MTFCA Forum

Are these 1913 Touring irons worth restoring?
Have members here restored worse?
Any advice appreciated.

Sure watch this;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-oyTbO ... p9PzL8MMoA

I would say no, unless you can source new tubes to fit to your cast fixings. The top irons are the foundation for perhaps the most visible part of the car. There is nothing worse than spending heaps of time patching up rusty tubes and the having that same rust break out a couple of years down the track and the top assembly being weakened by recurring rust problems. I consider the cost of new irons an investment in peace of mind, knowing the job has been done as well as possible.

Others will differ.
Allan from down under.

I would seem Richard Eagle would Just make new tubes:

http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/25 ... 1327113904

They might be available reproductions for a high price, or maybe find them at a swap meet. I would say at best you might be able to remove the wood and fashion out of sheet metal a part to slide inside and braze in place. You don't want to be driving along in the wind and have the top collapse on you! If you have a low garage door or use an open trailer it is necessary to lower the top, and continual raising and lowering the top, those bows get a lot of twisting force. I would, if it were mine, look for a better set.
Norm

I have to say to each his own on this one.
There was a time when you could find decent bows and irons at swap meets and maybe you still can but the ones that are being reproduced now are pretty good. The later irons around 1919 and up seem to have survived longer than the earlier oval ones.
If you can repair yours that’s fine but for me I would buy some new ones. This sort of falls in the category of whether to try to repair or replace an original T radiator.

Thanks for mentioning it Herb. This show the 1914 irons:
http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/70 ... 1509727571
I would suspect from the photos that there isn't much salvageable sheet metal there. However the ends and fitting are certainly good enough to use. Many good looking irons are rusted badly inside and fail after restoration. The early sockets made in two layers are terrible moisture traps.

Rich,
Incredible work!
I wish I had your skill and experience.

I contacted Lang's.
They have a set listed for $675.
I was told that there is a six-year wait on them.

Are there other vendors I should try or individuals who would make a set?

Gene

Thanks Gene. If you get new ones someone might be interested in the old stuff. Don't throw them away.
Best of luck.
Rich

Check out the suppliers under the resources section of this website. There is listed a gentleman in CA. that makes them. Don’t know if this is the supplier that Lang’s uses but I would call him ask see if he has what you need. His phone number is listed. Check the other parts suppliers first before giving up on acquiring some.

Anything is restorable, if you have unlimited time and money,
but what else is new?

And the machinery and skill.

Gene

As for "unlimited time and money" I should mention that I opted to spend $880 for my 1909 irons rather than make them. After spending the better part of six months making the irons and bows for my Yellowstone Bus I was pleased the '09 stuff was available. I was ready to tackle the 1914 irons as a fun project. The time they took was not worth the savings. Sometimes we make these things look easier than they are. Unless you enjoy fiddling around with problems like repairing or building top bows it's hard to beat the value of the new ones.
When I make parts it only increases my appreciation for the fabricators and vendors we have in this hobby.

After trying several times to repair a bad set, I gave up and spent a decent amount for a set that Dave Hanson's dad put away many decades ago.

They have some minor (but very nicely done) repairs that look to be more than 50 years old and have a gorgeous patina that matches my car perfectly.

We should all be so lucky Don. Patina is hard to come by sometimes.
Rich

Rich Eagle wrote: ↑

Wed Oct 07, 2020 2:22 pm

We should all be so lucky Don. Patina is hard to come by sometimes.
Rich

Dave was very kind, and probably let these go for less than he could've gotten elsewhere. They have some gorgeous old repairs and general patina that only come with time and cannot be duplicated.

I don't know anyone who restores old things for profit. It's the joy of taking something that appears to be too far gone, and bringing it back to a useable condition. There's no accounting for the time and money you spend doing that.

Greg is right. If you enjoy a challenge and the satisfaction in rescuing such, have a go. My experience is the damage you an see is bad enough, but there is more you can't see and get at to satisfactorily stop the rot. There's nothing quite so disappointing as putting heaps of effort into something, only to have it come back to bite you in quick time.

Allan from down under.

Thank you for all of the replies and information.
I am hopefully going to have a new set of oval tubes made using my old hardware.
Time to start saving up.

Gene

Gene, that's the best solution yet. You can tell everyone you had your original irons rebuilt.

Allan from down under.

Allan,

I agree.
It's nice to bring as much of the car as possible through time.

Gene

Gene,
I had John Boorinakis make new top sockets for my T about 10 years ago. I think he is still making them. He can make complete sets or use your original ends and pieces and attach new sockets on them. He fills the sockets with Epoxy or something similar to keep them from rusting inside. I am very happy with them.

John Boorinakis
530-885-4956
He is located in Auburn Calif.

Art

Thank you Art!
I have contacted John and he will use my ends to make a new set.
I appreciate everyone's help with this.

Travel safely!
Gene

Gene,

Glad to hear John is still making top socket sets.

A belt sander can make fitting the top bows in the sockets go much faster.
As you are fitting the bows in the sockets, install the assemblies on the car in the folded position to make sure they align with each other, and that the sockets fit together in the retainers. Also check that there is about 1 inch of clearance between the sockets and each side of the body in the folded position.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

Art