MTFCA Forum

Hi Brooks, Yes, you can release the rim spreader to paint the rims. That's the way I've done all my split rims. If you watch the "A Forgotten Model T" episode on changing tires, the guy shows how to do it. Here's a link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obhAvwpCIAE&list=PLHSrLPAGC1x6QBEtxJMdK68A9r00a...

Side view of the bows. It's a tight spot for a picture . Camera is on wide angle.
John

Thank you Dan, Mark and Alan, I think I FINALLY figured it out. Dan's photo of the Touring without the top made it a bunch clearer to me; and maybe to others. In looking closely, I saw that the front bow is horizontal/level with the top of the front door. That allows the #2 bow to drop down a little...

I agree. First thing I look for. Thanks Tom for providing such wonderful images of our past. I think you should write a book with these images of an America past.
John

It's a 25 touring. I'm wondering if the flat bar that connects to the front bow is the issue. I can't find any photos of original bows without the top material covering them

Hi all, I'm installing a new top and I'm looking at the correct height of the #2 and #3 bows from the front of the windshield. In period photos, the #2 is almost always lower than the #3 bow. I can't seem to get the #2 bow lower. Mine always seems to be at the same height or above the #3 bow. The dr...

Very moving ceremony Mitch. Thanks for letting us know.

Thanks Jeff,
I'll try to check the angle. I've been looking at period photos and trying to trace the angle
John

Hi all, Does anyone know the correct angle for the windshield on the 23-25 touring car? I believe mine is bent back a little and I'd like to correct it. Thanks, John

I love the BEAUTIFUL shiny new coupe with O'NEILL Photo Co on the side. But I noticed a different window shape. Not rectangular. What is that? What year?

When I click on the site with my phone, I count 6 seconds and I'm on. With my sloooww computer it takes about 12 seconds. Not bad if you ask me.
John

Finally got my top bows painted after many hours of restoring the wood and replacing rotted wood of the rear curve with a piece of azek PVC leftover scrap. The stuff is great for nailing and can be bent with heat. Next up: wrapping the bows, then on to the top.
John

Photo #14 had ma fooled for a second. I though there was a two man top on that front car (speedster?)

This may be a dumb answer, but what if you soaked the wheel(s) in water for a couple of hours?

First get the club's front and rear axle book from the vendors. John

Dataplates4U can, I believe, do it for you. They did mine for my WW2 jeeps.

Hi All, When I was restoring the front seat spring for my Dec.24 Touring, I found this steel tag attached to one of the springs. It has the number A85696. Does anybody know what its purpose is? A part number? Installation company? Worker's ID? Let me know what you think, please. Thanks, John seat sp...

Thanks John and Dan! Thats a big help.
John

Hi all, I'm about to install the right front kick panel on my 25 touring. Does the panel fit against the outside of the metal floor lip, or behind it? The original seems to go against the outside, but it's in poor condition and I can't tell. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks. John PXL_20250131_2...

J B weld on the inside of a Very clean can does the trick

Just wondering, if I rebuild a 26/27 rear will it fit my 25? Or do I have to rebuild the 25 itself? I believe brakes are different, right? Thanks

Hi all,
Do rear axles have dates on them, or some kind of date codes to identify year/month of production? Thanks, John

Here's my 25 touring in March of this year when I bought it. The car has no rust out, no wood rot, and with a bit of cleaning and restoring it ran very well. It has its original engine and came with a bunch of "extras". Top bows in perfect condition. This car must have been garaged for a long time. ...

Yes please share how you did it. Thanks

I just got on, no problem

In photo 9, taken in Dickenson Center NY., you can google the town and zoom in to street view. If you look at the corner of Main St. and Church St. and go up Main street a little you can see the brick house in the background of this photo. The house is almost intact. Also, concrete raised walkway an...

Happy Chanukah today, and Happy Kwanza tomorrow dear friends. And Merry Christmas. Maybe my stocking has a proper Ford screwdriver or exhausted manifold pack nut wrench. Whatta ya think?

