MTFCA Forum

Congratulations to Bob on the Rosenthal Award, you join a list of great T folk.

That’s a great turnout Kathy, I like seeing the early cars out and about.

Andy

Today’s release on Jay’s YouTube channel had him teaching one of his producers how to drive a model T. While many will disagree with his methodology, I have to admit that it is a real nice car.

Andy

Well July was a quiet month for the Redwood Empire Model T Club. But on the 7th we had our monthly business meeting and last Saturday we had a shop day. The shop day went ok. We reamed some spindle bushings and ate banana bread. Vince had a problem with his Rockies that we determined was a bent brak...

50 seems high but I would guess the club voted on it. We take in a couple grand in dues and pretty much spend it all. We couldn’t make it on 10-15 dollars. We’d have to have fund raisers that no one wants to do. Just wondering, the clubs with very low dues, what don’t you do? Andy Redwood Empire Mod...

So, what are dues being spent on? Our club has about 70 members. We have recurring web site, newsletter and historian (scrap books, photo service) We reimburse tour hosts for up to 100 for expenses. This ranges from coffee and donuts to event space rental. We reimburse more for the annual overnighte...

Just curiou Or are you thinking of raising your dues?

Andy

Our dues have been 30 for quite some time. It allows us to underwrite expenses like the newsletter and we also can reimburse some expenses for tour hosts. Donut prices have really gone up.

Andy

Unless the reading is real low don’t get too fixated on the actual number. As Pat brought up you are looking for consistency between the cylinders.

Andy

I agree with Mar on the 75# torque. I recheck after a short drive, especially if you are using shims. Axle nuts should also be part of your spring checkup or before a long tour like a national tour.

Andy

That sounds like a heck of a tour Chris. I’m glad others were able to join in and cheer you along. How was the weather?

Andy

The cooler inland weather makes for good summer touring. Thanks for posting Chris and John.

Andy

That’s a CNC lathe Jeffrey. Makes roundish stuff.

Andy

Millzilla is looking a little spindly. I’m glad you finally got your machine, it took forever.

Andy

You’ll have to oil the rockers manually. If you have the valve covers you can use a felt pad for oiling. In the case of Winfield carbs it’s important to keep the fuel pressure in the 1 1/2 pound range. And remember, with great power comes great responsibility.

Andy

It just wouldn’t be official without Ed and Karen. Looks like fun.

Andy

Saturday we had a tour to the Penngrove Power Museum. It’s a great collection of mostly motors from hit and miss to a 20+ foot long diesel. 8 guys (ladies seemed less interested) toured in 7 cars and about 10 more met us there. Andy Redwood Empire Model T Club 39BDD7E2-7547-4011-8465-A0D59BDD16C8.jp...

Ok, I thought you meant a Mercury or Paco.

Andy

Didn’t see any on Hemmings, did I miss something?

Andy

Another recommendation to send them out. The turn around time usually isn’t too bad. Simply put you cannot adjust a coil without a tester.

Andy

Hi Mike. I’m glad you found this forum and the MTFCA for help. There is a chapter in Rochester Hills. While it is a ways from your home there maybe some members closer to you. My recommendation for new T owners is to contact a chapter because while the forum has a lot of info there is nothing like h...

What a great tour. Thanks for posting John

Andy

June ended pretty quietly after the Anniversary Tour. Between that and the Santa Clara endurance run Jeannine And I had about 450 Model T mikes that week. This weekend club members are participating in 4th of July parades.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

I haven’t seen Bobby’s Mercury in person but from the photos it’s nicely equipped and VERY yellow.
Found this from an old auction photo.

Andy

: E2F1AD6F-499B-4520-9843-838247EA7B0B.jpeg (27.26 KiB) Viewed 1105 times

I have another Mercury that I might turn loose of. It doesn’t have the legroom of the red one.

Andy

Just the most photographed Model T in history.

Andy

The short local tours are the backbone of the club.

Andy

Anyone doing anything fun out there. The MTFCA is a club after all.

