MTFCA Forum

Jem

Rest assured, Steve, I am not about to buy it!

Jem

This eBay item shows the evolution of Ford logos - is it correct?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383787300453?ul_noapp=true

Jem

There's a good last line in Whispering Jack Smith's Gimme a Little Kiss

I'll even take a Rolls with a chauffeur man,
But gimme a little Ford, and I'll give it right back to you

Jem

Well, I thought I had a pretty good collection of sheet music, 78s and downloads until I saw Dan's list. I need to go shopping! Here's links to my sheet music and 78s. https://photos.google.com/u/0/share/AF1QipOHfApjHyNNnCxTbujefEAhP4p_QZztfi8jWc4SX8RF41o0vpNtuQGQP8x-ox3iGg?key=TmZwd2llVEtRWXhHNndIO...

Jem

Stan Howe you are a National Treasure. Someone needs to put a Preservation Order on you.

Jem

Yes, thank you, a most excellent collection, thanks for sharing.

Jem

Well, my car is #9267 dating from Aug 17 1909, so I think they're slightly over-egging the pudding.

Jem

And when you get to fitting them, don't trust the 'as supplied' wrist pin clearance. I've had 2 engines seize up with tight wrist pins after a couple of thousand miles.

Jem

There are several forms offering 'drop-in' packages to replace the motor on conventional cars, but to retain the T trans would require some extra engineering since it is built-in to the motor and relies on it for lubrication. Electric motor doesn't need the gearbox, I'd hook up direct to the axle. Y...

Jem

Happy Birthday Kim!

Jem

I'll second that! Happy Birthday to our hero of the carburettor and teller of country tales.

Jem

What's an alternator? Next thing I'll be hearing someone talking about replacing the crank handle with an electric motor! Fools! It'll never work.

Jem

Merry Christmas everyone and let us hope for a happier, healthier New Year.
Jem

Jem

Herb, the moment I posted that subject line I was waiting for someone to come out with that line!

Jem

A friend recently hit a pothole. Stopped, couldn't see any damage. A mile later the steering locked up. The front main leaf had broken across the centre bolt hole, the 2 sides worked out of the spring clamps and the front of the car dropped down. Never heard of this before, but it is an obvious stre...

Jem

As Hap has quoted me at length (Cripes! am I now a grey-haired T guru?) I'll put in my two-pennyworth. Sounds very like the problem I described, but it really only happens at parking speed, because it is right at the limit of applying lock. You need to look at all the other suggestions if it happens...

Jem

Rich Skinner here in the UK has built at least 1 ambulance for the Great War centenary, have a look at his site 'Tudor Wheels'.

Jem

My pal used to work for a Ford dealership parts dept. When the monthly price update showed a part increasing in price, he knew it was about to disappear. e.g. they had 100 left, so the individual price would be increased to the point where if they sold 1 or 2 they had covered the cost of the other 9...

Jem

Dr Noel is right. I have one and have no problems working around any electrical stuff. I have been told you can weld as long as you avoid high amperages but haven't tried yet. But if you do get it near a magnet, it will turn back on as soon as the magnet is removed. I have heard of people having pro...

Jem

I have a T, an A and a V8. In the past I've had Model Ys, Prefects, Populars, Thames van etc. All got their good and bad points, had fun with all of them.

Jem

Not one for naming cars generally but when I got my 09 back in 1980 I took it to show to an old-timer. He came out of his barn, stood in front of it and said:
Now that's The Proper Mr 'Enery Ford!
So, The Proper Mr 'Enery Ford it is.

Jem

My wife usually says 'now what have you bought?' Today she said 'That looks nice, what is it?' It's Donnie Brown's repro of the Stevens Tool Catalog and it is beautiful! Thank you Donnie. Just so frustrating that I can't actually place an order for all these lovely tools.

Jem

How does it work? The picture is a bit difficult to see, looks like it hooks back the pedal

Jem

Just seen that the Automobile did a Newton Bennet article in 2008, they say there are 5 survivors, so they will have photos in their own archive.

Jem

great stuff Allan! Certainly looks like they stole the rad off a Newton Bennett.

Jem

Nice photo stolen from the Automobile Sept issue. Any ideas on the source of the radiator? RHD English registration

Jem

A further thought. 1911 is outside our area of interest because bodies were made by outside coachbuilders, e.g. Beaudette, who would have supplied floorboards with the body. Anyone got a 1911 Kansas City trade directory?

