MTFCA Forum

The length of the cable depends on where the swivel is mounted for a car with a dashboard.
1) Swivel mounted to the spindle arm behind the axle = 54"
2) Swivel mounted ahead of the axle using a #3986 spindle stud = 60"
3) Brass cars use a 48" cable
I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Flagstaff, AZ has been identified and one of the top ten destinations for Fourth of July celebrations, and this year was no exception. The Canyon Country Model T Club has entered the Fourth of July parade for the past fifteen years and this year our club had five Model T's and one Model A in the par...

The gears you have are "Circle Ess" gears that have 16 teeth. The #2 gear is a 9 pitch gear and the #3 gear is a 10 pitch gear. Generally, Jones Speedometer Co. and Stewart Speedometer Co. used 9 pitch gears, while Warner used 10 pitch gears. These gears were used with swivel joints or direct drives...

I brought my two sons and two grandsons, and we had a wonderful time. Bought some nice items and sold a few items, too. A great meet, and kudos to Steven Chase and the SCHCC for putting on a great event. We are looking forward to next year. Russ Furstnow

The accuracy of the odometer is driven by the road and pinion gears. To determine the road/wheel gear that will make the odometer most accurate, determine the diameter of the tire and mulitply times two to get the number of teeth necessary for the road/wheel gear. The pinion gear will ALWAYS be 16 t...

The hair spring and the magnetic drum can both be replaced. The magnetic drum can be also re-magnetized. The big issue is being able to calibrate the speed once any changes have been made. I use a Stewart calibration machine, but these machines are somewhat rare. I hope this helps. Russ Furstnow

Brent, These badges were not availalbe in 2013 for the Canyonlands Tour. All I know is that Gordon Koll has handed out these badges at MTFCI Tours to those cars that reached 100 years of age while on the International Tour. Russ Furstnow

The 1915 Coupelet had the trunk door opening at the rear of the trunk, making it nearly impossilbe to load anything. The tail lamp was mounted on the passenger side of the trunk so the trunk door would clear the lamp. Here is an original photo of the rear of an early coupelet and a photo of my 1915 ...

This is a 100 year badge that is availalbe from the Model T Ford Club International. If you attend an Internationl tour when your car turns 100 years old, you get a "free" badge, so if your Model T was built in 1925, and you attend the tour in MN this summer, you will receive a badge free!! Russ Fur...

Bruce, My car was once owned by Bob Reeves. I believe he sold it to Ben Ostergren many years ago. Russ Furstnow

The coupelet that Allan is refering to was featured in Bruce McCalley's book. I has gone through many owners and the chassis was modified. I purchased the car from Larry Smith, and Larry purchased it from Bryan Ostergren. The car is currently undergoing a complete restoration. The body on the car ha...

Lucas, The "Model T Times" recently ran a story on the tools that were used for various years. It included photos and parts book information that verified what tools were standard equipment for each year. Here is a photograph from the article that shows what tools were provided with a Ford in 1917. ...

I want to commend Dave Tagert for taking on the task of identifying coupelet owners and cars. Information about these cars is very limited and more needs to be discovered. One interesting note is that the 1917, 1918 and 1919 coupelets/coupe have a factory serial number that can be found on the botto...

Art, Here are a few photos of my son's 1914 Wilson body runabout. The tack strips were made by Jon Anderson. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

The third photo shows two "removable pillar" coupes bodies sitting on top of the sedan bodies. The tops of the sedan were very strong to support this weight! Russ Furstnow

The Sears-Cross unit is a fair unit, being that most of the internal parts are pot metal. It uses a centrifugal weight to operate the needle and there are VERY small ball bearings that support the gears for the odometer. The speedometer in the last post has a modified input housing to accept a Stewa...

Contact Ernie Romero in El Cajon, CA. He is the best! Russ Furstnow

If you have a Stewart speedometer and the swivel is placed ahead of the axle, the length is 60", and the finish is black. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

There is nothing wrong with replacing the chain links with a modern cable...........IF it is done correctly! The kits Lang's sold are no longer available. I have found the cable sheathing that goes inside the original cable housing was made of plastic, and that was a big part of the problem. When I ...

Garrett, Ford made the Coupelet from 1915-1917. The 1915-1916 had a brass radiator, but both are quite unique. The chassis you have would work for a Coupelet restoration, as all chassis were the same regardless of the body style. Here are a couple of photos of my 1915 and my 1916 Coupelets. I hope t...

