MTFCA Forum

It began as a casual chat a few months ago. We live in Western Australia. We we were kids we were told a great story about a stockman who was trampled in the most isolated part of the outback in the Kimberley region of WA at a place called Halls Creek, in 1917. He was taken into town, which had a population of only a dozen or so people. There was only one doctor in a part of the country the same land area as Spain - and he was on vacation. The telegraph operator in town sent a message to a doctor in the State capital city of Perth, 1,700 miles away. With only a pen knife the telegraph operator conducted the operation under the doctor's instructions. The patient survived the operation, but he got sick in the next couple of days. The doctor took a ship to the nearest port of Derby and then he was raced up the Fitzroy River valley across the wild outback about 350 miles by Ford Model T on a rescue mission to save the stockman. When they arrived he had passed away two days before, probably from complications and a recurrence of malaria. It's a sad story, but it has a happy ending. The Reverend John Flynn, known in Australia as "Flynn of the Outback" had an inland mission dedicated to helping people in need. He used the race across the outback my Model T to justify beginning a medical service using doctors and nurses in aircraft. That medical service is today known as the Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service, one of the most important medical services which brings city medicine to people in the outback.
So, back to the casual conversation. Why don't we drive the trail of the good doctor from the cost to Hall's Creek? Why not? So we decided to drive not on the main road, but cross-country, on the cattle station tracks which the rescue mission would have driven. Have some fun and draw attention to the good works of the RFDS. So we're doing it in August 2024.
Our first step was last weekend, where we drove the two Model Ts we will use (a 1914 speedster and a 1915 James Flood (Australian bodied) roadster on a rough local track called the Powerlines Track. We wanted to see how well the cars would respond to such a terrible track. Well, they did brilliantly and we concluded that we needed to do minimal modifications. We should install truss roads on the back axle (in the original trip they went though three broken axles). Our radiators weren't up to the task of climbing a steep incline. We'll need re-cores. We will also need a small fuel tank on the dashboard to keep fuel flowing to the carb during steep ascents. A common accessory in those days were also discs of steel which were screwed to either side of the wooden spokes to strengthen the wheels. With all the lateral motion of the wooden spokes maybe new wheels with these discs or even steel disc wheels are in order. The other car has Sankey steel artillery wheels. They seem up to the task.
One car has a Bosch distributor, so we will probably take that off and return to coils as it will be easier to keep it simple. After all, our cars were made for rough roads. We will also be camping in "swags" in the bush for a week or two depending how long it takes. We will have a support vehicle so we can keep the Ts travelling light.
We thought that in the months ahead, we will put regular posts on the forum about how we prepare the cars and how we test them. Then, if we can obtain a sat phone or a starlink, then provide regular updates when we are on what we are calling the "Saving Jimmy Darcy Expedition". It should be fun.
Here are a few pictures from day one.

Keep up the story and the adventure. Love it so far.

Keep up the updates!

Might be Interested in these accessory fuel tanks for those steep climbs!

Davey1916 wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 15, 2023 5:04 am

.... Might be Interested in these accessory fuel tanks for those steep climbs!

Steep climbs? Something must have happened in sandgroper country since I lived there!

HezaHenry wrote: ↑

Sat Jul 15, 2023 2:53 am

.... Here are a few pictures from day one.

Good to see the bush again, it sounds like a great trip and in a good cause. Not sure about the sat 'phone though, seems to me you should be brushing up your morse code for those smoke signals or, in the interests of modernisation, carrying a field radio like this (image courtesy https://www.flyingdoctor.org.au):


Perhaps a few trips around the block on yer bicycle a few days beforehand wouldn't go amiss either, sans the Arnotts

Look forward to the progress reports.

Luke.