Jem

The only problem I have with that, Pat, is that it was established in old threads (see Cudaman post further up) that floorboard makers put their name on their products supplied to Ford. To know that those boards are from crates we have to know what Simplex Manufacturing made in 1911. If it's stamped...

Jem

Thanks gentlemen, a fount of knowledge as ever. Thanks Mark for sending me off down the rabbithole of vintagemachinery.com. And Dan for the interesting letter from Office of Edsel Ford. But the one I had never heard of from Wayne was that Ford did runs of special colour cars for Government orders. I...

Jem

Yes I can see that as wartime expedience, there was probably a shortage of timber in the war zone.

Jem

The September Automobile magazine has a Model T article. One owner repeats the old 'Henry made suppliers size their crates to reuse as floorboards' story and says it's true 'cos his floorboards have company names stamped on them. He also claims his 22 touring is a Texas fire chief's car with origina...

Jem

Oil drain hole?

Jem

There seems to be a surprising number of 09/10 survivors, given the times they lived through. Mine is #9267, Aug 17 1909. For differences, check out the encyclopedia on this site.

Jem

I want it! Wife says NO.

Jem

Wonderful set of photos! I want to change my name to Cookenboo. Where does that originate?

Jem

There used to be an old guy here who ran an SU off a 1960 Morris Mini along with the Mini distributor running horizontally from a bicycle chain drive. Went very well.

Jem

Yes there is a screw behind my lamp

Jem

Here's my unrestored Aug 09 (not totally unmolested, it had an incorrect repaint circa 1950) The bottom screw is 1.5" from the bottom edge, subsequent screws are 5.25" apart. The screw is a raised countersunk 1" long with 0.25" wide head. IMG_20201006_164158600.jpg IMG_20201006_164125411.jpg IMG_202...

Jem

I have a small pile of these from my engine rebuild, but I'm the other side of the Atlantic. There must be someone over there with one. Kim Dobbins?

Jem

That's not a T sold in the UK, it's LHD, pity we can't see the number plate.

Jem

Went to a Flathead & Hot Rod swap meet Sunday. Stole this for a fiver. No dents, no cracks, all glass good, just very dirty and minus font and burner.

Jem

Yes please.

Jem

I have had oil sucked up into the cylinder by a poor fit of the spark plug, the thread in the head was worn. Not sure of the physics of why it did that but I fixed it by wrapping some aluminium foil round the thread. Warped manifolds are common, you can heat it up to cherry red and clamp to the bloc...

Jem

An old timer, long gone (Eric Goodey, of the famous Berkshire clan) told me an old trick for starting was to use a tyre lever to tweak the pulley forward and narrow the mag gap enough to get it a spark on the first pull on the handle.

Jem

IMG_20200820_100035331.jpg The wreck is a circa 1920 Rolls Ghost. The recovery vehicle was once a Daimler car, probably a limousine that spent the Great War dragging generals about. Lots of people donated their cars to the war effort. After the war's end, many ended up in a big vehicle dump in Slou...

Jem

A fellow near me with a 09 Stanley told me he had his brass gold-plated so I never needed attention 'It was surprisingly inexpensive!'. But he owned half the county, so his idea of inexpensive may vary from ours.

Jem

That bus is mind-boggling! How does a 20hp drag all that body along, let alone filled with passengers. Imagine if a bunch of kids rushed to grab the back seats - the front wheels would lift off.

Jem

I have just submitted an article for our club magazine on the joy of slow driving. Throughout the T era, 1903 to 1930, the national speed limit in Britain was 20mph.

Jem

Working tractors here have to have a roll cage, most have an air-conditioned cab and are quite fast; seat belts would seem quite sensible. Going back to vintage vehicles, belts won't help in a major accident but they will stop you coming out of the seat under heavy braking or a swerve. I know a coup...

Jem

I remember discussion of the driver's door and whether the license plate was Canadian. Following the Shorpy link doesn't show me any info on place or date.

Jem

I confess. I don't use them in my T, but my V8 & my VW camper.

Jem

I use a small orbital sander to vibrate the stem.

Jem

If you follow all the suggestions above and it's still stiff, consider this. I had 2 engines partially seize after 2000 odd miles. The cause was wrist pins seizing in alloy pistons. I had to pull the pistons and hone the wrist pin holes. I also drilled oil holes. If you pull the head you should be a...

