MTFCA Forum

Hello Jack

Great Idea !

To build on this - after you give someone a drive
and if they show interest and want someone to
mentor them ….

Contact me and I will buy an annual individual membership
for them to your local MTFCA chapter …

I have been buying MTFCA memberships from time to time
for new Model T owners that I deliver vehicles to.

I also - on occasion - buy local MTFCA Chapter Memberships
for young folks showing an interest in the Hobby …



FJ

Jack,

Great idea. I will have my work cut out for me just with my family (photo attached). None of my 17 siblings have had a lesson but I will start with the 2 of my 4 kids who have yet to have a driving lesson as well as the 9 grandkids as soon as they have their license. All toll there were 163 at our family reunion in early June 2019. The photo shows each of the 18 families with matching colored shirts.

Thanks for the suggestion,

Dom (my family in red)

I love the idea! But you folks have to let us up north folks catch up in spring!

We used to have a "Learn to drive a Model T" day every year. However, after a couple cars at different times went off center and steered up onto the sidewalk where people were standing, decided not to to do it anymore because of liability issues. Best to learn on an vacant parking lot or a very lonely street if one can be found. Once a person gets the shifting down, it is easy to drive a T. No other car shifts like a T, so it is a unique experience.
Norm

Great idea Jack. I’ve only taught one young man to drive one of my Model T s but hes only driven it once. I expect we’ll have more opportunities for him to drive more. Better yet; I secured him a job with Ross Lilleker in College Station and hes learning all about component repair of our T s.

Four of my children have driven a T at least once, and one grandson, one nephew, and several others, not related. My great grandchiren are not old enough to drive yet and live in other states.
One very good way to teach is to put the parking lever in neutral position and practice using low and reverse pedals. To me the hardest part to learn are use of spark and throttle controls and low and reverse, because all stick shift cars engage when the pedal is released, but the T engages when the pedal is depressed. Also remembering to give enough gas that it doesn't kill the engine and push hard on the pedal so it doesn't slip as it goes into gear. Once that is learned, shifting to high is easy. Down shifting is also easy if one learns to slow down in high first and then as the pedal is depressed into low to give it gas to get the engine speed up to the speed of the car and then let it slow down on compression.
Another thing which usually only happens in slow traffic, is to leave enough space in front to stop because of the brakes.
Norm

I've taught two guys how to drive T's in the last 1.5 years. The first guy is a mechanical engineer who can drive just about anything & he learned fast. The second is a young guy about 40 who is kind of a shade tree mechanic. I taught him in about 15 to 20 minutes, then let him drive it by himself down the street while his Wife videoed him doing it so he could show his buddies at work the next day. He is still very interested but hasn't bought a T yet.

Keith

I have taught 6 people to drive Model Ts this year. We set up a Model T driving school at the Auburn Heights Tom Marshall Steam Museum in Yorklyn DE. It has a great collection of Stanley Steamers, trains, and two Model Ts. Everyone picked up driving quite well and the course has typically ended with the new drivers comfortable driving on scenic back roads. The course takes 4 - 5 hours (with lunch) and includes overview of Model Ts, basic care and maintenance, and starting and driving, We are planning to teach more people next season.

I just about taught myself to drive my first T! I had previously had Model A's so I was familiar with spark adjustment, and hand throttle and also the carb mixture control.
As a boy, my dad and uncles told me about driving the T and I remembered what they said. So I would drive my A using only the hand throttle and shift from low to high instead of using second gear. So the basics were there except for remembering to push the pedal down for low, and of course use of the reverse pedal. So the day I bought the first T, I drove it home. The low band was slipping so my son got out and pushed while I was in low and then jumped in and I drove in high. This happened at every signal until we got into the mountains. After we got out of town we ran every stop sign until we got to a hill too steep to climb in high and had to pull the T about 1/4 mile. We made it home, about a 30 mile drive.
Norm

It occurs to me that when we have our family reunion in June I can offer to teach Model T driving to anyone who shows up a day early and/or stays a day after. I have a private road for those who aren't yet licensed to drive in public. Dunno if anybody will take me up on it, but I can offer.

So far I have taught my Nephew, my Brother and my Brother in law.
Brother Steve

I taught a buddy who is the Maintenance Supervisor for big paving company how to drive my TT. He thought it was pretty cool, though he didn't quite get the hang of the 1-2 shift. His kids thought the ride was cooler than Disney.

This past summer I had the pleasure of teaching one of our AACA Region members to drive my 14. Ken Packard, shown in the photo included here, is currently on active duty with the USN. He is assigned to a special school right now, and when he had some town time, he phoned to tell me learning to drive a T was on his "bucket list." That weekend, we made it happen. He took to the T like a "sailor to water" and after one run up and down our little dead-end road, he was cruising around the neighborhood -all smiles all the way. The deal is - I taught him how to drive my T, and in return, once he graduates form his special school, he will be assigned to Command a US Navy Nuclear Submarine! So-he's going to teach me how to drive his sub! (maybe I'll at least get a special tour sometime).
Terry

Our local auto museum, California Auto Museum, usually has a once a year learn and drive a T day with the local T club providing a couple cars and teachers. That is where I first drove a T, I gave myself a failing grade because I kept putting the clutch pedal to the floor when stopping. Only slightly better now as I drive a daily standard shift otherwise.

Taught my son to drive the T this last weekend, he also drives a standard transmission daily.
I sold the drive as a challenge to him, as a mechanical engineer he had some interest on how this all works
He did well, we are in the country so no traffic issues.
I challenge all my friends that come visit to do the same

Will snyders
Penn Valley, Ca

I taught my high school friend to drive hers this past summer. She had never driven it since owning it. She took her lessons the day we got it running after several years of slumber.