MTFCA Forum

Hello;

Sorry about being the longtime lurker; I usually use the antique phonograph forum to get my old-junk fix, but in the interest of picking up something else with a crank on it, I was curious about Model T's and have been for a very long time.

Are non-starter engines really that easy to find? I was thinking about building a basic black-era speedster (this talk of slow speedsters drew me out of the woodwork) and for lightness I was thinking about doing it on a basic running chassis from the 1917-1923 or 1924-1925 period, but getting the simple straightforward one that only has a crank.

After the starter era, 1) were there still a bunch of non-starter T's sold, or did they go away pretty quickly? and 2) just how much trouble would I save by only having a crank-start motor?

If you are building a "put-together" by gathering parts, you can simply exclude the starter and the generator in your build even if you are utilizing 1919 or later block and hogshead.

The starter and generator are bolt-on items. If you delete them, there are plates that cover the openings.

Block-off plates make any later engine a non-starter engine. Those could be converted to starter at a later date if desired. There are many times more later engines than the pre-starter ones.
Hope this answers the question.
Rich

Really only savings will be cost of rebuilt generator and starter, plus battery and battery holder, adds about $700 or so to overall cost.

But, advantage for a 'fun' speedster is push heel button starting, and headlamps, tail, and stop lights for night time, or safety in daytime. If you happen to stall a speedster in an intersection, seemingly un-sightly to have to get out, go to front, crank over and get back in......stop light drill

As others posted, just delete the gen and starter motors, with cover plates over the openings.



sans generator

Would these non-starter ignitions switches also be required to call it a "non-starter". Both ignition switches have the dimmer for mag lights. The ammeter block off plates are original one piece, not a disk inside a ammeter adapter plate.

Frank, yes.


That is if going for 'factory' non-starter car.

That non-starter, Plain Jane, the timid sister of Lizzie, came with those style switches, and simple wiring harness, and magneto lamps, and no electric tail lamp.


.....just coal oil illumination out the back

Question:
So did the pre 17 non starter and generator engines have a hotter spark since they had the double row magneto coil on them? Always wondered about that since the 3 T’s that I have are 1919 up with the later single row mag coil and with a starter.
Of course they will start if I hand crank them. I had a 17 non starter engine I had thought about using for the pre 19 body I had but later sold it. Sometimes I wish I would have kept it and built an authentic non starter black era car.

John,
Don’t know if the pre-electrics has a hotter spark but most have 10% more horsepower with a low head. Coupled with over 100 lbs lighter with no electrics, they are peppier. My ‘14 with a double stack field coil produces over 30 volts on the Magnetometer at about 15 MPH.