Andy

Actually I’d like a PACO if I could find one.

Andy

Nice car, wrong continent. Someone will get a nice Mercury.

Andy

As to the original question, I have had Blockley tires for a year and a half. I am impressed with the smooth ride and even wear. Jury is out on wear. I’m guessing about 1500 miles and the wear is noticeable.

Andy

I’d have to give some more though to how the carb would respond to what amounts to a vacuum leak. More practically, by the time you seal everything up enough to make a difference you could just fix your leaks.

Andy

I use a motorcycle battery, last 2-3 years and costs 26 bucks from Amazon. The 12 volts gives a good spark while hand cranking.

Andy

My 14 roadster is 33 5/8” from inside screw to inside screw.

Andy

Got a few photos from the tour, hopefully more to come. Andy Redwood Empire Model T Club 31332C31-33B9-4CEC-B949-1B01B2494DA4.jpeg FD8288D3-E2A6-4A83-B837-CA5EEF33AC1B.jpeg 93E461A4-6AE3-4C1C-846E-5E61502F591B.jpeg 1807DAD4-F485-4980-BC9C-ADC501F6E12F.jpeg 8D4A4EEF-A006-4A50-B418-7C29FD5B4250.jpeg

I for one am just happy the cars like this still exist.

Andy

Yesterday we finished our staycation tour with a trip out to the Point Reyes National Seashore and a barbecue. It was pretty chilly when we got to the cost but then the sun broke through and it warmed up nicely. When people send in their photos I’ll get some posted. After I process everything I’ll s...

Nothing like a speedster rally. Looks like great country to tour.

Andy

Yesterday, Day 2 of the staycation, we traveled through the Alexander Valley appellation. Lots and lots of grapes and wineries. We got away from the cold wind at the coast and were able to tour in T shirts. We stopped for lunch at the Warm Springs dam and learned all about their fish hatchery. They ...

Yesterday was day one of our staycation overnighter. We are staying home but treating it like a three day overnighter. We are running three tours from our 2018 national tour. Yesterday we went up the coast to Fort Ross an original Russian trading outpost. Upon our return we wound down with a happy h...

Her is a photo of Jeannine and I with the Mercury and the cup we got to take home. I haven’t gotten a pic with the big trophy.

Andy

I really just want to thank Chris and everyone that works so hard to put on this event. For the participants everything ran smooth and I had a great time. I also want to thank everythat participated in both the endurance run and low land tours. Saw old acquaintances, made some new friends and missed...

Your problem sounds like the classic old round tube radiator issues. As a couple guys already painted out, as the radiator ages it looses conductivity between the fins and the tubes. While the radiator still works to some extent, once it gets hot it lacks the capacity to cool. Unfortunately you are ...

Results.

3rd place - Dani and Dan McEachern
2nd place - Paul and Alexandria Allen (very nice Paco replica, hope someone got photos)
1st place - Andy and Jeannine Clary

Andy

I don’t really take a lot of pictures, here’s a couple.

Andy

After cruising through the Santa Cruz mountains, Peter and Maria Jorgensen enjoyed the coveted first donut.

Andy

All loaded up and heading to Santa Clara this morning. A nice afternoon at the Bertolotti collection and a BBQ dinner. Tomorrow we’ll find out what I forgot to do to the Mercury. Results on Monday.

Andy

Today I said goodbye to Rosie, my ‘26 Coupe. After 24 years it is off to a new home. Cyrus found us when we hosted a national tour in 2018. As a 17 year old he was amazed by the old cars. Through our club’s free student membership program he became a member and has produced our newsletter for two ye...

Thanks for posting. Now that the weather has turned the tours and activities will be coming fast and furious.

Andy

Saturday we took a short tour to Sturgeon Mill, a steam powered sawmill in Sonoma County. We were joined by a couple members of the local horseless carriage club. Combining tours with other clubs is fun and with active members declining jut helps fill the tour. Andy 2BADE724-CC6C-42E5-81B1-E5D331437...

Looks good Dodge.

