MTFCA Forum

BuddyTheRoadster

For me, ultimately it's the personality that each Model T has. They're all slightly different, and sometimes you can almost have a conversation with the car.

Also, I love the nimbleness of my roadster. It's about as "bicycle-like" as a car will get.

BuddyTheRoadster

Erik, you must be the camera whisperer. LOL Those are two droolworthy box cameras right there.

BuddyTheRoadster

Anytime dude! I went through a box and folding camera collecting phase in college, and I spent way too much time on the Brownie camera website. Here's the breakdown on the No. 2 Brownie. https://www.brownie-camera.com/53.shtml They were cardboard covered with leatherette from 1902-1924, and the last...

BuddyTheRoadster

Tim, That was the original Kodak camera of 1888, it came preloaded with a 100 exposure film roll. You sent the whole camera back to Eastman for processing. http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Kodak_Camera The cool thing about those was that the photographs are round. The Brownie came out in 1900, and the no...

BuddyTheRoadster

I would pick it up if I were you. The MB-1 is a rare Stromberg and apparently popular with the Fronty guys as you can mount it directly to the head. A choke butterfly wouldn't be hard to fabricate, the cap over the float needle C in the diagram is often missing and can be made, and if you're missing...

BuddyTheRoadster

Your best bet might be to read era newspapers and see what colors were advertised. This link will show what sorts of colors were offered in the carriage varnish era: https://www.autocolorlibrary.com/pages/coaches-carriages I would take these and era color ads as inspiration. Keep in mind, though, th...

BuddyTheRoadster

Jim, Original paint is a fascinating topic and a rabbit hole too. I think closed cars got a little more attention than open as they were the expensive models, but that's just my intuition talking. I did see the Rip Van Winkle 1917 touring car at Bakersfield a few years back, and it still has origina...

BuddyTheRoadster

Well Ron beat me, but I'm thirding the Scripps-Booth suggestion.

BuddyTheRoadster

Have you checked Blacksmith Bolt? https://www.blacksmithbolt.com/store/c/41-Nuts.aspx

BuddyTheRoadster

It can be hard to make a direct comparison by adjusting prices as many things are not direct comparisons. In general, housing prices have gone up while food and clothing prices have gone down. Other things have come and gone. (I checked 1909 advertised prices. A new player piano could be $800, a Vic...

BuddyTheRoadster

I'll take the Zenith carb #6. Will PM

BuddyTheRoadster

Here's another one: a Ward's Dynamic Timer.

BuddyTheRoadster

Yep. Essex 6 used the Stewart 25 carburetor from 1924-1928, and Hupmobile 6 used it in 1926 only. Dodge Brothers 4 used a Stewart 25 with a different mounting from 1914-1927. (Total carb dork here.)

BuddyTheRoadster

My grandfather, Harry Lee Polto, was a Pearl Harbor survivor. He's mentioned in Walter Lord's Day of Infamy.

BuddyTheRoadster

The Hassler rebound check was a sort of snubber like Gabriel snubber and the "shock absorbers" that were option on 1926-1927. Rebound check is a perfect name, because that's exactly what it does. Here's the patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US1646583A/en My 1923 roadster came with single Has...

BuddyTheRoadster

Can you post a picture of the mystery Zenith? I haven't seen ")$" on a casting, but I've only studied them for a few years. Could it be "O4" or "O5" with 100 years of wear and tear? O4s came on Chevrolet 490 and probably a number of obscure cars. Zenith S4BF is a darn good carb from everything I've ...

BuddyTheRoadster

I have worried about this for a while, as I just hit 40 and intend to drive vintage cars until I'm too old to drive. As to the question of driving "mostly stock" Ts, I think they'll be around for at least a generation or two. Part of the beauty of the T is that it is so "primitive," it has a lot of ...

BuddyTheRoadster

My 1923 roadster is Buddy. I bought him the day after I graduated from 8th grade. I had a lot of unhappiness in my early teens, and having that car gave me some direction and focus in my life, so he became my buddy when I didn't have many people friends. I hope to get him back on the road this Chris...

BuddyTheRoadster

Now that's a good looking T!

BuddyTheRoadster

I just found this ad the other day and wanted to share it. It'd be nice if we could still buy them for $57.75!

[attachment=0]Rajo ad.jpg[/attachment}

BuddyTheRoadster

Vehicle registration records would probably tell it more accurately than we can. Another option would be to see how late Ford dealers were expected to stock T parts. We know that Ford was still selling replacement engines until 1941. But clearly from the posts above, someone was still driving a T un...

BuddyTheRoadster

I'll take it. Will email you.

BuddyTheRoadster

Nice job. My car came with a roughly 18" long piece of wood thin enough to use as gas dip stick, and it also made a decent trunk prop. (Unfortunately it disappeared on a tour.)

BuddyTheRoadster

This showed up on craigslist today. https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/pts ... 62833.html

BuddyTheRoadster

This question comes up fairly often. Beyond the general suggestions guys have already given, the best thing I can say is to drive your car for a while and let it tell you where it's happy. Every T is a little different, and if you're mechanically inclined, you just get a sense after a while. I wish ...

