Coast to Coast in a T

[Darin Hull]

Has anyone here either completed, or know someone who has completed, a coast to coast journey across America in a Model T? Using US Route 50 for example. Any articles or writings about such a trip out there?

https://www.roadtripusa.com/the-loneliest-road/

I’m curious about the logistics. For example, would you think a Ruckstell axle and Rocky Mountain brakes would be a necessity? How many tires you think you would go through? Would the T handle a Nevada desert alright? How long would you think such a trip would realistically take a T?

Love to hear what you all think,
Darin

[John.Zibell]

Do a web search on "coast to coast Model T Ford" This is one of the links and there should be coverage on this forum as several forum members participated. https://ecoxplorer.com/2019/06/vintage- ... -to-coast/

[Darin Hull]

Thank you for the link. I read the article but it doesn’t cover the technical/logistical side. I’d love to hear from any of the participants on that aspect. How often did they change their oil? Etc. What were the most common repairs?

Darin

[DHort]

Dave Coleman(sp) drove Nathan Edwards speedster coast to coast on the Lincoln Highway. A writer road with him and wrote a book of the experience. This was only a few years ago.

The Ocean to Ocean tour was run in 2019. I think 46 cars made that trip. I also believe Kathy Tagert was one of the participants. You will find her on the Model T Ford Club of Facebook. Hopefully one of those participants will contact you.

[mgarrett]

An Englishman named Tim Moore did it a couple of years ago. Here are some links to get you going.

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1498858636
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1500331120
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1501470613
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1502848538
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1503721068
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1505322904
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1505392537

[JRSpada4]

There was an English (I believe) gentleman that did a coast to coast tour in a modified improved roadster last year or the year before. He travelled the Lincoln Highway (US 30). Living in West Virginia, I can tell you that RT 50 through the eastern part of the state, western Maryland, and then again through WV’s eastern panhandle is very mountainous. I wouldn’t even consider it without both a Ruckstell and external brakes. The closer you get to Ohio, the flatter it gets.

[Chris Haynes]

I don't know the route. The fellow I bought my T from told me it was driven to California from New Jersey. Most likely this was in the '30's or '40's.

[Dennis Prince]

Darin, you haven't mentioned what year and model you are talking about taking, I drove from Oregon to the Centennial party in Indiana and would do it again, I would not go any further east than that the roads get to crowded to make the trip enjoyable. I took a 26 roadster and did a lot of camping along the way. If you are going to stay at lodging along the way that will make things a lot easier. I ran a Ruckstell, have outside brakes and run 525-21 6ply tires, I had no tire problems. I traveled across the deserts without problem (the hottest day was 113 degrees). On that trip I averaged about 260 miles a day but would take more time now that I am retired, I would say in the west 175 - 200 miles a day with a few lay over days would make for a nice trip if you are traveling alone the more cars there are the less progress. Do your research on routes and stay off of the freeways and figure to spend time talking to people along the way and see what the weather in like for the time of the year you are planning, take a AAA card and a sense of adventure.

DSCN1230 (2).JPG (57.06 KiB) Viewed 4960 times

[JRSpada4]

Chris, i would imagine if it had been driven from NJ, they would most likely have taken US 30 (Lincoln Highway) or US 40 (National Pike). Both are convenient to NJ. To get to US 50, they would had to have travelled south to Ocean City, MD or to Washington, DC to start their cross country trip.

[Linus Tremaine]

im planning to do it next year in an old car - not a model T but something from the same era. Lets go together.

L

[Steve Jelf]

Since Tom Fell made the trip in a Packard in 1903, lots of people have done it. I believe you could get by without a Ruckstell, but it would be safer to have one. Whichever route you take, there will be some steep grades, both in the East and in the West, and some of them are much longer than I would want to low pedal. A stock T is fine for the middle of the country, but in the Alleghenies and the Rockies I would want that in-between gear. Even the current less-than-wonderful Vietnamese tires are said to last 7000 miles, so that should be no problem. If you're driving an older T with non-demountables you should have a couple of extra tubes and a reliable pump. I carried a foot pump like the one Royce recommended, and it was adequate for awhile, but eventually it failed. On my next trip I will take one of those pumps that screws into a spark plug hole. I consider running board cans a must. They have saved me an unscheduled long walk more than once. The western deserts should be no problem for a stock Model T cooling system in good condition. I have done 200-250 miles a day in my 1915, but I prefer to take some time for sight-seeing stops. I limit my driving to daylight hours, as driving by magneto lights is too scary and dangerous to suit me. For navigation I like county maps. Some states (Kansas, Wisconsin, Iowa, Montana, others) have them on their DOT websites to download as PDF's. Some are so-so, but many are excellent. Unfortunately some states (Indiana and many of the western states) fail totally in that department, and I resort to Google maps. In much of the country Interstates are easily avoided, but in a few places it takes a long detour. Crossing the Mississippi at Hannibal the interstate was the only way, so I called the Illinois Highway Patrol and had an officer follow me across the bridge with his lights on. When I go to California by T I plan to do the same for a short stretch where I-40 is the only road.

