MTFCA Forum

I tried to fix it, but didn't see any option to rotate. [/size] Has anyone found a way with this software to rotate a picture when looking at your post in the preview? [/size] No. If it shows up sideways in Preview I delete it, rotate it 90º and back on my computer , and post it again. So far that ...

There are several other parts dealers. Check with Bob's, Chaffins, Antique Auto Ranch, Smith & Jones, Snyder's, etc.

I think they're normal pre-1915 gas headlights, aren't they?

I find that resizing pictures is not usually needed here. The forum software does that automatically for most of the pictures I post. That's a big improvement over the old forum format. I've posted lengthy, step-by-step illustrated details of how I post photos, but I'm not finding them with a Googl...

There are at least two separate problems here. One is the backward spring clip. Turning it around to face forward may solve the gap between the cap and the clip. The other problem is the missing (or badly worn away) crank bushing. Maybe the crank is significantly worn too. We can't see that. I use ...

Amen, brother Kling. Often the photo is sideways in the post but shows up correctly when you click on it. I agree that it should be correct in the post. When I have a picture show up sideways in preview (invariably a vertical format shot) I delete it, open the picture file on my computer, rotate it...

I feel that my price of $10,500 is very realistic for a collector car like this one with the potential that this vehicle has. [/size] No, no, no. For that kind of dough I would expect a car in excellent condition. I won't repeat all the advice above except that it's a good idea to have an experienc...

But I'm not looking for more engine work. I'd rather drive.

As the geologists say, my sediments exactly. A Model T will run at 45 mph. It will also wear out faster than at 35.

It's even more complicated.

How can you instantly tell the 1923 steel firewall from the 1924-25? 1924-25 has a big wiring hole above the terminal block; 1923 doesn't.

Hoping that, perhaps, someone will pick up the torch and keep it going, as has apparently happened with Chickasha. [/size] In the case of Chickasha the torch was picked up by the folks who laid it down. From its start, the meet has always been run by the Ersland family. A couple of years ago they d...

...the locals know where the price is lower!

If you ever need gas in Needles, go to K Street and cross the bridge. It costs a LOT less on the Arizona side of the river.

I'm satisfied with original New Day timers.

Well, I've had both my shots, and by then the two weeks for full effect will have passed, so I intend to go and see if I can get rid of some junk.

I don't know of any "early" or "late". It's a 1923.

...very reliable haven't had a failure yet. [/size] I have. It was in a Chebby, not a Ford, but when the nylon timing gear failed it caused considerable inconvenient and expensive damage. Is a nylon gear quieter? I suppose so. But is a little reduction in normal Model T noise worth the risk? Not fo...

You're right. Definitely not fiber. I will also not use nylon. Aluminum and bronze, OK. My first choice would be McEachern bronze.

This is how I set up the bands. Is there a better (easier) way? Is the band clamp enough better to be worth the $13.50 + shipping?

Same question here. Is there a better way to compress the low pedal spring?

If you use modern bolts they will most likely be cad plated and won't hold paint. I strip off the plating with muriatic acid. If you do that, wear gloves and be careful not to breathe the fumes. I also grind off the modern markings and buff the head smooth. The modern bolts are not a perfect match ...

Only the sign on the station is different. [/size] Makes me think of Dad. He was a still operator for Shell, Pathfinder, and Union Oil for about forty years before he retired in 1965. He used to scoff at gasoline commercials. He said, "It all comes out of the same pipe." Not literally, of course, b...

I suspect more tightening will even up the waxed ones. I don't know about this one. Try it and see.

I would like to find a way to get close to 20 mpg. [/size] That probably depends mostly on the condition of the engine and carburetor. I buy whatever gas is least expensive. In most places that's E-10 (E-85 has a lower price but is more expensive due to the lousy mileage). Occasionally the gas is M...

Engine pans: Yes, all T's had them from the factory. In the early years there were also transmission pans. Lots of people leave them off to eliminate some steps in removing or installing the engine. I use them: 1 to reduce the flow of dust to the carburetor when I drive on country roads, which I do...

When a sealant (Ultra Black, RTV, etc) comes in large and small sizes, from now on I'll get the small size. If I buy a large size and use only part of it, the remainder will be useless by the time I need it. If you infer from this that I just tried to use a previously opened large tube, you're righ...