BuddyTheRoadster

Unsolicited testimonial: I've got one of these, and Scott's workmanship is gorgeous.

BuddyTheRoadster

I bought my 1923 roadster when I was 14 and wiped out my life savings. (I regret nothing.) The paint in it is older than me, and hopefully I’ll get to it’s next restoration before I’m 60.

BuddyTheRoadster

Zenith was a "set and forget" carburetor that controlled everything through jetting. That was fine when Zenith had dealers with all the jets in stock, now we live with what we got or carefully try to modify the jets. Stan Howe makes an adjustable main jet for his restored Zeniths. It looks pretty co...

BuddyTheRoadster

Emailed last time, but I’ll take ‘em! Will email presently.

BuddyTheRoadster

I'm still looking to buy (or borrow to copy) an original Rajo 4 valve intake manifold. Intake ports are 1 7/16" spaced 9 7/16" apart. I'm including three original advertising images for reference.

Thanks guys!

BuddyTheRoadster

What Stan said. Yes they have a lot of parts, but most of them are inert and are really just drain plugs for if and when you have to clean the passages. Your #1 is idle, #2 is the economizer needle setting, and #3 is high speed mixture. The economizer enriches the mixture at higher throttle, and you...

BuddyTheRoadster

I'll take #3

BuddyTheRoadster

Oh it's a Singer class 29. They were designed for cobblers and I think harness makers. They're big and have a walking beam, and I want one, but then I'd have to learn bootmaking to justify it, and...

BuddyTheRoadster

Mine arrived yesterday. This is a good reprint to have guys!

BuddyTheRoadster

Happy Birthday Larry, many happy returns of the day!

BuddyTheRoadster

Oh that does suck. If glued, the cracks will still show when lit. Your best bet might be to look for a milk glass or opal lamp shade or lamp globe and then get the Ford script painted or stenciled on. Good luck!

BuddyTheRoadster

I'll be watching the classifieds for the next batch. Thanks for doing this for us!

BuddyTheRoadster

Are there any numbers stamped on them? They don’t immediately strike me as Stromberg or Zenith, but I can go looking through my stash.

BuddyTheRoadster

An object lesson. The left reflector is an original silvered one in tolerable shape. The right reflector is one of the aluminum coated ones from Lang's. It's a world of difference, and I'll know in a few days how much difference it'll make. And of course, check that you have good grounds. IMG_7363.j...

BuddyTheRoadster

I agree, 1924-1927 Buick. Pretty cars.

BuddyTheRoadster

Yeah, well. Apparently carbon was found to be carcinogenic. So now, burnt toast, diamonds, and organic chemistry are dangerous to your health.

Anyway, I was hoping someone had an effective homebrew solution. I’ll get the car from storage tonight and go from there.

BuddyTheRoadster

Sadly yep. Lacquer thinner, paint thinner, and acetone are available. (They’re not what they used to be, but that’s usually the case with chemicals.) MEK, tuolene, xylene, and surprisingly denatured alcohol are pretty much illegal to sell in out here.

BuddyTheRoadster

I’m pulling my roadster out of mothballs. The last time I saw it, the carburetor had varnished up, and I’m expecting the gas tank to be similar. Is there an effective cleaning solution I can do at home? I know MEK worked, but it’s illegal in my state. Any suggestions are appreciated.

BuddyTheRoadster

You can also cut a piece of window screen mesh and sandwich it between the upholstery panel and the hose to keep the material from tearing if it’s getting delicate.

BuddyTheRoadster

What year and body style is the car? Some kick panels may be leather, fabric, imitation leather, or cardboard.

BuddyTheRoadster

Every time you post I learn something new!
Now, for beginners like me, how do you get the old balls and spring out? And does the housing get swedged to retain the new ones?

BuddyTheRoadster

Darn it. I’m 30 miles south of La and would have driven up in a heartbeat. Safe travels!

BuddyTheRoadster

I'd like one too. Don't worry about the "money pit," I'm starting at that with a couple planned projects of my own.

BuddyTheRoadster

Interested if Bruce changes his mind.

BuddyTheRoadster

If I can get a motor in the roadster in time, I'll be driving. It'd be a pleasure to meet you Steve if you come out.

BuddyTheRoadster

Awesome!

How are their wood screws? Do they have cut threads like vintage ones?

BuddyTheRoadster

Is anybody running 3.33 or 3.25 rear end gears in their car? My 1923 roadster will be getting a Ruckstell within the next couple years, and I was thinking of installing taller rear axle gears than 3.63:1. The temporary motor has aluminum pistons, Waukesha head, cam with greater lift, and a high volu...