Andy

C’mon Dodge, quit teasing and fix that photo link.

Andy

I registered early. If you can attend you should. The run is great fun but the Saturday safety check and BBQ are a can’t miss. Saturday evening in the motel parking lot bench racing is icing on the cake.

Andy

It’s been almost a month since I posted. We got everything done early in April. So far this month we had our monthly meeting and Saturday we had a Shop Day and switched out the engine in a 19 touring. It went pretty smooth considering how many cooks were in the kitchen.

Andy

I used long u bends that came from speedway motors via Amazon. That gave me two primaries from each one. Same source for the cones. I gout the straight 3 inch tube from a muffler ship since normal shipping is only 4 foot pieces. I had them bend it a slight bit to follow the contour of the body. Andy

Thanks Morgan, I’ll check them out.

Andy

Looks good Morgan. Where did you source the reamer?

Andy

As I recall the header plate that Mark supplies with his Rajo kit is 1/2 inch thick. I still managed to put a minor warp in it while building my header.

Andy

Only a few days away. Entice us all with your rare finds.

Andy

In case anyone was thinking of going, the Virginia City hill climb in May has been cancelled. The city was unable to make promised road repairs in time.

Andy

I agree with Mark. I don’t like 3:1 gears even in a speedster. Except for cruising it never seems to be the right gear. I do a lot of club tours and with the 3:1 you don’t want to get behind a poor running stocker going up a hill in low ruckstell listening to each coil buzz.

Andy

I have 3.25 gears in my 26 coupe. It’s a good all around gear but I usually take off in low ruckstell just to be a little nicer to the low band.

Andy

I like the giant chicken. I’ll bet the food is pretty good there.

Andy

At the factory I’m sure they drive them in with a single hammer blow, lid closed.

Andy

I hadn’t done this in a while and now I know why they sell them in packs of 10. Tried to install using a bolt as a driver like I have done in the past but screwed up a couple. Broke down and spent 3 minutes at the lathe making a driver.

Andy

Looks like a good turnout Chris. Is it a rule for Model T clubs that someone has to bring a Model A? We give them a hard time but pretty much anyone is welcome.

Andy

Today we had our Spring Pancake Breakfast/Safety Inspection. We had a good weatherproof and a good turnout. I forgot to take action photos but here is what was left.

Andy

I’m not sure the pizza parlor where we meet will let us tear down an axle but I’ll ask. We’ve had pretty good success with our Shop Days getting the mechanical stuff presented.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

We had our April meeting Thursday, nothing to exciting but the snacks were good. Next Saturday is our Pancake Breakfast/Safety Inspection. Usually have a real good turnout because, free food.

Andy

Saturday we had a surprise Shop Day for a member whose T would not start. After vigorously examining the coffee and pastry selection we went to work. No coil buzz, no crank. New battery. Diagnosis: remove the plastic battery post protectors before installing the cable. Andy Redwood Empire Model T Club

My battery is in the same place as Vincent’s in my 14 runabout. I use a motorcycle battery, charge it when I think about it, lasts a couple years. It’s 12 volts so it can be pretty dead and still rattle the coils. I switch to mag right away so it’s never been a problem.

Andy

I have a new Warford in my Mercury. I made a cross member/battery box with a bracket to support the warford. It is a simple triangular plate that bolts to two of the warford rear bolts and a single bolt through the cross member so it supports the weight but can twist. I also run a pan sling due to t...

So I left my Strobospark plugged in after use, probably for a week. We’ll, it quit working. So I checked power from the transformer and it was ok. I took it apart and really had no idea what I was looking at. I noticed the panel illumination was out so I checked power to the bulb and found the bulb ...

The rules are posted on the F.A.S.T. Website, VintageFastFords.com.

Andy

We didn’t test brasso. Like Steve, I used gallons of brasso during my time in the Marines. The new stuff isn’t the same. I also use Noxon for initial cleaning of highly tarnished brass. It’s discontinued. I have used barkeeper’s friend, but the follow up is more work to get out the minute scratching...

