MTFCA Forum

Fordwright

I don't think Ford could ever sell another 15 million Model Ts, but whenever I drive mine around people, which is often, it attracts interest from people of all sorts and all ages. It's unlikely that any great number of them are in a position to own a T, but a few might be. I try to communicate tha...

Fordwright

I can visualize the feeling of excitement someone felt acquiring their first automobile, when all they had before was walking and horses. I can only imagine the feeling of pride and wellbeing from having this wonderful machine parked outside.

Fordwright

The excuse is always "cost." But it's obvious that they just want to soak you for parts.

Fordwright

I am building skis for a snowmobile build and I am wondering do the original skis have a skeg down the middle of the bottom? And can I get width and lengh measurements. Thanks, Dennis Nowadays, some snowmobile skis have a tungsten carbide rib going down the middle. Expensive, but they don't wear do...

Fordwright

Very interesting. A short, yet intriguing read. No explanation of its background or reason for being. A link to some sort of literary site that looks to be maybe quite interesting. I may need to check it out more later. Maybe this should be in "OT"? I don't know. But I enjoyed it. It could easily q...

Fordwright

By Arthur Conan Doyle, 1913.

https://short-edition.com/en/classic/st ... t-happened

Fordwright

DHort wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:54 pm

Electric
Any color you want
400hp

This reminds me of the "New VW Beetle" from a few years back. Not very successful as I recall.
The new model had modern convenience features, but none of the charm of the original.

Makes you wonder what Ford was thinking this time.

Fordwright

The Ford generator was a low-tension magneto, or alternator if you will. It then required additional stages to convert it to high-tension power for the ignition. Subsequent modern designs have done away with the additional stages, so it stands to reason that Ford could have simplified the design by ...

Fordwright

You don't need to participate,
if it's not your cup of tea.

Fordwright

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑
Wed Dec 04, 2024 6:35 pm
Is this still a Model T forum?

There are still plenty of relevant topics for you elsewhere.

Fordwright

I don't know the secret of filtering the truth from the trash on the internet,
But I know for sure, the wrong way is to pick only what you want from it.

There's a reason your mom didn't let you pick what you wanted off the plate and ignore the rest.

Fordwright

Tadpole wrote: ↑
Mon Dec 02, 2024 7:47 pm

Fordwright wrote: ↑
Mon Dec 02, 2024 7:40 pm
When you research everything you can lay your eyes on, there's a chance not all of it is BS.
That’s true, but how does one sort out the one truth from the other truths? Or the half-truths? Or the untruths? Or the double-truths?

You try not to guess.

Fordwright

When you research everything you can lay your eyes on, there's a chance not all of it is BS.

Fordwright

Tadpole wrote: ↑
Mon Dec 02, 2024 5:33 pm
I respect your confidence and willingness to engage in open conversation. You’ve got some stiff opposition here, but I’ve enjoyed learning your perspective.

I have no axe to grind. I'm only interested in facts.

Fordwright

Tadpole wrote: ↑
Mon Dec 02, 2024 5:21 pm
Fordwright, I suppose that is your mission here? To knock him down a peg?

No more than he has earned.

Fordwright

I don't want to deify Henry Ford, nor do I want to vilify him. But it wouldn't be fair to gloss over his faults, nor would it be right to glorify him. He was what he was, like most of us, a blend of good and bad traits.

Fordwright

Ford was too much of a perfectionist for his first two companies. His partners were fed up with him not meeting deadlines.
I think he learned to finalize his projects with his third and final company. Maybe a bit too much.

Fordwright

"Good enough" is just good enough.
"Excellent" is excellent.

Fordwright

According to my dad, back in the day, sometimes a Model T would start itself when you turned on the ignition. I suppose everything had to be in perfect alignment for that rare event to happen. But if the distributor and the pistons were in the right position, just the battery power was enough to cre...

Fordwright

Henry Ford was well known for sticking with something long after it was obsolete. In the mid 20s, his Ford Tri-motor was cutting-edge, but by the early 30s, it was hopelessly outclassed by Douglas aircraft and others. He only reluctantly closed down his airplane operations because it had no market a...