1 Remove one old bushing and replace it with a new one. 2 Use the remaining old bushing as a guide to ream the new one. 3 Remove the remaining old bushing and replace it with the second new one. 4 Use the first new bushing as a guide to ream the second. A Is this good enough, or do you need to use ...

...cheap inferior Walmart products

Some of their stuff is inferior, and some is fine.

Looks like the 1916 runabout has treaded whites in the rear and smooth whites in front.

The photographer is using a slow shutter speed to maximize depth of field, so the moving Elmore is a little blurred.

The assembly line was not a perfect beast, and there are plenty of examples of shoddy work or mistakes on original cars.

Quite true. It can be anything from paint drips to coil box terminal nuts with the holes off center.

the odds are that if it's a '26 there will be a serial number stamped on the right frame rail under the front floorboards. If it's a really early '26 it may not have the stamped number.

Correct. About 36% of 1926 Fords (664,648) were made before frame numbering began (December 10, 1925).

In much of the USA some of the best roads for Model T travel are US highways (or former US highways) that run parallel to interstates. Coming down through Missouri on US 69 the fast traffic was on I-35, and it was mostly just the Amish buggies and me. IMG_1961 copy.JPG US 69, Missouri. IMG_4082 cop...

There have been several forum discussions of Blockley tyres (my spelling is a hint). In Google type MTFCA: Blockley. The short version is that they are made in Vietnam like all the other clincher tires but said to be of much higher quality. https://www.blockleytyre.com/ The last time I checked they...

I went into Mexico and Canada many times with no need for a passport or other special papers. I think I had to answer a couple of questions when I came back. I went to concerts without having to empty my pockets. I arrived at the airport a few minutes before takeoff and just walked onto the plane. ...

Decatur's tourist attraction is the petrified wood filling station.

Scheduled for my second Moderna Wednesday, four weeks to the day after the first. Side effect: sore a spot a couple of days after the shot. I only noticed it when I thought about it, and it was soon gone.

Very few antivaxxers are old people. We remember polio.

Often a small shipment will go through with no duty. Larger quantities who knows. [/size] Import duties are charged on shipments valued over a certain amount. I believe when I checked it was $500, but that was last year. I don't know whether that would make the total cost lower if tires were shippe...

I'll add that you can post nearly all full-sized pictures and the forum software will make them fit. Rarely you will get the dreaded yellow triangle and the notice that your picture is too big. In those cases I find a slight reduction good enough. IMG_4060 copy.JPG This is 1.3 MB, 2533 × 2905 pixel...

Check to see if the engine number matches (or is close to) the number stamped on the frame.

If there is one. Stamping the engine serial number on the frame began December 10, 1925, so cars made before that date don't have it.

It's a rare treasure having the original paperwork.Take good care of it. A known two-owner car is also pretty rare. I'd suggest that you have the two families tell you all they know of the car, and make a written record of it.

Well before you get yourself into an old car the first thing you should consider is that if you are worried about a return on your investment restoring a 26 is not a good place to start. For that matter restoring a car should be because you want to do it. [/size] Yes. Owning and fixing up a Model T...

Are parts really hard to get? Is this something where I could end up spending 5, 10, 15 thousand just to get it going? The car is in what I consider good condition just looking at it. Is there a online resource to look at about restoration? [/size] No. A few parts are not reproduced and are scarce,...

...if I recall correctly, they are made in Vietnam.

Quite so, but they are made to Blockey specifications. There are factories in Vietnam, Taiwan, China, etc., perfectly capable of turning out quality products. They make what the suits in the USA and other countries order from them.

Well, it turns out that the 1915 is really a 1916. That's the last engine produced on Thursday, November 18, 1915, well into the 1916 model year. That explains the non-ribbed pedals. I wonder if Mark would trade that 1915 hood for the 1916 hood on my 1915.

At the current exchange rate, that's $250.53 U$D. [/size] This reference says $208.75. https://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/convert/?Amount=1&From=GBP&To=USD Of course the exchange rate constantly fluctuates. When I checked last year I think it was £1 = $1.14. Now the pound is at $1.40, and soon it...

