MTFCA Forum

We drove it outside the garage for the first time.
Went to the Ford factory where it was born and then it died.
Replaced the blown 20amp fuse with a 30amp but could not get it started again.
Towed it back with a chain to the garage and got it started.

On June 3rd, we installed the windshield. It was the last thing, in my mind, keeping us from taking it out on the road for a shakedown.
Shout out to Haro Glass (local only). They asked that I provide a pattern and pick it up. It was same day service.

varmint wrote: ↑

Thu Jun 05, 2025 1:17 pm

We drove it outside the garage for the first time.
Went to the Ford factory where it was born and then it died.
Replaced the blown 20amp fuse with a 30amp but could not get it started again.
Towed it back with a chain to the garage and got it started.

1st drive.jpg

I hope you got to the bottom of your blown fuse issue. Blowing a 20A fuse is a "hard short". Using a 30A fuse in not a fix.

I’m putting an early frame back together. I picked an early frame up for $100. It had a really bad rear crossmember. The front crossmember was later with a Ford script. The running board brackets were later and mismatched.
I found an early nice front and rear crossmembers, and have a complete matched set of 1912 running board brackets.

I’m currently plugging/re-drilling rivet holes and some extra holes that were added over the years for who knows what…. I used Mark Herdmans frame identification research to determine that the frame is a 1912 early 13 frame as it had the extra holes for the strengthening brackets for the touring body.

Next step is to straighten the frame rails and rivet it all back together.

One of my triple gears lost a tooth. Adam Doleshal rebuilt the transmission for me.
Mike Zahorik and others in the Milwaukee club helped me reinstall the transmission.
Yesterday I finally finished all the little parts and took it for a trial run. It sounds better than it did before. I filled her with water and here she is pissing that out so I can change to anti-freeze.

my projects so far for June have been mostly replenishing inventory ... have been re-babbitting connecting rods and ball caps for re-sale and have also started on my 1925 Dodge Brothers touring car restoration project ... i will post the pictures of the Dodge Brothers inserts when i get to that point ... i have been able to re-babbitt these on past projects , hopefully the inserts fit tightly in the rod bores ... lots of work to do on this car , some panel work on the ALL STEEL body and much work on the well used mechanical components ... like most of the non-Ford cars , parts can be difficult to locate and are often as worn or damaged as what you already have or are mis-identified and incorrect for your application ... some photos of my Ford projects for this month ...Gene French

I discovered I have two nicely painted left hand headlights for my early ‘26. I also discovered the
right hand headlight bucket hiding unpainted elsewhere in my shop.

TMiller6 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 10, 2025 4:10 pm

I discovered I have two nicely painted left hand headlights for my early ‘26. I also discovered the
right hand headlight bucket hiding unpainted elsewhere in my shop.

So
Sometimes things just don't go right do they?

TMiller6 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 10, 2025 4:10 pm

I discovered I have two nicely painted left hand headlights for my early ‘26. I also discovered the
right hand headlight bucket hiding unpainted elsewhere in my shop.

only make left turns?

I did buy a bunch of paper tags and I will be labeling parts for the benefit of the kids and grandkids that will clean up after me someday. They will know right from left.

TMiller6 wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 10, 2025 4:10 pm

I discovered I have two nicely painted left hand headlights for my early ‘26. I also discovered the
right hand headlight bucket hiding unpainted elsewhere in my shop.

Didn't know that any of the 1926 headlights came in pairs, thought it was just one fits both? The 1928 catalog shows 1915-1926 either side, 1926 right only and 1926-27 either side.

I thought they were the same as well. They were not on the car when my son and I brought it home years ago.

https://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/3 ... 1374928927

New radiator custom fit to shell, carb gone thru as best I can. The float was loaded with micro cracks so it was repaired ect. The waterproof was also rebuilt, sealed bearing with NOS asbestos/graphite packing.

Hopefully I'll be getting her started today.

6 weeks later and the climate controlled room is built! Wheels off the ground, tire pressure lowered to 15 psi, fuel drained and purged..., let the coma begin. Better things to do in life!