Jem

I stand corrected. I just saw a foot throttle and 2 pedals going down to the left, missed the reverse.

Jem

Good film that. History takes a beating all right, the pedals the driver slams in his emergency stop don't belong to a T.

Jem

I think there is more than 1 1915 used on Ragtime. Half the film was shot on a big backlot set in Shepperton Studios just outside London, England, so I think we had a duplicate car in the UK. First film I ever worked on, it was b####dy freezing on that lot, we all wore 3 layers under our costumes. M...

Jem

I've told Ian there is an article to be written here. He has photos pre- and during-restoration. The car was previously owned for a long time by one of our club members Rodger Florio who sadly died just before the restoration was completed, so never saw it. I don't know if we have any history prior ...

Jem

Teddies on lockdown! Left the Model T ticking over outside the garage and a Teddy decided to go for a ride. His feet couldn't reach the pedals so didn't get too far. Only a broken lamp and ,luckily, no stuffing was spilt.

Jem

The chauffeur IS Ian, the owner & restorer, not a model hired to add period effect

. And I am sure he'll be pleased with the positive comments.

Jem

My near neighbour Ian Braban has spent about a decade restoring this Manchester T Landaulette to a standard that would be the envy of a Rolls Royce shop. Check out the photos on Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/oldefule/ ... 850294526/

Jem

We have to remember these early bodies were craftsman made so there may be no single standard, it would have varied depending on which man was doing the job and what hardware was available. Like linestriping which varies from car to car. Re my axle, that needs cooperation with a machine shop, not po...

Jem

Shoul have said never rewooded! Spell check!

Jem

August 09 Beaudette alloy body, believed never responded or retrimmed.

Jem

Mike Bender recommends you work on the trans with it bolted to the engine on an engine stand. Makes it easier to check for runout with a dial gauge etc. He makes the good point that the factory had separate shops for engine and trans assembly, we restorers are only doing one at a time. Instead of he...

Jem

Our fuel in the UK is E5 but we are moving to E10. I am told there will be superunleaded 97 octane available, but I don't know if that will be ethanol free. I've had no problems with any of my cars or tractor on E5.

Jem

This is British. There were T and TT versions, possibly supplied by one of the bread or flour companies - Hovis? Lots of bakers had them, I don't know of a survivor, the construction probably didn't lend itself to long term use and what could you use a second hand loaf for once the baker finished wi...

Jem

Looking at some lights on a Frenchman's stall at Beaulieu Autojumble some years ago, I asked why the LH of each pair had a white window with blue or green chevrons(like the Citroen badge). The French have, or had, 'priority to the right' - the fellow coming out of the road on your right will shoot o...

Jem

I’ve been around since 2004. I miss the old forum and many of the old members who are either no longer with us, or choose not to post anymore, or very seldom, like me. I was searching the old forum and I was amazed at how much more interesting and active the old forum was. There were many, many mor...

Jem

I second that. My wife made a rare recce into my shop yesterday and said - this place is a mess, why don't you tidy up?

Jem

Well I see some useful parts. Model A radiator, 2 seater body tub, fenders, running boards - might be an open valve motor with 5 ball carb hiding under the hood

Jem

That is a lovely piece. Wish I was near enough to borrow it

Jem

I still have one of those wrenches which I made myself as an apprentice piece. The car could be one of many British cars with that suspension layout.

Jem

English plate. I have some photos somewhere of an English trade school with girls fixing Ts - Great War?

Jem

Digging up an old topic here, is this the Model J #2 that Carl Pate refers to in his Encyclopedia?

Jem

I keep getting this style of listing turning up on my searches https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/184155782868?ul_noapp=true Click on sellers other items and he has over 2000 on offer. Click on the photos and 2nd photo tells you not to bid but email him. Every item I've seen in this style has a different gm...

Jem

Read the description and it's not quite the unmolested find the headline suggests, it had a chequered career in the 20s & 30s, maybe it didn't run when parked:-)
And the engine no is 33,000 or so different from the data plate. The vendor seems to think it came from the factory like that.

Jem

Seems I'm only a puppy in this company, model year 1948. But I have the triple bypass, 7 stents & a pacemaker. And a Ferguson tractor.