Thanks for your enthusiasm. Yes, we don't have mountains in Western Australia. But we will have annoying steep ridges we will have to climb after we cross the Fitzroy River and drive cross-country through the northern part of the Mueller Ranges, north of Margaret River (not the one with the wine!). This is where we are thinking that we will need a fuel feed. The good doctor wrote in his diary that they used a bottle of ether with a tube down to the carb to climb the hills. We are thinking that an extra bottle or small can on the dash with a tap so we can turn it on when we climb a steep slope could do the trick.
Does anyone have experience of steel disc wheels on a T in the rough stuff? I may be able to get some discs of a British Swift car, or Chev discs (heaven forbid!).
We are thinking of making the truss rods across the rear axle using the big ends of con-rods cut down as the bracket around the axle tube at the outer end. Quite a few Model T trips in Australia over very long distances have seen rear axles snapping. Maybe it is a result of overloading but also just the day-to-day flexing.
We'll keep posting. Appreciate the thoughts!

Graeme,
Sounds like a great trip to do especially as you won't have to contend with others on their mobile (cell) phones as you would be if using normal roads .
I am surprised no one has replied about your mention of wheel discs. Never heard mention of them adding strength to wooden wheels.
They seem to have been a cosmetic accessory only. Driving through dirt and sand would cause problems. They were available in the era of demountable rims and were held on by the four bolts clamping the rims. They needed a door to gain access to the tire tube valve so dirt and sand would be able to easily get inside and could cause the wheels to get out of balance.
Wood wheels are very strong if yours are good they will not be a problem, originally that kind of work was an everyday occurrence for Ford owners.
Sand dunes reminds me of a newspaper story from the 1920's from South Australia. The locals in an area with sand hills were trying to get government to help with obtaining a water supply. The Premier of the state took a journey to the area (south west of Adelaide) but his car became hopelessly bogged and damaged trying to negotiate the sand hills. He had to endure a cold wet night in the car without a roof and needed to be rescued with horses the next day.
He announced after the trip where the car (no name given) then had its front axle ripped out from more poor country terrain and that the area was not suitable for consideration as it was not possible to travel easily to the area. In next weeks newspaper a Ford Dealer wrote a letter which said." I have travelled over those sand dunes several times in the past few month in my Ford with out the slightest trouble" That probably help him sell a few more Model T's.
Here is a photo of a steel disc wood wheel cover which shows the valve door open as you can see it would be hard to stop dirt and sand getting between the two discs. Your thoughts on solid disc wheels is good but they may be hard to get and expensive and the wood wheels would be OK anyway.

Hi Peter
I am not sure where I read about the strengthened wooden wheels. Michael Terry who was the first person to drive a car from Queensland to Western Australia over the top strengthened used disc wheels. Here is a picture of his Model T. There were a lot of modifications made to this car to go cross-country. I will make a list! It makes interesting reading.

Sorry, I missed adding the picture. Here is Michael Terry, the first man to drive across the top of the Australian continent from east to west. He has disc wheels.

Graeme, Michael Terry is a real unsung hero, he and his mate Dick nearly didn't survive that trip. When you mentioned in your first post the radiator problems it immediately reminded me of Michael's trip. At one point they were driving over severely rough ground that prevented them from going more than walking pace so they had to drive in low gear all day, the T boiled constantly but they just kept the water up to the radiator. There are lots of similar stories. Obviously a good radiator is necessary but keep the oil and water up and the T will keep going.
Look forward to hearing about your adventure next year.
Don't think I have even seen a James Flood bodied T before, any chance of a few more photo's showing more details?

Hi Peter
Michael Terry's book is one of the inspirations for our trip. I will post the modifications he made to his car when I get some time. I think people will be interested. We are currently working out making some radiators using the large top tank "colonial radiators" we have. I think new radiators will be our single biggest cost.
Also we have a copy of Dr JJ Holland's diary of the scramble across the bush to get to Hall's Creek.
Here are a few pictures of the James Flood roadster. James Flood bodied many Model Ts. The great thing about the car is it has a very wide and comfortable seat and a decent sized boot (trunk) which is good for storage. As far as I can gather, it is the only one left. Maybe someone else can show us a sister car! It was restored in Tasmania during the 1980s with the help of Francis Ransley (who passed away recently). It was then brought to Western Australia and spent a few years as an exhibit in the York Motor Museum. A doctor from Singapore bought the car and he had it in the tropical climate for many years where it deteriorated. I brought it back to Australia and went through it. An Australian-bodied T on an Australian reenactment - can't get better than that.

