Search found 161 matches

by Jugster
Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:26 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: A Complicated Man with a Simple Idea
Replies: 6
Views: 3746

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...
by Jugster
Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:08 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: How to tell if lacquer was applied to a brass radiator
Replies: 24
Views: 7193

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...
by Jugster
Mon Jul 29, 2019 6:35 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Lever won’t stay put
Replies: 9
Views: 4376

Re: Lever won’t stay put

You might find this accessory helpful. Click on this link:

https://www.modeltford.com/item/3524-25T.aspx

by Jugster
Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:38 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension

Thanks for the photos, Paul. Nice installation. I hope to do as neat a job. Thanks again.
by Jugster
Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:38 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

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 ...
by Jugster
Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:02 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!
Replies: 19
Views: 6606

Re: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!

Sorry to hear you were injured, Rob. I hope you'll be feeling better soon.
by Jugster
Wed Jul 24, 2019 4:13 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension

Thanks. Much appreciated.
by Jugster
Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:52 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Dare to Share- Your first T
Replies: 14
Views: 5768

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...
by Jugster
Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:16 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension

Paul,
Might you have a cellphone photo of your floorboard modification?
Bob C.
by Jugster
Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:30 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: City driving
Replies: 8
Views: 4052

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, ...
by Jugster
Thu Jul 18, 2019 8:46 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

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.
by Jugster
Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:44 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

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 ...
by Jugster
Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:58 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Replies: 18
Views: 6815

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...
by Jugster
Fri Jul 12, 2019 10:56 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Foto of the Day
Replies: 646
Views: 168173

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...
by Jugster
Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:13 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Front Wheel Question
Replies: 14
Views: 5230

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.
by Jugster
Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:36 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: New tires
Replies: 7
Views: 3917

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...
by Jugster
Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:47 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Ocean to Ocean Tour
Replies: 29
Views: 10863

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...
by Jugster
Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:17 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: “Ford” Amusement Park Cars Up For Auction
Replies: 4
Views: 3199

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 ...
by Jugster
Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:28 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
Replies: 61
Views: 18136

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...
by Jugster
Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:56 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
Replies: 61
Views: 18136

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...
by Jugster
Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:23 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: On the Road Again... Sort of
Replies: 2
Views: 1929

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 ...
by Jugster
Tue May 28, 2019 10:48 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Rules for setting timing as you drive?
Replies: 20
Views: 7184

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...
by Jugster
Thu May 23, 2019 5:08 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Anything Modern To Help??
Replies: 17
Views: 6205

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...
by Jugster
Thu May 23, 2019 2:30 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Is this 18% grade too steep for a Model T to descend down?
Replies: 34
Views: 11191

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)
by Jugster
Sun May 19, 2019 12:11 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: What timer do you use
Replies: 43
Views: 13157

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...
by Jugster
Fri May 10, 2019 10:37 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Lubricants, what do you use?
Replies: 21
Views: 7417

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...
by Jugster
Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:13 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Quality Inner Tubes
Replies: 18
Views: 7026

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 ...
by Jugster
Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:45 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Non-skids vs standard tread
Replies: 14
Views: 5832

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...
by Jugster
Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:46 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Vibration at higher RPMs
Replies: 20
Views: 6866

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.
by Jugster
Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:14 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Treating wooden wheels.
Replies: 10
Views: 5346

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...
by Jugster
Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:52 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: What have you done with your Model T in April?
Replies: 121
Views: 39351

Re: What have you done with your Model T in April?

Nothing.
Not a blessed thing.
Still recovering from last month's spine surgery.
by Jugster
Sun Mar 31, 2019 1:54 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Tire wear and Toe in adjustment
Replies: 14
Views: 6169

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 ...
by Jugster
Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:16 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: 1911 progress
Replies: 8
Views: 4140

Re: 1911 progress

Nice work!
by Jugster
Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:14 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: 11 Torpedo just sold
Replies: 10
Views: 5136

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?
by Jugster
Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:52 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: State Inspection of Ellie Mae
Replies: 35
Views: 11556

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...
by Jugster
Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:15 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: MTFCA Magazine Article on 50 mph...
Replies: 53
Views: 16371

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 ...
by Jugster
Wed Mar 27, 2019 10:29 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: oil for model t
Replies: 7
Views: 4383

