MTFCA Forum

Hello. Looking at the parts and now the classified adds I saw your post with interest. I’m not looking to buy a car as I have 3 T’s and one of them is a 21 Touring I restored 2 years ago. I tried to date mine as close as I could get going by the engine no., body details and information from the foru...

This is a great improvement over the original. I use them in my T ‘s.
And for the purist you can’t see it!

Makes sense it would work. Adding a shim ‘so to speak’ to add tension to the spring.
Beats having to going through the hassle of changing the spring.

Lang’s new catalog has it on page 205. If you look it up on their website look under for door parts. Snyder’s has some too. It might not be exactly but it works. It also might be sold in 4 ft length to cut to fit. Some have used Model A channel from Snyder’s. I think the 25-27 T channel will work. I...

Hello! I also have a 24 Coupe that had the same window riser. They are hard to find so be glad you have one! I finally found one for the passenger side of my car that was rusted up tight. I bought it on Ebay cheap as nobody wanted a rusted tight riser. I repaired mine by soaking in diesel and minera...

Agree with Mopar man. Make sure they aren’t cracked. If there isn’t any cracks your good to go. Clean them up a little better as others have suggested. Original T transmission drums that look good could have very small cracks in them and run for years with no issue. It could very well be they were t...

I got mine today also. It’s getting thicker as time goes on. And that’s good!

Besides some good information the handwriting is really nice! Nowadays people would type out the information on a computer keyboard, print it and that would be it. This is a good example of great handwriting. The teaching of handwriting has now turned into learning a keyboard that’s on computers, I ...

Wow! Those are neat! It’s a wonder they survived all these years. Lots of T engines and parts wound up in salvage yards. These didn’t.

Hi Chris. I don’t know if you have had experience with the wood kits but just be aware when you get the kit you’ll probably have to do a little fit up here and there as you build it. The wood won’t usually just drop into place. I have a 22 Roadster, 21 Touring and a late 24 Coupe. I used kits for th...

I have done 90% of the rebuild work on my 3 T’s and pretty sure I could do a rebuild on a field coil BUT I’m glad there are those in the hobby that specialize in rebuilding them. I think I would be like others who could say I’ve done it but the next I’ll buy one. For me the same goes for trying to s...

Good illustration of how lots of T’s in that era were used and the reality of it! I also noticed the chains and wondered if this T is a snow or mud T.
Whatever the case this T’s black shiny paint didn’t stay nice long. I think it’s black with dust dirt and etc that was so typical back in the day.

Getting the timer in a firm but not to tight fit can fool you. You might need to bend the arm that holds it on just a bit for a tighter fit. Remember that the arm bolt feels really tight when you just tightening down the bolt and arm but if it’s not bent enough it’s not really pushing down firm on t...

I think the handle change came when Ford switched from wood frames doors to the steel frame sometime in 25. The later ones I have seen have the clip on the back of the handle that is accessed by pushing in the cover behind the handle and exposing the handle clip so you can push it off. It’s kind of ...

I have a 24 Coupe but the window regulator handle is held on with a large headed screw in the middle of the handle. Pretty easy to take off.
Since yours is a 1925 it might have the later handles I guess. Does it have steel framed doors or wood. Mine is a late 24 and has the wooden framed doors.

Have you got any old beat up fenders you can use to practice unrolling the bead before trying it on your good fenders?
Might give you you an idea how to do it if you do.

As far as backing up a Model T you have to always remember you don’t have real brakes going in reverse any more than going forward!
In other words “Model T’s don’t have real brakes” !

Hello Mason! It’s great you want to learn about Model T’s and welcome to the hobby! There are lots of publications and how to drive and work on them available. As others have said get the manuals and READ, READ and Read the books about ModelT’s. You will get to know about them and gain confidence wi...

I think I would go with a glass shop in your area. In that way you can deal with them directly about any questions or issues. Since it’s flat glass it won’t be that hard to cut and fit. I have a 21 Touring with a flat glass windshield. I cleaned up and repainted the frames and hand polished the nick...

Allan you make a good point in one respect. A nicely restored Model T is in some ways better than they were built originally. Henry wanted quality of course but he wasn’t building a Rolls Royce. To sell as many as he did you have to give him credit with making a quality product that was affordable t...