Hi Steve. I sent you an email with it

The fifth picture down is so classy. I love it!

Thanks Steve!

Thanks. I'm hoping Steve has an original one

Thank you. That would be great. Please let me know your price and shipping to 11768. I can do p ay pl or send you a check.
John

Hi all,
As the title states: I'm looking for a single windshield top wing bolt (see image) for my 25 Touring car. Thanks in advance.
John

Hi all, I've been having trouble with a weeping sediment bowl on my 25. I found another bowl that is rusty and locked up. I tried heating and using PB plaster to break parts free.... and maybe a little too much force. At one point I stopped and read one of the postings here about heating the bowl an...

Hi, Here are the photos I took as I restored my rear window. Rubber u channel holds the glass in place, and the metal frame holds the rubber to the body: Before: rear window before.jpg During: rear window during.jpg during: rear window after.jpg during: rear window after part 2.jpg final: rear windo...

Last day of October, I was able to put the engine together and run it for a short time. Problem was, the number 1 con rod spun the babbit bearing while on a tour in September. The inside of the block looked like someone threw sand (babbit material) all over. My friend Jim T. in Greenlawn N.Y. came t...

Hi all,
I'm looking for a slanted coil box cover for my 25 touring. Almost any condition please. Thanks,
John

Hi David,
I did my 27 Tudor interior over and have several pictures to show you. I can't get to them this morning but will try later today. I think they show you what you want to see.
John

Hi all, Again thanks for the suggestions. I fixed the problem by soldering the petcock. Three times. First time first level of solder wasn't thick enough. The petcock spun. first layer.jpg Second time, layer of solder was too thick second layer.jpg The third time worked since I removed some solder. ...

I took the photo of the framed picture of this car (which was on a bathroom wall, and I couldn't get perpendicular to the frame).
So this is a 12? I was confused by the steel windshield, side lights, and lack of windshield supports.
Beautiful car,
John

Hi all,
I've been spending too much time trying to figure out what year this T is. It's from a framed photo taken some time in the 30's because the car in the far distant background has fenders which were from that period. Anybody have a guess?
I'm stumped!
Thanks,
John

Thank you all for the ideas. I think I will go with the tinned/soldered petcock route. That makes more sense to me. I will report back when done.
John

Thanks all for the suggestions.
I think that the radiator has the worn out threads. I'll try some JB weld as soon as I can get it cleaned and dried.
John

Hi all, The radiator drain petcock threads/radiator threads are worn and the petcock doesn't lock in. What can I do to fix this? solder the petcock in? wrap the petcock with teflon tape (what I have now)? What would give me a good hold. The teflon tape is working, but the petcock has a little moveme...

So what I plan to do is to weld an additional piece of metal under the lip of the back panel. I already welded the crack and feel pretty secure that it is strong by itself. But additional metal support is always more insurance. I will still use the white plastic board from big box store. When this s...

Thanks guys. I have a piece of white trim board from the big box stores or from a lumber yard. It was leftover scrap. The welding job I did seems to hold the back stiffly. I think shaping the plastic might be enough. The oak suggestion is great, but oak is such a hard wood; I wonder if something lik...

Hi Jerry, After a lot of searching of pictures of 23, 24, and 25 touring cars, and studying mine, I was convinced that there should be a curved rear panel. The cars that show a completely flat rear don't look as nice to me. Mine is clearly slightly curved. curve back tack strip.jpg Thanks for your c...

Hi all, I'm doing a new interior and top for my 25 Touring. On the back panel, there is a break in the center of the panel (see photo) cracked rear panel.jpg I have since welded the crack but I'm not sure if the back panel should be completely flat where the tack strip goes, or should it have a slig...

For me the hardest part was twisting the ring clockwise to find the point where it is all locked together, since you can't see that position (it's covered by the ring). So I put a piece of blue tape on the bucket and a black dot on the tape exactly where I had to twist the ring to find that locking ...