Some folks have been waiting a long time. The new 30 x 3 tyres are now on the Blockley website. They're £149, same as the 30 x 3½.

https://www.blockleytyre.com/product/30x3

Frank's second camera from the right is the kind Mom used. I think the results are not too bad for a fixed focus camera.

1946

Timer turmoil: Ford timers changed often. I believe one sentence in this encyclopedia page says it best. There may be no "correct" timer for any given year.

The encyclopedia has more pages on timers.

When I was in high school I glued a couple of 116 Brownies together to shoot stereo pictures. My little brother, who recently turned 75, is 12 in this shot.

Rendered on a typewriter, very period correct.

I'm a little interested as to exactly what use on your T this is intended for?

The places I have in mind immediately are the four mag ring bolts and the four flywheel bolts. For the wishbone and the lower ball cap bolts I use the Standard Ford Repair Kit — ordinary baling wire.

If that’s a Brownie #2, what is this called? [/size] It's an earlier model, like John's. Model A, B, C? I don't know. Maybe it has some ID inside like my D, or maybe it's early enough to not have a model designation beyond Brownie. Of course the string is Lillian's replacement for the leather strap...

Excellent! There's a HF store just a half hour down the road. That will save me some time. Thanks to all.

https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q= ... ock%20wire

Aviation stainless steel - comes in assorted gauge.

Yes, that's what I have, but the .020" is too easily broken. That's why I asked. What size works best?

I expect there's still plenty on the ground, but it will soon be gone. Starting tomorrow the highs will be in the forties and fifties for the rest of the month. The days will be mostly sunny or partly cloudy, so the melting should be pretty quick.

What Rich said. Ford didn't start using fluted lenses until 1921. For 1920 and earlier, plain window glass from your local shop is correct.

The .020" safety wire I have is too easily broken to suit me. Of course no local stores sell safety wire of any size at all. So before I go shopping online I'll ask here. What do you old hands at Model T reassembly recommend?

The numeral 1 has both serifs on many engines, but in the service bulletin photo of the stamp set it has only the top one.

https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-ste ... mber+stamp

A few shots could use a slight adjustment.

IMG_1743 copy 2.JPG If John's camera is a 120 it's still usable. Other film sizes (116, 122, 124, etc.) are long gone. It has only a vertical viewfinder. Many box cameras, like the #2 Brownie, have another viewfinder for horizontal shots. #2 even has some limited aperture adjustment and a time expo...

https://www.nwvs.org/Technical/MTFCA/Ar ... eSpeed.pdf

I've mined several rear axles for parts. In all but one the thrust washers were in pieces or completely gone. Here's the single survivor I've found.

Post some detail pictures here and they will tell you everything you will need to know.

Yes, at least we can figure out what you have if you're not sure. I can't offer anything on the Dodge Brothers, but here's a page on Model T prices: http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG99.html

I thought if Frank can do it maybe I can too, so I tried it. It does work after all.

WheelpressA2.pdf: (105.02 KiB) Downloaded 16 times

...I trust Lang's to sell the real McCoy. [/size] Yes. Since Stutzman spokes were no longer available I bought my last ones from Langs. They were the genuine article. I don't know about the tree that was used to make the spoke in my photos, but the spoke is one that was broken in a wreck and is abo...

Here are John's drawings for the Regan press. The PDF is better, but I can't post it on this software. WheelpressA2-1.jpg WheelpressA2-2.jpg There are several versions of a drill guide. I expect you can find them with a Google search. Here's the one I posted recently in another discussion. IMG_0568...

...there seems to be very little interest.

How do, you know?

At this point I'm leaning toward going.

A night welding class at the local juco about thirty years ago was one of the best investments of time I've ever made. It included mig and stick, but I've always used gas. It has been most useful in making tools and equipment. Nobody will ever accuse me of being a good welder, but being able to cob...

Here are the Service Bulletin pages converted from PDF's.

September, 1921

May, 1919

The old babbit thrust washers were perfect!

Did you leave them in?

Through Wingate onto Old State Road 55. I believe we've been this way before.

That chart is actually from the Victor Page book, The Model T Ford Car, Its Construction, Operation and Repair.

I sit corrected. I'll make a note of that.

IMG_5878 copy.JPG IMG_5879 copy.JPG Comparing the split spoke with this known hickory tenon, I suspect you may have oak or something else other than hickory, but for me it's not a slam dunk. I would ask the supplier what wood your spokes are. If they are not hickory I would return them all for a re...

