MTFCA Forum

An automobile parade by Medford, Oregon businessmen to entertain Californians. I guess cars were such a novelty back then that folks would line the unpaved street to see a few of them drive by. There is a horse drawn carriage (wagon wheel) to the far right. I wonder what the townsfolk thought of tha...

Here are 2 pictures of the Ford Model K automobile. Jim Patrick

I don’t know if there is a parts list specifically for Model A tools, but I doubt it, since the Model A came on the market in 1928, immediately following the 1927 demise of the Model T and made use of the same tools that were used on the Model T. Jim Patrick

Is this what you are looking for? Jim Patrick

I have had both and I believe that either plastic or wood functions equally well, however, I prefer original Ford Script wooden cased coils for authenticity and the simple reason that wood (especially dove tailed boxes) is what the Model T originally used. I did once have a Ford script coil that app...

Sad to think that many of those cars were probably in good condition when they were parked in the woods so many years ago only to be allowed to deteriorate into the rust buckets they have become. Tragic that some hoarders have so little respect for the historical artifacts they assumed temporary cus...

Come on guys. Be nice. If it looks like a T, sounds like a T, smells like a T and drives like a T...it’s a T and may be something Mason can afford. Any cosmetic problems, such as color, can easily be remedied and how many, who see it driving down the road will know it’s not all original?! Jim Patrick

There is a 1915 brass T touring for sale on eBay (photo below). If interested, go to eBay (www.eBay.com) and enter 224327503888 in the search box. No bids yet and the starting bid is $5,150.00. It is in Massachusetts so it will be a long drive for you if you were to place the winning bid, but if you...

Some very nice T’s at their worse moments. Pictures 3 and 4 look like the driver was either hurt very bad, or worse. In the last picture, I like the outside door column light. Was that a common accessory? Nice touch. Jim Patrick

Not really sure. As far as I know, maroon has always been maroon and merlot has always been merlot, the color the wine was named after. I tend to think some folks claim that there is a modern color chart and an older color chart, but I don’t believe that is that case. At least not in any realm other...

Tim’s Fordor looks more like “Merlot” than maroon. If I were to paint my ‘26 Fordor, I would go with the maroon. Though the maroon pictured here is brighter than what Ford probably originally used, I prefer it to the darker color. I agree with George Mills. While it is nice to be as original as poss...

Page 280 of the Ford Service Bulletin Essentials book on the various demountable rims. Jim Patrick

Tim. “It’s a daisy”, “the cat’s meow” and the bees knees”. Jim Patrick

For anyone with a small budget, such as a young high schooler who can’t afford the expense of plating, painting the split rims with “Silver Brite” is an excellent alternate solution. So satisfied am I with “Silver Brite” that, even though I have the means to afford plating, painting with Silver Brit...

As Jeff said, once the tire is mounted and constrainned within the confines of the tire and inflated to the correct pressure it will be fine. I would not worry. Jim Patrick

Thank you Steve. Sorry for my incorrect information. It is always good to correct bad information immediately for the benefit of all. Jim Patrick

[image][/image]Sherwin Williams has a very durable silver reflective roof paint called Silver Brite that, to me looks much more silver than galvanized, which, in a short time, becomes a dull grey. Silver Brite is very reflective and is very much like the original Model T plating, which I once read w...

Here it is, Steve: www.mtfca.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?t=17975. Jim Patrick

I remember those John. Now that you mention it, when I first bought my 1926 coupe in 1970, both window regulator handles were badly corroded pot metal and broken off. They were secured by spring clips as shown in the photo however, there was no little spring as the photo shows, that I can recall. Th...

In an effort to mill off as little material as possible from the head and block, would it be okay to leave minor imperfections, as long as they could be sealed with Permatex Copper Spray gasket? Jim Patrick

Push in the escutcheon plate covering the base of the handle to access the base of the handle and you should see a pin. Original crank handles had a pin that secured the handle. You can see the holes in the handles just below the shoulders of the window crank handles of the attached illustration. Ji...

Dan, you are a virtual cornucopia of knowledge.

I thought it might be used to lower the front end by flattening out the arc of the front spring. Maybe a lower front end was thought to be more trendy and sporty. Jim Patrick

Before milling the block deck, determine first, whether or not you need new valve seats. If you do need them, mill the deck after the new seats have been installed.

