Birdhaven

Discuss all things Model T related.
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
User avatar

Topic author
Oldav8tor
Posts: 1928
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:39 am
First Name: Tim
Last Name: Juhl
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Touring
Location: Thumb of Michigan
MTFCA Number: 50297
MTFCI Number: 24810
Board Member Since: 2018

Birdhaven

Post by Oldav8tor » Sun Apr 04, 2021 3:05 pm

So, what's up with Birdhaven? I see the Fun Projects website is down...only the Texas T site appears to be up and it doesn't list FP parts nor has it been updated for a long time. I know they had some supply issues and some parts were not available.... have things gotten worse? Is a telephone call the only way to find out what parts they do have? When they bought FP and Texas T's they picked up a bunch of popular part lines, some of which are getting scarce.
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor

User avatar

Tbird
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:51 pm
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Bird
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Delivery Car
Location: Goshen IN

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Tbird » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:14 pm

Yes, give them a call. I’ve made a few purchases from them recently and got everything that I needed including a modern driveshaft set up. I sent them my roller bearing housing and they sent it back completely redone and some tootsie rolls to boot!


Luke
Posts: 585
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:04 am
First Name: Luke
Last Name: P
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926
Location: New Zealand

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Luke » Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:48 pm

Tbird wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 5:14 pm
.... and some tootsie rolls to boot!
In my part of the world 'tootsie' can mean a couple of things:

https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictio ... sh/tootsie

So my eyebrows were certainly raised when you said said you got 'some tootsie rolls to boot' from a Model T parts supplier :o

In using the double-duck I came across:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RTkExKobH4
https://tootsie.com/

I assume what you got was the latter (?), but please enlighten me if I'm wrong, very intrigued!

User avatar

Tbird
Posts: 1086
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:51 pm
First Name: Mike
Last Name: Bird
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Delivery Car
Location: Goshen IN

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Tbird » Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:20 pm

Luke.... :lol:
The Tootsie roll candy

User avatar

Topic author
Oldav8tor
Posts: 1928
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:39 am
First Name: Tim
Last Name: Juhl
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Touring
Location: Thumb of Michigan
MTFCA Number: 50297
MTFCI Number: 24810
Board Member Since: 2018

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Oldav8tor » Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:27 pm

It would be nice if Birdhaven would produce a pdf of what they have to sell...I wish I'd saved a copy of the old FP site so I'd know what they used to have.
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor

User avatar

DanTreace
Posts: 3297
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:56 am
First Name: Dan
Last Name: Treace
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '23 cutoff, '25 touring, '27 touring
Location: North Central FL
MTFCA Number: 4838
MTFCI Number: 115
Board Member Since: 2000
Contact:

Re: Birdhaven

Post by DanTreace » Sun Apr 04, 2021 7:46 pm

Birdhaven’s 120 page catalog has all the product lines, call to get one.
6544A213-0B3C-40AC-AB2D-A6FFF6CDC790.jpeg
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford


Luke
Posts: 585
Joined: Fri Dec 13, 2019 1:04 am
First Name: Luke
Last Name: P
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926
Location: New Zealand

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Luke » Sun Apr 04, 2021 8:05 pm

Oldav8tor wrote:
Sun Apr 04, 2021 6:27 pm
It would be nice if Birdhaven would produce a pdf of what they have to sell...I wish I'd saved a copy of the old FP site so I'd know what they used to have.
Tim,

You can probably access some of the site via archive.org (https://web.archive.org/web/20130601000 ... ojects.com) - for example: https://web.archive.org/web/20130303205 ... jects.com/

Almost certainly it won't all be there, but you can try different months/years of archives to try and find what you want...