Bob, Our thoughts and prayers for you and your family. Russ and Kathy Furstnow

Art, The turtle deck floor looks great. Is there any letter stamped into the kick panel just below the seat cushion? Russ Furstnow

The rear body panel on my son's 1914 runabout is like Larry Smith's 1913 runabout. It is one piece that goes all the way under the turtle deck. Also, the bead on the back panel is different that some other bodies. This is a Wilson body and was produced in August 1914. Regarding the turtle decks, the...

The bracket that holds the drive can be bent to the rear of the car to align the gears. This allows the two gears to run correctly. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Paul, I would like the two flat windshields, but not the rounded one. Let me know the cost of shipping to 86005 and I'll send a check. Thanks Russ Furstnow

Those numbers are the month and the day the head was cast (May 26th).They are close to the date the block was cast (May 4th). . I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Here is just one example of a speedometer that was mounted to the cowl.. This one is a Sears-Cross. Following July 1915, Ford did not install speedometers in thier cars. Consequently, the same manufacturers that provided the "Ford Special" speedometer continued to sell speedometers to the Ford owner...

Thse holes are for an accessory speedometer. Russ Furstnow

As I restore my 1917 Ford, I need a set of front and rear shackles. They are similar to the figure eight shackles but have no provision for an oiler. Any help is appreciated. See photo. Thanks, Russ Furstnow

Bruce, I'll take it, Russ Furstnow

This is a 1927 coupe. It is Channel green lacquer. Russ Furstnow

Larry, Scott told me that the tab on the float that meets the needle must be adjusted as he describes in his instructions. I would check the tab on your float. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

I forgot one additional thing....I don't need a carburetor shut off valve any longer, because with the new valve, the carburetor does not leak!!

Jim's car is beautiful, and I know it will be a great car for him. Regarding the paint color, though, I don't think Ford painted any of thieir cars green as late as 1913. Reading Bruce McCalley's book, "Model T Ford, The Car That Changed the World" on pages 555 and 556, Bruce quotes a December 1913 ...

Today I installed a Full Flow Float Valve in my 1927 Coupe and 1911 Touring, which both have Holly NH carburetors. I had heard many good things about the float valve that Scott produces, but had no idea how great the valve worked until I drove both of my cars after installing the valves. The valve t...

The original saddle strap was made in two pieces that are riveted together. The buckle is a #56 buckle, not the #121 buckle that you show. I have attached a diagram that shows how the straps are rivited to the saddle. If you have any questions, just PM me. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Relating to Steve's question about the date of the film, I noticed that the front hubs were the "machined" hubs that were used on 1915 and 1916 Fords. The threads for the hub cap are shorter than the early front hubs, so it is safe to say that this film was made around 1916 or possibly 1917. Also, a...

Hi Darel, Have a great day!! Russ Furstnow

I've worked on speedometers and their drive components for a few years and DO NOT recommend using a support strap on a Model T. The Model T uses cables that range from 48" to 63" and this length is just too short to need a support strap. The cable should hang freely from the swivel to the head. When...

I have a question about the front spring on my 1918 Coupelet. Is the spring supposed to have 7 or 8 leaves? I know it is a square cut spring, but I want to be sure I have the correct number of leaves. Thanks Russ Furstnow

Mike, I'm interested in the 1912 top. I can pick up the top when I come back to the MTFCI tour in MI. Thanks, Russ Furstnow

My son, son-in -law and I made the treck to Bakersfield, and we were all pleasantly suprised at the organization and size of the event. There were many vendors in the "Pre-War Era" swap spots, and the foot traffic was also very good. Also, there were many good parts and the prices were very fair. We...

Check out the comments about paint finish used in 1927. This is from a Ford booklet dated 1927.

Don was a great friend and a dedicated Model T restorer. We had the pleasure of knowing him and his wife, Teta, for many years. He will be missed. Russ Furstnow

I have a rebuilt 1913 engine with a Model A crank installed. Can be delivered to Bakersfield. Contact me, Russ Furstnow

Ford Sales Bulletins were issued weekly and ran from April1913- July1916 only. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Exactly, 5/32". I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Richjard, Place it so the top of the speedometer head is the same height as the top of the coil box lid. The hole in the floorboard should be directly below the speedometer input shaft. I hope thishelps, Russ Furstnow BTW, your pinion gear is in the mail.