How did the lacquer thinner do on the goop in your experiment? Lacquer thinner is a very hot solvent that is not corrosive or acidic and can be used on any kind of metal and MEK is even more powerful a solvent than Lacquer thinner. Jim Patrick

Me too Tim. I’d probably trip over it everytime I got near it and roll all the way to the bottom of the driveway, but think of all exercise we’d get hiking back up several times a day.

Jim Patrick

You can get a powerful electric winch that pulls pretty fast. I believe there are also remote control winches with a handheld wireless remote that would allow for you to sit in the cab steering the car, as the car is being pulled up the grade. Regarding the cable grinding a groove into the concrete ...

Dan. Very observant. I can see many of the similarities to the TT to which you refer however, I like the look of Steven’s T truck, with the full running board and splash shield running the length of the truck from the front fender to the rear fender, a lot more than the regular TT with its’ single r...

Hi Steven. I was somewhat taken aback at your response and sincerely apologize if I offended you. I am not aware of your experience with the T, but if you have been around them for 60 years, which is ten years longer than me, I am not qualified to tell you how to do anything with your T. You have ea...

About six years ago I read on the forum that the Texas T wiring diagram was wrong and a wiring diagram endorsed by Ron “the Coilman” Patterson, was posted. I copied it and here it is, in case the Texas T diagram is still wrong after ten years, which I doubt, but just in case... 4BD6E767-9BA0-4FC0-84...

I know the T can make the 20 degree grade once it gets up to speed...my concern is the immediate stop at the top of the grade as it immediately enters the garage. It can be done, but not without a lot of practice and coordination of the pedals with the emergency brake lever and the spark and throttl...

Yes. That would be a problem. Model T’s original factory brakes are notoriously bad. To get enough speed to get up that grade may be too much speed for the brakes to fully arrest before coming to a full stop before reaching the back wall of the garage. For someone with a lot of driving experience, i...

Great idea Allan. I will remember to leave the rolled edge on whenever I do this. Thank you. Jim Patrick

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My (our) pleasure. Keep us posted. If you see something you like, but are unsure of its’ authenticity or whether it is a good deal or not, post HD photos of all sides, the interior and both sides of the engine, as well as the engine number and the seller’s description and we will give you our honest...

If your crankshaft is worn, or the pulley hole is too big, the only thing you can do, short of getting new components, is reduce the size of the hole, or increase the size of the shaft. This can be done with a thin metal shim from a food tin, cut the width of the pulley. If it is too thick and you n...

Great idea Tim.

You are exactly like me in 1970. Since I was 9 years old in 1963, when I first became interested in Model T’s, when I came across two articles in my new July, 1963 edition of Popular Science magazine (I can post the articles if you are interested). The first article gave a brief history of the Model...

I interpret it to mean “a never sold, never used, original part”. It can also mean an original part in extraordinarily good, unused or mint condition. Jim Patrick

Hi Steven. Nice T. Just a cautionary note. It is not good for the rear axle to jack it from under the pumpkin. To do so causes undue stress and could possibly bend the right and left shafts downwards. Better to jack one side, or the other. If you need both wheels raised to work under the car, it is ...

Does the engine number match the engine number on the title number? If they match, and the engine number reflects a 1925 manufacture date, it is a 1925 and at some point in the past, a former owner made a mistake in saying that it was a 1923, as they look a lot alike. If the engine number is differe...

Click onto the McMaster-Carr link to see the closest thing I could find to what you are looking for. You may be able to modify them by carefully grinding a slot across the top with a dremel tool equipped with a metal cutting disc, as opposed to making them from scratch, which is probably the only ot...

You can do an experiment to determine what works best so you don’t waste money on something that will not work. Take several jars and put a chunk of radiator goop in each, then pour in one of the several solutions that have been recommended into each jar then seal with a lid to prevent evaporation. ...

In 1926, my coupe sold for $520.00, new. $1.00 in 1926 in today’s dollars is worth $14.62 x $520.00 = $7,603.49 (www.usinflationcalculator.com). I’d say that is a great deal. Who wouldn’t pay $7,603.49 for a “snazzy” mint condition 1926 coupe? Jim Patrick 44593D28-7C56-42D8-A852-CEFE588F3C9A.jpeg

Lacquer thinner would absolutely NOT be good for the finish, so better to remove the radiator from the car or cover everything in the vicinity with a tarp to protect from residual splashes or spilling. Jim Patrick

Putting a 1927 engine in my 1926 coupe, would not convert my T to a 1927 T, just because the engine number says 1927. Nothing can change the fact that my T rolled off the assembly line in March of 1926. Same situation here. Just looking at the car, though it has parts from several years, it looks to...