Vernon is smart. Nice front seat bottom removed to preserve it. He's attaching a magnet under the rear view mirror mount where there is a dark broken off screw in the center hole so that he can drill it out while all the filings are caught. Alas, the remnant is brass!

Did not mean to leave on a sad note. The brass screw remnant did unscrew out the back side and the mirror is installed.

I changed the oil in the" 20 roadster getting ready for the Stettler tour. I lifted the front end with a floor jack and a piece of landscape timber under the axle. BAD IDEA! As I was walking out of the garage to give it time to drain, the timber rolled and the car came down to where the car was resting on the bent tie rod and drag link on the jack. I was able to straighten the drag link in the car but needed to remove the tie rod to straighten it in my hydraulic press. That went well and it's now near perfect. Since any bends affect toe in, I decided to check my toe in,...or toe OUT as my car had about 1/2 inch! (Thanks, Stu, for the demonstration at Homecoming.) I suspect it's been that way since I bought it 5 years ago. Now I'm at 1/4" toe in and ready to tour. It just took a few hours longer to change oil than I'd planned!

Tore apart the ruxtel. I replaced the bronze geared plate, 1 axle, half the carrier, thrust bearing, ect. It's miserable working outside in the rain. Still trying to get things ready for the reunion. I still need to get it into the car but it's back together.

Took it to Carlisle Ford Nationals for its 100th birthday.

Our cub, the Rocky Mountain Model T Club, Went to Havre Montana for our spring tour. It was a good mix of dirt and pavement in some beautiful country. The history of this area was the focus and we we were not disappointed. The Bear Paw Battleground is where Chief Joseph surrendered.

I’m still trying to figure out my headlight on the right side. My grandson has it here. The single drain hole is on the bottom and is aligned with the mounting bracket. The rim rivets line up with the bracket so the lens is aligned wrong for 1926.

I’m fortunate to have sons. I removed the four hinge bolts on my runabout only to discover my shoulders don’t bend that way when I tried to replace the bolts. We threw my grandson in first and then his Dad decided it was a job for him.

And finally, my sister gifted me and my brother a couple of shirts on Father’s Day. His points out his car is still not finished and mine…

Got my rebuilt engine and transmission back in thanks to good friends.

Made it to the reunion and had the car together and running "just" in time to dyno it. To get to this point was an ordeal that has included far too much to list. Running rough horsepower increase was 10 more than 2 years ago and torque showed a 40 increase. The distributor is a definite problem but finding parts is proving difficult as it is an original bosch front plate and I would like to keep it original rather than drop a new one in.

Chad - have you considered installing a Pertonix unit in the Bosch front plate ?

RajoRacer wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:00 pm

Chad - have you considered installing a Pertonix unit in the Bosch front plate ?

If I can't find points that is the route I will take.

Tom, some headlights use the crossbar, others do not.

Sadly...nothing since June of '23. I just....can.....not....get the motivation to work on it or the 'A' anymore.....

babychadwick wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:44 pm

If I can't find points that is the route I will take.

Chad, I sent you a PM regarding points.

Mark Nunn wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 24, 2025 9:59 pm

babychadwick wrote: ↑

Mon Jun 23, 2025 10:44 pm

If I can't find points that is the route I will take.

Chad, I sent you a PM regarding points.

Never got it.

A crisp, clear, 9 degree morning in my small town in Australia, a hot coffee and a sweet running Model T. Life is indeed grand exploring the wide open spaces as Henry intended....

varmint wrote: ↑

Tue Jun 24, 2025 1:43 pm

Tom, some headlights use the crossbar, others do not.

When Ford introduced the cross bar, both lamps were semantically identical. Early 1926 did not have a crossbar and it was never supplied by Ford. Those lamps had the short post and mounting flange.

Installed a new starter. Much better. At least the engine turns over.

After several months of bad luck, our little 27 Sport Runabout is on the road!
So far she’s running like a champ!

Brent, just what I would expect from you. Looks fantastic.