Fordwright

It would seem that the lack of reliability in high tension magnetos of the day has been disregarded. In the early days of automotive history, the contact points were of very poor material for the needed amperage and constant beating they took. Coils failed regularly (and still do) due in part to hi...

Fordwright

It would seem that the lack of reliability in high tension magnetos of the day has been disregarded. In the early days of automotive history, the contact points were of very poor material for the needed amperage and constant beating they took. Coils failed regularly (and still do) due in part to hi...

Fordwright

With any project, there are those who wonder what is happening, there are those who watch it happen, and then, there are those who make it happen. Art Mirtes For those at the creation of the Model T, it must have been an exciting time to be making history, but just as heartbreaking when it all went...

Fordwright

With any project, there are those who wonder what is happening, there are those who watch it happen, and then, there are those who make it happen. Art Mirtes For those at the creation of the Model T, it must have been an exciting time to be making history, but just as heartbreaking when it all went...

Fordwright

If you choose to believe only the positive spin, that's your choice. I don't, but neither do I believe the worst.
I happen to believe that the truth resides somewhere in between, and I feel the more I learn, the closer to the mark I come.

Fordwright

Additionally, I don’t think “cozy friendship” accurately describes the relationship between two men who never met. I imagine being admired by a powerful world leader instilled some pride in the Pre-War Mr. Ford, Post-War not so much. I don't think Herr Hitler would have had Ford's portrait on his w...

Fordwright

Additionally, I don’t think “cozy friendship” accurately describes the relationship between two men who never met. I imagine being admired by a powerful world leader instilled some pride in the Pre-War Mr. Ford, Post-War not so much. I don't think Herr Hitler would have had Ford's portrait on his w...

Fordwright

If Ford was only in it for the money he would not have cut his prices every time he could. He also paid his workers more than anyone else basically giving money away. The Ford PR department may want you to believe that, but the truth is that the assembly line was brutal on most workers. He couldn't...

Fordwright

We tend to ignore a basic fact of the Model T. For most of the production run Henry had a big problem, he could not build them fast enough. The popularity caused a very rapid rise in sales and the production had to try to keep up. He had such a large market share that today would call it a monopoly...

Fordwright

If you want needlessly complicated look at the vehicles made today Do you think modern cars would be more successful if they were simpler? I tend to think they have already simplified the manufacture as much as technology will allow, while providing the features that the consumers demand. The '64 C...

Fordwright

We tend to ignore a basic fact of the Model T. For most of the production run Henry had a big problem, he could not build them fast enough. The popularity caused a very rapid rise in sales and the production had to try to keep up. He had such a large market share that today would call it a monopoly...

Fordwright

All Model A cars had starters, which require a storage battery and generator, while all Model T cars did not. The advent of the sliding gear transmission and flywheel clutch probably made the flywheel magneto impractical. By 1919, Model Ts had electric starters and batteries, which could be used to...

Fordwright

Since Ford never built a simpler high-tension magneto for the Model T, we'll never know.
By the time of the Model A, the low tension power system was intrinsic to the design, so points and condenser were the best way to go.

Fordwright

Growing up on a farm, all our small engines had points and condenser ignition, which required a low-tension power source from a separate generator. Nowadays, they are much simpler. Just a magnet on the flywheel, rotating past a high-tension coil, connected directly to the spark plug. The low-tension...

Fordwright

Fordwright is right when Ford called it good when Spider Huff designed the Model T ignition system. It may have been a little behind in design but for what it’s worth after nearly 100 years later it was good enough to sell over 15,000,000 Model T’s. As most of us know by now it was really hard for ...

Fordwright

Personally, I think Henry Ford was a bit afraid of electrical machinery. He was hired by Edison to work on the steam engines, not the dynamos. Spider Huff was given the task of designing the ignition system for the Model T, but I think his skill level was about 20 years behind the times. Henry Ford ...

Fordwright

Sometimes Ford engineers "invented" their way around patented features to avoid the expense of paying royalties. An important factor in Ford's success was cutting unnecessary and avoidable expenses. That's probably what they did, but I think they would have made more headway with a high-tension mag...