Today we had our March Shop Day. We tested polishes and I started another thread about that.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

P.S. Mango was a no show.

We had our March Shop Day today. No one brought anything to work on so we tester’s brass polish. I have a dozen samples I made some years ago. It’s just brass sheet attached to a short piece of 1x4. The last test was several years ago so the test pieces had a decent tarnish to them. Here’s what we t...

I’d love to accompany you John, but the California to Kansas City leg would wear me out. Sounds like a fun trip.

Andy

Mango, the MTFCA mascot, is visiting with us here in Northern California. Mango was invited to our 35th anniversary tour and came out early for the weather. While Mango is here he/she (?) will join us on our club events and may even get to participate in the Santa Clara endurance run.

Andy

We had our March business meeting last night, attended by 26 people. Run of the mill meeting highlighted by a visit from Mango, the MTFCA mascot. More on Mango’s visit in another post.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Today our club, along with the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club, visited the Collector’s Museum in San Rafael California. The owner Sheldon has collected just about anything you can think of. From antique cars and motorcycles to a huge collection of smiley face items. His space is packed full and if...

I’m not gonna make it to your swap meet but I’m glad it’s happening. It’s a lot of work but worth it in the long run to help the hobby continue.

Andy

That’s good to know Dan. I got rid of one because the “correct” parts were were really expensive.

Andy

Thanks Bob, it’s important to find things to do in the winter. We try to sneak in a flash tour between floods this year.

Andy

Successfully made my reservation. Now I need to find something to sell for 206 dollars. The air museum is open 10 - 2 Fridays and Saturdays, so I’ll be taking a break around noon on Friday.

Andy

Thanks Wayne, those are some flashy vests. Good turnout at your dinner.

Andy

Gonna bump this up. It’s pretty important for this side of the country for the Bakersfield swap meet to succeed.

Andy

We got some things done while the forum was down. Saturday a dozen of the ladies met for a Ladies Tea. They were encouraged to wear period dress and they each brought a teacup that had some personal history to them. They had crustless sandwiches, cookies, scones and a lot of goodies. My wife was one...

Today we had our second Shop Day of the year. Thankfully someone else stepped up and had it in their shop and I didn’t have to clean mine. We installed the gas tank and radiator in a 26 Touring and got it running after a long slumber. We had a good turnout but it might have been the donuts. Andy Red...

Welcome to the hobby Samuel. There is an MTFCA chapter in the UK, the contact information is accessible from the MTFCA.com homepage. I realize the UK is a big place but there might be a member near you. There is nothing like having an experienced hand to show you the ropes.

Andy

Info is on their website. Vintagefastfords.com. Limited to pre-35 4 cylinders.

Andy

F.A.S.T. Spring Hill climb is in Virginia City, May 17th. It’s a good backdrop for the hill climb and the city is 100% behind it. While F.A.S.T. Is technically a Model A thing they have classes for Model T’s, from stock to the Wild Cherry. I’ll be running my Mercury.

Andy

We had our February meeting Thursday night. We didn’t have much business to attend to but it’s a good excuse to get together. We had 27 members and 2 visitors from the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club.

Andy
Redwood Empire Model T Club

Any chance that some initial fuel seepage may have turned to varnish over the years?

Andy

John, I attended your crab feed once, you guys know how to have a good time.

Andy

Thanks Walt. I think it’s important to keep active in the winter when many T’s are out of sight out of mind.

Andy

My bubble is burst. I guess that’s what happens when you assume.

Andy

I have one on my coupe, maybe an early Bosch plate without the thrust button? Works with the Bosch gears.

Andy

I’ve met Bill a couple times. This is truly a loss for our hobby.

Andy

Pretty cool Mark.

Andy

It’s been a quiet month for REMTC. If we had known we were going to have 25 days without rain we probably would have planned something. Yesterday we were invited to join the Bay Area Horseless Carriage Club Nuts and Bolts Day. One of our members was having trouble with his REO so a dozen guys conver...

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