By all means DO NOT push down on the crank when trying to crank a T!! When a Model T gets harder to start the temptation is to crank it harder and do whatever to crank it. That’s the way to get a broken arm!! You’ll want to do do anything to start it and you’ll get the temptation to advance the spar...

There are people that haul antique cars but you find find a regular car hauler in your carrier that would do it in your area. Make sure you check that it’s tied down good and since it has a fabric top I would have the carrier use 2 straps across the top to keep the top from blowing off besides tying...

Like Jim says it’s either using a longer than needed belt, the timer rod needing rebending to clear the belt but from the looks of it without more views a shorter belt may do it.
This sometimes happens when putting an engine together so your not the first.

I think that thinking the transmission is binding is the effect of leaving the handbrake on in neutral and trying to crank it with cold oil between the plates. That’s the reason to leave the brake off to let the oil drain between the plates. It can help some.

In colder weather it’s best to leave the handbrake forward after the last run. Pull the brake back to leave in neutral to start the next time around. Jacking up the rear wheel is a help to getting the car started also. Using a light grade oil helps also. These steps are pretty much what others have ...

Like others I have used rivet gun type rivets. Ace hardware has copper rivets which is what I used. I then used a flat punch with the brush holder on a back up to brad the rivets a little more. Works fine.

Part of my job as a maintenance mechanic at the college I retired from was a locksmith. Jonah your right about the tool that’s 2nd from the left in the lock picking kit. That tool I used as a rake to rake the lock pins back and forth while I applied tension on the lock clockwise as I raked the pins....

As for greed it’s a human condition and not necessarily ‘American’’. Using it in the title makes it sound like it’s a problem with our free enterprise driven country. In any event our system is better than other systems telling you what to do and how to do it to make everyone equal in the soup and b...

Question Were the mag rings coated with some type or varnish, paint or anything that we know of before they were assembled at the factory? Nowadays when rebuilding them it seems to me using some type of coating and or thin shield for insulation wouldn’t hurt a thing. And it wouldn’t make it to high ...

Lots of good work in several posts about rebuilding the mag rings. These folks are doing a good job no doubt. Which begs the question of how did Ford do it. To keep up with production they must have workers winding the individual coils by the hundreds and another group soldering and assembling them ...

The first two pics of the same speedster are really cool. He must have had some money invested in it going by the engine extras he had on it. Isn’t that an added on oil sump? Pretty nice wheels on it too. Any history on the car? Must have been fast on the track given the cup on the hood.

Norman K. raises a good point. There ought to be a way to check a newly rewound ring. I’m not a electrician but seems like you check for continuity and resistance. I’m sure Steve has that figured out!

Neat pictures!
Number 4 is interesting! I wonder how the Touring was started with the wheel crank or if it disengaged! Surely it did.
Also the new T in the dealership left it’s usual spot under it. T’s Mark their spot!

I have a late 24 Coupe and the lid support is on the drivers side on it. I guess it would work on either side but it’s been on the drivers side ever since I can remember. I inherited the Coupe in 1959 and my Grandfather was the second owner so I don’t think it’s been changed. It didn’t look to be wh...

Over the years people have used different oil concoctions for timer oil. From 30w oil to everything else in between. I found using a mix of STP and engine oil makes for a really slick feeling oil. You can use Motor honey also with a mix to thin it down. I can remember growing up that mechanics would...

I agree with Stephen’s last post. For me I bought rebuilt field coils for my 3 T’s. I thought about redoing my first one after reading about it the Model T Ford restoration handbook but reconsidered the time and effort doing it. I commend those that do it themselves! And also the folks who do it for...

A Model T engine is similar in some ways to any older antique internal combustion engine. Old tractors and old internal combustible engines would run on kerosene or something similar like mentioned in the above posts. They weren’t as efficient but they would run. If there was a fuel shortage farmers...

Interesting photo of the T shipping crates and what they were made of! I wonder if they were sent back to the factory. If not the locals probably would get them for use on the farm. I’ll bet you could build a good barn or building with several of those crates. It would make a good chicken coup at th...

Keep asking questions Jonah! It’s great to see someone who really has an interest in Model T’s and a super attitude! Those two things will take you far in the T hobby.
This is the place to learn and we are here for you!

