How many cars in a T built from parts?

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Corey Walker
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How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Corey Walker » Tue Aug 11, 2020 10:21 am

I was on my way home yesterday thinking it was a nice day for a drive in a 106 year old car. Then I got to thinking, the majority of the car is from 1914, but I assembled it over many years. I bought a frame and axles for $75 when I was 14 and shortly thereafter found an engine, a 1914. Now it was an original engine and aluminum hogshead, but I had to buy a correct pan, head, fan, and water inlet since it had a water pump. Do that’s parts from 5 different cars just in the engine.
The rear axle is the same way. I used the axles and differential but had to buy 12 rivet housings, etc.i figured parts from 7 cars were used in my rear end.
Using this system, I made a list of how many cars went into each component of my car, not counting reproduction parts since they were never on a car.
7- engine
7- rear axle assembly
1- frame
4- running board brackets
1- motor mount
1- rear spring
1- front spring
6- front axle assembly
4- wheels
2- original hubcaps
2- spring shackles
3- fenders
1- splash shields
2- running boards
1- carbide generator
2- horn
2- hood and former
5- lights
3- body and turtle deck
2- windshield
3- fender irons
5- steering column
5- top irons
2- drag link and tie rod
1- muffler
1- mag post
1- carburetor
7- speedometer assembly
3- coil box and switch
That’s 86 different cars just for major components I can think of not counting things like the 4 coils or 4 exchange rods or mag coil.
Just something I thought about on my way home yesterday and thought it’d be interesting to break down.
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Corey Walker, Brownsboro, Texas


Sarikatime
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Sarikatime » Tue Aug 11, 2020 12:02 pm

I am in the finishing stages on a 14 with similar findings. 15 frame, 17 motor with 14 serial number, ruxstell, disc brakes, touring body of a 21 since that was all I could find after several years of looking, 27 split rims, parts from roughly 25 different people on this website from carburator to fenders to splash aprons to seat springs to headlights. Johny Cash specials are all over the place, just some don’t admit to having one. Just drive the wheels off of it, have fun, show it to everyone with pride and remember that most 106 year old cars are the same, especially if they were restored to ? ORIGINAL ???? Looking shiny and all but a pile of parts from who knows how many cars that the owner will never devoulge to. Just a thought. Frank


John kuehn
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by John kuehn » Tue Aug 11, 2020 1:05 pm

Cory,
I have 2 Model T’s (cobbled together) as some say but as you said built up from parts.

My first T was the 24 Coupe which I inherited from my Grandfather in 1959 and it was a complete car.
The other 2 are built up from parts. My 1919 Roadster was a main body shell I bought for 25.00. The fenders, frame and engine came from various places. I bought a garage full of T parts that took me 3 trailer loads to haul home. My other parts came from auctions and swap meets.
My 21 Touring came along later as a rusted out body that was set off in a pasture and the frame wound up as a trailer years and years ago.

I soon learned from going to swap meets that I wasn’t the only guy who started out with just a frame or partial body. My guess there are a lot of those cobbled together cars out there that were built up from the best parts that could be found. I know I did.

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Mark Gregush
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Mark Gregush » Tue Aug 11, 2020 3:53 pm

About the only parts on my 1921 that were original to the car are: block, frame, front fender irons, running boards and maybe the hogs head. Everything else was too far gone to repair with my skill and tools at the time.
I know the voices aren't real but damn they have some good ideas! :shock:

1925 Cut down pickup
1920 Dodge touring
1948 Ford F2 pickup


Daniel828
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Daniel828 » Tue Aug 11, 2020 7:55 pm

This car was made from parts from my friends collection, strangers from swap meets and Hershey
and oof course new parts from Langs, Snyders and chaffins Oh and from members on here, like hank lee
and the body was home made. I stole the idea from the movie "river runs through it"
The engine must've been a replacement and never restamped, but the car is titled as a 1923.
It grabs a lot of attention and im slowly venturing further from home. I think the furthest ive gone is 4 miles? :D
This is a great post.
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John kuehn
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by John kuehn » Tue Aug 11, 2020 11:32 pm

As far as my cars go I did try keep them period correct as much as I could. The 19 and 21 I have are around 95% or more correct according to their year and body style.

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George Mills
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by George Mills » Wed Aug 12, 2020 8:46 am

Actually...many more than we might think?

When I started in this we all were fortunate to know someone who was hands on first person dealer Model T “mechanics”.

I asked one of those guys how they ever made Ford time study since I was having trouble getting within 3-4 times the minutes posted.

He giggled and said, you wanted kingpins replaced? You got a rebuilt front axle from the last guy! Same thing with rear ends. On major work, you got the last guys! In and out, then in the quiet times we’d do the rebuilds on the bench.

I had no reason to doubt him and while that may have been true for the Agency he worked at, I could see others thinking the same.

Curious subject tho’


John kuehn
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by John kuehn » Wed Aug 12, 2020 9:23 am

It could be that the dealers, agency’s, independent garages and etc. would have parts ready to go and rebuilt for T’s as time went on. Since many of the parts and assemblies would work on different model years of a T it’s probably why many cars aren’t exactly as they should be according to the purists in the hobby today.
People wanted their car running and driving and if your car got a windshield frame with the later style hinges on it then so what. Just a thought but it probably happened more than we think. And that’s just 1 part that would interchange.


Original Smith
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Original Smith » Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:26 am

I built a car from parts, and there is certainly way more parts required than what you listed.

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AndreFordT
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by AndreFordT » Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:05 am

This was once my 1922 Woody (see avatare photo)
The only positif thing was: There was paperwork with the engine.

Andre
Belgium
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Rich Eagle
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by Rich Eagle » Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:44 am

Buying a complete car has been usually out of my budget. These three were pieced together from parts. The Coupe had most of the body panels in a lot for $20. The '09? has repro radiator and fenders. I made the body. The '14 was pieces gathered over 30 years. Sheet metal and frame mostly came from one pile. Back posts of the Coupe and the '14 show the sheet metal was bent, twisted and holes rusted through. Several restorers had passed the parts by as "not restorable.".
Scratch.jpg
These two came from the same place as fairly complete cars. $50 and $75 in the '60s. Barn finds by today's standards. The Speedster had numerous bodies on it before I got it. The Tudor had a Roadster body on it which I traded for a Touring body. 3 Tudors bodies plus some extra panels went into the finished body.
SctchNot.jpg
Now that I can afford a complete car I have run out of space. The searching and resurrecting of less than perfect parts has been a wonderful pastime for 50+ years. I am not sure I would appreciate and enjoy them as much had I been able to buy better cars to start with.
Rich
When did I do that?


John kuehn
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Re: How many cars in a T built from parts?

Post by John kuehn » Wed Aug 12, 2020 6:07 pm

Good point Rich E.
After a while a lot of people could go out and buy a nice T. But also a lot of people wouldn’t have the time or money and maybe not even enough nohow to build one up from parts.
Not trying to run anybody down but there is a satisfaction in knowing that you did something that not everyone wants to do. Or at the very least some of it.

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