Search found 161 matches
- Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:26 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: A Complicated Man with a Simple Idea
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3752
A Complicated Man with a Simple Idea
I wrote this for the newsletter of my local horseless carriage club and most of you know the story by heart, but for the newer forum attendees, I figured it may be amusing. So, what the heck... a complicated man f.jpg On the surface, Henry Ford appears a difficult man to understand. Those who inves...
- Sat Aug 03, 2019 6:08 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: How to tell if lacquer was applied to a brass radiator
- Replies: 24
- Views: 7198
Re: How to tell if lacquer was applied to a brass radiator
The ten-year-old, shiny brass doorknob on my front door tells me that for certain applications, lacquering brass makes sense. Where it doesn't make sense is on a brass item which generates considerable heat, such as a brass radiator, acetylene headlamps and kerosene lanterns. That kind is heat is t...
- Mon Jul 29, 2019 6:35 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Lever won’t stay put
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4377
Re: Lever won’t stay put
You might find this accessory helpful. Click on this link:
https://www.modeltford.com/item/3524-25T.aspx
https://www.modeltford.com/item/3524-25T.aspx
- Sat Jul 27, 2019 6:38 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Thanks for the photos, Paul. Nice installation. I hope to do as neat a job. Thanks again.
- Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:38 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
So I drove the Flivver to the local cruise-in yesterday and the lever extension was a real pleasure! Yes, it does take up a bit of side-to-side leg room when in the full aft position, but not so much in the neutral position, and not at all when in the full-forward position. Yeah, I'd recommend the ...
- Fri Jul 26, 2019 12:02 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!
- Replies: 19
- Views: 6607
Re: Sometimes they bite back......... ouch!
Sorry to hear you were injured, Rob. I hope you'll be feeling better soon.
- Wed Jul 24, 2019 4:13 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Thanks. Much appreciated.
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:52 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Dare to Share- Your first T
- Replies: 14
- Views: 5772
Re: Dare to Share- Your first T
This is what my Model T looked like when I trekked upstate to the seller's home for the pre-purchase inspection. As you can see, the car was in pieces. That was because it was in the process of being gone through from nose to tail. She didn't look like much then, but I really liked the seller who t...
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 6:16 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Paul,
Might you have a cellphone photo of your floorboard modification?
Bob C.
Might you have a cellphone photo of your floorboard modification?
Bob C.
- Tue Jul 23, 2019 12:30 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: City driving
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4055
Re: City driving
Maybe I'm just getting old. Today, while driving my modern car, some knucklehead in firm disagreement with the 30 mph speed limit zoomed up to my posterior and continued to ride about three feet away from my bumper; this, apparently, to intimidate me into driving faster or, as the case turned out, ...
- Thu Jul 18, 2019 8:46 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
Finished up the installation. Pretty easy to do.
To release, pull back slightly, lift then push forward.
Here are some photos of what it looks like in a 1915 Touring.
To release, pull back slightly, lift then push forward.
Here are some photos of what it looks like in a 1915 Touring.
- Wed Jul 17, 2019 10:44 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Re: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
I patched together some artwork in Photoshop to show how the extension works. And yes, this accessory would have to be unbolted and uninstalled in order to completely remove the aft floorboard, but rather than do that, I'm sure there must be a way to move the floorboard out of the way sufficiently ...
- Wed Jul 17, 2019 11:58 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
- Replies: 18
- Views: 6816
Product Review: Brake Handle Extension
For me, it's been a lousy year and a half of no Model T-ing. A third ruptured lumbar disc in April of '18 and subsequent fourth spine surgery in February pretty much took me out of the game. After some months of recovery and having clawed my way back into the cockpit, I discovered that leaning forw...
- Fri Jul 12, 2019 10:56 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Foto of the Day
- Replies: 646
- Views: 168543
Re: Foto of the Day
Getting the exposure right on a photo of a black car is awfully difficult. If you get the car right, the background and everything else will be washed out, or if you get the background and everything else right, the car becomes a solid black blot with no texture or detail. Fortunately, there's Phot...