Take the clamp back out and try it again. You may have to much paint on the frame and the clamp itself. If it was on before it will go on again. Also when the clamp is out tap it together just a bit. Sometimes this helps.It’s happened with me before. If you can get both sides barely and it’s tight u...

For what it’s worth my 1919 Runabout got to doing something similar a few years ago. First thing I did was to check the mag post. I had installed a rebuilt mag ring a few years before and when installing the mag post I found that somehow the lead contact button was a bit off center from the hole in ...

Since autos came on the scene in the early 1900’s matching the paint colors has been a head scratcher for years. The ‘what comes around goes around’ saying goes with paint colors too. More than a few of the old colors that were used show up today but with different names applied to the colors and th...

Hi Jonah Another thing to consider is to buy a top kit instead of making one. The kits that are sold are pretty much complete minus the bows, top pads and some finish hardware. You can check them out at the parts suppliers websites. If you already have the top bows that’s a plus. That’s a wonderful ...

Interesting photos of how a lot of Model T’s were put together. On the dock where this car was assembled with others as time went by there is no telling what was used for misplaced nuts, bolts and etc. This is what drives the purists among us crazy when seeing photos of new T’s being treated this wa...

Wow! This post reminds me of the cars I could have bought in the in the 70’s and 80’s. It’s kind of like shoulda, could have and almost! I had my T’s then in a barn here on the farm thinking one day I was going to restore them which I did do. I still have and enjoy them. Remembering back friends wou...

Get all the available T parts suppliers catalogs. Snyder’s , Lang’s , Chaffins and others. There is lots of good information in them besides parts. If your new to Model T’s they are a great place to see what years parts are for the different year T’s. If you call them they usually will send you a ca...

Have to agree that doing a brush on paint job can turn out pretty smooth if your careful with the application. It takes a little practice just as it does with a spray gun. The right paint consistency helps when brushing it on. It’s up to you of course but I would do what the poster said and smooth o...

Even if you have the correct puller that doesn’t always guarantee you’ll be successful in pulling a really though clutch drum or driven gear. That goes for any other situation you have to use a puller. You can spread the clutch drum puller jaws on a tough drum. You see these occasionally at swap mee...

I have 3 T’s and working on them over the years I found that having the clutch drum puller, and driven gear puller that were the original Ford tools did help. Another tool that’s almost a necessity is the axle sleeve puller. I bought a repo from Lang’s and it does work well. One job that’s tricky is...

The T’s that have the large hole above the terminal block are the high radiator or high cowl cars.
If your your looking at the Ford service manual the high cowl or late 23 cars firewalls are shown and not the earlier or low cowl cars.
The low cowl cars have the hole below the terminal block.

Hey Bud, at least it’s shorter than when somebody asks which oil to use!

Good advice from everyone! One more thing is to plan your stops AHEAD of time and not on the spur of the moment! Learn to do this and in case of an emergency you’ll know what to do. Start your plan especially when going down a hill by beginning to slow down a good ways before you need to stop or tur...

Remember your driving a car with 100 year technology. T’s don’t have ‘real’ brakes like your modern car or pickup. So don’t expect to come to a quick stop if necessary. You’ll learn in a short time how to use the hand brake. After a while it will become second nature along with starting and stopping...

Seems like the story of Fordlandia has been mentioned on the History channel before.
The remains were still there a few years ago and probably still is maybe.

North star flags.com has 4”x 6” Ford flags like the one that’s shown or close to it. They make all kinds of flags in different sizes.
The one shown on their website has almost the identical staff on the one your showing.

Hope this is a help.

The Harbour Freight paint guns work fine. I worked at a Technical College and the Auto Body dept instructors recommended these for their students to use because they were economical. The students did some nice jobs with these. The instructors noticed that they worked as well as their high dollar per...

I’ve been following this post with interest and think that it’s not a gas tank. Looking at it closely it seems to be made in sections or separate pieces and then put together going by the 3 ribs. Gas tanks didn’t have those type of ribs. Don’t think many of those are around. Neat item and hard to fi...