BuddyTheRoadster

I don't know if this would be long enough, but it's a possibility.

https://cwmoss.com/products/thermo-quai ... gI1lvD_BwE

BuddyTheRoadster

You bring up a lot of good questions, and I'll try to address them in the order posted. Henry Ford was a complicated man (as was his buddy Thomas Edison) and he had some contradictions that seem odd to us now. Now there are three things to remember: 1) the Model T was almost always the cheapest car ...

BuddyTheRoadster

That honestly depends on the drivers around you. I drove a model A as my daily for about a year in 2004-2005. When I was in "nice" neighborhoods, soccer moms in SUVs tailgated me and gave angry looks because I was in their way. Going through working class neighborhoods, I got smiles and offers to bu...

BuddyTheRoadster

As an under-40 model T owner, I want to chime in. First off, the generation that remembered model Ts as new or used cars has passed away. I bought my T in 1995, and at that time, elderly people remembered Ts in junkyards or the turnouts where a model T had to make a hard turn to reverse up a hill. T...

BuddyTheRoadster

Regarding Brasso, they reformulated it within the last 10 years when they went from the little metal cans to the squeeze bottles. The antique radio guys loved the old formula for polishing Bakelite, and when it was discontinued in the US, one Canadian collector bought every can he could find and res...

BuddyTheRoadster

Brent, thank you for doing historic restoration. When I went to Gonzaga, I felt like the campus architect and I were the only people who cared about all the great Edwardian architecture in Spokane. Anyway. I'm 38, I bought my T when I was 14. I call him Buddy, (hence my screen name, Buddy the Roadst...

BuddyTheRoadster

Herm, how do you chose when you use Grade No. 11 and when you use Grade No. 2 Babbitt?

BuddyTheRoadster

Aside from your top bows being probably too close to the center of the car, maybe your wood bow sections need to be trimmed a little more to go in deeper into the irons? That would probably help with the front bow overshooting the windshield by 10 inches. Good luck!

BuddyTheRoadster

Bravo!

BuddyTheRoadster

My Dad left me with about 5 T camshafts, all in numbered Iskenderian boxes but otherwise unlabeled. I want to know which cam has which grind. I have V blocks, a dial indicator, and I'm pretty sure there's a degree wheel somewhere. What do I do from there?

Thanks!

BuddyTheRoadster

Agreed. The last long drive I took on my T was the Holiday Motor Excursion in Pasadena CA. Since I was up in the city, I drove through Pasadena, to LA, to Santa Monica to show my car to an old friend. It was fine in rush hour surface traffic.

BuddyTheRoadster

Tech support is odious work. Thanks for fixing all the bugs for us!

BuddyTheRoadster

Here you go. This is Buddy, he's my first T and my first car. My late father, Steve Rini, started working on cars when he was 6, and he practically lived in the garage. When I was about 12, Dad's car books got "interesting," and I found myself liking 1920s touring cars. (I should give him credit, he...

BuddyTheRoadster

I'm glad that PB Blaster worked for you. FWIW, 1910s-1920s pot metal was usually awful, they had trouble with intergranular corrosion even back then, and metallurgists finally got it sorted out around 1929. Unfortunately, since pot metal takes to precision casting so well, way too many distributor b...

BuddyTheRoadster

I'd imagine you would have to pass off a neighbor for this to be enforced. Andy This is paramount! My family enjoy good relationships with our neighbors, and my Dad was the surrogate grandfather to all the kids, so no one complains about the trailer in the driveway or the black hole that is the gar...

BuddyTheRoadster

Now is the time for people in Sacramento County to get involved in local government and overturn this. Here is a link to the actual county zoning: http://www.code-enforcement.saccounty.net/Programs/Pages/AutoRepair.aspx I find Section 4 prohibiting the painting of car parts troubling. There's a lot ...

BuddyTheRoadster

Reading the article, it seems that standard DIY maintenance things are fine. The crack down is on 1) using tools not normally found in a residence, 2) working on cars registered to someone who doesn't live there, and 3) a project done outside of an enclosed garage that makes a car nonoperative for m...

BuddyTheRoadster

Looking to buy an original Rajo 4-Valve intake manifold as shown in advertisement below. Thanks!

Chris

BuddyTheRoadster

There's a fighting chance that production stopped sometime in the 1930s, and they assembled motors from parts on hand through 1941. There might be documentation at the Benson Ford Archives, but I don't know where you'd start to look.

BuddyTheRoadster

On my car, Dad ran straight water with an ounce or two of soluble oil to inhibit rust. There haven't been any problems to speak of since 1995.

BuddyTheRoadster

Is it for a high or low radiator?

BuddyTheRoadster

It's the same answer as the starter package. Demountable rims were available from 1919 as an extra, but they weren't included on every car until 1926. There were various 23-inch rim variations, and I can't remember what's what, but it's all in the McCalley Encyclopedia. And then of course, 21-inch s...

BuddyTheRoadster

All the Stromberg O-series carburetors (except for the OTs) use the same float and float bowl cover, so you can always scrounge from a parts carb. Also, a lot of drivers would just unscrew the big nut on the float bowl cover and tap the needle valve until it stopped flooding. (I think that's why tha...

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