Fordwright

Hindsight is 20/20, but the Model T could have had direct magneto ignition from the outset. Spider Huff did a good job designing the ignition system that had been around since about 1900, but there wasn't really any need for the way it was made in 1908. All that was needed was a simple magneto, driv...

Fordwright

I would love to have lived in those days, when the horseless carriage was just becoming affordable.

Fordwright

I understand the part of Henry Ford who was the old time traditional farmer. Being deeply cynical of mankind and often racist, I imagine as he became the world's richest man, he began to feel empowered to "set the world right."
Something no one can do, of course.

Fordwright

The Ford Model T was a great gift to humankind and a big step forward for civilization, and for that we owe Henry Ford a large tribute. But much like his mentor, Thomas Edison, his accomplishments and wealth gave him self-entitlement to become a monster, ruining many lives and nearly destroying the ...

Fordwright

I'm sure they exist, but I don't recall seeing one. Was vanadium steel all that rust-resistant?

Fordwright

How did they keep it from stalling out from gas starvation? They had to climb hills in reverse back in the day because the gravity-flow fuel tank was in the wrong place.

Fordwright

Stainless steel would be my choice, even though it wasn't yet invented at the time of the Model T.
Most people wouldn't spot the difference.

Fordwright

Most of the mechanical innovations that we see today had been introduced by 1906, albeit often in primitive form. Carburation, wet-cell batteries, roller-bearings, to name a scant few. But reliability had largely not been achieved. Having a mechanic on-board was still fairly necessary in many cases....

Fordwright

Most restorations that I have seen (not just for automobiles) have been able to achieve a balance between restoring those components which have deteriorated with age, back to proper function. And preserving the patina and other signs of age, which do not otherwise impair normal function. I agree and...

Fordwright

I'm bothered by a restoration that has obvious modern features added; like digital gauges, LED lighting or even custom floor mats. I don't mind if it has modern reproduction parts, as long as they conform to the original. Nothing irks me like seeing an alternator on a vintage vehicle. In my mind, ev...

Fordwright

Never hook up modern electronics to the Model T electric system.
Like building a day care center in a lion cage.

Fordwright

Growing up on a farm, I don't know anyone who never overloaded a truck.

Fordwright

http://www.deansgarage.com/2016/1917-fo ... stcards-2/

Fordwright

https://www.hotrodwires.com/how-to-conv ... %20circuit.

Fordwright

I've always assumed that most 12 volt starters were wired the same as 6 volt starters. When cars converted to 12 volts from 6, they changed the bulbs, rewired the generators and wired a resistor to the ignition coils. The starters stayed the same, they only cranked faster on 12 volts.

Fordwright

I wouldn't risk connecting my phone to dirty power. Voltage spikes have an erosive effect on electronics, similar to the way gravel roads damage nice paint jobs. If I were serious about charging my phone in a Model T, I'd use a good power filter, an isolation transformer or a power bank.

Fordwright

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqomZQMZQCQ

Fordwright

A lot of excessive horsepower nowadays comes from impatience. My dad hauled a caterpillar on a 1945 GMC with a 216 ci engine. You just used a lower gear. You still got there soon enough. Nowadays, some people are never satisfied, and frequently use the word "underpowered." What that means is that so...

Fordwright

Reading some of the old local histories for this area and others, it's evident that bridge failures were a fairly frequent occurrence in the early 20th century. I'm assuming that most of them were built by locals, and were deemed "good enough" by their own standards, but things changed with more big...

Fordwright

Solid wheels, rubber and otherwise seemed to be the norm.
Probably a carryover from the old lumber wagon days;
"lumberwagon" became a euphemism for a very rough ride.

Fordwright

Greg: Plastic cased coils and wood cased 'ford' coils function alike. On magneto, both types fire during rising or falling portions of the AC voltage wave form. The magnets are 'timed', that is positioned on the flywheel to give 'optimal' but discreet firing times. Ron Patterson has written several...

Fordwright

No idea how well they work with a magneto, but certainly for battery operation I don't see any problem with them. I've wondered about that myself. The magneto produces alternating current, which seems like it might disrupt the resonance between the condenser and the coil. Obviously it works on both...

Fordwright

Just a thought. How about compressing them in a vise and tying them with twine, then cutting the twine after they are installed?