Graeme,
Is this an earlier photo of your car?

Why didn't that work?
Try again

Yes, that is the same car. Note the Singaporean number plate. You can see that it wasn't in good fettle when I brought it back to Australia in 2012. The wooden wheels were rotten, too. Here is a picture of the car when it was restored originally back in 1981 by J Saward and Francis Ransley. It was a stunner.

Amazing how many times you see where someone has purchased a vehicle taken it home and stored it so badly need restoring again. I have never understood that. No point having any car if you don't have the means ( or inclination) to look after it properly.
Coincidentally, yesterday I was visiting a mate and he is in the process of restoring a T which has disc wheels. These wheels don't have any identification on them so maybe someone here can enlighten us.
The wheels have a plywood disc which is screwed to the beaded edge rims at about 8 inch spacing. Around the outside of the disc is a metal trim which covers the edge and both sides of the plywood. The valve hole requires relieving for easy access to the valve stem. The hub center has a build up of more layers to make the hub area thicker. There is a metal disc both sides and the wheels can be detached as the wheel hubs have studs which go through holes in the hub and the wheels have nuts to hold them on, similar to normal steel rims we have had for so long. Here are some photo''s

I have found a reference to Michael Terry's drive across trackless Northern Australia in a modified Model T. He and his mate were the first people to drive from Queensland to Western Australia (the Pacific to the Indian Oceans) across the top of Australia. Here is the design of the strengthening trusses he used on the chassis. (There is an obvious mistake on the drawing which you will spot!) Adding trusses like this were quite common on heavier English cars which had relatively light chassis. Has anyone ever seen a design like this on a car?

Looks like three trusses were used (four if you count the support under the transmission): one design fore and aft on each chassis rail and the 'x' across the width. Would stiffen it up measurably I think.

I only have one brace in the 'Aftermarket Items" section: app.php/gallery/image/2358 so will have to add this drawing as another.

Thanks for posting

Yes, he also had the truss across the back axle. It looks like he made his own protector underneath the sump rather than purchasing one, too.

What a great adventure you have planned !
I have two suggestions for you guys ;
One is to not truss the frame of the T, the frame was ment to flex and trussing it tends to increase the forming of cracks at the attaching points of the truss. an extra strap under the pan might be a good idea but only if the rear motor mounts are in a less than pristine condition. there is a great video on youtube that shows the extreme amount of flex a T can handle without breaking, have a looksee:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TXhvwkFIv ... IHJhbXA%3D

Second is get this book 'Light Car Patrols 1916-19' by Claud Williams and Russell McGuirk, available from Silphium Press
ISBN#978-1-900971-15-7
It is a history and a reprint of the exploits of the Light Car Patrols in the Western Desert of Egypt and Libya during the Great War, it not only is a compelling read but it has great technical detail about the experiences with and modifications to the Ford model T's they used to make their incredible trips through the very hostile desert landscape, I think some of the modifications would fit your plans "to a T"
Good luck on your travels !

Hi Leo
Thanks for your suggestions. Yes, we have the book you suggested. It is a great read.
Chassis flexing is an interesting question. The conventional wisdom is that the chassis was designed to flex and it should be allowed to do so. The way the car was designed points to three pivoting points for the front and back axle and the engine. It was clever as it enabled everything to move.
Michael Terry was a fascinating character. In his teens he was a tester for vehicle designs including trucks at Austin in England. Later in the Great War he served in the British Armoured Car Squadron in Ukraine. He knew a thing or two about driving vehicles overland.
His explanation for strengthening the chassis of the Model T came from his experiences at war. The difference to his military experience was that the trip across northern Australia was completely unsupported. He had no mechanical workshop behind the lines like an army had. He estimated that he loaded his T up with over a ton of stuff. Here is his list: 16 gallons of oil, 12 gallons of water, guns, ammunition, spare parts, tools for car repairs, road-making tools and axes, cameras and films, spare clothes, blankets, tucker (food) and medicine, as well as, nine spare tyres and tubes, and a winch with 40 ft of wire rope. With all that on board, and two people, it is no wonder he had to strengthen the chassis!