpful advice. Jim Patrick

Years ago I saw on the forum, a member who bought, what he said, was an original for an outlandish price on eBay. There followed, a long discussion with pictures of originals versus repros which came in steel and brass. I could not tell the difference except that the originals were rusty and worn an...

Thank you Norm. I would guess that your sister had her surgery in about 1985. I was not aware that knee replacement surgery went back 40 years, or that the knees lasted so long. Most sources say that the replacement knees have a life of 20 years. Hopefully, the technology has advanced substantially ...

Thank you. Very helpful. I asked my surgeon’s nurse yesterday about the Laproscopy robotic surgery but he does not do that. Also the implanted anesthesia. She was unaware of what that is. She asked if you meant to say implanted antibiotic.

Bump to the top

At first, I arranged to have the surgery done through the VA in Tampa, which is over an hour away from my home. My Primary physician at the VA said the distance alone could qualify me to seek a closer surgeon through the “VA Community Care Program”. The VA surgeon could not schedule me until Decembe...

Thank you. I should have mentioned that I am 71. Having been in the Marines and having been instilled with Marine Corps. discipline I have worked out all my life so I have a tendency to push myself hard, no matter how painful it is, plus, my wife is a very good nurse (though not an actual nurse) and...

I am having knee replacement surgery on July 25. Anyone who has undergone this procedure, please read my questions on the OT forum. Thank you. Jim Patrick

Having spent 4 years in the Marines from 1972 to 1977 and running 3 miles a day, it destroyed my knees. It has been 48 years since my discharge from the Marines and I have waited as long as I can. I am almost a cripple and it has finally come to the point where I need to get knee replacement surgery...

Steel descriptions are basically the cross section shape of the steel being described. An i - beam has the cross section of a capital i or an H. Angle iron has the 90 degree cross section of an L. Flat bar is flat. Square bar is a square bar. Round bar is a round bar. U-channel has the cross section...

I would find a steel pipe with the correct diameter then heat and straighten the saddle, insert the pipe and heat the saddle and fold the ends up and around the pipe. Since it is of no use the way it is, nothing ventured, nothing gained. If you are unsure if you are able to do it, I’m sure a local f...

The graphite/enamel/mineral spirits mix does harden and provides great slickness between the leafs. After applying, assemble the leafs together and tighten, then clean off any mix on the outside edges, tops and bottoms of the assembled springs with mineral spirits and paint with a gloss black paint ...

Here is my Hercules split rim tire tool. I used it to change all four of my 52 year old, rock hard Universal tires. The more you do, the easier it gets. Notice where the split is in Cut No. 4. Just follow the instructions. Use talcum powder. Good luck. IMG_6854.png IMG_6853.jpeg IMG_6849.jpeg IMG_68...

Maybe this will help get around your hazmat problem. Here is Ford’s original slip paint formula. I mixed some in 2002 and painted my leaf springs with it. It worked/works.
See: www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/29/19078.html

I too used to buy a lot of original parts from him, years ago for my 1926 coupe. I contacted him a year or so ago about buying a 1926 rear window shade roll I needed for a friend’s 1926 Fordor. He said he no longer parts out Model T’s but still had a few parts and he would check and see if he had on...

I suggest you determine the diameter and length of bolt, nut, washer and lock washer you need for each hole and purchase the fasteners from a hardware store so you can start putting it all together. If any of the holes are countersunk, purchase countersunk bolts for those locations. Any bolts that h...

Older members who attended high school shop classes in the 1960’s and 70’s will remember a 2 part powdered Marine wood glue called Resorcinol that was completely waterproof and used to glue waterproof plywood, boat construction and other projects such as salad bowls and cutting boards. It was the st...

No. Your support rod is too short. Should have about 1/2” on each end.

Sorry. I must disagree. Wood glue will not hold if the gap is not totally closed. If the gap is even slightly open the glue will fail as the glue is very weak if not adhering to something other than itself. The glue will not attain full strength unless the two sides of the crack are totally closed a...

I think “Titebond Ultimate III” exterior yellow wood glue would be better than epoxy and wooden screw clamps are the only clamp that could apply enough pressure to close the crack completely. To get the glue deep into the crack, press it in with your finger tip and keep putting it in. You can use a ...

I charged my magnets in 2010 and they are still going strong. I documented my success. Check out: www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/118802/159978.html.

