MTFCA Forum

I thought you guys might like this project
Part 1
https://youtu.be/v929yjF2jrw

Part 2
https://youtu.be/ipChrOwlJ0s

Part 3
https://youtu.be/yyQknAjRiHU

Part 4
https://youtu.be/obhAvwpCIAE

I'm not sure rescuing is the right word for pressure washing the interior.

is that a high or low radiator?

I was thinking the body is a 24 or 25. The high radiator cars have the cowl vent as this one does.

It’s Definitely a low radiator. Others have mentioned the vent. I’m new to model Ts so I don’t know what’s what yet

It appears that the metal firewall is a low firewall which would be a low cowl late 23 Fordor.
The earlier 23 Fordor didn’t have the cowl vent.
Doing a little reading Ford began to make changes in anticipation for the higher cowl or high radiator bodies. The difference in the earlier 23 and later 24-25 Fordor bodies would be the aluminum earlier bodies on some Fordors and the cowl section difference.
This car has the earlier cowl section. While the later has the 24-25 cowl section. It appears the 2 cowl sections at the front part of the bodies would interchange and that would be the only difference in the the 23 and the 24-25 bodies.
The rest of the body it self was pretty much the same. Or so it seems.

Bruce McCalleys book From Here to Obscurity mentions changes in this period weren’t clear cut and sometimes just appeared. The vent on the later 23 body might be one of them.
The majority of the cars with the vent seem to be in the 24-25 period and seemingly not many in the transition time were used in later 23.
Others may have other ideas for sure.

If it's truly rescued it'll be a lot of work getting the red paint back off the wheels.
And one should go ahead and have the complete interior reupholstered as it will never dry out. The coil box is also probably ruined.
I believe he has done more damage with the pressure washer than the ravages of time have done. Sad videos to watch. Depressing. But it is his car and he can do as he wishes.

Thanks for the great info

John kuehn wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 1:40 pm

It appears that the metal firewall is a low firewall which would be a low cowl late 23 Fordor.
The earlier 23 Fordor didn’t have the cowl vent.
Doing a little reading Ford began to make changes in anticipation for the higher cowl or high radiator bodies. The difference in the earlier 23 and later 24-25 Fordor bodies would be the aluminum earlier bodies on some Fordors and the cowl section difference.
This car has the earlier cowl section. While the later has the 24-25 cowl section. It appears the 2 cowl sections at the front part of the bodies would interchange and that would be the only difference in the the 23 and the 24-25 bodies.
The rest of the body it self was pretty much the same. Or so it seems.

Bruce McCalleys book From Here to Obscurity mentions changes in this period weren’t clear cut and sometimes just appeared. The vent on the later 23 body might be one of them.
The majority of the cars with the vent seem to be in the 24-25 period and seemingly not many in the transition time were used in later 23.
Others may have other ideas for sure.

Keep watching, this project has a long way to go

thom wrote: ↑

Sat Oct 10, 2020 3:41 pm

If it's truly rescued it'll be a lot of work getting the red paint back off the wheels.
And one should go ahead and have the complete interior reupholstered as it will never dry out. The coil box is also probably ruined.
I believe he has done more damage with the pressure washer than the ravages of time have done. Sad videos to watch. Depressing. But it is his car and he can do as he wishes.

Here’s part 5

https://youtu.be/q38m6LgGTs4

I'm enjoying watching your progress, thanks!

I am enjoying the opportunity to see a 1923 Fordor in such great detail. There is much to learn here.
Thanks
Rich

Neat car. Aluminun body?

Not to rain on your parade but, that first wheel (on the front) that you had some close-up shots of....it almost certainly has at least two compromised spokes that I could see. The pretty red paint is just masking what could potentially be a very dangerous situation once the car is a driver.

