Longest trip you took in your T

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Model T Ron
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Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Model T Ron » Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:12 pm

Now that my car has some new tires I plan on taking her out a but more. Work is only 12 miles away so I see that happening often in 2023 but I would like to plan on some longer trips than 24 miles round trip. I am sure many of you have great stories and I would love to hear about them.

Ron


Allan
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Allan » Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:07 am

Ron, mine was an interstate tour with others. My wife and I used my 1920 backboard for the trip, plenty of room for stuff in the tray. We drove from Adelaide in South Australia, to Norseman in Western Australia. Then we headed north to Geraldton, before heading south to Perth. From there, we went to Esperance via Albany. Esperance to Norseman set us up for the return journey home. I'll leave you to do the maths as thousands of km = ? miles. Needless to say, some legs of the journey across the Nullarbor Plain were well over 300km.

That same car has done 4 or 5 interstate trips.

Allan from down under.


Burger in Spokane
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Burger in Spokane » Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:03 am

Summer before last, I took several long trips around the Palouse
and Scablands. With no odometer, but a decent sense of miles
between points, I reckon each trip was around 250 miles.

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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Steve Hughes » Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:13 am

I have driven several long trips, but the longest was from Lincoln, Nebraska to San Diego, California and back in the summer of 2012. It was just me and the Model T. It was a fun trip. If you want to see some of the adventures I encountered along the way, I still have my daily blog up on my website.
http://modelts.rsomuchfun.com/

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Steve Jelf » Wed Feb 01, 2023 1:31 am

My longest T trip so far was to the Old Car Festival in 2018. That was across eastern Kansas, then Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, up to Michigan for the OCF, back across Michigan, down around the lake and up through Chicago into Wisconsin, then back home through Iowa, Missouri, and Kansas. Total miles were about 2870. The forum account of the trip is here: http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/82 ... 1536120898
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John iaccino
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by John iaccino » Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:03 am

While on a tour in Maine, over 5 days we traveled 750 miles. Car ran well and had no problems to speak of. Oiled front end, checked oil and water every morning. Not even a flat tire.


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Tom_Carnegie » Wed Feb 01, 2023 7:31 am

Starting in July of 2006 over the course of 42 days, I drove my 1927 coupe from Spokane Valley, WA to Portland, OR. Then from Portland, OR to Portland ME. About 10,000 miles. No support vehicle, no major breakdowns.


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Scott_Conger » Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:26 am

I'm going to enjoy this thread...

and Steve, I just finished reading your Travelogue...what a great read.
Last edited by Scott_Conger on Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:17 am, edited 1 time in total.
Scott Conger

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Dennis Prince
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Dennis Prince » Wed Feb 01, 2023 9:48 am

My longest trip so far was in 2008 when I drove from Central Oregon to the Centennial in Indiana and back, it was just over 6,00 miles. Our group regularly does 300 to 600 mile trips. I highly recommend doing longer multi day trips it is the best way to truly experience a Model T.


MWalker
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by MWalker » Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:23 am

I drove my '15 Touring from Fayetteville, Arkansas to Richmond, IN for the Centennial in '08, and back again. Just me and my T, about 1,400 mi. Four days out, and three returning.

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TWrenn
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by TWrenn » Wed Feb 01, 2023 10:32 am

Also, are you talking "long trips" of just in one day, or cumulative? It's not uncommon for "me and the guys" to rack up an easy 70 miles just ditty-bopping around, usually after one of our infamous picnic tours that I started the first year of Covid, since there were no restaurants to go to. Even solo I'll easily do 60 miles just enjoying the ride. The wife and I have many times covered that many miles, and last year we as a club group did over 105 miles on a pre-planned outing. Then there's the annual tours of all shapes and sizes with MTFCA as well as MTFCI that I've racked up 500+ miles. Bottom line is, as an example, I did 2,019 miles on the '13 last year, 1,160 on the Torpedo, and the poor ol Fordor only saw 367 miles on it last year, as it's primarily my "cool weather car" :lol:

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Rich Eagle
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Rich Eagle » Wed Feb 01, 2023 11:49 am

We attended the MTFCA National in 2010 with our 2 1/2 year old Granddaughter. It was 3 days up and 3 days back on Montana's secondary roads. Total milage may have been about 1200 miles. All with no spare tire. :D
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When did I do that?

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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Steve Jelf » Wed Feb 01, 2023 12:50 pm

All with no spare tire.

You must have been very lucky or had new tires. :)
The inevitable often happens.
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BRENT in 10-uh-C
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by BRENT in 10-uh-C » Wed Feb 01, 2023 4:49 pm

Model T Ron wrote:
Tue Jan 31, 2023 11:12 pm
Now that my car has some new tires I plan on taking her out a but more. Work is only 12 miles away so I see that happening often in 2023 but I would like to plan on some longer trips than 24 miles round trip. I am sure many of you have great stories and I would love to hear about them.

