Re: Thoughts on the '21 T Touring--some replies

Posted by RedMF40 on April 17, 2018 at 17:49:21 from (172.58.185.24):

In Reply to: Thoughts on the '21 T Touring--Carvel Minne posted by RedMF40 on April 17, 2018 at 06:56:53:

Thanks for the replies—I actually didn’t realize how long the original post was until I glanced at it. Must have gone overboard this morning during breakfast LOL. This has helped me look at the restoration/letting it go issue a little more clearly. I’ve tried to reply to as many questions as I could. It really is a neat old car, and it even has a decal from some dealership out in Kansas, where it was maybe sold new or second-hand at some point.

"Great post with lots of info, I can believe that those costs can pile up pretty quick. I've been told that the market for that real old

stuff has dropped off considerably over the past 10-20 years. The newer generations of vintage car lovers are more into the muscle car era

and then even back into the 50's somewhat."

 

Thanks, Crazy Horse. It’s interesting but we’ve had discussions within the club about car enthusiasts, and the overriding sentiment is that the recent generation, including “gen x” is more into collecting experiences than material things. I believe even the muscle cars are becoming more the focus of an aging population. In my town, Saturday nights see a big turnout of vintage cars at the local ice cream hangout. There are some young people, but they mostly have beefed up pickups or late model sports cars. The old Fords, Chevys and Chryslers are being driven by old guys. Was at the gas pump recently filling up. Next pump over was a guy with an original ’67 GTO tri-power. He must have been 80 yrs old.

Is that original paint?

Steve, the guys in the club are highly doubtful that a car almost 100 yrs old has the original paint—even though the patina and overall look appear original. I like to think it is, but realistically it’s probably had at least one repaint. I don’t plan to change the finish. I’m fine with how it looks.

"Model T's really only average around 35 MPH which is not fast enough on a lot of roads. Maybe fun around town."

John, I think that may be one reason these local clubs organize “tours.” It is probably much safer travelling in a highly visible pack, than being a loner out there fending for yourself. When I see a bunch of Model Ts touring together, I naturally slow down to take a look.

"what where your plans when you bought the car red?

why are those plans on hold?

have those plans changed?"

Carvel, good advice about taking the time to knock out a little bit every day. It’s really something that will help me as I approach this issue of restoring or letting it go. My skill set is firmly with the cars of the 60s thru late 70s. You’d think working on an antique car would be easier, but that’s not necessarily the case. They present a different set of problems, and you really need people who know what they’re doing to consult with.

For your other very good questions, I’ve shifted priorities, have devoted a lot of time to some pretty ambitious home improvement projects on top of my regular work. At the time that I bought the car, I hadn’t moved into this new place out in the country, and now that I’m settled in I’m changing things around and even building an efficiency apartment downstairs. BTW, the car is here now, but the photo I posted is in my cousin’s garage, where we trailered it when first purchased. Thanks for your thoughtful comments and questions. And yes, I do belong to the Model T international online forum. They’re a lot of help as well—and it’s free. My local Model T chapter is a paid membership. Money well spent. Thanks again for weighing in—your comments have been very helpful.

"With almost any old car or tractor the labor bill from a restoration can eat up the value of the vehicle real quick. A complete wood kit for a T coupe up until 1925 is in the $3700 range. Then you pile the labor on top of that."

Fixerupper—yes, you probably know all the parts needed for restoration are available from different catalogues and suppliers. And they are not cheap. There are some different outfits that make the wooden spoke wheels and they have a range of $300 to $900 per wheel. I think the $300 is too low, actually, since it’s from a 2015 price list and that maker might not even be in business anymore.

"That part about 'no neutral' brought back memories of my dad' method of starting the "T" that I helped restore when I was a kid. He always hand-cranked it with one rear wheel jacked up. I think it walked off the jack once, pushed him up against garage wall. it was ok [or better] when the thick oil warmed up."

Mite-Help, I’m beginning the think that the problem may be with the clutch itself, and hopefully not within the tranny. However, the transmission has issues, as the guys from the club told me it has a lot of slop and could self-destruct without an intervention.

"The one good thing about taking on the challenge and finishing it is the feeling of accomplishment it gives you. It's always cooler to say "I did it myself" than "I bought it like this".

Ark68SS, I agree about the satisfaction of doing it myself—if for no other reason than I know it was either a good job or a bad one. There can be a lot of unanswered questions when buying an older restoration—even if it appears to be in good mechanical shape. It helps if there’s a lot of documentation, photos, etc that go with the car.

"This reminds me of what my maternal grandpa told of his 1917? T that he had in high school (class of '26)...

At least in cold weather, he'd have a wood block at home at the farm and another one at school. One wheel off the ground via the block so that it could be crank started and not take off by itself. I am not clear how the block got kicked out from under? Maybe he pushed the car off and quickly jumped on the running board? Dunno, would love to ask him but he's been gone for 20yrs this spring."

 

Jeff—I may be wrong, but I think there was a special jack you could buy or that Ford even supplied that allowed you to easily lift the rear off the ground to start the car. To be clear, I used the electric starter, which was either an option or standard on my car. They started being used as early as 1918, I believe. Operated by a foot switch, like many later model cars.

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