Steve' 15 going home !

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:33 pm

Dave came down from the land of cheese today to get the 15. After almost a year and a half I was still shocked at how bad the damage is. I had swapped a spindle arm so the front wheels were pointed in a similar direction. I pulled the keys from rear axles so it would roll. The frame is bent against the hogshead and it's in gear. After loading all the things Steve had in the car and putting a wheel and tire on, it was ready for Dave. We swapped a wheel so I could keep mine when Dave arrived. My buddy Joe stopped to help us load up and strap down. Thank you Dave and whoever is helping get this to Steve. Steve, I think the oil can, spark plugs, tail light and horn are ok. Safe travels Dave.

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:34 pm

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:35 pm

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:38 pm

After a burger and a visit at the Twin Six, Dave was on the road. Thanks for the Spotted Cow Dave.

Post by **RajoRacer** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 7:50 pm

Kudos for assisting Steve in getting his beloved Runabout back to him but man, those photos give me a gut ache !!!!

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 8:14 pm

The photo straight on front and engine photo shows how badly the frame is bent.

Norman Kling · Post by **Norman Kling** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 8:23 pm

That's going to take quite a time to fix. At least, some parts might be salvageable. Hope you can fix it up. Most of all I am very happy that Steve, himself is back and going again.
Norm

Post by **Bill Dizer** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 8:34 pm

All the more amazed that he survived! Thanks Dallas for taking care of it for him, and Dave for the effort to return it to him! Safe travels!

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 9:11 pm

These are the first pictures I've seen of the car outside in the daylight. I assumed that the frame was probably toast, and a lot of the rest looks pretty bad, but I expect some parts will be reusable and/or fixable and will add up to a pretty good chunk of change. Will the car ever be good enough for more cross-country travel? We'll see. My own physical recovery has been more than I had any reason to expect. Maybe the car will improve as well as I have thus far.

In a recent post I commented that I've received an amazing amount of kindness in the past year and four months. Dave, Dallas, and so many others make me feel like the luckiest guy in the world. I guess now I need to get busy.

Post by **1925 Touring** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 10:28 pm

Wow. Just, wow....
It's a miracle that Steve survived. The car, serves a warning to us all that no matter what we do, or how careful we are, this can still happen.

Glad the car is headed back home. It looks in pretty sorry shape, but a few things look ok. It took one heck of a hit, thats for sure.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 11:11 pm

Sreve, I don't think any of us would want you to feel obliged to start on rebuilding your roadster. You've done a remarkable job rebuilding yourself. That done, if you want to take a bit easier route to T motoring, your tourer is there for you. It would almost certainly get you back in the saddle sooner, enjoying what you like most, getting about in a T. Have fun.

Allan from down under.

Post by **tdump** » Thu Jan 16, 2025 11:59 pm

I wish I was closer to where Steve is , I would be more than happy to help somehow in repairing the car. Get a straight frame and oil pan first and get them painted and ready then just remove each peice and see what is good and bad. Alot of things can be straightened. I know someone here ran their TT off into the pine trees and folded the fenders up like playboy magazines and the pictures showed them straightening them right back out. it can be done, would be a fun challenge.

Post by **DHort** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 1:00 am

Dallas, you forgot to give me the key. How are we going to get it started to drive it off the trailer?

Made it to Jacksonville today. McPherson tomorrow is the plan.

p.s. I have more Spotted Cow in the truck. Don't tell ATF.

Post by **Duey_C** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 2:33 am

Nice!
Bent but not broken.

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:39 am

Part of having an age that starts with 8 is getting ticked off about things you can't do anymore. I'll find out at the clinic tomorrow if I can still hand-start a Model T.

Post by **CudaMan** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:47 am

I sure hope Steve gets his car back and everyone involved gets back home safely before the arctic blast hits!

JR Ewing · Post by **JR Ewing** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 12:18 pm

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑
Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:39 am
Part of having an age that starts with 8 is getting ticked off about things you can't do anymore. I'll find out at the clinic tomorrow if I can still hand-start a Model T.

I think you know what you're capable of more so than the doctors! Wishing you and your car a full recovery.

Post by **Original Smith** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 1:00 pm

That car needs to come apart to be done correctly. As I recall, his car is not a true 1915 either, so maybe that can be corrected on reassembly?

Luke · Post by **Luke** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 3:57 pm

Dallas, for a Ford guy you have the wrong colour tractor!

However, given your kindness to Steve, I'll just put my sunglasses on whenever I look at this thread

Luke.

Post by **Charlie B in N.J.** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 6:32 pm

Steve please don’t start knocking yourself out on the car. It’s quite damaged and I’m kind of relieved you see that and posted it. honestly it looks pretty much like a parts car now.

Post by **Oldav8tor** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 9:00 pm

Nothing wrong with adding a starter during rebuild.......You do what you must.....

