MTFCA Forum

I’m going to try a chapter thread this year. We need to remember this is a club site and chapter activities are important. By sharing what we do maybe other chapters can get some fresh ideas.

So, we meet the first Thursday of the month. Since it was January 2nd it was lightly attended. We had 18 people where we usually have in the 25-30 range. We didn’t have much business to attend to but we did get a home made snack at the end.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Every month thru the winter we have a breakfast or a brunch. Next month we will also attend a play at the local theatre group, followed by a meal. This is in addition to the board meeting we have each month that any member can attend.

Thanks for checking in Dave. I agree that even with our comparatively moderate weather here on Northern California we have to be creative in the winter months to keep interest up. I started having monthly shop days last year that have been pretty popular. I’m having one next weekend.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Well Andy, Thanks for checking in.

In Orange County CA we are in the process of rebuilding my 1926 Roadster Pickup’s engine. It was sold to me as a “tour ready refresh” but, as it turned out, came with a worn out engine. Needs most everything including new EE crank and babbitting. Our senior T-ers here in Orange County are being a big help to this end. Great bunch of guys. If all goes well, I hope to have it back on the road before February.

At the MTFCSD Chapter (San Diego), member Ron Lambrecht is hard at work organizing October’s “Last Roundup” tour in and around Temecula California. Check out the MTFCSD website. He wants “ALL” MTFCA members to attend, …and even some horseless carriages too.

So Cal

Is this limited to MTFCA chapters.

Since many members belong to both the MTFCA and the MTFCI and the MTFCI doesn’t have a forum, their chapters should feel free to chime in.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Today the Redwood Empire Model T Club had it’s first Shop Day of 2025. We tinkered on three touring cars. 1910, 1915 and 1923. We dealt with wheel bearings, timers and wheels. A lot of guys just come for coffee and donuts but we have a pretty good time and some people learn about T’s.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Tomorrow is our annual January brunch. At 11AM 14 of us will sit down for a little comradeship
and discussion about Christmas and what we should plan for the coming year.

It’s been a quiet month for REMTC. If we had known we were going to have 25 days without rain we probably would have planned something. Yesterday we were invited to join the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club Nuts and Bolts Day. One of our members was having trouble with his REO so a dozen guys converged with plenty of free advice and a couple who knew what they were doing.

This Thursday we’ll have our monthly meeting. We have a Shop Day and a Ladies Tea planned for February and if the weather cooperates we’ll sneak in a flash tour.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Our club, Centennial Model T Club, was given a tour of the restoration shop of the Strategic Air Command Museum. It is not open to the public but one of our members has connections. The tools and equipment are what you normally find an a restoration shop. The vehicles are just bigger. I think there were seven aircraft in the hangar undergoing work. Even the boneyard out back was interesting with things like jet engines, SR71 Blackbird landing gear, Titan missile engine, nuclear msissile, etc. Here are a few photos.

RAF Vulcan that is similar to the one that was stolen in the James Bond movie Thunderball.
Body parts are scattered about.
F117A stealth fighter is getting a cosmetic restoration.

Pretty cool Mark.


Andy

Sorry, it’s just something that triggers my OCD, nothing personal.

Puget Sound Chapter has been meeting every Thursday for breakfast at a local restaurant. Ladies have their area in the room while guys have the other. Chats with folks about their projects, progress and suggestions. Two of us have been helping a member who is new to T's to get his running and stopping. He's doing most of the work with guidance and assistance on some aspects that are not in his wheelhouse.

Like many groups, many members are aging out but we try to look forward as well as back to encourage each other.

Looking forward to warmer dryer days when getting the cars out is more pleasant.

Thanks Walt. I think it’s important to keep active in the winter when many T’s are out of sight out of mind.

Andy

The Mother Lode Model T Club, Auburn, Ca. kicked the new year off in January with our Annual Pizza Feed. Packed house. lot's of socializing. This month, February, we will have our annual all you can eat crab feed.

mbowen wrote: ↑

Wed Feb 05, 2025 11:08 am

Sorry, it’s just something that triggers my OCD, nothing personal.

Fixed, Miles.

John, I attended your crab feed once, you guys know how to have a good time.

Andy

We had our February meeting Thursday night. We didn’t have much business to attend to but it’s a good excuse to get together. We had 27 members and 2 visitors from the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Today we had our second Shop Day of the year. Thankfully someone else stepped up and had it in their shop and I didn’t have to clean mine. We installed the gas tank and radiator in a 26 Touring and got it running after a long slumber. We had a good turnout but it might have been the donuts.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

We got some things done while the forum was down. Saturday a dozen of the ladies met for a Ladies Tea. They were encouraged to wear period dress and they each brought a teacup that had some personal history to them. They had crustless sandwiches, cookies, scones and a lot of goodies. My wife was one of the hostesses so she didn’t get a chance to take any pictures so I’ll try to post one later.

