MTFCA Forum

I have a 1913 Touring that I've owned all of my adult life. I bought it in 1961 From Herschel (Hoot) Gibson in Irving. Texas when I was 18. It had been cut off into a pickup, and was used on a ranch until 1940. Fortunately for me the back half was not discarded, so it has the original on the car. It took me about four years to restore it, and was completed in 1963 when I was 21or 22. It's been a fun car all these years, and now has over 55,000 miles on it now, with the original engine. At 82 it still starts easily, in fact it sat for over a year until today without being driven, and started on the first pull. People ask me if the upholstery is original. It isn't. Just many years being towed to tour destinations on an open trailer.

Larry, please allow me to express my admiration to you for restoring a CUT OFF touring back into its original configuration. Perhaps thousands of Model Ts were butchered into homemade pickups over the years but I’ve never heard of a cut off touring being restored.
Good on you !!

That’s neat finding a 13 that was pretty much all there. In the 60’s finding an early Brass T probably was a little easier than it is now. You mentioned it is still running well and Im wondering how many times you’ve tightened up the rods if you have since you’ve owned it all these years.

I’m in central Texas close to Waco Texas which is only 100 miles from Irving and I got to know Marion Finley in the early 60’s.
He was the local Antique car restorer who knew where the old cars were along with Carl Binner. Carl Binner located a Model K Ford and Mr Finley helped him with that car. They were always looking for early Ford cars and I’ll bet they knew about the 13 you bought in Irving. I don’t that for sure but they very likely did.

Mr Finley did find a 13 Touring in the 70’s that was in a garage fire that he restored. It was sold by his sons at his passing about twenty years ago.

The nice thing about Larry's touring is you can throw your car cover in his back seat, have him haul it around all day on a tour, park next to him that night, and simply lift your cover out without having to trudge all the way to your room to get it!!! thanks Larry...............

The original crankshaft broke years ago on a tour diagonally through #3 rod bearing. I replaced it with a late crankshaft, and it is in the car still.
I have never had to adjust the rods or mains since.

As a fellow '13 Touring owner I would love to see some photos of your car. You are fortunate to have owned the car all these years.

I also own a 1913 Touring and would like to see a lot of pictures of your car, Larry.

Thanks,
Dan

Here is what I have: We drove it about 30 miles yesterday to see the Singleton Collection, which is not open to the public.