- Wed Jul 03, 2019 2:13 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Front Wheel Question
- Replies: 14
- Views: 5231
Re: Front Wheel Question
It's a rarity that a wheel runs without a detectable wobble. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that 1/8" of wobble is very darned good, 1/4" is quite common and 3/8" of wobble may be approaching the acceptable limit. Just my humble opinion.
- Sat Jun 29, 2019 2:44 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: on E-bay - 1915 For Sale
- Replies: 0
- Views: 1535
- Wed Jun 19, 2019 9:36 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: New tires
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3917
Re: New tires
Because we drive our Model T's mostly on local roads which are crowned for drainage (more so than highways), our cars naturally want to run downhill like water. And that means they tend to pull to the right a bit, so we counteract that with left pressure on the wheel which scrubs the tread on the r...
- Tue Jun 18, 2019 11:47 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Ocean to Ocean Tour
- Replies: 29
- Views: 10868
Re: Ocean to Ocean Tour
Getting a brass Model T was something I had decided to do as a kid in second grade, but it was one of those back-burner things that just seem to simmer forever on the stove of vague aspirations. Dad had gotten me started down the brass-car road, but then things like earning a living, fixing up a ho...
- Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:17 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: “Ford” Amusement Park Cars Up For Auction
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3199
Re: “Ford” Amusement Park Cars Up For Auction
When I was a kid, amusement park kiddie-cars were usually a very generic compilation of recognizable features from the Brass-Era, so they had spoked wheels, gas-headlamps, cowl-lamps, flat radiators and, for easy ingress and egress, doorless tourabout bodies. And that was good enough. But over the ...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 10:28 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 18146
Re: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
Dick, My friend, Steve Jelf, who has tons of hands-on experience with Model T Fords, maintains an amazing website with lots of Model T information on it. In particular, the following items are very useful to someone considering the purchase of their first Model T. http://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG98.ht...
- Wed Jun 05, 2019 6:56 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
- Replies: 61
- Views: 18146
Re: So tell me why I should buy a model T?
What is it about people who have an affinity for doing things the old-fashioned way? They'll write with a fountain pen instead of a ball-point, pop their own corn in a cast-iron skillet, or fish with a lightweight fly-rod rather than the kind of hefty pole and hi-test line that'll virtually guarant...
- Sun Jun 02, 2019 12:23 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: On the Road Again... Sort of
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1930
On the Road Again... Sort of
Three months after spine surgery #4, I'm still wearing a turtle-shell back brace and pushing a walker around the house, but had to drive the Flivver this week because it was due for its annual state inspection. Couldn't postpone it any later than May 31st. Hang in there, this'll be about the Model ...
- Tue May 28, 2019 10:48 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Rules for setting timing as you drive?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 7187
Re: Rules for setting timing as you drive?
Driving a Model T in traffic is very demanding of your concentration. More important than operating the car with perfect technique to achieve perfect smoothness and efficiency is situational awareness . Unless you're one of the few lucky ones who exclusively drive their Brass-Era cars on idyllic co...
- Thu May 23, 2019 5:08 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Anything Modern To Help??
- Replies: 17
- Views: 6209
Re: Anything Modern To Help??
It's a little difficult to describe a procedure that involves a "knack." _The knack of peeling tires off a rim and levering them back on is something I learned as a kid and practiced every time I got a flat on my Schwinn. But here are some generalities: First, you need the right tools. _These inclu...
- Thu May 23, 2019 2:30 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Is this 18% grade too steep for a Model T to descend down?
- Replies: 34
- Views: 11198
Re: Is this 18% grade too steep for a Model T to descend down?
An 18% grade is 16.2 degrees from level, right?
(Just making sure I understand the question)
(Just making sure I understand the question)
- Sun May 19, 2019 12:11 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: What timer do you use
- Replies: 43
- Views: 13164
Re: What timer do you use
For a good many of us, the experience of driving a century-old car design isn't about convenience or reliability. Historical purists see frequently required maintenance and inconvenient breakdowns as part of the game. Others are just looking for fun and in a sense, they are purists, too—just of a d...