Meanwhile….

8 of us not invited to the tea took a little flash tour. We met here in Santa Rosa and I led them in enough circles to take an hour and a half to reach nearby Healdsburg. Our first choice restaurant had mysteriously changed hands and their hours. Our second choice was the Healdsburger, a semi drive in with upper really good food. After we ate we managed to defund our way back home.



Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Yesterdsy, the Midwest Chapter of MTFCI had our Annual Banquet at the Lincoln Inn in Batavia, IL. We had attendance of 65. My husband and I hosted.

Thanks Wayne, those are some flashy vests. Good turnout at your dinner.


Andy

Sewing the vests was a fun winter project.

The latest plan is to have everyone write down the things they have done for the year.

Then fire the ones that do nothing!

In addition to the aforementioned awards banquet, the MTFCI Midwest chapter also had a Model T bingo day (bingo squares are Model T part names, not numbers), and next month is a coil tech seminar. "Monthly" driving tours traditionally start in April and go through October.

Thanks Bob, it’s important to find things to do in the winter. We try to sneak in a flash tour between floods this year.

Andy

There is a swap meet in Lincoln, Nebraska on Sunday. I will be joining my club members there on Saturday. We will be marking the floor for vendor spaces. We do this every year for camaraderie, a sneak peak at what vendors brought, and the venue donates a percentage of proceeds to our club. It's a win, win, win for us.

I’m not gonna make it to your swap meet but I’m glad it’s happening. It’s a lot of work but worth it in the long run to help the hobby continue.


Andy

Today our club, along with the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club, visited the Collector’s Museum in San Rafael California. The owner Sheldon has collected just about anything you can think of. From antique cars and motorcycles to a huge collection of smiley face items. His space is packed full and if you can’t find something you like you’re a lost cause. The only T on display was popcorn wagon by the front door. I can’t even imagine finding all the candy boxes on it.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

We had our March business meeting last night, attended by 26 people. Run of the mill meeting highlighted by a visit from Mango, the MTFCA mascot. More on Mango’s visit in another post.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Today we had our March Shop Day. We tested polishes and I started another thread about that.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

P.S. Mango was a no show.

Today we had 20 members attend a play 'Drinking Habits' , at the local theatre about 2 nuns making wine at the convent and Mother Superior was unaware of it. A local reporter dressed up as a priest, then a nun, then the bishop to get the story. Then we all went to a local restaurant for and early dinner.
In a couple weeks we will go out for breakfast to eat and discuss what to do with a Model T that was given to the club for free. Looks like it is in pretty good shape, and we should be able to get it running in a couple of coach houses.
Then a few days later we have Bingo.

March has sure been busy.

Saturday we had a surprise Shop Day for a member whose T would not start. After vigorously examining the coffee and pastry selection we went to work. No coil buzz, no crank. New battery. Diagnosis: remove the plastic battery post protectors before installing the cable.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

We had our April meeting Thursday, nothing to exciting but the snacks were good. Next Saturday is our Pancake Breakfast/Safety Inspection. Usually have a real good turnout because, free food.


Andy

We had a seminar on rear end component inspection at the February meeting of the Central Wisconsin Chapter of the MTFCI.

I’m not sure the pizza parlor where we meet will let us tear down an axle but I’ll ask. We’ve had pretty good success with our Shop Days getting the mechanical stuff presented.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Today we had our Spring Pancake Breakfast/Safety Inspection. We had a good weatherproof and a good turnout. I forgot to take action photos but here is what was left.

Andy

Pancakes, ham, weenies, good friends and Model T's........... what more could a person need on a warm sunny Saturday morning under blue skies. ? ?

The Mother Lode Model T Club got together for a drive through the Auburn, CA foothills and finished with lunch at a burger shack.

Looks like a good turnout Chris. Is it a rule for Model T clubs that someone has to bring a Model A? We give them a hard time but pretty much anyone is welcome.

Andy

Nebraskaland Model T Club had a “shake out the cobwebs” afternoon tour and shop visit this last Saturday in Lincoln. They let me bring my red T too…. We started at Lincoln’s iconic Lee’s Chicken restaurant.

You really should paint that red T black. It doesn't fit with the others.
Remember, once you have tried black, you will never go back.

I like the giant chicken. I’ll bet the food is pretty good there.


Andy

It’s been almost a month since I posted. We got everything done early in April. So far this month we had our monthly meeting and Saturday we had a Shop Day and switched out the engine in a 19 touring. It went pretty smooth considering how many cooks were in the kitchen.


