MTFCA Forum

This sold at a local auction yesterday. Been setting in a building for at least thirty years. Was actually owned by the local lumber and hardware store that has been in business for 100+ years. Mostly complete, tires cracked, spokes look ok, engine froze tight. Sold for $8,000.

Seems high to me, but I don't want a TT. YMMV, of course.

If I lived in a that local area, id probably pay that for the historical value, it looks in pretty good condition.

It's worth whatever someone will pay for it and I assume more than one person bid.
I wish ours was stored in a building for 30 years but then we would not have gotten it for 1k.
Like what I see, but to answer the question, No.

Well.... kinda funny... my first thought on this question was no.
Body certainly looks in great condition, but with known issue of frozen engine, and relative value compared to other options... pretty high priced.

Then I looked up the current value of $2500 in 1981....puts it around $8600!!!!!!
That's what I paid for my 26 TT CC. Mine was fully intact, surface rust but solid, and it did run...barely...clicking from a loose magnet plate. Back in 1981, I guess this one would have been a steal in comparison to the one I bought!!
Course, I was young & dumb then too! LOL

So, as in all cases, value is always set by the buyer, not opinions.

No, not with a frozen engine.

I would hope the engine wasn’t locked up when it was eventually parked. Take out the spark plugs and fill the engine with kerosene and let it sit up for a while. Then jack up one side of the front axle and engage the hand crank. Then put another jack under the hand crank and then take out the jack under the axle itself. Hopefully the weight of the truck will slowly free up the stuck engine. Take your time with it and it will work. Good luck with whoever buys it. And considering time and labor getting it to look how it does now and a mostly original TT $8.000 may not be far away from what it’s worth. As they say one man’s trash is another man’s treasure.

Sometimes, a stuck engine is a tight engine, as opposed to a worn out one. One thing about Model T engines is that if the plugs are in place, rain doesn't get into the engine. It looks like a real good start on a nice TT, with some provenance. May be an original build, too.

If the engine would turn, it might be worth that, however, the "frozen" engine might be a transmission failure. I had a transmission collapse one time which caused the entire transmission to seize up and wouldn't even coast in neutral. Had to use a rolling floor jack on one side to winch it onto the trailer. If that be the case, you could be in for a big expense. Or could be broken crankshaft or other serious problem. Could just be cast iron pistons rusted in the cylinders. You won't know until you make some inspections.
Norm

Most TTs were worn and beat to junk by WWII. That one appears to have had a easy life. If you want a TT, that might be the best and most original one on the market. Engine/transmission issues can be addressed more easily than trying to restore a used-up cab and bed. I'd like to have a good clean one with an express bed... and a place to park it out of the weather.

I'd put Marvel oil in the cylinders and transmission, let it sit overnight, then put it in high, make sure the brakes aren't stuck, and try rocking the truck forward and back to see if the engine will move. If it does, rinse and repeat until the engine moves freely for 2 full revolutions. Leave plugs out. Spraying something like Micromist on the valve stems and pushrods would be a good idea. A little acetone, like 20%, in Marvel oil would be good to put into the cylinders.
Look for cracks, check for water in the pan and axle, ground the generator, etc. Oil everything that moves, including all moving parts of the body and chassis, window lifts, brake rods, etc, and don't run the engine without clean oil and water in the radiator. If it has a starter, get a good 6 volt battery. Don't attack the starter with 12 volts.

If it has an auxiliary transmission or 2 speed axle, so much the better.

What did it are the boot scraper running boards. NICE!!!!!!

Other than a frozen motor and shot tires, the cab seems to be in good condition with original stake bed and seemingly sound wheels and rims. A running motor, rebuilt or not, is a lot easier and cheaper to replace than missing or rusted out wheel rims and stake bed, not to mention doors or windshield frame. Even if I didn't need it, if I had the cash burning a hole in my wallet, I had a place to store it, and it was local, I'd have bid. A lot of posters have disagreed with me on the motor issue. When I said that it was easier and cheaper to replace the motor than find some of the other 'hard to find' parts that may have rusted out, I didn't necessarily mean with a rebuilt motor; I meant even just a running motor that hadn't been rebuilt. Of course, in my case I have a rebuilt 26 short block setting in my storage that would have been perfect.