- Sat May 11, 2019 10:37 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: 1913 Touring on e-bay
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3384
- Fri May 10, 2019 10:37 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Lubricants, what do you use?
- Replies: 21
- Views: 7421
Re: Lubricants, what do you use?
I use the type of lubricants that Lang's sells. They deal in Model T parts exclusively, so the heavy differential oil and red grease they sell should be ideal for the Tin Lizzie—wherever you happen to purchase it. As far as motor oil, I myself found that using 5W-30 caused my car to stop creeping f...
- Tue Apr 16, 2019 5:13 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Quality Inner Tubes
- Replies: 18
- Views: 7029
Re: Quality Inner Tubes
There are several absolutely wonderful Model T supply sources. It happens that I started out with Lang's when I bought my Model T in 2010 and for the better part of a decade, they've extended every courtesy to keep me happy. Their service is second to none. When I purchased a top boot which didn't ...
- Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:45 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Non-skids vs standard tread
- Replies: 14
- Views: 5836
Re: Non-skids vs standard tread
As Firestone’s sales strategies went, the iconic, NON-SKID tire was right up there with “Gum-Dipped” cords and according to The Firestone Story, a History of the Firestone Rubber Company, 40% of the 105,000 tires sold in 1909 were NON-SKIDs , as were 60% of the 168,000 tires sold the following year...
- Tue Apr 09, 2019 2:46 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Vibration at higher RPMs
- Replies: 20
- Views: 6866
Re: Vibration at higher RPMs
My car is that way too. Could be your spark linkage needs adjusting.
Meanwhile, when that happens, try retarding a spark a bit.
Meanwhile, when that happens, try retarding a spark a bit.
- Thu Apr 04, 2019 2:14 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Treating wooden wheels.
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5348
Re: Treating wooden wheels.
Painting your wooden wheels black is ever so much easier than staining and varnishing. It's also historically accurate. See, no Model T Ford ever left the factory with stained and varnished wooden wheels. That having been said, it's also true that at some point, a few dealers were reputed to have b...
- Tue Apr 02, 2019 11:52 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: What have you done with your Model T in April?
- Replies: 121
- Views: 39369
Re: What have you done with your Model T in April?
Nothing.
Not a blessed thing.
Still recovering from last month's spine surgery.
Not a blessed thing.
Still recovering from last month's spine surgery.
- Sun Mar 31, 2019 1:54 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Tire wear and Toe in adjustment
- Replies: 14
- Views: 6172
Re: Tire wear and Toe in adjustment
Because we drive our Model T's mostly on local roads which are crowned for drainage (more so than highways), our cars naturally want to run downhill, like water. And that means they tend to pull to the right a bit, so we counteract that with left pressure on the wheel which scrubs the tread on the ...
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:16 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: 1911 progress
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4141
Re: 1911 progress
Nice work!
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 10:14 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: 11 Torpedo just sold
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5136
Re: 11 Torpedo just sold
Heck of a good deal if it's in good running condition. Terrible shame about the vandalizing, though. What the heck is wrong with people?
- Fri Mar 29, 2019 9:52 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: State Inspection of Ellie Mae
- Replies: 35
- Views: 11558
Re: State Inspection of Ellie Mae
I guess it depends on where you go for your state inspection. My local mechanic watches as I demonstrate that all the lights work, that the horn works, that there's plenty of lining on my Rocky Mountain brake bands, that the steering system is nice and tight, that the tires have plenty of tread, an...
- Thu Mar 28, 2019 2:15 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: MTFCA Magazine Article on 50 mph...
- Replies: 53
- Views: 16388
Re: MTFCA Magazine Article on 50 mph...
The idea of keeping your Model T in tune, with good tires and all the steering and suspension parameters perfectly dialed in and balanced is, of course, a good idea. Such a car is a joy to drive—at speeds for which the car was designed. Still, I read, with fair regularity, the exploits of intrepid ...