User avatar

Topic author
Oldav8tor
Posts: 1928
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:39 am
First Name: Tim
Last Name: Juhl
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1917 Touring
Location: Thumb of Michigan
MTFCA Number: 50297
MTFCI Number: 24810
Board Member Since: 2018

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Oldav8tor » Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:23 am

Thanks Dan, I'll give them a call. Thanks also to Luke...I didn't know that resource existed!
1917 Touring
1946 Aeronca Champ
1952 Willys M38a1 Jeep (sold 2023)
1953 Ford Jubilee Tractor

User avatar

RustyFords
Posts: 1554
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:16 am
First Name: Don
Last Name: Allen
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
Location: Houston, TX
MTFCA Number: 50001

Re: Birdhaven

Post by RustyFords » Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:34 am

They were at Chickasha....had a table in the north building.
1924 Touring

User avatar

Steve Jelf
Posts: 6463
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
First Name: Steve
Last Name: Jelf
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
MTFCA Number: 16175
MTFCI Number: 14758
Board Member Since: 2007
Contact:

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Steve Jelf » Mon Apr 05, 2021 11:46 am

I didn't realize FP products were listed in the catalogue, but yes, there they are. They just aren't identified as such. I didn't find any mention of Fun Projects in the catalogue.
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring


StanHowe
Posts: 979
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:42 pm
First Name: Stan
Last Name: Howe
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 2
Location: Helena, MT
MTFCA Number: 19133
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Birdhaven

Post by StanHowe » Mon Apr 05, 2021 12:42 pm

Everybody should jump in the antique car parts supply and restoration business.

It is an incredibly easy way to make a huge fortune, provide no end of free tech support - which is always fun - maintain up to date web sites, provide instant service 24/7/365 including Holidays and Sundays, and never ever not answer the phone instantly because you have something that really needs to be in the mail tomorrow, it is 11 pm and you have to work your real job tomorrow or you see who it is calling or emailing again and you just really don't care about how cute Sarge and Buster were down at the beach today.


Sarikatime
Posts: 622
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:47 pm
First Name: Frank
Last Name: Seress
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Towncar, 1915 Touring
Location: Prescott, Arizona
MTFCA Number: 27707

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Sarikatime » Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:02 pm

Stan is right, the antique car restoration supply business is a lot of hard work and very little financial rewards. It is a labor of love that has little to none rewards at times and Bill and company is doing a fantastic job. Be nice to them and to the rest of the supply companies that are out to help you get you baby to perfection.
Just my thought. Frank

User avatar

StevenS
Posts: 491
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:20 pm
First Name: Steven
Last Name: Sebaugh
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring, 1924 TT Truck
Location: Jackson, Missouri
MTFCA Number: 49646

Re: Birdhaven

Post by StevenS » Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:55 pm

Well there goes my retirement dream of making lots of $$$$. :( :( :(
1924 Model T Touring
1924 Model TT Truck
1930 Model A Pheaton
"It is great to be crazy ... It gives you a lot more options in life"


StanHowe
Posts: 979
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:42 pm
First Name: Stan
Last Name: Howe
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 2
Location: Helena, MT
MTFCA Number: 19133
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Birdhaven

Post by StanHowe » Mon Apr 05, 2021 4:21 pm

The reality is that there are fewer and fewer people in the restoration/manufacturing/supplier business in any of the old car hobby areas. Young people are not interested in working that hard for the money they can make, it is harder and harder to find a place to have a shop that doesn't have five thousand government regulations and it is pretty much impossible to find anybody as an employee if you do manage to do all that.

It is seen by young people as a dying business and why would they want to get into that.

The biggest reason, tho, I think is that people today live in the Amazon world where they expect instant gratification, order it today and it's delivered tomorrow for a price cheaper than any local brick and mortar store could possibly provide it.

I've been at this off and on for nearly 60 years and my take on it is they are all pretty much right. You can't run a carburetor business out of a nice house in the suburbs, why would you do something that is lots of hours and work for not a lot of money and why would you put your self in a declining instead of growing business???