Fordwright

Something here might possibly help:
https://www.ledlight.com/ledlight-6-vol ... talog.aspx

Fordwright

Next, they'll want to install a OBD port.

Fordwright

I wasn't too clear either. Using a 12V to 5V converter will probably not work on a 6V system. It depends on the specs of the components. Just hooking a USB phone charger cord to 6V will probably work because most power regulators in the phone will have no trouble converting 6V to 5V, which the phone...

Fordwright

If it were just for me, I'd connect a USB power outlet directly to the 6V system. Most phones have good power regulators that will adjust and filter the power to charge the phone.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1532551500

Fordwright

Ammeters are fine for seeing how much current is flowing back and forth, but a voltmeter will help you a lot more in protecting your battery.
You wouldn't have to modify the instrument panel at all, just run a wire to a convenient place where you can mount a voltmeter.

Fordwright

They were cool in 1908; the coolest thing. Even cooler in 1915, but by the mid 20s they were the ugly duckling of the automotive world.

Ford was a lot of things, but his biggest contribution to society was to break the paradigm: "You can have it cheap or good, but not both."
He gave us both.

Fordwright

I think each car tells a different story. If it spent most of it's life in a garage, I could tolerate some new rubber and a few paint blemishes,
but if it was restored faithfully from a pile of junk, I can forgive a lot more modernities. What I find hard to tolerate is a customized "hot rod."

Fordwright

Or so Henry Ford seemed to believe. He was nearly right. He came closer to perfecting the automobile in the 1920s than anyone else; it had everything you need, and nothing you don't. There were countless add-on accessories for that. But there's really nothing perfect, and we all know that he was ver...

Fordwright

That photo popped up somewhere else but I can't recall where. Someone mentioned those were 16" Chevy wheels. I don't know. Also the location was mentioned but I lost track. :roll: Seeing the crank and crankcase tells me it could be driven but visibility would be a challenge. Thanks for bring it to ...

Fordwright

Personally, I don't mind a few remanufactured parts, but I draw the line on customization. I feel offended to see a vintage car dressed up with custom car accessories all over it. If you want a stereo, bring a boombox. If you want to charge your phone, bring a power pack. Don't mutilate a vintage cl...

Fordwright

Henry Ford was fascinated with watches as a child. He learned to take them apart and reassemble them at an early age. Georges Frederic Roskopf developed “La Prolétaire” (People's Watch) in 1867, intended to be affordable by the masses. I suppose it's possible that young Henry would have known about...

Fordwright

FreighTer Jim wrote: ↑
Mon Apr 12, 2021 1:50 am
Henry Ford amassed the power to change recorded events to favor his version of Reaiity.

“ Inspiration “ can be defined in many different ways.

FJ

There's often a very ugly side to total self-actualization.

Fordwright

"But successful people are breaking that paradigm all the time" You are correct Sir! I will add a 4th part to this....The ability to succeed at doing the three listed & still make damn good money while the others "flounder" & are happy to "break even at the end of the year". Unfortunately in doing ...

Fordwright

Henry Ford was fascinated with watches as a child. He learned to take them apart and reassemble them at an early age. Georges Frederic Roskopf developed “La Prolétaire” (People's Watch) in 1867, intended to be affordable by the masses. I suppose it's possible that young Henry would have known about ...

Fordwright

I used to believe that old axiom when I was younger, then I went to work and learned it was mostly a story for telling customers. But successful people are breaking that paradigm all the time - Henry Ford was one of them. General Motors tried to corner the market on automobiles and would have been h...

Fordwright

I'm just a 17 year-old kid who repairs antiques, listens to early "jass," and wants a "T." All of these attributes made me want to repair an old gramophone, pick up some '10s and '20s jass/jazz records, and fall in love with one of the records, "Henry's Made a Lady Out of Lizzie." Thought you might...

Fordwright

Too much water, it can freeze.
Too much glycol, it will gel.

Fordwright

Harry Lillo wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 26, 2021 7:04 pm
Greg,
Do you have dies to make wire wheel hub caps?
Harry

I joked.

Fordwright

I could lend you some dies.

