MTFCA Forum

With the mechanical restoration of my '13 Touring nearly done it is time to turn my full attention to the next project, the family '26 Fordor. For those of you who may not be familiar with the car or me, I will give you a very brief introduction to both.
My car was purchased by my father Dave and his brother George as a basket case out of a junkyard in 1952 or 1953. They paid $50 for the car and a family friend towed it home. The car was used for daily transportation by the family and was kept until my dad left home for college in 1956 or so.
My dad stayed in touch with the buyer and bought the car back in about 1970 and it has remained in our family since that time.
My dad used the car daily for several summers until the engine developed a serios knock. With the help of Mark and Phil Eyre, we replaced the incorrect engine in about 1997, performing some mechanical rehabilitation along the way. A Model T enthusiast before this work began the hook was set for me as the work progressed.
I suggested a full restoration of the car at that time but my idea involved securing a Touring body to replace the stodgy Fordor. Dad wouldn't hear of it, suggesting that I buy a Touring of my own if I wanted one. I did so and that car went on to win the 2006 MTFCI Stynowski Award while the Fordor languished.
While on tour two years ago the rear axle began growling and ultimately broke leaving me stranded 20 feet from my trailer.
Since then I have been accumulating parts and began the disassembly process three nights ago. Why start it on February 26? It would have been dad's 85th birthday.
Here are a couple photos.

Forum member Don Booth won't be surprised but I was stunned by the extent of the rot evident on the top structure. This photo depicts the first step of the disassembly, removal of the old top covering.

Not uncommon years ago a few of us in my area made four sets of wood for a fordor two cars got finished, I kept a set of wood for patterns, evryone got good at making the pieces, when a saw is setup you might as well make some extra's because some one out there will want them someday! Helps pay for your wood on your car.

Eric, I love these threads. Lots of photos and updates will be needed. Great story and I will be waiting for more posts to follow along with your restoration.

Some people over the years have asked me about the yellow horn. All I can say is dad liked the horn yellow as it matched the yellow of the wood wheels that were on the car for years. If I can find it I have a very old photo of the car as it looked when dad first brought it home. It was sitting on wire wheels that dad incorrectly thought were from a Model A, thus the change back to wires for the car. I'll be posting photos as we go along.

Tonight my tasks were to remove the headlamp assembly and get the visor off. The last time I restored a car I completed a series of seemingly minor jobs that when taken as a whole resulted in a lot of progress fast. That is the goal here. Tomorrow's task will be to remove the rear fenders.

Tonight my tasks were to remove the headlamp assembly and get the visor off. The last time I restored a car I completed a series of seemingly minor jobs that when taken as a whole resulted in a lot of progress fast. That is the goal here. Tomorrow's task will be to remove the rear fenders.

'Bout time you got around to this! I been hearing about it for almost twenty years now! (All meant in fun! Just had to razz ya a bit!) (By the way, I am nowhere to talk like that? I have a "my dad bought it in 1967 project" myself that still needs to get done!)

I do really look forward to project updates and seeing the wonderful restoration I "expect" to see when done!

Wayne, the point is fair. I intended to jump directly from the '26 Touring restoration to restoring the Fordor. At the time I was single, taking classes toward my Ph.D. and my parents were in pretty good health. In the intervening 20 years I have gotten married, acquired 4 kids, completed the Ph.D, lost both parents and a brother in law, moved, replaced both knees, sold four houses and....on and on. Finally, last week I looked out in the garage on my dad's birthday and said, "it's time."

Just for fun, here are a couple more photos of the car while wearing wooden wheels. The first is from 1973-74 or so, when my dad was using the car frequently. In the photo is my sister Laura, my cousins Ken and Robb, me and behind the wheel is my dad. In the second photo the car is seen with the Laura, Ken, Robb and me at my father's memorial.

