MTFCA Forum

What’s missing from most authentic restorations ? Mud !!
Lizzie is my faithful work companion every summer, as we chase the irrigation water from the diversion and in the fields. I kinda get a perverse pleasure from playing in the mud, she does clean up well when the time comes, but I can’t even begin to compete with this guy !

Anyone have some good mud pix of their T ?

Love seeing Model T’s in the real world of their popularity in the teens, twenty and thirty’s.
Model T’s paint jobs weren’t the very best and didn’t last as long as today’s modern paint jobs. After a few weeks in the country driving on the roads of that time they drove through MUD, rough roads and made it through all the weather. I wonder how
many times T’s were washed and really cleaned up after all of things the average T went through!

Great mud pix Dennis, thank you !

To put these pictures into perspective, the cars are shown on roads that date to the late 19th century. Rural county roads used for agricultural purpose.

Whilst living in Ohio, I reviewed 1870s yearly agricultural reports. Various industries and farms would report various county road conditions.

On group - the teamsters - those whose job were similar to todays truckers complained about the condition of roads they traveled - especially after rains.

Wagons would sink or disapear - One teamster stated "No one knows the depth of mud."

Amazingly, all my Model T driving in wet weather has been on paved roads. That leaves me with no photos of my own muddy car. This picture comes as close to the subject as I can manage.

It is after market mud but I am stuck just the same.