Are the others welded, or are they pressed too?

I don't know which is cheaper, but Classtique is the one that gets high praise from customers who post comments online. I put a Classtique top on my runabout. I didn't like the installation instructions, but the product was excellent.

This diagram from Murray Fahnestock shows up often on the internet. I believe it refers to driving on battery, not mag. Is that right?

Yes, there are different sizes.

So, with the pulley removed, I should have to tap the pin in, and it just goes up to the small hole, but not in it?

Correct. The small hole is only for a punch to drive out the pin when you remove it.

...real gasket material would be a fine substitute, but not just a piece of unknown cardboard.

That may be quite correct. My thick paper gaskets don't leak, but I haven't tried any non-gasket materials.

All my Model T driving so far has been in the non-mountainous middle of the country. We have hills, of course, but no long steep grades. It's popular to wax poetic over the horribleness of stock model T brakes. True, they're not as efficient as modern brakes, but I have found them quite adequate fo...

I use the homemade thick paper ones over and over.

IMG_3836 copy.JPG Here's a picture of what Larry said. The parts are in poor condition, but they serve for illustration. The small hole in the pulley (left) is for punching out the pin when it needs to be removed. It is, or should be, too small for the pin to fit through it. The large hole (right) ...

He denied that he ever said it but the famous quote, real or not, originated in Barnum's time. Since the nineteenth century the population has grown immensely. I would imagine that by now the arrival of suckers worldwide must be up to a dozen per minute or more.

I use thick gasket paper from the local parts store, but any thick paper is OK.

What George said. You will need more space for a front wheel. See my photos here: viewtopic.php?f=2&t=18850.

Looks like the "18-23" is an early 1926, and the '"1922" is a 26-27. I wonder if the people who bought them know what they really are.

It may be easier to make a carrier than to find one. If that turns out to be the case, wait until you have the set, then make it to fit.

That town in Oklahoma is in the Chickasaw Nation, but it has a Choctaw name (Chickasha). Dunno why. Anyway, I plan to be there next month.

Accurate or not, if the actual sign is as bad as the photo I wouldn't spend $19.95 on it, let alone £19.95.

It's to keep online hackers from stealing their identities.

Model T Haven isn't that far from the auction site, and so I wonder if they will be there buying a bulk of the T stuff. [/size] Depends on whether Mark wants to wrangle that giant trailer over the icy stretches in 110 miles of freezing road, then repeat in the other direction with a load. It scares...

Got mine yesterday, so it took seven days to get here. I've seen worse. If I expressed my opinion of the reasons for slow delivery it would be considered political, but it would be bipartisan.

I agree with wax. I like Andre's brake drum drill guide. Here's what I made to get the holes straight. IMG_0568 copy.JPG IMG_0571 copy.JPG A closer look. IMG_0557 copy.JPG I made these to keep front hubs straight as they're pressed down. IMG_0556.JPG This is why I made those pieces. IMG_0567.JPG I ...

I like Adam's suggestion. Assembled at a branch plant after the last Detroit T's were made. Your car could actually be the last T. I doubt that there's any way of ever really knowing.

I agree with Allan except I would use a primerless paint and eliminate the layer of primer.

Scheduling this in the middle of February they gambled and lost. The forecast shows 8º Friday morning and an afternoon high of 15º. Worse than that are the road conditions. I don't find the prospect of driving to Douglass on ice the least bit alluring. Too bad. The pictures show a few things I migh...

Are they having Chickasha this year?

http://pre-war.com/

There's something besides tools you should take with you. Since running out of gas just driving around the block I never leave home without my running board cans.

I have seen nothing on a swap meet in Arizona in April? If there is going to be such a swap meet, I'd like to see the information posted. [/size] I believe this was the one Rich was working on. He says its dead, so I assume it's dead. That leaves the prewar meet proposed for the Phoenix area in lat...

Due to damage from storms and from human activity, the road is now closed. I'll be surprised if it ever reopens.
http://www.ridgeroute.org/

Maybe 253770?

No, not enough digits. That would be April, 1913. Add another digit on the end and you get February 1918, which makes more sense.

That's pretty weird. Why would anyone do that?

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