Andy

Saturday we took a short tour to Sturgeon Mill, a steam powered sawmill in Sonoma County. We were joined by a couple members of the local horseless carriage club. Combining tours with other clubs is fun and with active members declining jut helps fill the tour.


Andy

Andrew:
The Sturgeon Mill is the real deal, thanks for posting and sorry for momentary thread drift, jb
https://www.sturgeonsmill.com/the-sawmill/

For our May tour the Mother Lode Model T Club combined forces with the Sacramento Valley Club and toured to the Rio Linda Farm & Tractor Days. Great weather. Lots of Hit & Miss Engine dislays and early day tractors.

Let's see. We have been to breakfast every month. We have been to a play and lunch afterward. A gentleman gave our club a Model T he was working on for free. We found a man and 12 year old son that bought it from us. The club went out to his shop and put it together enough that he was able to drive it for the first time. We went out to breakfast this week and then went to Little Hershey. Next week we go to a member's house who showed movies a few weeks ago , and now we will help him put his engine back together. In a couple days we have a club golf tournament. I hope it doesn't snow. Then the club activities will start to happen as the world warms up.

The Spokane Model T Club tries to do one event a month. Our Safety inspection is the unofficial kickoff event for the touring season, even though we have had several touring events prior to the Safe-T-inspection. The Inspection is open to anyone who brings their T, Club member or not. This year we inspected 17 cars. An inspection is an "annual" of sorts. We break the car into 4 inspection areas: Front end, Engine compartment, Center of car, and Rear of car. Each of these areas are examined for deficiencies, normal wear items are inspected, loose connections, lack of Cotter pins and lock washers. Notes are made and reported to the owner of the vehicle. Once the inspection has been made, we give the car a windshield sticker saying they have completed the inspection. I am not sure how long the club has been doing the safety inspection, but if I was to guess 1998. It might have been a catalyst for our membership to get as many cars as possible to attend the 1998 national tour. Regardless, it is a very well attended event and break downs on tours are almost non-existent since we began doing the inspection. Of coarse the inspection is followed up with lunch, What sort of club event would it be if it didn't include food!

Thanks for posting. Now that the weather has turned the tours and activities will be coming fast and furious.


Andy

Yesterday was day one of our staycation overnighter. We are staying home but treating it like a three day overnighter. We are running three tours from our 2018 national tour. Yesterday we went up the coast to Fort Ross an original Russian trading outpost. Upon our return we wound down with a happy hour at a members home. I’ll have to get some photos from someone else to post.


Andy

Yesterday, Day 2 of the staycation, we traveled through the Alexander Valley appellation. Lots and lots of grapes and wineries. We got away from the cold wind at the coast and were able to tour in T shirts. We stopped for lunch at the Warm Springs dam and learned all about their fish hatchery. They fertilize tens of thousands of eggs a week during the 18 week season. It is not very romantic for the fish. We ended up at a members Fairlane Ranch, where Steve has repurposed just about everything into an old town diaramas . This was featured in the Vintage Ford a few years ago. One more day to go, back to the coast.

I’ve been pretty busy as my wife, Jeannine, and I have been hosting this tour. I’ll get some pics up after it’s over.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Yesterday we finished our staycation tour with a trip out to the Point Reyes National Seashore and a barbecue. It was pretty chilly when we got to the cost but then the sun broke through and it warmed up nicely.

When people send in their photos I’ll get some posted.

After I process everything I’ll share some lessons learned from this tour.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Got a few photos from the tour, hopefully more to come.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Anyone doing anything fun out there. The MTFCA is a club after all.



Andy

Diane & I are hosting a local tour today mostly waterfront all around Gig Harbor, Fox Island & Ollala - '14 Touring ready to go !

The short local tours are the backbone of the club.


Andy

June ended pretty quietly after the Anniversary Tour. Between that and the Santa Clara endurance run Jeannine And I had about 450 Model T mikes that week. This weekend club members are participating in 4th of July parades.


Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Last weekend the St Louis chapter had our overnight tour, St Louis to Hannibal Mo. About eighteen people, seven T's and a few moderns. About 280 miles round trip and the trouble trailer came back empty.
Lunch in Louisiana Mo and a photo next to an actual Ford dealership building. In Hannibal, an evening dinner cruise on the river. Thanks to Sam Atkinson for planning a great tour.

What a great tour. Thanks for posting John

Andy

Great pics, John

Sorry I wasn’t able to attend

Scott

Saturday we had a tour to the Penngrove Power Museum. It’s a great collection of mostly motors from hit and miss to a 20+ foot long diesel. 8 guys (ladies seemed less interested) toured in 7 cars and about 10 more met us there.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club