[YellowTRacer]

Everyone advice has been right on. I only have a couple things to add. On all the rural routes you can't count on gas station availability, so stop sooner than needed when you see one just to be sure. I like my T's (other than old #4) pretty much as they left the factory so plan a daily, in the morning before departure, lubrication of items that might be in need. Always better to over lubricate than than to have a problem and find that it ran dry of lubrication. Four things non factory that I desire for that long of trip. Ruckstel rear axle, outside external contracting rear brakes, Water pump, and Ford faithful type auxilliary oil line to the front of the engine. Last but not least make sure the toe in is properly set on the front wheels. You won't wear out a set of tires. I've found that the recommended toe in is a good starting point but after lots of miles check the tread for mild scraping to the outside or the inside and re adjust accordingly..

Ed aka #4

[Ron F]

We drove our 26 Touring on the 2019 Ocean to Ocean Trip. We were on the road 29 days driving 3 days with the 4th day off for maintenance and rest. Our lay over in Dearborn, MI was 3 nights. My GPS recorded 4083 miles total almost all secondary roads with less than 30 miles of Interstate and 1.5 miles of pasture. Morris Dillow and John Griesenbeck planned and ran the trip as close to the 1909 route as possible. They did an excellent job.
I knew my wife and I would be 80 when we made the trip so spent I a lot of time on the car to avoid all the problems I could on the trip. The following is a list of the major items completed approximately 2000 miles before hand.
6 New Coker Firestone tires and tubes
Bosh distributor and Pertronix Electronic Ignition
All new timken bearings (no Hyatt bearings any where)
KC Warford
New Berg flat tube radiator
Scat crank
Stipe 290 cam
Prus head
Texas T water pump and 160 degree thermostat
12 volt alternator
12 volt led signal and brake lights
The car ran great and except for the original muffler coming apart I had no failures or adjustments.
I took 2 spare tires and never used them. The front still look new, but the rear show some wear.
It was the trip our life time and like all Model T Tours we met great people.
If I can provide additional information my email is ronffish@gmail.com.

[Darin Hull]

Good information. I read through the thread of Tim Moore's adventures and his description of the trip was excellent. Dennis, Steve, and Ron... thank you for sharing your experiences. And everyone else, I appreciate your advice.

I'm not planning a trip in the 1913 roadster anytime soon... I'm still in my forties, so in the middle of the career. However, I can retire at 52 and going coast to coast is a reoccurring thought of an adventure I'd love to complete. An itch which needs to be scratched. I currently don't have Rocky Mountains or a Ruckstell but know those are things which would be important to add down the road before a serious trip.

Mainly, I wanted to hear about folks experiences and memories of such an adventure... society, and I'm guilty myself, rush through day to day like a whirlwind. How amazing would it be to watch this beautiful country go by at the leisurely pace a T is comfortable at?

I've read discussions about the T hobby and how it will survive, and hopefully thrive, in current times. Folks have a variety of motivations but the T can be an antidote of sorts to a modern, hectic, immediate gratification society. Sharing your experiences and memories of a good tour, or a coast to coast trip, may be one way to plant a seed in the next generation. I know after a busy work week, rolling the T out of the garage will always be good medicine.

Thank you for your time,
Darin

[DHort]

Darin

I finally got the guts last year to drive my T from Milwaukee to Minneapolis and then a month later from Milwaukee to Detroit.

Steve Jelf drives from Kansas to Detroit and back.

Dean Yoder drives everywhere.

Seamus drove from Detroit to Hershey.

Read the stories we put on the forum. Take a long weekend and do a 200 mile trip and a 400 mile trip. Camp or use a motel. Find out what it is like to do it by yourself and not with a group. You will be glad you did.

[KeithG]

Darin, There have been several posts on the Forum over the years on what parts and tools to take with you on tours. Search the Forum and you'll find them. When you have your T to the point that you are satisfied of it's dependability, go for a 25 mile round trip run, then 50 miles, then 100 and 200 miles, round trip. Those can be done in one day or less. If those trips go ok, then you'll know your T is good for a longer trip. And, of course, if you go on an extended tour, be sure to take your cell phone "just in case".

[Steve Jelf]

Dave and Keith are right on target with their suggestion of short 200 to 400 mile trips to work the bugs out. Fortunately you live in an area with lots of secondary and tertiary roads. Expeditions of less than coast-to-coast proportions are good too. Even if I'm still driving a T at 100, there are more of those than I'm likely to get around to. I want to get back to Montana and do all the Missouri River ferry crossings, explore the red rock back country of the Four Corners, camp again in the California national parks and forests, visit the Big Bend, etc., etc. Just thinking about it has me antsy to get back on the road.

As for taking a a phone, yes. That's how I was able to find out that my insurance didn't include emergency roadside service.