Happy Birthday, Stan.

Jem

I lurk here everyday, Bud, but don't often have anything intelligent to say.

Jem

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and everything you wish for yourself in 2020, from the muddy swamp of Lincolnshire. We're hoping for a Dry January - not an absence of alcohol, an absence of rain.

Merry Christmas!

Jem

The famous quote is 'Some people know the price of everything but the value of nothing'

Jem

Quite a few British cars in the 30s had freewheels, the idea being you could save fuel. BUT, you had a lever to disengage it when you needed engine braking. This T accessory on its nice tin is a lovely display item but I wouldn't want it in my car.

Jem

Talking to Neil Tuckett, he tells me that a nice car he brought from California some years ago has been nicely restored (but in yellow with tan leather!) and is alive and well in Surrey, England, serial no 33xx. Also the car I mentioned which Bonhams sold was a pre-1000 serial #, (738?) although not...

Jem

On the second chara, I don't think that's a frame extension you can see, it's the wooden bearers for the body, I think it's a standard TT.

Jem

There are 17 people in that first charabanc, at a conservative estimate that is 1 ton, without the heavy bodywork. Poor little Ford.

On the bus in the museum, I wonder what axle they've put under it and how the brakes are rigged.

Jem

Here's the block IMG_20191021_135149378.jpg DSC02011.JPG I have too many projects lined up, the no-rivet rear end is about halfway down that list..... Kim probably has a better handle than I on survivors. I've seen the Don Hess' #2 up in Scotland, and there's a water-pump car (# in the 1600s I belie...

Jem

Tony, some image programs will read PDF and let you output as JPG. Or you could go analog, print it and then scan it back in! Here's the sheets for my car #9267. It's a poor copy sent to me in 1994 by Mark Herdman, I wonder if a better print could be made now. My car has an aftermarket top, so I thi...

Jem

I'm with Jeff on this. Belts are going to help with heavy braking, swerves or minor fender-benders. In a major accident nothing is going to help you much in an antique car, especially a lightweight T, but I think I would rather be restrained from being thrown through the windshield. One suggestion t...

Jem

There was a pioneering early lady motorist in the 1900s who used her makeup mirror to check for cars behind. Can't remember her name right now, but she usually gets the credit for the rear view mirror. She also carried a pistol for protection, so maybe she also invented the drive-by shooting

Jem

Good point Art. I made sure that the pin felt free once clamped up in case the clamp caused distortion.

Jem

Yes, I posted about this not long ago. 2 engines, piston pins seized after a couple of thousand miles, even though they seemed loose on assembly. Seems the old test of letting the rod drop when holding piston horizontal does not work. Honed them out, we'll see how the next few thousand miles go.

Jem

Another comparison, here's the radiator that goes with #9267.

Jem

For comparison, here's engine #9267, assembled Aug 16th 09. (There are some non-factory marks toward the rear - it was metal-stitched after joining the 2-piece crank club).

Jem

He does say the rear is late 09 or 10, to be fair. I agree the motor has been faked from a later block (the number block is awful) and we don't see the hogshead to check the 2 lever setup. It's a right bitza and needs a lot of work to make halfway respectable.

Jem

I bought a car off Dave several years ago. Making contact was difficult, when we did finally talk, he explained he'd been running his log-splitter almost non-stop and couldn't hear the phone

Jem

Typo. The town near Neil Tuckett is Winslow, not Wilmslow.

Jem

Oh, I forgot to mention you can see a Hucks Starter at Duxford and also at the Shuttleworth Collection https://www.shuttleworth.org/

Jem

Visiting London is not 'doing' England, anymore than me visiting New York would be 'doing' the US. For car action you need to get out of London - the city is so tangled with Low Emission Zones and Congestion Charges that I don't know anyone who drives an old car in London. If you decide to pick up a...

Jem

I have had problems on 2 engines with piston pins seizing in alloy pistons after a couple of thousand miles. That causes the piston to cock over and clatter against the bore. Pull #3 and check the piston pin. I also have a noisy cam gear on 1 engine, even though it's new. It has 7thou backlash, the ...

Jem

I think that's a hoot! Stuffing all those bits in through the side door. Need to watch the whole video now, looks very good

Jem

This is something I was considering. I have LED headlamp bulbs in my 35 V8 and 76 VW Camper, I may experiment with them in a gas headlamp.

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