Page 1 of 1

...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 7:24 pm
by Cigarboxrob
...And so, I sat with my monument to stupidity; A Model T in absolutely *no* danger of starting; All seemed hopeless. “That’s it!” I thought to myself: “....You’re not even capable of running off to join the circus....!”

“....We’ll be down on Sunday if that’s okay.” Was the PM I received from Dave Young and Scott.

...Let me see...Is that okay...In a short reply, I enthusiastically responded: “YES!”

Dave and I had exchanged texts and photos prior; As a: “Newbie,” I had a car modified from stock and a few undisclosed problems. Needless to say, the car had compression at 18psi cylinder 1, 21psi cylinder 2, 12psi cylinder three and 20psi cylinder 4...It was a grave situation for me, and I’ll repeat: Despite the online advertisement, the car was in absolutely *NO* danger of running.

....Dave and Scott BOTH drove over an hour away to meet me. Taking advantage of beautiful weather, I was a few minutes behind them as I was an hour away, myself!

....By the time I arrived, Dave and Scott had already “set up.” They had a table, specialty tools and the hood was neatly folded nearby. Dave had set a timer-This was an issue of: “Model T Pride.”

Before I had replaced ignition switch number 3 under the car, Scott was rebuilding the: “Professionally-Rebuilt Carburetor.” Dave was conducting electrical tests. With the skill of a watchmaker, Scott was repairing faulty components. At the time? I was on my second bolt.

....Dave and Scott looked like a professional mobile unit for the pit crew at Indianapolis; They identified and repaired no less than 9 *major* issues that stopped the car from running and driving....At the 1:15 mark, we had something I never dreamed I’d have-Igniton.

Although the prior owner had lied through his teeth about so much, even a narrow Kevlar band on a wide and now *warped* ‘26 drum and no active footbrake to stop the car. Dave and Scott got the handbrake to at least stop ONE wheel-Which was good enough. It was time to celebrate!

....We enjoyed an *amazing* lunch at a local brewpub. People stopped, stared, honked and pointed. The comment of the day?
As we parked the car, a man came up to us with his wife to ask a few questions...As annoying as it was, he asked: “What’s a car like that worth?”

“Well? Anywhere from $3,000-$6,000.” was my reply.

(Bear in mind, they were walking *into* the brewpub, not *out* of it.)

“...Oh wow! I told my wife that’s a half-million dollar car!”

...We all laughed.

...After an *amazing* meal, we rode off into the proverbial sunset. To any: “Newbies” out there with a: “Basket case?” Fear not! There are some *amazing* members on this forum who are willing to go out of their way to help you get your cars on the road-And pass on valuable knowledge in the process! The camaraderie here has been *priceless* thus far! A great big thank you to *all* of you who have helped me!

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 7:37 pm
by tdump
Yep,trying finding that in the later cars groups.
Glad you got to hear it run at least!
Seems like you are stuck with the wrong band for a while though as they are not in stock anywhere.

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 7:44 pm
by Dallas Landers
There are great people in this hobby! GREAT! That is what makes it enjoyable for me. Glad your ordeal is turning around.

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 7:50 pm
by Henry K. Lee
All good Hobbies, Clubs, and Members need to be stirred into a a dish of Mentorship, Friendship, and Support! I think you found the best gourmet dish around! Just Sayin'!

Hank

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:05 pm
by Dave Young
We just wanted to mess with another Model T and hear her come back to life! All in all, you’ve got a decent engine there and hopefully the compression should come back up with some hours of running. The big deal with these old buggies is to realize that they don’t need to become perfect in one fell swoop. Bit by bit, you’ll get her to be reliable and driving will become more natural. Great lunch!

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:33 pm
by Cigarboxrob
....I’m *still* stuffed from lunch! A special thanks to our: “Boys in Blue” for not running the tags or clocking our speed! They simply smiled-And waved!

....The next time you’re in the area? May I recommend: “Lucky Bones?” Or? The Lobster House....But? If we go to The Lobster House, let’s leave our “T’s” at home-“The Milkshake” on the dessert menu, is pretty dog-gone potent!

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2020 8:49 pm
by Oldav8tor
I've had similar experiences where strangers have stepped forward without hesitation to provide elbow grease and parts to get me going. On my first tour I learned the quickest way to meet people it to open the hood on your Model T.

Men at work - Michigan Jamboree 2019
IMG_0756.jpg

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 8:35 am
by Henry K. Lee
No Tim, old men deep into Therapy!

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Mon Jan 13, 2020 9:00 am
by Charlie B in N.J.
As the motto on my posts reads "forget everything you thought you knew". As a lifelong professional auto mechanic I know the T is a island unto itself. Or I should say I learned that. Even with experience I sought help and got it here. Glad for you & Good Luck.

Re: ...Who were those masked men???

Posted: Sun Jan 19, 2020 7:10 pm
by Moxie26
Adding a little marvel mystery oil to the gas and a few more ounces to the oil well healthy piston rings free up and maybe give better compression