- Wed Mar 27, 2019 10:29 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: oil for model t
- Replies: 7
- Views: 4384
Re: oil for model t
Some Model T Fords have a tendency to creep immediately after starting. For obvious reasons, this can be especially disconcerting when hand-cranking. My Flivver stopped that habit when I switched to 5W30 oil. It's just a little more slippery when cold then 10 W30 and that seems to reduce or elimina...
- Tue Mar 19, 2019 2:49 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Wooden spoked wheel overhaul
- Replies: 9
- Views: 4944
Re: Wooden spoked wheel overhaul
I've used Stutzman's Wheel Shop and can tell you about the services are available there, but not elsewhere. He'll re-wood your entire wheel for about $200. I doubt very much that he'd replace only the tired spokes because it wouldn't pay for him to do that kind of work and the result wouldn't be sa...
- Mon Mar 18, 2019 4:39 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: balancing beads
- Replies: 14
- Views: 6504
Re: balancing beads
I use them and as far as I'm concerned, they work great. Getting the darned things into the inner-tube can be a bit of a challenge, but it can be done easily enough using some kind of squeeze-bottle and a soda-straw or short length of the correct-diameter tubing.
- Sun Mar 17, 2019 4:17 am
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: At Chickasha, who took my veteran's cap?
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3805
Re: At Chickasha, who took my veteran's cap?
Then can take your hat, but they can't steal away your valor. Thank you for your service.
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 7:18 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Cheapest 30 x 3 1/2 Tires
- Replies: 10
- Views: 5434
Re: Cheapest 30 x 3 1/2 Tires
My Dad used to say, "Cheap is expensive." If you don't buy your tires from the right seller, you could wind up with old, dried out rubber, even on completely unused tires. I order mine from Lang's because they "drop-ship" directly from the manufacturer and it never fails that when they arrive and I...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:28 pm
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: Be Careful What You Wish For...
- Replies: 19
- Views: 7611
Re: Be Careful What You Wish For...
I have to appreciate the time and effort that goes into maintaining this forum. It is truly unique and Chris deserves eternal credit, kudos and thanks for all he's done. Having said that, I really, REALLY dislike the new format for all kinds of reasons. Some of them may be even be legit. What is un...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 12:21 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Coolant Recommendation
- Replies: 45
- Views: 14763
Re: Coolant Recommendation
I've been told at car-club meetings that pure distilled water promotes rust and corrosion like nothing else. Is that for real or just an old wives' tale? Beats me. I've been using a 50:50 mix of green Prestone antifreeze and it works okay except that the stuff tarnishes the brass radiator like craz...
- Sat Mar 16, 2019 11:28 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: oil
- Replies: 7
- Views: 3918
Re: oil
Obviously, too little is no good, but too much is also not good. You need enough to keep that front engine bearing bathed, but if there's too much, the stuff will migrate down the drive shaft housing and make a mess of things. Not sure whether that can get into the differential, but if it can, it'l...
- Sat Mar 09, 2019 9:15 am
- Forum: OT - Off topic
- Topic: Let's go back to the old Forum
- Replies: 65
- Views: 20036
Re: lets go back to the old Form
One of the things I liked about the old forum was the ability to run a progression of photos, in sequence, as the narrative of an explanation progressed. It was a great tool for explaining your own problem or an answer to someone else's. I miss that.
- Wed Feb 27, 2019 12:15 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: ‘Matching Numbers’ Add any Monetary Value to a Model T?
- Replies: 20
- Views: 7179
Re: ‘Matching Numbers’ Add any Monetary Value to a Model T?
There's nothing like the satisfaction one gets from opening the hood of a numbers-matching car with magnifying glass & flashlight in hand, reading off the numbers on the engine, then reading the numbers stamped into the data-plate and then crawling under the car and reading the numbers on the trans...
- Sun Feb 17, 2019 12:29 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Brass radiator... clear coat?
- Replies: 27
- Views: 9554
Re: Brass radiator... clear coat?
buffer.jpg The heat generated by your radiator makes the situation a whole lot different than lacquering things like door-knobs and candle-sticks. If you hate polishing, get one of these small orbital buffers from Harbor Freight: https://www.harborfreight.com/6-inch-compact-palm-polisher-90219.html...