Post by **Jones in Aiken SC** » Fri Jan 17, 2025 9:10 pm

I had a similar wreck in a Model A where a guy suddenly pulled out in front of me. He told the police that he thought he could beat "that old car." I was doing 50 mph on a highway. Fortunately, upon impact I was thrown from the car (yeah, no seat belts). If I hadn't been, I wouldn't be writing this today. I think a similar thing happened to Steve. I assume he was ejected from the car before the car was overturned. Or at least I think that is what happened to him. I was hurt badly in my accident but it could have been much worse. The driver that caused my accident was ticketed.

Anyway, my car was totaled so I bought another one with the insurance money. I probably could have gone through the restoration process and all that, but I am at the point in life that I have to pick my battles wisely and use my time judiciously. Much as I love the restoration process, I found it a whole lot easier when I was younger. Of course, it is up to Steve as to what to do, but I would think the car is a parts car now. Hopefully there are good mechanicals such as the engine, tranny, rear axle, etc. If I had any 15 parts, I would give them to Steve to help the project along.

Post by **DHort** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:08 am

Luke, in New Zealand.

Do not ask Dallas what brand of pickup truck is he driving. It starts with a C.

Wayne Sheldon · Post by **Wayne Sheldon** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 6:49 am

I have restored much worse. In fact, most of my 1915 runabout was much worse. I ended up restoring two full sets of fenders for my car. I restored a set of later 1915/'16 fenders first, then after they were done, acquired the earlier style fenders I wanted and restored them. Along with one more extra front fender, I restored nine fenders for that car. Only the two 1916 style rear fenders that I did not really want on my car were anywhere near decent condition. All the rest were about as bad as any fool ever tried to restore. All the fronts were badly mangled with breaks and rust out. The two earlier rears were even worse. Now, none are really nice, but all of them are decent looking and basically straight.
I also had a nice set of reproduction side aprons. However, silly me, I wanted correctly shaped real 1915s on my car. The only pair I found when searching were really nasty. But they also look nice now.

I wish I were a lot closer to Steve's place. I do have some decent parts he really should replace. I am fairly sure I have a decent late 1910s frame (close enough maybe?), and a real 1915 pan I likely will never use. It would need some work, but was acquired recently and is a lot better than the one I restored for my 1915. If needed, I also have a good looking pair of real 1915 rear end housings if his should turn out to be bent.

Restoring from damaged is often a lot less work than restoring from a hundred years in the weather and years of abuse. I suspect his runabout would be an easier restoration than several of the cars I have done over the years.
But Steve needs to do what is best for him, and his circumstances now.

I hope for the best for him always!

Post by **varmint** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 8:04 am

To me the car is kinda unique. I entertain preserving the car in a wrecked state. It would be more awesome if Steve had the ability to single-handedly restore the thing. I have seen the 1970's car from the movie Vanishing Point that was crashed in a preserved wrecked state. Seems like there is a statement to be made about safety to others and also serves as a trophy of survival. Highschoolers in drivers ed. should be required to see these things and explained why it happened.

mtntee20 · Post by **mtntee20** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 8:30 am

To: Dave H.

It's snowing and COLD in Colorado and into Western Kansas. I don't know how far East this goes, but, it's slicker than snot on the roads here.

GOOD LUCK and thank you for all you're doing.

Post by **DHort** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 9:38 am

I need Kenny Edmondsons phone number again. If Kenny could call me. Thanks all

Post by **Kenny Edmondson** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 9:53 am

David and I spoke.

John Codman · Post by **John Codman** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 11:17 am

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑
Fri Jan 17, 2025 11:39 am
Part of having an age that starts with 8 is getting ticked off about things you can't do anymore. I'll find out at the clinic tomorrow if I can still hand-start a Model T.

Amen to your first sentence, Steve.

Post by **Dan Hatch** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 12:04 pm

Steve should find him a new T he likes and put his 15 on display in Richmond.

Luke · Post by **Luke** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:45 pm

DHort wrote: ↑
Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:08 am
Luke, in New Zealand.

Do not ask Dallas what brand of pickup truck is he driving. It starts with a C.

: ohno.jpeg (11.32 KiB) Viewed 17843 times

Post by **dr1960** » Sat Jan 18, 2025 10:41 pm

I hope all the great people that offered Steve lots of parts during his recovery will come through and make a car happen for him.

Post by **Duey_C** » Sun Jan 19, 2025 12:09 am

Heck, even Steve drove a Chevrolet! A square blue Suburban.
Steve, it wasn't your 15 you rolled over the front of the trailer was it? Been awhile.

Post by **CudaMan** » Sun Jan 19, 2025 12:40 pm

I saw on Facebook a minute ago that Steve's car is back at his house, parked in front of his garage.

Post by **Dallas Landers** » Sun Jan 19, 2025 1:08 pm

Glad to hear that. I'm sure we will hear his thoughts about the car soon. Thank you to everyone who made this possible. We have great bunch of people on the forum!

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:23 pm

Don't get old. You won't like it.