Very interesting video. "But I don't think Hank done it this a way"

Part 7
https://youtu.be/kQac6TaVn2Y

Part 8

https://youtu.be/QiCitTTVutU

Part 9
https://youtu.be/mQDPNJEbWBI

All I can say about the work is this: It might sell for a higher price because it is cleaned up, but the work he has done has destroyed any opportunity to be an "original unrestored" and it is not good enough to call "restored". The inside of the panels can rust and parts between wood and steel will deteriorate more because of the water inside. He certainly didn't know how to use a rim spreader and I think he used way too much baby powder. The wheels were not original and didn't even match, so would need two spare tires or change at least one on the road if that one became flat. Didn't do any mechanical work. And one very important No No was to jack up the rear of the car with jack in center of rear axle. It should be jacked toward the wheel leaving just enough space to get the jack stand between the jack and the wheel.
I am not an expert on Fordor Sedans, but I do know this about the 1923. It was a transition year and there are changes between the 1922 and 1924 and sometimes even a combination of the two. It is also possible the car was first titled the year it was first sold which could have been either an early production of the following year model, or a current year car held over and first sold the next year.
Norm

I see that two links were skipped:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fy60jM3Ca2Q
starting at about 5:00 into the video

and Part 6 link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr0-1nk672Y

Part 10
https://youtu.be/2TXhldv96A8

I commented on YouTube, after your last video, that you didn't check the magneto gap. You acknowledged the comment so I was looking forward to seeing you check it on this video.

You didn't, at least not that I could see. (Maybe I missed it...or maybe you didn't show it).

So...here's hoping you just get lucky. If so, you may get a functioning mag....if not, you'll have spent all that money on that pretty rebuilt mag ring for nothing.

Other than that, the car's looking good. I'm still concerned about what appeared to be compromised wooden spokes under all that red paint. If there's a bad spoke or two, your issues won't be something as benign as a faulty mag. It'll be much more dangerous.

Before jumping into Model T's 3 years ago, I was a very competent mechanic and could work on anything from a Model A to a big block Mopar, but Model T's are different. They're almost more like horses than cars. They can, and sometimes will, hurt you if you don't know what you're doing.

I took it relatively slowly with my T, asking for and getting lots of incredible advice from people here on this forum and elsewhere. This helped me avoid both expensive and dangerous mistakes. You seem to be moving forward at a speed that appears to be designed to create YouTube content. Good luck to you. I hope that your luck holds. I say that sincerely.

Episode 11

https://youtu.be/tASb9dlJPzc

Glad to see you replaced the spring perch bushings, they were shot! I guess you must have checked the kingpin bushings and determined they were OK. If they or the front wheel bearings are loose, you can get "death wobble" in the front end. Same thing for the tie rod and drag link bushings.

If everything is tight, you should end up with less than an inch of free play when turning the steering wheel rim. Don't re-install those period aftermarket anti-rattler springs, they will eventually wear grooves into the parts they rub on.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/41 ... 1407510383

Episode 12

https://youtu.be/ZP_1CYeugRU

Thank you for taking the time to do this. It is looking almost like time to inspect for smoke! jw

Part 13
https://youtu.be/ltZP_mkGINQ

Jerod,Great going and looking good!! Thanks for taking us along. jw

Part 14

https://youtu.be/1EGI-IWwlCo

You make it look easy, Thanks jw

Part 15
https://youtu.be/iHijSxFcS1s

Part 16

https://youtu.be/qFyklhAnxx8

It certainly shows the original latches and that multi-gear window regulator well.

JNH, as a mid 40’s guy just having started getting into model T’s the last few years and purchased one, I’ve really enjoyed your videos. I feel like there are very few model T videos or channels on YouTube that the younger generations, that we need to get interested in them, would enjoy their format. I’ve viewed lots of model T videos and it can get pretty in depth with special tools and procedures out of reach of most part time hobbyists. They provide valuable details, but can be dated in format and appearance. Most followed other build videos channels are of newer models. Yours have the feel of the successful channels that will bring newer younger model T enthusiasts in, and by your viewing numbers, it seems to be working. I also enjoy that you are showing the good and the bad, trial and error and aren’t afraid to show it. Yes, you will get picked apart by the elites on boards like this, but it gives normal garage wrenchers likes me a extra feeling of enjoyment in the hobby. Thanks.

Thanks for that Evan. I watch these for some of the nice things he captures. After restoring several car there are things I would do differently but the details of a '23 Fordor are something that are hard to find pictures of. I too hope we are catching the imagination of some youngsters and potential T owners.
It is human nature to add our opinions of how we would do things. Often it is in an effort to help but also can seem disapproving.
The fact that JNH is willing to take the time to share this is commendable.
Welcome to the group.
Rich

Thanks for the kind words, I really appreciate it. This has been a very fun project. I’m looking forward to driving it soon.