Just had to find a nice picture of the 1916 Franklin 9 four passenger roadster. It was air cooled, and not inexpensive. Here is a beauty:

Sadly I had the exact thing happen. Driving and heard metal and glass on the ground. I was able to pick up the scratched rim, but the glass was so shattered it was in a million pieces. What I've done when putting back the ring, I make sure the detents are in good condition. One was broken and I sold...

Jerry,
thank you. You are exactly right. The car in question is a Franklin. I've never seen one of these. Quite beautiful cars. When I searched 1916 Franklin, I found a bunch of versions. Now I want one. Ha ha.
Do you have one of these beauties?
John

Hi All,
I found this image on a local Northport village calendar. Does anybody know what kind of car this is? I don't recognize it and I've been looking for photos of it all over. Thanks,
John

Apple cider vinegar I feel is better than just vinegar. Works really well on rust. Soak for a day and wire brush it off, then a very light coat of oil to prevent flash rust. I've been using it for years. Also try electrolysis. There are lots of videos online on how to do that. I've also used it for ...

Third photo down looks like a bride and groom on their wedding day. Or, a bride and her family driving to the church.
Thanks Tom for posting all these photos. They mean a lot to myself and others. They often make my day!
John

When I re-do my seats in the fall or winter, I might be able to help you out. I have some of the original leatherette.
John

Running boards are there; look like lumber

Car is sold, awaiting pick up.

Looks like there was a ceiling beam that fell on the car. What an effort to fix that!

Sale is pending

I’m selling my 1926 Model T Touring car. The car starts and runs well; has a strong engine that may have been rebuilt by previous owner. Included in the sale are a full wood body kit (uninstalled) and a new, in box, complete top never installed. It has new running boards, a rebuilt Holley NH carb, a...

Hi all,
Does anybody know the best way to remove the peened over pin that holds the brake cam on? I've tried drilling, hammering, heat, and using my 20 ton press to no avail.
What's the secret???
Thanks,
John

Thank you all for the responses to my question. I actually realized that I had the retainer in backwards and that made the bolt too long. Today, I reversed the retainer and the bolt fit perfectly. Duh!
So good to have a group of people to help,
John

Hi all,
Can someone tell me what is the correct length of the bolts that secure the intake and exhaust manifolds to the engine block? Thanks,
John

Hi all, My 25 touring has three holes drilled in the top of the windshield frame. None of them looks like anything was ever bolted through them. Were they there for a windshield wiper and or mirror? When were windshield wipers introduced, and/or standardized? My car has a mirror drilled through the ...

If you go to any large fabric store, they should be able to give you a good recommendation of someone who can sew exactly what you want.
John

Thank you folks, I looked carefully and I don't see a filament that is off center; unless my eyesight is worse than I thought. It's hard to see a real difference when I put the lights on during the day or early evening, while looking into a crowded garage. I guess I would notice more if I aimed at a...

Hi, Installing the wiring on my 27 headlight bucket, there are two wires, black with red tracer and black with green tracer. Is there a difference which screw each one is attached to? The black with GREEN tracer is indicated as the low beam. I'm wondering if I have the wires at the plug reversed. Do...

check the date on the adhesive if possible!

Congratulations Mitch! Mine turns 100 in December. Also a 25 Touring.
John

Nice to know work is being done in the USA. Thanks

Photo #11: Beautiful car, shiny and new. Don't we wish our cars looked like that.

Thanks everybody!

Hi Jeff,
thanks. Where does one get Ford Turf???
John

Hi all,
I noticed in an old Mac's catalogue that for touring top material you had a choice of cobra short grain or colonial grain. Anyone know the judging standards for top material for a 25 touring? I have a source for the short grain cobra and will use it if it's not incorrect. Thanks all,
John

Thanks for all who commented. This is a great club with many helpful people contributing. I appreciate it.
John

I've been on the fence about this question. My engine is a December 24 date. So definitely not a late 25. It's 4 months in to the 25 model year; and 8 months away from the end of the 25 model year. So I think I'll go with the two windows. Anyone know of a reason NOT to go this way? Thanks. I think I...

