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First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:21 am
by Art Ebeling
I took the 1911 out for about a ten mile drive yesterday. The temperature here was in the high fifties and the roads were nice and dry. The Model T has been stored in my enclosed trailer all winter. It was so happy to be out it has given me four free starts in a row. I primed it by pulling the choke out with 3 quarter turns of the crank, turned the key on and it fired right up. Art
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 8:25 am
by TWrenn
Wow Art...Lucky you! And you're not far from me but we hadn't hit 50s yet but will this week. Clara, my '13 spends the winter in her enclosed trailer too with a heater. She loves it. She starts like your 11 does too! Not always a free start but sometimes. Had 2 free starts even BEFORE priming last summer! What a thrill that was.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:28 am
by TXGOAT2
Beware THE SALT.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:35 am
by TWrenn
TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:28 am
Beware THE SALT.
Ha ha....how true Pat! That's the primary reason I haven't ventured out in my "cool weather car" a.k.a. the Fordor! It woulda been nice enuf the other day in the upper 40s but my road out front is WHITE. And not from snow either!
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:56 am
by TXGOAT2
Wet or dry, salt destroys.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 10:11 am
by TWrenn
TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:56 am
Wet or dry, salt destroys.
Preachin' to the choir here!
The dry salt dust is probly worse than it is in liquid form. It really finds its way "up deep" in nooks and crannies that liquid...and the car wash...don't!
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 10:56 am
by Rich P. Bingham
Happy for you guys who can get out early ! My Lizzie is in the bunkhouse, and
can't get out until the four foot drifts across the door melt
I've never seen so much "salt" applied until this winter. The Family Truckster is white top to bottom from local travel ! We don't get a lot of rain, makes me wonder how long it may take for salt dust to dissipate ?
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:30 pm
by Model T Ron
I have been driving mine for the last few weeks. Just today I took her to the grocery store and had a one man car show. Then a 47 ford showed up and it was 2 man show lol. Your going to hate me but it was near 70 today.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:36 pm
by Distagon2
Ron, it was warm here in South Carolina, too. (We won't tell them that we pay for it in the summer when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity!) You gotta gloat when you can!
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:44 pm
by Burger in Spokane
I drove my TT the 60-70 feet out of the shop and in to the
driveway, where I loaded up a cord or so of firewood, then
backed it in to its winter slot in the shop, and shut it down.
I don't expect to drive it much this year. Gotta finish my house.
After that, I am free to drive the wheels off it again.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 10:24 pm
by Allan
The sad thing is the salt just doesn't "dissipate". It just translocates. On one of our trips to the USAI got into a conversation about salting roads, following an article in a local paper. They were trying to figure out why the trees along the lake side of the road around Lake Tahoe were dying. It couldn't have something to do with the introduction of salting the road a few years before, could it?
Allan from down under.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Mon Feb 06, 2023 11:08 pm
by Model T Ron
Distagon2 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 06, 2023 9:36 pm
Ron, it was warm here in South Carolina, too. (We won't tell them that we pay for it in the summer when it's 95 degrees and 95% humidity!) You gotta gloat when you can!
Greg
Your not suppose to tell the guys up North that it's hotter then hell down hear in the summer lol I actually grew up in Buffalo NY and I equate our Summers to the Northern winters.....all you can do is stay inside but at least we do not have to shovel the heat
I do have to admit its much nicer working on modern old cars down hear because nothing gets rusted from road salt. When I was kid in Buffalo it was not uncommon to see rust on 5 or 6 year old cars but that was a few years back.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:13 am
by Loftfield
The trick is finding the happy median, medium, or whatever you want to call it. I grew up in Northeast Ohio, first T on my 16th birthday, drove like mad all summer then had to dodge the salt on warm (ha ha) winter days, but the T was mostly put up with deep snow everywhere November to April. Next it was move south to Virginia then North Carolina coast, hot as blazes and steam bath humid all summer, winters still cold with salt. In North Carolina we have a lot of half-backs, those who lived and made money in the north, moved to Florida to escape winter, went through a summer down there, then moved half way back, ie. to North Carolina. Now live in Western North Carolina, the mountains, perfect happy middle. Never hot or humid in summer, winters cold but warm days aplenty, enough rain to wash the salt away in short order, never a week without a drivable day or two or more for the T's. We don't like additional people moving here but folks with T's or other antique cars of similar age are more than welcome.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:35 am
by BUSHMIKE
Burger, Thats the coolest wood-getter ever! I fully intend to cut and haul firewood in my TT when finished.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2023 10:21 pm
by Model T Ron
Loftfield wrote: ↑Tue Feb 07, 2023 7:13 am
The trick is finding the happy median, medium, or whatever you want to call it. I grew up in Northeast Ohio, first T on my 16th birthday, drove like mad all summer then had to dodge the salt on warm (ha ha) winter days, but the T was mostly put up with deep snow everywhere November to April. Next it was move south to Virginia then North Carolina coast, hot as blazes and steam bath humid all summer, winters still cold with salt. In North Carolina we have a lot of half-backs, those who lived and made money in the north, moved to Florida to escape winter, went through a summer down there, then moved half way back, ie. to North Carolina. Now live in Western North Carolina, the mountains, perfect happy middle. Never hot or humid in summer, winters cold but warm days aplenty, enough rain to wash the salt away in short order, never a week without a drivable day or two or more for the T's. We don't like additional people moving here but folks with T's or other antique cars of similar age are more than welcome.
The Mountains of NC are nice but still get a lot of snow and you find cars with rotted out doors and fenders just like up north. I live in the Piedmont (Central NC) and its Model T weather 12 months a year about 363 days a year not counting rain. No snow so far this year but most years one or two dustings with ice that melts by noon the next day. It is a bit hotter in the summer but growing up in Buffalo, NY I have developed a hatred of road salt
As far as my favorite Carolina location it's Charleston.... I know its sticky in the Summer but Charleston, SC is the nicest place that I have lived in.....very historic, palm trees, and the beach....hard to beat in my opinion.
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 4:09 pm
by TWrenn
If Ron don't mind I'll poke my first season drive pics in here, rather than start a new thread! So...was 48 and wall to wall sun! What a comfy ride, Stanley (my Fordor) ran like a top! Love that TW timer! Ha ha had to get that in!!
Anyhoo this is a record for me...never been out before mid-march! 25.6 mile trip. Short for me but I was happy!
Re: First drive of the year
Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2023 5:07 pm
by Art Ebeling
It is 56 degrees in mid Illinois today so I took the 11 out for another drive after adjusting the rear brakes. Once again I primed it with three quarter turns, turned the key on and got a free start. That makes five in a row. Art