Hi Tim. Amen to that. It is the only solution to this problem that I can see. I buy it by the 5 gallon cans. Mineral spirits is okay for cleaning oil paint from brushes and minor cleanup of soluble oil, but the best solvent for cleaning anything from crusty grease, to paint brushes hardended with ol...

I agree with Gene. Seal the bottom outlet of the radiator and fill with lacquer thinner and let stand overnight flush the next day. It should breakdown and dissolve anything that should not be in there. Running a solution of Dawn dish washing liquid in water through should remove any remaining oily ...

Folks at the DMV are not experts on the Model T and whether or not it is a compilation of Model T parts from several years. It looks enough like a 1911 or 1912 Model T runabout/roadster (with mother in law seat) that you can make copies of the pictures and 1911 ad I posted here and submit the pictur...

Don’t be upset or discouraged that your T may have a compilation of parts from several years instead of being an original T with parts it originally left the factory with in 1911 or 1912. I think it is fantastic and with all the accoutrements of a 1912 runabout/roadster with a mother in law seat, su...

Jonah. Do any of the numbers of your keys match the number stamped into the front of the lock barrel? If not, you need to get one that matches. If the sliding tumblers are corroded and will not slide in their slots, perhaps a little catalyst, such as Blaster, sprayed into the lock will free them up....

When I originally restored my 1926 coupe in 1972, I ordered the nickel plated screw set for the dash panel and interior that came in a box. All of the visible screws were slotted oval headed (slightly rounded heads) machine screws with square nuts and none of the machine screws were flat headed. Som...

Agreed. There is no pressure, but the excessive vibration occurring at the tubing joint connections over time, should not be ignored or discounted, but the purpose of the forum is to provide members of as many facts as possible so the reader can make a determination and choose which choice fits thei...

Wow! As much as they enjoyed, used and abused their T’s back them, it’s a wonder that any of them survived for us to enjoy. Jim Patrick

Years ago, I recall several threads on the forum about how copper tubing is unsafe to use on fuel lines due to stress fractures causing fuel leaks. If I remember correctly, stainless steel brake line tubing was determined to be the best and safest way to go to use as a fuel line to prevent the stres...

Jonah. If you don’t have a key for your ignition and are trying to get your ignition to turn, new keys are available. There is a number stamped on the front of the ignition barrel that corresponds with the number of the key that will fit your ignition. You can get original keys on eBay or new keys f...

Tumblers work by gravity. Tumblers normally hang down into the lock housing, locking the lock barrel in place. When key is inserted it lifts the tumblers up as the key goes in. If the correct key is used, upper and lower ends are lined up with interior diameter of the barrel housing, allowing the lo...

Sorry. I could have swore your T had gas lights, but I still feel yours is a 1911 or 1912 runabout aka roadster with the gaslights converted to electric, since that style with the Mother in law seat was one of the styles offered in 1911 and 1912. See: www.mtfca.com/encyclo/1911.htm www.mtfca.com/enc...

Outstanding little T! Looks like a 1911 or 1912 runabout or roadster with a mother in law seat. The two front seats should have a convertible top, but Mom’s seat was open to the elements. Sorry Mom. Seeing that it has carbide lights, It has to be pre 1915, as 1915 was the first year T’s came with el...

You can attach pictures to a thread and determine the year by checking the left side of the engine block (driver’s side in the U.S.) for a six or seven digit number (went over 1,000,000 in December, 1915) stamped into a smooth area of the block just above the water inlet. The year and day the car (o...

Make sure your tires are full of air so they are tight and not able to bounce up and down (mostly down) so that the wheel tie downs can work loose when the wheel straps loosen on the downstroke. The wheel tie downs will stay on as long as the tires are tight and centered in the wheel throughs and th...

In 2001, hauled my 1926 coupe 1,400 miles from York, Maine to Central Florida on an open U-Haul trailer without incident. I hauled it facing frontwards. Of course you will need to tie down the car onto the trailer and remove anything that might blow off or out, such as the hood, the floor board and ...