I'm just wondering about several 25's with the single window. Also I saw a vintage ad with a single. Anyone know the changeover date?

Hi all,
Just wondering what would be the correct rear window for a Dec. 24 Touring. A two panel or a one panel. Does anybody know when Ford switched from the two panel to the one panel?
Thanks,
John

Here's a thought: For the guys/gals who couldn't make it to these great swap meets: Sellers, why not take photos of your tables of items that you didn't sell and then post the photos and contact info on the parts page? That way, those like me who couldn't attend, could see items that we need and hav...

Did it have to be Mother's Day weekend????? No way I could have gone. Hey guys, why not a different weekend...? I can just hear the cold silence when I tell the various mothers I'm related to that "I'm going to Virginia to a Model T swap meet." "Oh, and when is that? What weekend?" "Uh...Well, it's ...

What kind of tree is that?

Steve at Lang's suggested connect to either side of ammeter, so I did that. Works fine, and can go on anytime, regardless of headlights

Found out why one of the carbs was leaking gas, and solved it. I thought it was the float level, but that didn't make sense.. Took carb out and reset. No difference. So I got under the carb, drained the bowl and removed the float and needle. Looking directly up into the valve l found the problem. Th...

Thank you Robert. That helps. I can now actually see which pedal my feet are on at night.
John

Hi All,
I have a 27 Tudor and I want to put the original little dash light back in. What do I connect the central wire to? It would be a positive point, as the negative/ground would be through the attachment on the dash itself. Thanks.
John

Easy fix. No problem. Have it out of here in about 2 hours, Maam.

As a pre-teen, I used to see an older woman drive a wood spoked car, probably not a T, but a large sedan, around town occasionally. Always loved that design. When I was a teen, I used to see a similar car behind some stores, near where I worked at my first job at a hamburger joint. I loved that car ...

Hi Steve,
I would like the T size front head bolts with the "tit". Thanks.
John

Hi all again, So I got the woodruff key to stay in place by patiently sliding the bendix head on a little. As usual, the woodruff key wanted to ride up in the rear, as it had for what seemed like hours that I was working on it. But I carefully pressed down on the back of the key and gently wiggled t...

GOOD NEWS! I was able to get the woodruff key to stay in the slot. It took awhile but finally it stayed. The head bolt was mushroomed a little due to my impatience, cranking down on the bolt when it was not lined up with the hole in the starter shaft. It now is working fine with the new bendix. I wa...

Hi, Thanks for the responses. Sorry that my email has been hacked. The digital world is killing us. Good suggestions on peening the slot slightly to fit the key better. The repro drive head bolt must be softer steel, as I have two that have sheared. I'm looking for an original in my parts bins, so t...

Hi All, I've been having trouble with the starter. Previously the Bendix gear had gotten jammed against the Hogshead and the starter wouldn't move. I took it out and found that the end of the bendix head screw was sheared off. I got a new screw from the vendors and when putting it all back together,...

Hi all,
What suggestions do you all have for replacing the small brass plugs that seal the carb passageways? They're made of brass originally, I believe. Can I use heavy copper copper wire, or does it have to be brass? Thanks for your help.
John

Thank you all for the discussion. My newly acquired Dec. 24 (model year 1925) Tourer has a nickel plated radiator shell and silver painted headlight rims. I will, at some time, replace the nickel with black. I want it to look like it rolled off the factory floor.
John

Hi,
I've seen some 25 Touring cars with nickel plated (and some chrome) radiator shells. Question: did Ford put them on or were they all black when leaving the factory. Was the nickel an upgrade, or just a personal choice? Thanks,
John

Yes it is an original cast iron bowl

Thanks, I thought so

I need to install the sediment bowl to the cowl gas tank, thanks

Hi all. What can I use for the sealer for the sediment bowl? Will Permitex #2 work, or is there something better? Thanks, John

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