11 Torpedo Restoration

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EricMac
Posts: 300
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:11 pm
First Name: Eric
Last Name: Macleod
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 13 Touring, 24 Touring, 26 Fordor, 27 Fordor, 27 Touring, '92 Stynoski, '06 Stynoski owner emeritus
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
MTFCA Number: 50125
MTFCI Number: 19464
Board Member Since: 2016

11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by EricMac » Sat May 18, 2019 1:15 pm

About 30 years ago Phil and Mark Eyre responded to an ad for a Model T Speedster. While they were not looking for another project, they thought the car could be a source for some parts. As they began looking over the disassembled collection of parts it became clear they were looking at many parts from an authentic 1911 Torpedo. They underestimated the car considerably. When they got the parts home it became obvious that the car was indeed a real Torpedo.

Time went on and other restoration projects took priority, including no less than five Stynoski awarded restorations, multiple AACA award winners and some fantastic tour cars. As Mark began approaching his 50th birthday, both Mark and Phil felt it was high time the Torpedo moved to the head of the line.

Here is the car as it appeared yesterday. There is a lot of striping, upholstery and final assembly to complete but the hope is to complete the car in time for it to debut at the Old Car Festival in Greenfield Village in 2020.
Eyre Torpedo 5.19.01
Eyre Torpedo 5.19.01
Eyre.torpedo.5.19.02
Eyre.torpedo.5.19.02
1913 Touring
1926 Fordor
1926 Touring
1927 Touring
Stynoski 2006, Nash, Franklin, Lincoln, Cadillac and Buick owner emeritus

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Hap_Tucker
Posts: 365
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:58 pm
First Name: Hap
Last Name: Tucker
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 cut off touring; 1918 touring; 1922 Speedster
Location: Sumter, SC
MTFCA Number: 100
MTFCA Life Member: YES

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Hap_Tucker » Sat May 18, 2019 1:56 pm

Beautiful car! That's great that they have moved it from the "work on later" project list to the "work on now" project list.

Do you know if it was old enough to be included in the shipping documents that are available (basically before Oct 5, 1911 engine serial number 70,750 -- and that was an engine only on the shipping documents)?

And do you know if it still had the original seat frame with the body maker and body number stamped into the front edge of the wood seat frame? And if so, which body maker produced the body? Please See Trent's page at: http://jupiter.plymouth.edu/~trentb/Mod ... 16Y2K.html and scroll down where he compares his Wilson body Torpedo with an original Torpedo but unknown body maker. He specifically notes the difference in how the "seat section is attached to the door jam by a wood "biscuit" " on one body and by "a flat head wood screw" on his Wilson bodied car.

Again, it already is a beautiful and great running car and will only become better as it is finished! If possible please keep posting progress photos in the future.

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Model T Mark
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Eyre
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring 1914 Touring and Roadster 1915 Touring 1926 Roadster
Location: Battle Creek Michigan

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Model T Mark » Sat May 18, 2019 3:50 pm

I has a b and then a number under the seat. I’d have to go look at it to see the exact number. It’s in the early 60000 and I do have the build sheet. We have it all including the pedals. It’s pretty much as it’s invoiced but I can’t read the carbide tank maker. It should have brown side lamps and a brown tail lamp but the lamps with it are e and j and I didn’t have the others so I restored them and I’ll change back to browns as I get them collected. The only piece it was missing was the steering shaft and it was probably with it and we missed it collecting all the pieces when we bought it back in 1987.

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Hap_Tucker
Posts: 365
Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:58 pm
First Name: Hap
Last Name: Tucker
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 cut off touring; 1918 touring; 1922 Speedster
Location: Sumter, SC
MTFCA Number: 100
MTFCA Life Member: YES

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Hap_Tucker » Sat May 18, 2019 7:00 pm

Mark,

That's great! I you get a chance to compare how your "seat section is attached to the door jam compared to the two cars on Trent's site, please let us know if it matches one of those or if per chance Beaudett (also spelled Beaudette and referred to as Pontiac on the shipping documents) use a third way of joining the wood pieces. (Again, located at: http://jupiter.plymouth.edu/~trentb/Mod ... 16Y2K.html ).

I sure wish the old cars could talk. I'm sure they have some great stories they could share. Again, beautiful car!