If it is a Klaxon, they are pretty easy to repair, unless water got in and rusted the parts. If it looks good inside and the commutator windings are still good, a little oil in the bushings and adjustment of the diaphragm and you are good to go. Jim Patrick

Have you tried McMaster-Carr (www.McMaster.com). When I was purchasing Manager for Mulberry Railcar Repair Co. for 37 years, McMaster-Carr was my go to place for just about anything I could not find anywhere else and they deliver the next day. Go to their site and do a search for rivets. You will be...

Picture 14 is what they pulled out of the river 10 years after picture 6 was taken.

Jim Patrick

Since you have a coupe, the best place would be in the locking trunk, but since I too, have a coupe, I can understand how difficult it is to clear things out of the way and reach way in to the front of the trunk to access the battery mounted cutoff. Would it, therefore, be feasible to lengthen the p...

You ask interesting questions, Jonah. Jim Patrick

Nice pictures. Picture 5, where the T ran into a tree. I can see what bent in the right fender (contact with the tree), but what bent in the left fender?! It does not appear to have made contact with anything to be bent under so bad. Jim Patrick PS. I’m in love with the pretty young woman with the n...

I wouldn’t coat the inside of the drum with anything. First time you engage the emergency brakes while the T is rolling the liners will scrape the drums clean of all coatings, including surface rust. You don’t want it too smooth. You want there to be some friction so the brakes will hold and stop th...

You kinda want it to be hidden in a place, such as the trunk, that only you can access with a key, or it defeats the purpose. Anyone, with bad intentions, that is familiar with a T, can find the cut off, whether under the hood, the floorboards or the seat, if it is located in the usual places, so do...

I’m not a chemistry major but I have removed the zinc coating from 1943 steel pennies with muriatic acid. Maybe Muriatic Acid will remove do what you need. If you try it, be sure to neutralized with a solution of baking soda in water. Jim Patrick

Check out some of the lock picking videos on YouTube.

Thank you Jonah. The enthusiasm you bring to the Model T hobby is welcome and refreshing. You are the future. Keep up the good work. SemperFi. Jim Patrick

When I was in the Marines (1972-1977), from 1975 to 1977, I was assigned to MSG duty (Marine Security Guard), better known as Embassy Duty. We guarded American Embassies around the world. I was in Karachi, Pakistan for a year, then Canberra, Australia. Marines on this duty were on loan to the State ...

I have used “3M rubberized undercoating” which is black and, not only seals the underside from rust causing elements, but soundproofs from road noise, while also preventing damage to the underside of the vehicle by pebbles and rocks which just bounce off. Jim Patrick A665C814-E4B1-4AC4-8EE1-BDB725DE...

Could you please define “out of the ordinary brass era car”. This general description can cover a wide variety of models, years, body styles and manufacturers over a wide span. Do you mean a brass era Model T or some other “car”? Can you describe exactly what you are looking for? Thank you. Jim Patr...

The bezel looks so good, a little metal polish will look a lot better than the silver paint I suggested earlier. After you get the bezel together and stabilized, a little vaseline on the threads will keep it from locking up, enabling you to take it apart for maintenance in the future. Jim Patrick

AMAZING! Looks great! I can’t even see the joints! Is there a lens in it? If you get the fifteen minute clear epoxy and put it together, it should be as strong or stronger than it was. Congratulations! Jim Patrick PS. If you go on eBay and do a search for “round glass watch crystal”, you may be able...

With the assembled bezel pieces in between the I.D. threads of the outer case and the O.D. threads of the ring, the bezel should be very secure. If you try it and are met with success, please post a photo. Good luck. Jim Patrick

In 2001 when I first started purchasing items on eBay, One of the first items I bought was a very reliable original Model T floor starter button for my 1926 Coupe. It has never given me any trouble like I used to experience with the modern starter buttons which used to always arc and ground out. I h...

The way you have yours set up with the exhaust appearing to come down in front of the intake, this probably won’t work, but it is a good air filter for a normal Model T setup. It is spring loaded and braces against the hogshead. Jim Patrick F2D72804-656D-497C-9FF2-F586CCA6F674.jpeg BE1F4301-37FE-442...

Don’t throw anything away. I think it can be repaired by purchasing a 1/16” thick glass lens the same diameter as the O.D. of the threaded ring and the I.D. of the bezel lip next to the bezel threads. Position the glass lens on top of the threaded ring and, using a good, high strength clear epoxy gl...