Reinforced seat covers to protect the upholstery. Maybe Classtique can make you some out of the proper material.

Best to soak the spokes in boiled Linseed oil. You can make 2 long trays using a 3’piece of 4” PVC with 2 end caps. Cut in half longways load with the spokes and pour the linseed oil over the spokes with several gallons of boiled linseed oil and leave them to soak. Since the spokes float, you may wa...

Boiled or unboiled?

In the 1910’s and 1920’s alot of folks explored the rugged national parks in their Model T’s before there were roads. Many of the current roads and trails were blazed by Model T’s over 100 years ago. There are a lot of pictures online of these Model T’s doing just that at Yellowstone. It would be in...

I love the original Holley NH that came with my 1926 coupe. Very simple, easy to work on, adjust and rebuild and my T runs great. The only time it did not run great was when I was experimenting with different timer, but now that I am back to using the original roller timer, it runs great again. If i...

The convex shaped hub is designed to keep the belt centered on top of the hump of the hub. If the belt is riding toward the front of the hub, the front bushing is probably worn, causing the hub to tilt down. The oil you use needs to be thin enough to flow from the reservoir into the center hole in t...

You can remove that old tape with Naptha (aka lighter fluid) without damaging, or discoloring the paper. Put on enough to get under the tape and let it do its’ work. No need to rub. After short time the tape will easily come off. Don’t hurry it or try to remove prematurely. May require several appli...

May I ask why such large chunks were dug out of the tire. Would not a drill bit been have been a lot neater and performed the same function?
.

They have counter sunk washers in packets of 6 at Lowe’s. Most likely at Home Depot too. I think that would be the best way to go.

I agree with the consensus that it is not ruined. Once mounted, I think you will be pleasantly surprised that it will work just fine. Good luck.

Congratulations! You still might be able to replace the broken parts with a latch purchased on eBay.

I have done this before for certain assemblies that I forgot how to reassemble… Go to eBay and search “Model T door latch” in quotations. You might be able to find one cheaply that will help you reassemble yours. Listing a year will yield 0 results since most people do not know the year of their par...

It is common to have to take it apart and do it again several times. Each time you learn a little more until the last time when you get it right. Don’t Settle for less than perfect.

You should get an order together to allow you to purchase the felt washer. It is uniquely suited for the purpose of holding in the oil in, while applying pressure to the pulley to keep it tight and lubricating the face of the rear bushing with the oil retained within the felt washer. I don’t thing t...

Fan shaft felt washer. Item 3983 at Lang’s. .85.

30w oil. It needs to be thin enough to make its’ way from the reservoir through the center of the shaft to the hole in the center and out of the shaft into the space between the bushings so it can lubricate the front and rear bushings. Grease or 600w oil is too thick and will only block the lubricat...

They didn’t take very good care of their campaign covers. Ideally, if properly cared for, they should resemble today’s drill instructor covers. Cover is military jargon for hat. If a Marine allowed his cover to look like that, he’d pull KP for a month, or worse, demoted. Semper Fi. IMG_9292.jpeg

May be giving a lesson on how the internal combustion engine operates to a bunch of wannabe mechanics.

The T in picture 1 is beautiful. Perfect. What year is it? I have never seen such a shiny paint job done in that era. If anyone needs a reference on how to pinstripe their brass era T, this is the pictures to use. Picture must have been taken the first day of ownership by the proud first owner. I wo...

Do you put Model T in quotes “ “, or in brackets ( )? Both were mentioned. I would think that listing Model T Ford… would omit a lot of non-Model T things such as Tesla.

Most manufacturers and business owners are like my Dad. They trust no one to take over. They think they will live forever and think that there is nobody that can possibly do it as good as them, so they never get around to the legal work necessary to pass it on or even reveal their methods of operati...

Even though the starter, generator, oil pan/block and access panels have gaskets, anywhere the bolt threads enter the crankcase or are exposed to oil, the bolts can still leak over time around the bolt heads by the oil seeping out through the threads. It is always a good idea to clean the threads of...

What kind of steering wheel is that? It looks like a Model T steering wheel that seems to be upside down and swung up to allow space for the driver to get out. Is it a sort of Fat man steering wheel?

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That picture appeared on the forum on January 31, 2009 with the story. There was a play set in the 1910’s and the call went out for anyone having a period car they could use for the street scenes for the duration of the play. One of our members, Steven Augustinovich, answered the call and delivered ...

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