- Sat Feb 16, 2019 1:17 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: 2d Gear Difficulty
- Replies: 37
- Views: 11168
Re: 2d Gear Difficulty
I've driven a number of Model T Fords and the thing they all have in common is that unfortunate orchestration which takes place right after up-shifting. They all do that, though some individuals are worse than others. The problem is that the car really needs an intermediate gear between low and hig...
- Thu Feb 14, 2019 10:53 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: How Long Have You Owned Your Old Iron?
- Replies: 62
- Views: 17783
Re: How Long Have You Owned Your Old Iron?
Bought mine in 2010, a year after I'd watched Katie Fleming and her "Katie Across the Nation Adventure" and knew I had to have one. Truth is I'd wanted one most of my life, but that just tipped the scales for me.
- Thu Feb 14, 2019 2:07 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Show your T
- Replies: 27
- Views: 9600
Re: Show your T
Photo taken at Oheka Castle
- Wed Feb 13, 2019 9:25 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Show your T
- Replies: 27
- Views: 9600
Re: Show your T
Here's my '15 Touring, "Penelope."
- Tue Feb 12, 2019 2:47 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
- Replies: 54
- Views: 16636
Re: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
How about re-issuing this discontinued side-view mirror?
- Sun Feb 10, 2019 9:58 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
- Replies: 54
- Views: 16636
Re: What Would You Like to See the Vendors Offer
One of the most useful items is the small running-board toolbox, sometimes referred to as the "battery box." I would say that for most of us, the large running-board toolboxes, which are fairly common, are too large, much more so than necessary, and take up way too much "foot-room" on the running-bo...
- Fri Feb 01, 2019 4:51 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Praise goes out to Lang's again
- Replies: 6
- Views: 3824
Re: Praise goes out to Lang's again
Lang's is second to none.
- Wed Jan 30, 2019 3:11 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Vintage Apparel
- Replies: 14
- Views: 6842
Re: Vintage Apparell
Terry, I measured my genuine, antique, JC Penny straw hat and the measurements come out to a 2 1/2" brim and a crown that is 3" tall.
- Wed Jan 30, 2019 1:54 am
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Have you ever made a stupid mistake?
- Replies: 57
- Views: 17413
Re: Have you ever made a stupid mistake?
Nobody ever made as stupid a mistake as did I. When the retro-fitted starter on my '15 Touring stopped working, I decided to dismount it and have it rebuilt by an electric shop. Unfortunately, as the car had not been designed to accommodate a starter, access to it for servicing was severely limited...
- Tue Jan 29, 2019 4:35 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Whats the Name of your T?
- Replies: 69
- Views: 20220
Re: Whats the Name of your T?
We settled on "Penelope" out of a field of Brass-Era names like Adeline, Genevieve, Henrietta, Betsy, Agatha, Muriel, Alexandra, Ophelia, Pricilla, Gwendolyn, Felicity, Anabel, Gertrude, Wilhelmina, Harriet, Hazel, Esmeralda, Daisy, Constance, Agnes, Winnifred, Amelia, Mabel, Shirley, Scheherazade ...
- Tue Jan 29, 2019 12:19 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Vintage Apparel
- Replies: 14
- Views: 6842
Re: Vintage Apparell
The high quality boater/skimmer/straw hats available today are a good value, but their proportions are off as the crowns are too tall. The correct-looking ones are those which are genuine antiques, not modern reproductions. I searched the web far and wide for a hat shop that carries the correctly p...
- Mon Jan 28, 2019 11:56 pm
- Forum: General Discussion Forum
- Topic: Vintage Apparel
- Replies: 14
- Views: 6842
Vintage Apparel
backslide h jpeg.jpg Getting the right Horseless Carriage apparel can be a challenge. The most difficult part is the hat. For that, there are a number of options depending on whether you only want to use the hat for piloting your Model T or other Brass-Era car, or would like to use it in everyday l...