Fordwright

Rob wrote: ↑
Fri Mar 26, 2021 12:04 pm
And another of the Reddy six cylinder Ford, seen in a Portland newspaper:

502287D6-CAA3-4858-9837-451A8EDBAB95.jpeg

Next, moving on through 1907, into 1908 and 1909.

Looks like a taxi from Pakistan.

Fordwright

I believe the article is referring to the Ford Model K, a car with 40 hp motor that had 6 cylinders and a displacement of 405 cubic inch.
It sold for $2500 - $2800 but it was still one of the most popular cars in 1906-1907. Ford would never again return to a 6-cylinder car until 1941.

Fordwright

Yeah, don't give that autocorrect any help at all.

Fordwright

I'm not sure Ford was making their own kerosene lamps at that time. It could have been a supplier that equipped several car brands also.

Fordwright

It was Henry Ford's personality as a farmer and a tinker that caused him to eschew normal business practices, and build the best car that could be made for the masses at the time. He split with investors and bankers who wanted him to follow normal business advice that exploited the customer to extra...

Fordwright

Imagine the revelation that you might be able to afford an automobile, something that was always just a dream and impossibly out of reach. Akin to nowadays gaining access to the worldwide web or maybe even a chance to visit space. More than just a horseless carriage, it was the finest thing many peo...

Fordwright

In my Dad's time, the Model T was a poor man's starter car. Like a Pacer might be today. As soon as they could afford it, they got a '29 Chev, and then better cars from there. There was never any love lost between them and the Model T.

Fordwright

I must admit; the Model T has lost some of its charm for me, having read frank accounts about the personality of the man who created it.

Fordwright

If you read Tin Lizzie it gives a very good account of the New Ford that Henry wrecked!! In 1911 or 12 Edsel would have been very young,and his name was not mentioned in the story! The actual story say"s Henry wrecked the car with his hands and feet,no sledge hammer!! :D Please read Tin Lizzie by S...

Fordwright

Burger in Spokane wrote: ↑
Sun Jan 31, 2021 12:49 am
I recently helped my brother rescue an upright boiler from a barn
and am utterly fascinated with it. It looks like it would take little
work to build it back to functional as shop power or something similar.

First lesson of restoration:
What looks like a little usually ends up being a lot.

Fordwright

Has anyone made an electric Model T? I think it would be great to drive it without the annoying engine sound.

Fordwright

Zero resistance isn't really possible, especially with some of the older metals. Remember, amps = voltage ÷ resistance.
So 12 volts ÷ 0.3 ohms = 40 amps.

Fordwright

This is getting political so I'll stop, but blaming others for our problems won't accomplish a thing.
We need to remember that our powers of innovation are unsurpassed.

Fordwright

TWrenn wrote: ↑
Thu Jan 14, 2021 3:22 pm
The other point is about China itself...DON'T TRUST THEM! How quickly we forget they are COMMUNIST.
And of course, look what they "gave" us last winter!

Calm down, they make good stuff, in fact nearly everything is made there.

Fordwright

Well, the point I guess is that cars are about as affordable now as they were in the 1920s.

Fordwright

In 1908 the Model T cost $850, or around $21,340 in today's dollars when adjusted for inflation. In 1916, the prices had dropped to only $360 for the most basic Model T, or around $7,020 in today's dollars. Dec 20, 2012 I'm not so sure they can't do better nowadays, considering what you got for you...

Fordwright

Welded contacts is a common design problem with high-tension switches.
That's why they have strong springs.

Fordwright

I'd put it near the driver's seat in an obscure location because I'd be sure to forget to turn it on most of the time.

Fordwright

The Model T magneto was unregulated and provided AC voltages from 0-30V. The addition of dry cells did make starting easier, particularly if wired in series to provide over 6 volts DC. This was particularly useful in cold weather, but without a battery, a burly man could still crank the engine hard ...

Fordwright

I don't know anyone who restores old things for profit. It's the joy of taking something that appears to be too far gone, and bringing it back to a useable condition. There's no accounting for the time and money you spend doing that.

Fordwright

Anything is restorable, if you have unlimited time and money,
but what else is new?

Search found 238 matches