Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

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Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:18 pm

I will post a series of photos of the process of working on my 1927 Roadster.
I bought this car in 1978 in Camrose Alberta when my passion was high and my Model T knowledge was low. From then on, I have been in Model T College and then University. (self-described)
Being a type A personality and journeyman auto-body man, I am cursed with attention to detail. Some would call it over thinking. In the interest of doing the repair that I wanted to do, my discoveries were an evolution. I knew that if we want to do more than patch and fill our cars, we need to get at the skin.
Early in my search, I found that the Model T was designed on a graph paper using vertical and horizontal lines and a compass.
On this car the cowl skin was riveted to the firewall under the cowl lace, bolted at the dash, held by the door hinges, and wrapped under the sides. This was a very simple removal. The cowl skin came off like a glove.
This led to simply drilling all the rivets on the sub-assemblies and panels and, using a small rotary burr to separate the spot welds. Afterward, I surmised that this car along with thousands of others, was pre painted at the factory in small parts and sub-assemblies, then crated and shipped to plants for assembly where they would get the final paint. My car was likely built at the Winnipeg Manitoba plant.
I have 36 photos in line but I think I can only post 5 at a time.
I will start with the frame.
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I set it up to be level and square. I discovered that it had been bumped in the right front corner and was out of square. I removed the distorted rivets because they were no longer a tight fit. I straightened and refit the bracket #2860B, and replaced the rivets with temporary bolts. Next was to push the frame to a relaxed square fit, and then tighten the temporary bolts. I then replaced the bolts with rivets one at a time.
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 4:50 pm

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Image #10- The sub frame.
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:05 pm

#12- With a small ball peen hammer, tighten the strap rivets.
#14- The cowl is often twisted, (evident in cowl skin cracking at the upper corner) so it is necessary to do a diagonal measurement and correct it to square. (tighten or replace all affected rivets)
#15- Hip panel braces. With the skin removed you can easily repair this area. After straightening or patching, spot weld the braces in and rivet the assembly to the sub frame and wrap the skin under as you do the cowl.
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Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


TXGOAT2
Posts: 6411
Joined: Sun Feb 14, 2021 10:08 pm
First Name: Pat
Last Name: McNallen
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926-7 roadster
Location: Graham, Texas
MTFCA Number: 51486
Board Member Since: 2021

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by TXGOAT2 » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:11 pm

Almost like a factory tour... thanks!


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:15 pm

16.JPG
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#18- IMPORTANT! leave this unbolted from the firewall bracket until the built body with fitting doors has been bolted to the frame. This is last because levering it up or down will change the door fit.
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#19-20- Hold everything with small bolts while you build your car. Replace with rivets later.
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:20 pm

#21- You may want to buy bun panels from the vendors but I chose to form my own.
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Work honestly
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Get the job done right


Scott_Conger
Posts: 6430
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:18 am
First Name: Scott
Last Name: Conger
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '13, '15, '19, '23
Location: Clark, WY
Board Member Since: 2005

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Scott_Conger » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:30 pm

Ken...nice work on the panels! I have intimate knowledge of what it takes to make such a part, as I had to fabricate two of them for my earlier car. I had purchased the standard 26-27 bun panels only to find they were too far out for my purpose. It was my intro into a crash-course of metal bumping.
Scott Conger

Tyranny under the guise of law is still Tyranny

NH Full Flow Float Valves
Obsolete carburetor parts manufactured


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:40 pm

26.JPG
27.JPG
#28- A general look of the body structure. To avoid regret, pre fit and build the whole car before painting.
28.JPG
#29- The windshield post nut surfaces and the door hinge outer surfaces are plumb.
29.JPG
#30- With the cowl structure exposed, you can access the upper braces if they have sagged or have been dented down. The tank strap hanger brackets bend forward with tension from tightening and the car bouncing. Bend the tank strap brackets slightly rearward so that the straps can be installed with the tank in place. You now have access to the split rivets that hold the webbing above the tank and you can hold the tank in place with one hand while tightening the straps with the other. Fitting the forward tank pad/cardboard is a breeze.
30.JPG
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:46 pm

#32- The straight edge shows that the forward face of the roof bow aligns with the center of the door hinges.
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#33 & #34 show a closeup of the braces with a cardboard spacer where the webbing goes.
33.JPG
34.JPG
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:55 pm

#35 & #36 show the cowl skin naked. You now have perfect access for patching, or holding a dolly for forming. I use a black rattle can for a thin guide coat and sanding block to show where I'm at with my work. What you see in #36 is the difference of a few thousands of an inch, though it looks like more. The cowl skin can be installed and removed easily throughout the process of repair. I have had this one on/off at least a dozen times.
35.JPG
36.JPG
Last edited by Ken Buhler on Mon Oct 25, 2021 9:49 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Topic author
Ken Buhler
Posts: 426
Joined: Mon Jan 21, 2019 4:14 pm
First Name: Ken
Last Name: Buhler
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1927 Roadster 1927 Coupe
Location: Kelowna B.C.
MTFCA Number: 49471
Board Member Since: 2012

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Ken Buhler » Mon Oct 25, 2021 5:58 pm

Next, I will show the trunk panel disassembly as I chose to do.
Please note that this is the approach that I chose and I am not in any way suggesting that it is the way. I appreciate all I have learned from many members of this hobby.
I have no more connection to the big guy above than any other.
Ken Buhler
Work honestly
Stay true to your word
Get the job done right


Les Schubert
Posts: 1311
Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 5:47 pm
First Name: Les
Last Name: Schubert
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 27 roadster 13 touring
Location: Calgary

Re: Improved Open Car Surgery And Build

Post by Les Schubert » Tue Oct 26, 2021 11:52 pm

Nice work!

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