DHort wrote: ↑

Sun Dec 15, 2024 2:23 pm

No, not with a frozen engine.

I agree.

Well the cab and such are in good original condition. alot of labor savings in not trying to weld in patch panels and such.Alot to consider. But I am glad it was worth that to someone.

I concur also. That engine business could easily run the repair process / cost beyond the value of the vehicle. Just my opinion but I don’t think the trucks have the same value as the cars.

Thanks for the comments. It was your average farm auction with tractors, implements, guns, tools odds and ends, and one model TT. I went prepared to bid thinking the interest in it may not be that high. The bidding came fast and furious. Within minutes the auctioneer said SOLD, $8,000. No, I didn't buy it. I hope it found a good home.
This is just food for thought on the value of model T's.

I suggested rocking it in high to try to free the engine. That might not work very well on a TT, but other methods exist.
Finding a TT with a really solid frame and good sheet metal is not easy. The market for cars is much broader, but you can't beat a TT for some activities. A least a couple of members here get a lot of pleasure out of driving, using, and sharing their TTs.

Yes, you can't beat a TT for some things

I have been caring for this one for the past 55 years. It has always been in my family, and yes the wood body is original. It has never spent much time exposed to the elements.
What makes a TT bearable is high speed worm and ring gears. Originally my truck came with the slow speed gears, but 50 years ago I found a TT rear end under a doodlebug that had the high speed gears. Trust me, it makes a big difference, that and a Ruckstell.

This truck celebrated its 100th birthday last month. It got a new set of rear tires for the occasion. New fronts will go on in the spring.

Respectfully submitted,

Trent Boggess

That is a nice T and I think it is a good value for that price. We will never be able to get fair prices for our Model T’s until we stop undervaluing our T’s, considering the amount we pay for parts and the years of labor it takes for us to restore one. The price scale we use to value our T’s is based on what was paid for Model T’s 25 years ago and has not changed. Most people who know nothing about Model T’s, in the market to buy a Model T are amazed at the low prices we attribute to our cars. Once on Pawn Stars, they sold a T with a modern engine and drive train for $22,000.00 to a buyer who was not familiar with Model T’s. We could get more, but it is us keeping the prices so low, maintaining that restoring a Model T is a “labor of love” and we should accept the fact that we will never be able to recoup our costs. We, who are supposed to be the experts and charge so much less than what we have spent on them should consider the labor and parts we have expended and charge accordingly. It is crazy to spend so much to restore a Model T knowing we will one day sell it at a loss. Knowing that, why would anyone choose this hobby or restore one themselves instead of buying one that someone else restored? Our T’s should be investments. Not liabilities. Jim Patrick.

The market is saturated with older restored model T's. Old owners dieing off with no family interest, & little new buyer interest.
Supply & demand. You cant fight it. You can claim they are worth more, but it ain't so. You would need to get lucky finding an ignorant newbie buyer. You cant fight gravity or economics. If you want investments look to gold, silver or stocks. Model T's give a different kind of return - Comradery, a taste of simpler days, life in the slow lane, joy in simplicity & mastery of the beast, something to tinker with, etc. etc.

I recently helped a guy buy a restored 24 touring (hadn't been run in 20 years) with new tires, Rux, correct working speedometer, nice paint, new looking top & new flat tube radiator for 6K. Part of the discount is to cover restoring the fuel system & yet to be determined mechanical needs.
Another club member (model A owner) was in the market. Coincidentally, his brother bought a real nice, restored 24 sedan for 8K. Brothers wife wasn't on board so he got it for shipping costs.
Such deals come up frequently.