Mail is very slow this time of year and because of postal personnel cutbacks due to COVID. I have been waiting for a package to arrive from Ohio that was mailed on December 7. Happy New Year. Jim Patrick

Sorry to hear about that. Did the bezel come off because you successfully unscrewed it, or because it broke, then came off in pieces? We’re the threads I bad condition? Can you post a few pictures of the pieces? Might help future Phinny Walker clock owners, to see how the threads are configured. Doe...

I took a closer look at the clock at it does appear that the threads maybe located above the dial. If this is the case you are correct in soaking it with the dial down, without allowing the solution to come in contact with the dial. When I suggested soaking the movement and case or housing with the ...

If you want to try the vinegar approach, you can soak the whole thing in mineral spirits (not lacquer thinner) to remove the Kroill and old oil, let air dry for a few days, or dry in an oven on the lowest setting (if setting is above 150 degrees, put a thermometer in the oven, turn the *oven on, let...

This is a obvious question, but you never know... In the first picture, I see the nuts are still on the threaded studs coming out the back of the case. Have you tried removing the two nuts from these threaded studs? Jim Patrick. PS. If the nuts are not holding the movement in the case, it is obvious...

This is a obvious question, but you never know... In the first picture, I see the nuts are still on the threaded studs coming out the back of the case. Have you tried removing the two nuts from these threaded studs? Jim Patrick.

I learned something new. For some reason, I thought it was instituted in 1913. Anyway, the revolutionary $5.00/day wage was an incentive for Ford workers to put up with all they had to put up with to work for Ford. At the old wage, it was not worth it to the highly trained Ford workers to put up wit...

Glyptal is an amazing high heat protective insulating coating that was developed by Thomas Edison and originally marketed under the label of General Electric (GE), which was one of Edisons’s companies. It is not only great for insulating the magneto and the windings of the generator and starter, but...

I’m sure my next question is going the receive some ridicule by those incredulous that I even asked it :D , but is the tape so special that you couldn’t use some other cloth tape supplied by a place such as McMaster Carr or even a woven first aid cloth tape? I recall when I was 16, I restored my ori...

Beautiful! Be careful...Lizzie gets jealous. Jim Patrick

Packing a timer full of grease is unnecessary and subjects the parts to undo stress and resistance. A coating of lubricant is sufficient. Also, be careful to select a grease or lubricant that is totally inert and non-conducive and contains no conductive additives such as lithium. I came up with my o...

A new copy of the “Model T Restoration Handbook” (red book) was one of my first purchases in 1970 and contained a wealth of information. The other two pictures are two other, just as useful books that helped me immensely in the two year restoration of my 1926 coupe. Believe me. As inquisitive and in...

Thank you, Eric With your experience, do you think adding solar panels or small low profile wind mills on top of electric cars would extend the range on sunny days? The wind mills would recharge the batteries by wind generated by the forward movement of the car. Jim Patrick

No. That is not anywhere near what the original frame on my 1926 coupe (mfg. in March, ‘26) looks like. The frame is rounded at the edges and sticks up at least an inch above the lip of the steel body top so that the top material can be stretched over the top of the curved frame and tacked into the ...

I looked in the MTFCA photo gallery and found two good pictures taken from the side: the ‘25 T roadster was posted by Dan Treace and the ‘26 T roadster was posted by George N Lake Ozark. Comparing the two pictures might give you a idea of the differences. If, when I post them on this thread, they ar...

I just saw a Ford commercial stating that one does not become a 117 year old auto manufacturing company without being open to change and pledging to manufacture electric cars. Regarding the feasibility of the nation changing over to electric cars, environmentalists and New Green Dealers always stres...

The third photo from the bottom looks to be taken during the 1916 campaign to capture Pancho Villa in Mexico. George Patton is the innovative officer who mounted machine guns on Model T’s and led raids into Mexico. He never caught Pancho Villa, but he did return with several of Villa’s men dead and ...

8 men with an average weight of 150 lbs. = 1,200 lbs.
11 women with an average wt. of 110 lbs. = 1,210 lbs
Equals 2,410 lbs. Almost 1 1/2 tons and the T isn’t sagging one bit. Impressive. Jim Patrick

I could be wrong but I don’t think you will be able to find the 1927 touring top pattern in the form you need for your friend to use to make the top. That is, the individual pieces necessary to create the entire top from the waterproof top material you purchase. I searched the web using several diff...

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