I would give the advice on using screws, pea gravel and etc. and use that to try to remove the rust. I used pea gravel on one of mine and it really helped removing the rust. I didn’t have a mixer to turn the tank but kept shaking it by hand. It took a while but it worked. Don’t throw your tank away ...

Good job Dan ! You found one 50 cents cheaper!

Theses things are neat. Never saw one at a swap meet.

Here is a picture from a 1926 Western Auto Ford owners supply book.
One is really close to the one you have. It clamped on and was a easy way to have a stop light.

That would be neat to restore and use again! But finding the red glass lens for the add on stop light would be almost impossible. Maybe a red celluloid lens was used?
Bet there’s not many left that’s survived.

If it’s been homemade they did a good job of getting it in the shape that it is.

When T ‘s were used for everyday transportation that was fairly common. But that was over 50-60 years ago or longer.

You haven’t mentioned if the radiator is original, been cleaned out or is a replacement new one. If it’s the one that’s been on you TT truck for many years and an original that could be part or all of your problem. They do wear out. Radiators can fool you by looking like it may be in good shape. You...

You did what I did Art. I retired at 61 and a half. I could have waited until I was 65 to get the full social security retirement but started drawing as early as I could which was 62. I came to the conclusion that you’ll never have enough money even if work past 80. Life is to short. Why work until ...

When in doubt read the instructions!

Congratulations Mark on your retirement! I did that 10 years ago and haven’t regretted it. I restored 2 T’s during that time as far as Model T’s go. I have a farm that keeps me busy so I am lucky to be able to keep busy. That’s the most important thing that people need to do in this stage of life. G...

I’ve seen T bones over the years and and I can tell you that one has been out in the back fourty acres for lots of years! T’s left in the open don’t last long in the elements. Just the bones.

Sad but true Cudaman. Technology is changing and the skills are going with it. We have to remember the boomer generation cars are antique and old technology. Model T’s are ancient in the minds of the the younger folks. Only one place in my town that repairs old style radiators and they don’t do many...

If you have a 24 T Coupe that’s a real deal if you need it. The hinges alone are not being reproduced and are hard to come by. I have a 24 Coupe and was lucky most of the parts were there when I restored it. I sold the extra pair of hinges I had and the buyer was glad to to give the 150.00 I was ask...

Have to say it folks BUT shipping and sending items for whatever reason this winter and especially this year isn’t a good thing to do. Don’t expect everything to be on time and right where it’s suppose to be. Online buying and shopping along with the COVID thing plus it’s upcoming Christmas don’t ex...

Sometimes great deals can be had on EBay. But you have to look and be there at the right time. I call it luck. I bought a rusted up tight window riser for my 24 T Coupe. I saw it and bid $1.75. The guy wanted 25 dollars. Nobody bid but me. The add stated it may not be repaired and maybe parts only. ...

The regulator that I have didn’t have any kind of spring. It wasn’t exactly like yours but still fairly complicated but not much. I just drilled out the rivets and used the same size nuts and bolts back in it. I slowly took it apart and carefully noticed how it was put together. Once you understand ...

Mike I have a 24 Coupe with window regulators similar to yours. Ford made 3-4 different styles. It took me 3 years to find the missing drivers side and it was rusted stiff but all there. While mine wasent exactly like yours it was another style that was complicated and I finally decided to take it a...

On the farm we used that paint on the new fence line posts and corner sections on the perimeter fence a few years ago. The posts were rusty oil field pipe. It looks as good today as it did when I first painted it.
Industrial enamel is pretty good paint for exterior use.

<t>Ford was like a lot of T owners. People would update their cars as time went on up to around 1940-45. They still weren’t used up and the improvements that could be made to their T upgraded them using parts off of newer T’s they got at auto salvage yards. <br/> Henry was a common sense kind of guy...

The original post says he assumes they are the original style brake shoes but he’s not for sure. It could be the brakes shoes need to have the high spot areas turned down a bit. I think Mark Nunn has the right idea of how to go about why they are to tight. Maybe one of the wheels could be removed an...

If this 27 T is in really good condition as the owner says it could be worth a good price. BUT that depends on what the engine sounds like and how it drives. It would need new tires even though they have been off the ground and jacked up. Very important to confirm is whether it has a good title. Eve...

