MTFCA Forum

(We skipped May and June)

On our '26 coupe, the wood package tray behind the seat, cloth covering did not stay up with headliner spray on the underneath but drooped down. So, I added 21 blued tacks.

Started (and drove) our '12 for the first time

What a thrill it is to mount some kind of seat on the chassis you have been toiling on for so long, and fire it up and go for a ride! I did the same thing with my 26 chassis and it was a blast. Really slowed everything down when I put that heavy Coupe body on the chassis! Enjoy your 12!

Drove them!
Sunday's Annual Put in Bay (S. Bass island) tour was great again.

We been doing a few more of our Covid inspired picnic tours too!

After a nice hot 60 miles sunday dumped the oil, cleaned the spark plugs and timer. Of course I could not find my little lubrication tube for my Anco timer, should get that by the end of the week.

Would like to put another thanks and shout out to Calimers wheels, and with my Lesters on the rims this car drives like a dream.

Just put all new drums, gears, bushings, triple gears with needle bearings in our 25 coupe! Runs very smooth. Our thanks to Dan McEachern for the triple gears and Dave Nolting for making this all happen. Our thanks to Ron’s Machine Shop for a well built engine with Scat crank. Also to Kevin Prus for his hi comp head. I guess I’ll have to go back to work to pay for it all. But all worth the effort.

Began the process of tearing down the Delivery Car body to prep the wood for painting and staining.

After 15 months, the running chassis completely rebuilt, finally drove "Popeye". A basic 1915 roadster, 1914 rear fenders as might have been in early '15, and a fresh 26 engine / trans. .020" over, .280 cam, Chevy valves, Prus high compression head, Winfield V4 carburetor. Runs the old Evergreen highway along the Columbia river well.

Helped my son finish his early 18 touring Monday of this week.

Model T Mark wrote: ↑

Wed Jul 10, 2024 9:17 am

Helped my son finish his early 18 touring Monday of this week.

My gosh Mark, I thought it was finished when I saw it a few weeks ago. Hard to imagine it could get any prettier/better! Looking forward to seeing it again next week.

I'm 99% done reinstalling the engine in my '25 Touring. Also decided it was time to rewire the whole car. I just need to wire the taillight and brake light and she's done. A little impromptu rotten wood repair is being snuck in as well.

Thanks for the kind words. He had the patent plate to put on it and he restored a set of Champion X straight side spark plugs to make it run on. It’s cut and buffed now. He is very proud of it as he should be for his first one and much as I am of him to stick with and learn how to do it right. Our hobby is in good hands with young guys like him interested!

I had Ross Lilleker install RM brakes on my ‘26 TT C Cab because it has a cast iron Warford and Ruckstell. And he’ll come by tomorrow to excommunicate the gremlin in my ‘19 centerdoor’s switch.

Getting the engine back installed just in time for the MTFCI tour in Cadillac, MI after the lower oil petcock loosened up and dumped the oil. A full tear down showed that the engine faired fairly well, only requiring the removal of a few shims. The transmission required replacement of triple gear pins, all bushings, and of course the bands. The drums were black from heat but not cracked. Kudos to Charlie Volkening in northern Michigan for doing a 10-day turnaround, and to Brian Dowell, Tony Osentosky, and Tim Toepel’s help on the R&R so I could make the tour!

Happy news Miles! See you in Cadillac!

I took the 15’ to go see the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 while it is in town.

^^^^^^^
Your shadow is pretty long in that pic… it must have only been bout 95 degrees then! For those not from around here, it got up to 112 here today

Reattached the upper neck to my radiator and fixed about a dozen small leaks. Put it back on the truck and it performed perfectly. No leaks. At least for now.

I have since painted it and it doesn't look half bad, considering that the upper neck was only held on by about an inch of brazing at the very top.

I didn’t want the speedster to feel left out so I took it up to see the locomotive also.

Down in Australia I have stripped the engine/transmission and diff out of my original 14 touring car and am going through it all making sure it is all up to scratch before I register it. I purchased the car from the States as an original car that has had a mechanical restoration but retains all it its patina. Well the engine is in great order but the transmission rebuild seemed to consist of a new set of bands lol.
The brake drum was totally notched up, broken clutch plates and worn out 4th main. The diff was also quite bad, loose pinion gear with a totally flogged male and female taper.
Anyway its all coming along nicely and I have enjoyed working on my first T, I love the car, it is very original and was quite correct with just a few later style parts that I have swapped out. A big call out to two gentlemen in the States who have helped me out with parts and shipping, Mr George House and Mr Phil Oldenhage.

Yesterday, I returned the water pump and thermostat someone installed on my 12 to its rightful place. The shelf. It has a basically new flat tube brassworks radiator so idk why they felt the need.

Went for a hour drive and all worked well, and temps were great.

Today I change the starter on my 26 Touring, the old one as dragging and my car was hard to start. When I took off the starter drive I was care full not to drop the half moon key and I put it in the zip lock bag with the screws. I drop all the contents of the bag in the cleaning solution, guess what the key was gone. Where it went I have no idea so I call one of our club members it he had one, he told me that he had one with my name on it. Now I will have to wait when I have a free day from taking my Granddaughter and Grandson to their practices, and a cooler day. I think my Gremlins took the half moon key and hid it.

Spent the month sorting out little things, installed the new old commutator, flushed out bits of rag and hardened rubber from the radiator and block.

Built a base for my K R Wilson engine stand.

Continuing the process of going thru all the components of Daisy still working towards first crank.
Worked on the radiator, having removed it, and what came out of the lower tank? A small acorn!!!!!

I then ran a hose into the head outlet to flush the engine, and what rolled out of the lower hose.... more acorns and broken acorn shells!!!!

The car had sat in a barn since 1930 with a rollout for partial restoration in late 60's, but back in the barn since then. The guy I bought it from mentioned the T was his plaything growing up. I sent him an email asking if he knew if the upper radiator hose was gone before the 60's repairs, suggesting a critter dropped them, or if he happened to be a bored kid at one time! LOL

My neighbor is a plumber, so he used his camera snake as best he could to check the head/top of the water jackets for more...didn't see anything....but lord ya just never know what you'll encounter!!

Steve Jelf aka Dauntless Geezer, has a very good video on flushing a radiator and engine. I believe it's on his Dauntless Geezer site.

Plant that acorn and see if it grows

Good Luck

I broke ground on building my speedster body this month. My goal is to have it ready in time for the Foothills Model T Tour in Alberta next July.

I’ve been there and done that! I’ve sent everything out to be powder coated while i
Rebuild the rear differential.

Painted a rust proof coating on all my fenders. Painted the
Frame black.

Had a new 4140 steel ring machined for the flange and new bushings installed.

Put together a new engine stand.

Been doing some filler work on the old torpedo deck

Made gas tank straps.

Polished a lot of brass parts.

Keeping busy….

Cheyenne Frontier Days kicked off, it’s a total of 4 parades over a week. Just wrapped up the first parade yesterday!

https://youtu.be/PZCkUIJeG5I