Larry, Here is a photo of an original gas tank with galvanized straps. This is an tank from a 1914 touring. I hope this helps. Russ Furstnow

Here are the brackets without sidelamps. Russ Furstnow

Frank, Neither are correct. The tail lamp bracket is later and the side lamp is not for a Ford. I hope this helps. Russ Furstnow

The 1915 Coupelet had a unique bracket that placed the tail lamp between the fender and the body, allowing the rear trunk door to open. The bracket that John identified is for a 1915 Touring. The 1915 Coupelet bracket has no provision to mount a license plate, and many people just screwed the licens...

Here are some photos of the 1916-1917 tail lamp bracket for a coupelet or a runabout. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

I'm sorry, I don't have any extra brackets, but I would suggest going on the forum and ask for them. Russ Furstnow

Here are a few pictures of my 1916 Coupelet. The early 1916 taillamp bracket is a two piece bracket where the license plate bracket bolts to the tailamp bracket with a castle nut. Later in production the license plate bracket was held to the taillamp bracket by stamping the bracket where it looks li...

Andy, I sent you a PM. Russ Furstnow

Andy, The short answer is no. The Stewart Model 100 would use a 2.5:1 swivel. The drive you show is a direct drive 1:1 ratio. Also, a 58T gear is used on a 21" tire. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

The "direct drive" was used with speedometers that run 2008 rpms at 60 mph. These speedometers include Van Sicklin, Warner, Jones, Johns-Manville, Sears Cross, Standard Thermometer and early Stewart and Clark. I suspect this drive was used on a Van Sicklin, but have no proof without studying the uni...

Hi Eric, I think if you plan on showing your car, I would use glossy paint for the black and a satin finish for the body color. Just my thoughts, Russ Furstnow

I have a 1927 Coupe that is painted Channel Green, and I came upon a very interesting 1927 Ford sales brochure that described the "new" paint colors for the Improved Ford. In the brochure, it describes the paint finish as a "SATIN" finish, which, to my knowledge, has not been described before. I'm w...

I know of no "window channel" that was used on any coupelets from 1915-1919. The window rode in the wood channel of the doors and had some "anti" rattle rollers when the window was up. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

I was in contact with Steve when he was restoring his 1911 Touring. He asked me many questions about the color for his car and about some of its features, incluing the "correct" speedometer for the car. I was glad to help, and I think his car came out very well. Some of the people on the forum may t...

I have a 1917 and a 1918 coupelet, and the window frame is unique in that the bottom of the frame has a channel that has the capability of holding the window up. The channel goes over the "blade" attached to the bottom of the door window and quarter window. Are you missing the window frames? Russ Fu...

Layden, That is not a Model C, but a Model B-Z. The model C has a 3" dial face while the B-Z has a 4" dial face. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Gene, Is your Brassworks radiator a round tube or flat tube radiator? Russ Furstnow

The pinion gear for a Model T should be a 16T8P gear with a 60T8P Raod wheel gear (with 30X3 1/2 tires). The swivel should be taken entirely apart to clean out the 100 year old grease. Disassembly of the swivel can be found in my speedometer book published by the MTFCA. I hope this helps. Russ Furst...

I owned a wide track Ford, and it took a regular front spring. The additional two inches was outside of the spring hangers on each side. The rear spribng was wider. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

Our thoughts and prayers are with Mary and the family. I am so grateful that Russ passed along his knowledge to his son. He was truly one of the "GOOD" ones and will be sorely missed!! Russ Furstnow

Jerry, I restored the column for my 1917 coupelet (May 1917), and it has a nickel gear case and cap. The quadrant, which is identical to my 1916 column, is painted black, and the spark and throttle rods are nickeled. The horn button remained on the top of the column as my 1916. Russ Furstnow

My 1916 column has the tube for one wire. Russ Furstnow

Here is the steering column on my 1916 coupelet. The car is a January 1916 car. The brass rivets holding the brass plated quadrant are a bit large, but the spark and throttle rods are original and brass plated steel. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

These are only a couple, Russ PS: I like Mustangs too!!

While there was some friction, there will need to be something more to provide a tigher fit or screws to the gear. As Dan mentioned, you may need to braze or weld on some tabs to screw the gear to the hub. Russ

I have a set of Dayton wire wheels, and the Stewart road gear that fits the wire wheel hub is #8685. There are no "tabs" to screw the gear to, BUT the hub is machined to accept the 8685 gear so the runout is perfect. The gear and hub are nearly a press-on fit. I hope this helps. Russ Furstnow

Tim is correct, The MTFCI Tour is in Owatonna, MN, the third week in July. Russ Furstnow

Thanks to Darel Leipold and Kim Dobbins, who both had one bracket each, my coupe now has a pair of sidelamp brackets. THANKS Darel and Kim!!!