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off


Model T Mark
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Eyre
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring 1914 Touring and Roadster 1915 Touring 1926 Roadster
Location: Battle Creek Michigan

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Model T Mark » Sat May 18, 2019 7:14 pm

The body number is b 6433 and it doesn’t have the biscuit joint just a screw like in one of the pictures on Trents website. Is post pictures but I’m not as tech savvy as my buddy Eric.

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KWTownsend
Posts: 1121
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 6:51 pm
First Name: Keith
Last Name: Townsend
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: late 1911 touring, 1915 runabout, 1919 touring, brass speedster
Location: Gresham, Orygun
MTFCA Number: 14778
MTFCA Life Member: YES
MTFCI Number: 16305
Board Member Since: 1999

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by KWTownsend » Sat May 18, 2019 10:07 pm

Mark-
Looks good!

I see the hood is not pinstriped yet. Although Phip and Mark probably know (or knew ar one time) when you get to pinstriping the hood, there are no "boxes."
Just a stripe up the front, along the center hinge and down to the bottom on the back.
Pinstripe Hood Lau.jpg
Pinstripe hood.jpg
Thanks for the restoration updates.

: ^ )


Model T Mark
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Eyre
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring 1914 Touring and Roadster 1915 Touring 1926 Roadster
Location: Battle Creek Michigan

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Model T Mark » Sat May 18, 2019 10:14 pm

Yes that is how it will be. Wheels fenders and springs and axles yet to go. It was too cold to do it when we did the body. Thanks for the good comments.

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Bob McDaniel
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Last Name: McDaniel
Location: Smithville TN.
MTFCA Number: 28428
Board Member Since: 2007

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Bob McDaniel » Sat May 18, 2019 11:37 pm

Nice to see someone save another real nice T and do such a good job on it. Glad you saved it so many years ago and had the time to restore it right.
Give an old car guy a barn and he won't throw anything away.


Topic author
EricMac
Posts: 300
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 11:11 pm
First Name: Eric
Last Name: Macleod
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 13 Touring, 24 Touring, 26 Fordor, 27 Fordor, 27 Touring, '92 Stynoski, '06 Stynoski owner emeritus
Location: Battle Creek, Michigan
MTFCA Number: 50125
MTFCI Number: 19464
Board Member Since: 2016

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by EricMac » Sun May 19, 2019 7:25 am

Thanks for all the great comments guys. I will keep some photos coming as often as I can.

The Gilmore Car Museum Pre-war tour stopped at the Eyres place Friday and the '11 was definitely the star attraction. It's nice to see a restoration of this quality can still be produced in a hobbiest's pole barn.
1913 Touring
1926 Fordor
1926 Touring
1927 Touring
Stynoski 2006, Nash, Franklin, Lincoln, Cadillac and Buick owner emeritus


Model T Mark
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Eyre
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring 1914 Touring and Roadster 1915 Touring 1926 Roadster
Location: Battle Creek Michigan

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Model T Mark » Sun May 19, 2019 10:46 am

It’s very possible to restore a car in a pole barn. I do have some experience restoring cars. I worked as a restoration tech. for Beckley Auto Restorations for ten years. Then a stint for Bud Hicks Buick restoration service. Now I teach grade school but do restoration for others in the Summer. That experience was life changing as I had the opportunity to be mentored by real craftsman. Most of them are all gone now and I’ll be forever grateful to them as they were willing and almost excited to share their knowledge to a teenager who wanted to learn. I still hear their voices as I work doing restoration.


Norman Kling
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First Name: Norman
Last Name: Kling
Location: Alpine California

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Norman Kling » Sun May 19, 2019 11:25 am

That's a beautiful car!
Norm


Model T Mark
Posts: 235
Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:00 pm
First Name: Mark
Last Name: Eyre
* REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1913 Touring 1914 Touring and Roadster 1915 Touring 1926 Roadster
Location: Battle Creek Michigan

Re: 11 Torpedo Restoration

Post by Model T Mark » Sun May 19, 2019 11:53 am

The owner of the restoration shop would always say “Slow down and think, don’t work like your killing snakes”. Another one he would say “If it was easy everybody would do it” or “It’s like your making a career out of it”. He was a true believer in that your life’s work needs to mean something. In his years when he was too old to work he would stop by the barn where I work in the Summer and watch me work(some times for hours). He took pride in the fact that I can do what I can do in the shop partly because of him. Bud who is still alive almost 90 is a regular in the summer time he was the master of the 53-54 Buick Skylark convertible. He would spread his knowledge of bodywork the entire time I spend with him. I often think of him in the classroom as he was always teaching during a project.

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