That quote sums up my advice these days. I made it to the Clinic (late). I took pictures. I visited with several folks. I drove home. By then it was dark, but the car was already unloaded in front of my shop. This morning I dressed in my winter gear and braved the 21º outside to take three pictures of it in full daylight. That's where the quote above comes in. I can't show you any of the pictures. They're all still on the memory card in my obsolete camera. The application I've been using to download pictures for years now tells me "No camera was found."

I was not made for the Digital Age. I blame the TBI and my age that starts with 8. Maybe I'll find my way around the picture problem and some of the other things I can't do anymore, but for now I'll just count the days and try not to freeze.

60 days to spring.

lirogo27 · Post by **lirogo27** » Sun Jan 19, 2025 5:56 pm

This is a heartwarming story. There are nice people out there sometimes! Most importantly, Steve is recovering!

John Codman · Post by **John Codman** » Mon Jan 20, 2025 12:26 pm

Luke wrote: ↑
Sat Jan 18, 2025 3:45 pm

DHort wrote: ↑
Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:08 am
Luke, in New Zealand.

Do not ask Dallas what brand of pickup truck is he driving. It starts with a C.
ohno.jpeg

So does mine.

Post by **TXGOAT2** » Mon Jan 20, 2025 12:53 pm

I have a C, a D, an F, a GMC, and a J. I have driven an I, too, and I'd do it again!

Russ T Fender · Post by **Russ T Fender** » Mon Jan 20, 2025 4:15 pm

Steve, we may not like growing old but it beats the alternative. I know it is frustrating but I just cut the number of things I want to get done in a day by half and double the time allocated to get it done. Sometimes that even works!

Post by **DHort** » Tue Jan 21, 2025 1:29 am

A lot of thanks goes to the people at the Winter Clinic, especially Chris Paulsen and Luke Chennell who assisted me by allowing me to bring the T on to the McPherson College property, and arranged for it to be taken to Steve's house while I headed to Boston.

WatchDog · Post by **WatchDog** » Tue Jan 21, 2025 8:39 pm

Great news!

WatchDog · Post by **WatchDog** » Wed Jan 22, 2025 9:18 am

Great news!

thom · Post by **thom** » Sun Jan 26, 2025 8:16 pm

Does anyone know what charges if any the guilty party faced?

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Sun Jan 26, 2025 9:11 pm

A lot of thanks goes to the people at the Winter Clinic, especially Chris Paulsen and Luke Chennell...

... and Gary Paulsen who donated a wheel so the carcass will roll. Today I went out and put a tarp over the heap in case of rain or snow. The heater in my shop has gone south, so it will take longer than it should to clear out some inside space. On the plus side, I get kind offers of help in dealing with my situation. If anybody thinks I'm too slow, he's right. But when I get mad about things I can't do anymore, I need to remind myself how lucky I am that I can still do anything at all. I wonder if I can still hand-start a T.

Allan · Post by **Allan** » Mon Jan 27, 2025 1:26 am

Steve, at our age everything takes longer than we would like.The hard part is finding someone willing to do the same work as well as we could once do it.I have only two T's which require hand cranking now, and one of those is already fitted with a ring gear flywheel. Your tourer would fit that bill, and likely at much less cost, especially in time. Look after yourself first.

Allan from down under.

WatchDog · Post by **WatchDog** » Sat Mar 01, 2025 8:38 pm

Awesome!!!

Post by **Steve Jelf** » Sun Mar 02, 2025 1:41 am

Here's a report on the current status. The wreck is still sitting in front of my shop with a tarp over it. I've been waiting for a break in the winter weather that will allow me to clear a space inside and move the carcass without losing all feeling in my hands. Apparently the single-digit temperatures are over, and I've enjoyed a couple of days with the chainsaw and the splitter, rebuilding the firewood supply. Time to get started on clearing some space in the shop.

ModelTMitch · Post by **ModelTMitch** » Sat Mar 08, 2025 4:56 pm

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑
Sun Mar 02, 2025 1:41 am
Here's a report on the current status. The wreck is still sitting in front of my shop with a tarp over it. I've been waiting for a break in the winter weather that will allow me to clear a space inside and move the carcass without losing all feeling in my hands. Apparently the single-digit temperatures are over, and I've enjoyed a couple of days with the chainsaw and the splitter, rebuilding the firewood supply. Time to get started on clearing some space in the shop.

Steve, where do I begin? I think the rest of the Model T community will concur with me, the most important thing is that you are still alive and recovering remarkably well. A bent and twisted Model T can be repaired, and I'm sure with the resilience and tenacity you have shown already, your beloved '15 will be back on the road before you know it. You've clearly got no shortage of support

Regarding your camera issues, the easiest fix is to purchase a USB memory card reader. They are inexpensive on eBay. They usually come multi-fit so they accept the older cards, and also the modern MicroSD cards. You simply pop the camera's card into the reader, plug it in to your computer, and it will show up as a drive in "My Computer" in Windows, or on your desktop on a Mac. As I am unsure of your computer skills, I tried to explain in simple terms

Once again, it's always great to see you in the Forum, Steve. Take care mate!