I love it!
Keep it up. You may yet shame me into working on my Paige! I have two model Ts that have to be finished first, and some family issues that still need to be resolved so that I can have enough time to actually work on the car. Thirty years ago, I managed to work on it quite a bit for almost a year. But, one thing and another, I haven't had the money or the time to spare since. I actually bought most of the paint (lacquer) thirty years ago. I don't know if it would be any good anymore or not. Some of the car has its first coats of paint. Most of it does not.

I do look forward to your progress!

I got nothing done on the Fordor two nights ago but was able to pull one of my daughter's baby teeth, process that took over an hour. Last night I removed the passenger side front door. The top hinge pin was really stubborn but I attribute that to the structural damage of the body thus most of the weight of the door was carried by that hinge alone.
Why that door? First off that was the side easiest to access in the garage and secondly, that window has not worked in at least 50 years so I want to tear into the door to see if I can restore it to functional status.

Eric, if you plan on replacing the original upholstery I would have an interest in some or if not all of what you replace. Thanks, Joe

I have the fist of the upholstery off the door. This revealed a lot of original paint (much of it in excellent condition) and the original upholstery color. Tonight I plan to remove the window regulator mechanism to see if I can figure out what has brokenn.

I got the innards of the door apart tonight. After 50 years I figured out what was wrong with the window mechanism. The part of the regulator where my finger is pointing allowed the gear to slip off and the crank no longer worked. A couple firm hits with my ball peen hammer and the mechanism works like new.
On another topic, one can clearly see this was a Budd built body.

When regulators "go off the track" as yours has, the cause is often that the car was left outside in inclement winter weather and snow and ice got inside the door and froze. Instead of waiting for warmer weather or moving the car to an above-freezing location, someone strongarms the window handle.

I have no doubt you are right...in fact I remember the day my mom did it...and my dad was passed. Keep in mind this was a 28 year old car my dad bought out of a junkyard. It was abused.

Some of you have given me some well deserved ribbing about the pace of this project. Getting you up to date on my progress it has been slow. Two weeks ago I got a call from my aunt who was requesting a bedside visit before my uncle George died. George was dad's younger brother with whom he bought the car in 1952. The next day my uncle passed away, happily and peacefully.

That evening I went out to the garage and had a "car talk" with my sister, in other words, a chat while sitting on the running board. Along the way, we discussed the future of the Fordor. We agreed that I should get busy if I could find the time.

Less than 36 hours later noted Fordor restorer Don Booth called and offered to take on the woodwork and other aspects of the car. I plan to take the car to him in the 23rd and have been working furiously to get parts disassembled so I can work on them while the car is in Don's hands. Some things are just meant to be.

Eric, when you say the 23rd, I hope it's December. Don does his best work on cars in that month. Our Fordor went to him on Christmas day.

Going back to the wood rot in the front corner, that happen on my Coupe. Do you suppose it's caused by condensation under the fabric at a low point it can travel too? The rest of the wood seems better.
Rich

Are you going to get a proper sun visor for it? The one that is on there may have been on it when your Dad bought it, but the correct one is a frame of metal covered with vinyl and sewed around the openings. I have pictures of an original sunvisor on a factory original Fordor if you need me to send them. Jim Patrick

PS. You can’t take too many pictures. Document thoroughly and keep a picture album of all phases of restoration. The one picture you may think you won’t need may be the most important one.

Except for the red color that it was painted with many years ago by a prior owner to preserve the original paint job underneath, I owned this 1926 all factory original Fordor from 2004 until June of 2022 when I sold it. I bought it to restore it, but never got around to it. I’m going to miss it, but it has a good new home with a Model T guy who has started restoring it. I have a lot of pictures of it I took over the years if you need any.

I finally was able to get my car to Don's place. I got a lot disassembled but he really tore into it.Here is the car today.

The project continues. While many of you would be well founded if you thought the project had been abandoned. It has not. Currently it is coming back the other way. Don Booth has completed the woodwork on the body and Mark Eyre painted the frame this week. The car is coming along nicely.