I am in need of a pair of sidelamp brackets for my 1918/19 Coupe. The brackets that are on the car now are sedan brackets. The brackets I need are in the photo. Thanks in advance, Russ Furstnow

While I know some of the 1913 Fords had pin striping on the bodies, not all of them were striped. Here is a photo of my 1913 runabout with the same striping as the early photo and no striping on the hood. The body is a Wilson body. My car is a bit cleaner too. Russ Furstnow

I sent you a PM, Russ Furstnow

Mark, Sent you a PM, Russ Furstnow

As was mentioned earlier, the MTFCI has a book entitled " The MTFCI Restoration Guide and Judging Guidelines" . This book details nearly every part of the Model T by year in an effort to guide a Model T enthusiast when restoring the car. The book also includes Gail Rodda's "All the Same, Huh?" photo...

Here is the "W" stamped into the kickpanel.

On many 1913-14 bodies, there is a letter stamped into the kick plate in front of the gas tank. The 1914 body pictured has a "W" stamped into the kick panel and a "W" stamped into the wood frame that supports the seat springs. Also note the Wilson rear body panel is one piece and goes from the the t...

The rear of the car after I installed Buffalo 30X3 12" wheels.

The body moulding on a 1914 is one piece. Here is a photo of the moulding on a Wilson body 1914 runabout

Two full fendered speedsters.

Richard, I have an Automatic windshield on my Torpedo and it has white rubber bumpers on the lower half of the windshield. I don't know if this is what you are looking for or not. Russ Furstnow

So what is a Strob-O-Spark worth today? I know someone will say its value is what someone will pay, but has one of these come up for sale recently? I'm just curious. Thanks Russ Furstnow

Additional Photos of the shelves.

A number of years age, my good friend Bill Bohlen called me and asked if I knew of anyone who wanted to purchase some Ford shelving. I said I would take them!! The shelves are wood and were used some time during the teens. Years prior, Bill had purchased these shelves from Gerry Rader, the wife of t...

Mark, I had a great visit with Tom V.M. and Dan Protexter on Sunday. Dan had purchased a beautiful 1909 Buick and they were travelling through Flagstaff on their way home. I have had the Ford dealer shelving for about 10 years and Tom and Dan seemed to enjoy seeing these shelves. I'll start a new po...

Wayne, Bruce was a good friend of mine since I was a teenager. He was a true jewel to our hobby, and made significant contributions in researching the Model T. When I wrote the Sixth Edition of the MTFCI Judging Guidelines , Bruce was kind enough to proof read the entire book and provided valuable c...

One more comment, the dashboard is a critical piece of evidence dating this car. As far as I know, the dashboard was introduced in 1919, not 1918. There would be no reason to have a switch plate with an ammeter on the dashboard unless the car was equipped with a generator, and that would have taken ...

Wayne, I did some research and found an original Ford sales catalog dated April 1, 1919. It clearly describes and shows the coupe with removable window pillars. It is my assumption that the removable pillar coupe was the "normal" coupe body well into 1919, and is not really a transitional 1918 body ...

I guess I'm not able to say "no" when it comes to Coupelets! This one just landed in my garage two weeks ago. It is a 1919 pillerless coupe (some call it a Coupelet) that was manufactured on January 16, 1919. Some might say that this car is a 1918 Coupe, but the sales literature dated April 1, 1919,...

Here is the tool for the spiral drive.

Marty, There are two centering tools that were manufactured by Stewart Warner. One tool (painted black) was used for the straight cut gear used on wood wheels and the other tool (painted red) was used for the spiral gear that was introduced in 1926. The early tool was called a "Special Jig" and sold...

1911 three seat Runabout. I hope this helps, Russ Furstnow

The shrink tubing is a great idea to keep the elements out, but I'm not too sure it will provide the support necessary for Allan's cable. Russ Furstnow

The very best rear view mirror is sold by Antique T Motorsports. Bill Bohlen take pride in his product and his mirror is, by far, superior to all other rear view mirrors. The cost of producing these mirrors has gone up and they are more expensive than other mirrors, but they are a great value, and t...

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