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...
by Jugster
Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:49 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Wooden spoked wheel overhaul
Replies: 9
Views: 4944

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...
by Jugster
Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:39 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: balancing beads
Replies: 14
Views: 6499

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.
by Jugster
Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 am
Forum: OT - Off topic
Topic: At Chickasha, who took my veteran's cap?
Replies: 6
Views: 3804

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.
by Jugster
Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:18 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Cheapest 30 x 3 1/2 Tires
Replies: 10
Views: 5433

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...
by Jugster
Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:28 pm
Forum: OT - Off topic
Topic: Be Careful What You Wish For...
Replies: 19
Views: 7599

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...
by Jugster
Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:21 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Coolant Recommendation
Replies: 45
Views: 14752

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...
by Jugster
Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:28 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: oil
Replies: 7
Views: 3914

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...
by Jugster
Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:15 am
Forum: OT - Off topic
Topic: Let's go back to the old Forum
Replies: 65
Views: 20029

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.
by Jugster
Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:15 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: ‘Matching Numbers’ Add any Monetary Value to a Model T?
Replies: 20
Views: 7174

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...
by Jugster
Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:29 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Brass radiator... clear coat?
Replies: 27
Views: 9550

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...
by Jugster
Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:17 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: 2d Gear Difficulty
Replies: 37
Views: 11162

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...
by Jugster
Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:53 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: How Long Have You Owned Your Old Iron?
Replies: 62
Views: 17772

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.
by Jugster
Thu Feb 14, 2019 2:07 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Show your T
Replies: 27
Views: 9599

Re: Show your T

Photo taken at Oheka Castle
by Jugster
Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:25 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Show your T
Replies: 27
Views: 9599

Re: Show your T

Here's my '15 Touring, "Penelope."
by Jugster
Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:47 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
Replies: 54
Views: 16628

Re: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer

How about re-issuing this discontinued side-view mirror?
by Jugster
Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:58 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
Replies: 54
Views: 16628

Re: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer

One of the most useful items is the small running-board toolbox, sometimes referred to as the "battery box." I would say that for most of us, the large running-board toolboxes, which are fairly common, are too large, much more so than necessary, and take up way too much "foot-room" on the running-bo...
by Jugster
Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:51 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Praise goes out to Lang's again
Replies: 6
Views: 3823

Re: Praise goes out to Lang's again

Lang's is second to none.
by Jugster
Wed Jan 30, 2019 3:11 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Vintage Apparel
Replies: 14
Views: 6839

Re: Vintage Apparell

Terry, I measured my genuine, antique, JC Penny straw hat and the measurements come out to a 2 1/2" brim and a crown that is 3" tall.
by Jugster
Wed Jan 30, 2019 1:54 am
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Have you ever made a stupid mistake?
Replies: 57
Views: 17403

Re: Have you ever made a stupid mistake?

Nobody ever made as stupid a mistake as did I. When the retro-fitted starter on my '15 Touring stopped working, I decided to dismount it and have it rebuilt by an electric shop. Unfortunately, as the car had not been designed to accommodate a starter, access to it for servicing was severely limited...
by Jugster
Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:35 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Whats the Name of your T?
Replies: 69
Views: 20199

Re: Whats the Name of your T?

We settled on "Penelope" out of a field of Brass-Era names like Adeline, Genevieve, Henrietta, Betsy, Agatha, Muriel, Alexandra, Ophelia, Pricilla, Gwendolyn, Felicity, Anabel, Gertrude, Wilhelmina, Harriet, Hazel, Esmeralda, Daisy, Constance, Agnes, Winnifred, Amelia, Mabel, Shirley, Scheherazade ...
by Jugster
Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:19 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Vintage Apparel
Replies: 14
Views: 6839

Re: Vintage Apparell

The high quality boater/skimmer/straw hats available today are a good value, but their proportions are off as the crowns are too tall. The correct-looking ones are those which are genuine antiques, not modern reproductions. I searched the web far and wide for a hat shop that carries the correctly p...
by Jugster
Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:56 pm
Forum: General Discussion Forum
Topic: Vintage Apparel
Replies: 14
Views: 6839

Vintage Apparel

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 Model T or other Brass-Era car, or would like to use it in everyday l...