Nice job Henry! I wonder how the casting broke at the flange like it did. Must have been dropped or the bolts got loose at the flange or? If it wasn’t dropped it could have been misalignment. Adding the pins to help hold the flange together is a necessity in that location. That’s as good a job as an...

Warmer in the winter time! Maybe!

You are probably right as to year of car. If it has the wood door frames it’s probably not a 25.
The engine that you got along with the other parts might be the original engine and a late 23.
Good luck with your Coupe.

23Orange If you carport has the open sides that’s popular here in Texas you can add the sides to it. They match the roof sheet metal roof material and look pretty good. There are also a front section that is avaliable to make it totally enclosed. I don’t what type you have but the new neighbor down ...

Get you a car cover and use that when not driving or using it a lot. Should work OK with the Touring top put down. Model T’s can’t take many years being left partially out in the open. They aren’t weather proof.

And if your T Coupe has a cowl vent that makes it a 24 or 25 year model. That’s usually the deciding factor if it’s in that year range.

Since your in Texas the issue of not having a title like myself is the reason I used a bonded title service. Here in Texas the issue of a serial no. comes up when your getting the info together to take to the DMV to try to start acquiring a title. As I remember the information on vehicles in Texas i...

Ian
I have a 24 Coupe. The 24-25 Coupes are almost identical. My car has wooden framed doors. The later 25 Coupes have metal framed doors. That would tell you if your car is a 25 model or not since you don’t have a title.

Good advice from John Iacinno! If you try to get your car registered at the DMV don’t try to tell them a lot of information about the car. What that does is create more questions at the DMV. The people who usually you would deal with don’t know much about antique cars. And if you don’t have a title ...

Ian Since you don’t have the original engine serial number and only the body number it would depend if the body number was listed on the title. The engine number is on the title but I’m not sure the body number is. That would depend if the dealer who originally sold it listed it along with the engin...

The head is or was a blue green color when I got it among lots of other T parts several years ago. It wasn’t on an engine. As what year engine it was on I don’t know the answer. It was faded and the existing paint was still on the sides and around some of the head bolt holes but not much. At the tim...

Probably the best explanation about colors Ford used is found in the Encyclopedia which is found on the MTFCA website section under research. The section in the paint section about the use of black most of the time is pretty detailed. You can check out each year and what colors there was if any. As ...

I don’t think Ford was to paticular with the paint with the engine paint application. He wasn’t when he brazed on the pan motor mounts. But to each his own on how he wants to do it. I have a high head that’s in pretty good shape and after cleaning it up it has a blue green faded cooler. I’m pretty s...

Along the way Ford moved from the old design to a newer design for easier starter removal as shown in the manual. I’m glad he did. it’s amazing what’s in the manual when we read ALL of it.
I had forgotten what’s in the Old design section since my 3 T’s are the newer design cars.

Sharp TT Truck!
Question.
Did the front fender brace come with the truck when you got it? I have a few front fender braces but not one like yours with the headlights curves. Looks sharp.

Have you checked hardware stores or plumbing supply houses?

You have an axle used for some type of wagon or trailer.
Here in the US it’s typical to find Model T wheels adapted to use on the farm. Model T frames
and wheels were used in different ways over the years because so many T’s were made.

And could it be that some manufactures didn’t put the hole in and some did? And the one Rich shows has a notch in it while others didn’t have the notch.

Do it the easy way. Remove the firewall, and unbolt the steering column and lay it down in the car. In this way installing the engine pretty much all together is pretty easy. Lots of room to work with. Others will tell you you don’t need to remove the firewall or the steering column and you don’t ne...

Maybe the earlier Coupes 17-22 ?
.

Were the hood shelves made by different manufactures? Was it a Ford made exclusive item? Could the hole have been some sort of stabilizing hole with a small pin through the hole to keep the stamped hood shelf in place in the press used by some different manufactures? Could be the answers in in the F...

I never thought about it. I do remember I used the hole to put a piece of wire through to hang up on a wire across the garage with other parts that I primed and painted.

Wouldn’t be the first Model T that was titled the way it was. Probably what happened it was titled as a 23 because of the build date by the salesman or dealership not thinking it was the next years car. I’ll bet there is a few more titled that way if they survived all these years.

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