I like all the things I do but the auction in Shelby is probably my last one; I am no longer taking in repair work until I can get some of the back log caught up and any person who had money enough to buy my inventory and give me anything at all for the blue sky wouldn't want to invest in this --- and any person who would be interested wouldn't have any money.

It is far easier to just go get a job, put in your 8 a day, have the weekend off and have health insurance, a retirement plan and nobody calling you on Easter Sunday wanting to know where their carburetor is.


Banjoe
Posts: 137
Joined: Sat Mar 23, 2019 8:17 am
First Name: Joe
Last Name: Lucas
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Tudor
Location: Winnipeg
MTFCA Number: 50498

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Banjoe » Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:05 pm

You are speaking some very wise words there, Stan.

It is so much easier to get a 9 to 5 job with benefits and pension than to provide a unique service that requires years of dedicated (and unpaid) learning, sweat, and effort.

The result is that you have become 1 in a million while the easy path crowd has just become the rest of that million.

On balance....well, actually there is no balance because we are talking 2 different worlds here. The Amazon shoppers may know the cost of everything but will never know the real value of what you, and the very rare folks like you, have accomplished and the service that you provide.

You will never be paid even close to what you are worth but not one of the rest of the million will ever be depended on so much that they will be called on Easter Sunday.

If you had to do it all over again, I suspect that you would still follow the same path.

Thanks,

Joe
None of us is as smart as all of us.


StanHowe
Posts: 979
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 5:42 pm
First Name: Stan
Last Name: Howe
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 2
Location: Helena, MT
MTFCA Number: 19133
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: Birdhaven

Post by StanHowe » Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:23 pm

If I had it to do over again I would be a lot smarter this time around.

I would do what my brothers did. Figure out what kind of business people actually make money in, build one and retire when I was young enough to enjoy the time.

When I go teach at auction school I tell the new people, Take 100 bucks from your first auction and put it in the bank where you can't touch it. Your second auction take 200, in ten auctions you are banking 1,000 from every one. Never touch it.

Nobody told me that. I went to auction school, came home and kicked a hole in the business and survived. I never worked one day for anybody else in the business. I did pretty well overall. I made some money.

And I spent it all trying to stay in business, pay my bills and my taxes, keep the crew well fed and hanging on. If I had done that 39 years ago I would have $435,000 plus the interest or accrual on the money that I would never have missed.

I wouldn't be working and putting up with people calling on Sundays and Holidays wanting free advice or complaining that I don't have their carburetor done.

Live and learn.

Back to the shop. Back to the shop. Back to the shop.

It is almost 3:30 and I have been on the phone or answering emails since 7:30 this morning. My day in the shop is just starting

User avatar

TRDxB2
Posts: 5407
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:56 pm
First Name: Frank
Last Name: Brandi
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedster (1919 w 1926)
Location: Moline IL
Board Member Since: 2018

Re: Birdhaven

Post by TRDxB2 » Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:10 pm

I am truly saddened by the off-topic discussions and limited views expressed about peoples interests and especially younger people then thou. Society (usually)adapts to current and pending technology. A var hobbyist is likely to focus on a popular fade of automobile of their teens. Categorized as: Antique, Vintage, Muscle, Sports, Hippy Vans, Hot Rods, Lift Trucks, Mini Trucks, Low Riders, Tuners, Rat Rods, patin'ad, etc..
The Car Hobby lives on, some areas stronger than others
Attachments
swap.jpg
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger


Dan Hatch
Posts: 4110
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 7:31 pm
First Name: Dan
Last Name: Hatch
Location: Alabama
MTFCA Number: 49974

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Dan Hatch » Mon Apr 05, 2021 7:34 pm

I saw a commercial on tv today that sums it up I think.
Guy in his late 20’s I guess was playing with his daughter. Shows us the app on his smartphone that lets him find a plumber to fix a leaking facet. This so he can keep playing.
W hy not show your daughter how to fix a facet! Because he does not know himself
. All he learned as a kid was how to play.

