MTFCA Forum

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Is leading fellow Model Ts for a day over remote dirt roads a good idea?

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Yes, I think some of my best times have been on dirt roads. I have a '12 Torpedo and don't shy away from a little dirt and dust on the brass and fenders BUT when it comes to Washboard and rough pot holed roads it sure isn't fun anymore and rather abusive for an early car. That's why a prerun is so important when planning a tour on some back country roads. IMHO

Good dirt roads are the best! I agree with Gene that washboards and potholes not so much. Just make sure people know your plans because there are those who want nothing but pavement under their wheels.

My primary concern would be dust getting into the engine. I would not care to take a vehicle over long stretches of very rough road. We should enact legislation to outlaw washboards by 2024.

Not all T's but they were made for dirt roads.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:26 pm

My primary concern would be dust getting into the engine. I would not care to take a vehicle over long stretches of very rough road. We should enact legislation to outlaw washboards by 2024.

Pat, I see you don't as yet own a Model T. With your concerns, perhaps it's as well. The T was conceived essentially as what we consider an ATV to be these days. A little dirt "don't hurt the runnin' if it none" and driving bad dirt roads is the essence of the Model T experience. Yes, there are lots of ways to enjoy the Model T experience that don't include dirt and rough roads, but for "true believers" , that's really where it's at. Testimonials, anyone ??

Dirt ingested via the carburetor will shorten the life of any engine.

Install your engine pans, put on an air filter, and go.

Yes, the Model T was designed for country roads, and we still have many miles of them to explore. I intend to get out and enjoy them while I still can.

But what if I have a flat? Take a jack, a pump, a patch kit, and a couple of spare tubes. It's part of the adventure. Enjoy it.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:23 pm

Dirt ingested via the carburetor will shorten the life of any engine.

Very true. Not being a precision masterpiece of close-tolerances, nor an example of high performance engineering, the Model T gets along fine in adverse conditions, and lopes along like a trouper even when worn to the point of "pistons swapping holes without missing a beat" as the old-timer once said. Since few of us drive our Ts in hard daily service, a good engine "build" will likely outlive most owners, regardless of how adverse the conditions of occasional use may be. I'm probably rationalizing the "abuse" I heap on my Lizzie, but dang, we have fun !!!

Around here we run mostly dirt logging and mining roads. We call them period correct roads and the T's do really good on them.

We call them period correct roads...

...with period correct fence posts.

Let's not overlook period correct telephone poles to make the scene perfect.

As The Man said:
Install your engine pans, put on an air filter, and go.

Yes. that is what they were built for. however, drive to the conditions and carry spares.. Most rural unsealed roads are in much better condition than the era roads! Have fun.

One of the best week long tours that we went on was called "The red dirt road tour". A whole week of visiting PEI, and their hospitality. Hoping to return and tour more of Canada.
Other tours with dirt roads included Kanab Utah, Boone N.C., and Vermont.
Every tour we went on had dirt roads.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Fri Apr 09, 2021 9:23 pm

Dirt ingested via the carburetor will shorten the life of any engine.

That why its best to be the leader of the pack on a dirt road, nothing can get in the intake if your are sailing through that dirt and dust, and leave it behind the T.


"Excuse My Dust" was a famous saying back in the day.......even placed on pennants!

Here in The Shire, and elsewhere in New England, we are blessed with many miles of dirt roads and country lanes. Many of these road surfaces are well maintained and properly graded, while others are "period correct" and exhibit a washboard surface, have holes and ruts, and during the Spring turn into a muddy morass.

Our club, The Central New Hampshire Model T Club, has no fear of going "off pavement" and, while much of our touring is conducted on asphalt,
we do savor the opportunity to motor on the roads less traveled.






New England does not share the same topography as much of the rest of the country. We just do not have the great, open expanses of the Plains States and many of our back roads, which have tall trees on both sides, can become "green tunnels" when the branches reach across the roads and block the sun.

I have lived and driven on dirt roads, and no roads, all my life in all kinds of vehicles in all types of weather.

"Excuse My Dust" was a famous saying back in the day.......

Also a book and a couple of movies.

I hear it rains in New England... around here, rain is not unknown, but it can be very rare, and dust is the norm. Clouds of it are raised by any vehicle traveling on a dirt road under normal conditions. A motorcycle will raise a fine cloud of dust, and a passing 18 wheel oilfield truck will give you a very good dusting indeed. Engine pans will NOT keep dust out of a Model A air intake, and I doubt very seriously if they'd help much on a Model T. My dad told of a family traveling in a Model A "back in the day". It seems they were motoring along a road when the car's engine suddenly died and they rolled to a stop. The car would not re-start. Upon examining the engine, it was found that a frog had become stuck in the carburetor, choking the engine. The frog was removed and the trip continued.

Re:
"That why its best to be the leader of the pack on a dirt road, nothing can get in the intake if your are sailing through that dirt and dust, and leave it behind the T. "

Exactly! I see some very nice pictures here of cars moving along in a line along a country lane through a sylvan wonderland... with NO VISIBLE DUST. It doesn't work that way here, under normal circumstances. After a rain, a wet road will coat a car with muddy grit and if you are in traffic or drive through puddles, you'll probably get some of it splashed under the hood. Off road, wet, gritty clay soils can plaster pounds of mud on a car, and it can be difficult to remove, even when it is still wet. It can and will damage paint and work its way into suspension parts. On older vehicles, it will often remove most of the paint from the front-facing part of the rear fender if you drive in it much. Gravel thrown by tire treads and mixed with heavy mud can put tiny dents and dimples in fenders and cause paint to crack on the outside of the fender. Driving slowly will reduce the amount of damage, but it won't eliminate it, and driving slowly is little defense against damned fools who drive 60 MPH on dirt back roads, raising a rooster tail of dust, heavy grit, and pebbles, with the occasional rock.

Works for us................

What I said: "My primary concern would be dust getting into the engine. I would not care to take a vehicle over long stretches of very rough road. We should enact legislation to outlaw washboards by 2024."

Just rip off your shirt and tie a strip of cloth over the carburetor. Then drive Tarzan style-bare chested. Let out a whoop now and then for effect.

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We discovered a "problem" with one of the Ts in our group. It was a speedster in which the owner had installed a down-turned tailpipe tip. As you can imagine, on dirt roads his exhaust blasted the dust (like a leaf blower), even when at idle, sending plumes of filth drifting over the rest of us.

Here in Michigan most of our rural roads are fairly well maintained, including treatments for dust. I would agree that driving in someone's else dust cloud is no fun. When driving my Army Jeep with other Military Vehicle types we sometimes travel the sandy roads around Camp Grayling in mid-Michigan and dust can be a problem. I try to keep well spaced from the vehicle in front

This is my idea of a great dirt road...... notice - no dust.

I think the higher clearance and narrower tires do help. Smooth tires with no tread would probably help, too.