PlanoTx27 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:04 am

JNH, as a mid 40’s guy just having started getting into model T’s the last few years and purchased one, I’ve really enjoyed your videos. I feel like there are very few model T videos or channels on YouTube that the younger generations, that we need to get interested in them, would enjoy their format. I’ve viewed lots of model T videos and it can get pretty in depth with special tools and procedures out of reach of most part time hobbyists. They provide valuable details, but can be dated in format and appearance. Most followed other build videos channels are of newer models. Yours have the feel of the successful channels that will bring newer younger model T enthusiasts in, and by your viewing numbers, it seems to be working. I also enjoy that you are showing the good and the bad, trial and error and aren’t afraid to show it. Yes, you will get picked apart by the elites on boards like this, but it gives normal garage wrenchers likes me a extra feeling of enjoyment in the hobby. Thanks.

Part 17

https://youtu.be/6NaYoWNCiRk

Part 18
https://youtu.be/gyJjdRYIhyc

Jerod, It looks like you ae ready for a drive!! We are all waiting to see it!!

Drive Video
https://youtu.be/9u86AUQXl1I

Great job on the video!!

Congrats!
..

Great video, love the clothing for the trip. Well played!

Thanks guys,

This was a fun project. I will have a few more video of me driving the car and maybe taking it to some shows.

I'll try to remember to post links for them here.

Great driving video with Walter!

With practice, I think you'll find that you don't need to move the spark advance lever as much as you currently are. When running on battery, the timing response is fairly linear and smooth with timing lever movement, but when running on magneto the timing moves in a series of jumps between discrete values, so small movements of the lever often have no effect. Read Ron Patterson's article on Model T timing here:

Here's a short recap video of the full build.

https://youtu.be/GgGQdSSeyBE

I've been watching every Wed for your build videos. You did a great job. Would someone have done it differently? Yes. But who cares it's your T and you'll work out the bugs with Walter.

Here’s a how to drive video with lots of hills

https://youtu.be/cPTtXpzLBSs

Great video! As you get more practice, you'll find that it will eventually become second nature. Remember, for many original owners, a Model T was their first car of any kind! Once you're toodling around in high, you'll notice that your feet have nothing to do except be ready to use the brake or shift as needed.

Your low pedal looks like it goes nearly to the floor, If you get any slipping at all in low, adjust the band a bit tighter, but take it in small steps (1/4 turn). I run my low band as loose as I can get away with without the pedal hitting the floor or the low band linkage going "over center".

Since I run AC accessory brakes, I have my brake band adjusted so that the AC brakes do most of the work. The transmission brake only engages if I really stomp on the brake pedal in an emergency.

My reverse band is adjusted just tight enough that the reverse pedal sits up proud of the other two pedals a bit, helps keep my feet from getting tangled up in the pedals. The accessory reverse pedal extension from Tom Strickling is also very helpful, the vendors carry it:

https://www.modeltford.com/item/3439EX.aspx

This article talks about band adjustment and the "over center" condition you want to avoid:

Thank you! This is very helpful. I was planning on adjusting the forward band soon, so this is great.

One other adjustment that can affect transmission performance is the length of the emergency brake rods. If they are adjusted too long, they can prevent the emergency brake lever from going fully forward in high, which can reduced the clamping force of the high speed clutch and cause it to slip.

The Ford service manual has an adjustment procedure, but I prefer to use an alternate procedure, contained in this thread:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1420743911

In this video I go over the full cost of the Model T and the Beetle. I also go over how much YouTube has paid me.
https://youtu.be/9wu3WAo6w0g

Great video explaining the total cost vs. potential payback on each car. Most Youtubers are not making a fortune making videos, but I enjoy watching them and appreciate the effort and investment that folks do to make them. Best luck on your future projects and videos!

I also watch a lot of videos on the Motor Trend channel. On one of the videos in the series "Graveyard Cars", the shop owner states that he rolls in a certain amount of revenue from his contract with Motor Trend when he sets the pricing for his Mopar restorations. The implication is that his rates would be even higher if he didn't have the revenue coming in from Motor Trend. He is on a whole other level, with a dedicated video staff with their own office and camera/computer/editing equipment

In this video I drive the model T to a local cars & coffee

https://youtu.be/LP5Uu8SNf_4

I drove the Model T to the Long Beach Swap Meet.

https://youtu.be/xu6SNs1gCrA