I am glad my daughter was welding when she was 8.
I feel better now. Dan


Dan McEachern
Posts: 1180
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:08 am
First Name: DAN
Last Name: MCEACHERN
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: too many. '14 touring, 2 depot hacks, 2 speedsters
Location: ALAMEDA,CA,USA

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Dan McEachern » Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:15 pm

I hope I don't get in trouble for this:
D Welding.jpg

User avatar

TRDxB2
Posts: 5407
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:56 pm
First Name: Frank
Last Name: Brandi
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedster (1919 w 1926)
Location: Moline IL
Board Member Since: 2018

Re: Birdhaven

Post by TRDxB2 » Mon Apr 05, 2021 8:31 pm

Spending time with your kids is commendable: sharing your interests to make it theirs is great, supporting their interests is even greater.
The past is a great place and I don't want to erase it or to regret it, but I don't want to be its prisoner either.
Mick Jagger


bnchief
Posts: 162
Joined: Sun Feb 17, 2019 8:33 am
First Name: Steven
Last Name: White
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 2
Location: Great Bend Kansas
MTFCA Number: 73
MTFCA Life Member: YES

Re: Birdhaven

Post by bnchief » Thu Apr 08, 2021 3:54 pm

Bill has a full time job i used to do what he is doing(not old car parts) but I know the feeling of what Stan said, The ladies at Birdhaven are great and I always try to do business with them.


DHort
Posts: 2461
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
First Name: Dave
Last Name: Hjortnaes
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
Location: Men Falls, WI
MTFCA Number: 28762
MTFCI Number: 22402

Re: Birdhaven

Post by DHort » Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:48 am

For anyone that complains about a web site. Go find a neighbor or friend and ask them to teach you how to use a telephone. Pretty easy. Just dial a number and talk to the person who answers. Bill will always give you great service or his assistants will.


ModelTWoods
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:53 am
First Name: Terry
Last Name: Woods
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Model T coupe, 1926 4 door sedan
Location: Cibolo (San Antonio), TX
MTFCI Number: 20180

Re: Birdhaven

Post by ModelTWoods » Fri Apr 09, 2021 10:52 am

i'll just say that it is a pleasure to be able to do business with parts vendors who do take the business of serving the hobbyist/collector, seriously enough to make it their only business goal in life, and not a sideline. If all other vendors operated their business as a sideline, we'd hear and see complaints about them like we hear and see about Howell's, here in Texas.

User avatar

Steve Jelf
Posts: 6463
Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 9:37 pm
First Name: Steve
Last Name: Jelf
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1923 touring and a few projects
Location: Parkerfield, Kansas
MTFCA Number: 16175
MTFCI Number: 14758
Board Member Since: 2007
Contact:

Re: Birdhaven

Post by Steve Jelf » Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:21 am

If all other vendors operated their business as a sideline, we'd hear and see complaints about them like we hear and see about Howell's, here in Texas.

Is Howell's a sideline?
The inevitable often happens.
1915 Runabout
1923 Touring


ModelTWoods
Posts: 1048
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:53 am
First Name: Terry
Last Name: Woods
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Model T coupe, 1926 4 door sedan
Location: Cibolo (San Antonio), TX
MTFCI Number: 20180

Re: Birdhaven

Post by ModelTWoods » Sat Apr 10, 2021 12:23 am

Steve Jelf wrote:
Fri Apr 09, 2021 11:21 am
If all other vendors operated their business as a sideline, we'd hear and see complaints about them like we hear and see about Howell's, here in Texas.

Is Howell's a sideline?
Steve, Although Howell's sells direct (that is, if you ever get the parts you paid for), I consider them to be a "manufacturer", instead of a vendor. They certainly don't sell a full line of parts like Snyder's or Lang's, or for that matter, Chaffins or Bobs.

Post Reply Previous topicNext topic