Ron
Since you live in NC, I will share one trip that my wife & I did along with one other T about 10 years ago. At 5 minutes until 7:00 in the morning, we were pulling onto the Blue Ridge Parkway in Blowing Rock, NC. At 9:30 that night we pulled into Dennis Fleming's place in Luray, VA. That was 340-ish miles in a little over 14 hours which included several stops for fuel, snacks, lunch at Chick-fil-a, and photo opps along the way. To the best of my recollection, we never put a wrench on either car on the trip.

Luray01.jpg
Luray02.jpg
Luray03.jpg
Luray04.jpg
Luray05.jpg


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by DHort » Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:16 pm

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=31375

My longest trip was 1200 miles to OCF and back. I just happened to take the long way around.
I could not find a straight road except some of those farm roads in Ohio.


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by DHort » Wed Feb 01, 2023 6:21 pm

The ocean to ocean tours from New York to Seattle are 2900 miles or so, and some people drove back and racked up over 6000 miles.

Don't ask Dean Yoder how many miles he puts on every year. Your adding machine cannot handle numbers that high.


Burger in Spokane
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Burger in Spokane » Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:30 am

When not taking LONG trips, I am taking hauling trips. A unit of plywood
averages 2400lbs. Two = 4800lbs. It is quite an interesting experience to
drive a TT with that kind of weight. From defensive driving, due to the
limited brake potential of a T, to route choice and how to attack hills. Even
with the performance mods I have done, that kind of weight is a game
changer for how one drives a T.

IMG_2982.jpg
More people are doing it today than ever before !


Aussie16
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Aussie16 » Thu Feb 02, 2023 1:45 am

Hears a link to my most favourite T trip ever. My son made the video of our 4 day tour and about 600 miles up into mountain country with a bunch of other T's. You can count on your T to get you anywhere you want to go if it is mechanically restored and maintained well.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUD1MrExJoc

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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by DLodge » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:17 am

Sometime in 2002 at a Model T event here in St. Louis, Sam Atkinson commented, "Next year is the Ford Centennial. Wouldn't it be neat to drive to Dearborn for that?" That was enough. In June 2003, seven Ts left St. Louis on their way to the Centennial. All seven made it and six made the trip back. (It turned out that the one that came home on the trailer could have been fixed and continued, but we misdiagnosed the problem.) I don't remember the exact distance driven, but it ended up around 1,200+ miles. The youngest participant was, as I recall, still a teen and the oldest two (Les Flautt and George Clipner) were 78. (Weird to think that I'm older than that now!) Not sure where this roadside stop was, but I think it was in Indiana somewhere.

DBalongtheroad.jpg

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Steve Jelf
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Steve Jelf » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:35 am

It is quite an interesting experience to drive a TT with that kind of weight.

It wouldn't surprise me if that truck had a broken leaf or two in its rear spring. That's very common in a TT. You don't see it until the spring is out of the frame.
The inevitable often happens.
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by JohnM » Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:51 am

Aussie16, I enjoyed your video and the song "Model T Ford" by the Gravy Boys. :) I don't think i've heard it before.

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Ron F
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Ron F » Fri Feb 03, 2023 11:46 am

Drove our 26 Touring on the 2019 Ocean to Ocean tour 4083 mi recored on my Garmin GPS.
fullsizeoutput_4eab.jpeg


TXGOAT2
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by TXGOAT2 » Fri Feb 03, 2023 12:04 pm

I usually drive my car 30 to 60 miles every time I take it out, which is daily or near daily in decent weather. I have driven up to 120 miles in one half day. On longer runs, my moving average speed varies between 38 MPH and 42 MPH. Any trip involves at least 6 miles on rough, washboard dirt roads, (actually loose, coarse crushed rock) which reduces average speeds considerabley. There are some dirt/gravel roads in the area where 30-35 MPH is comfortable.

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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by JohnH » Sat Feb 04, 2023 5:40 pm

The longest would have been an interstate rally where I did about 1800km (1125 miles) round trip. Most of my trips are at least about 120km because of where I live, and where my destinations usually are.

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Rich Eagle
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Rich Eagle » Sun Feb 05, 2023 2:49 pm

30 years ago, I got a call about the best Model T roads in the area. Half a dozen Model Ts were going to travel from Florida to Oregon. We invited them to stop in Idaho for a potluck dinner when they came through.
Fla2Ore1.jpg
Fla2Ore2.jpg
Their trip took 2 months, and they did have a trouble trailer with tools and a spare engine which they did end up using for one of the cars. The depot hack had its full-floating bearings give out in Kentucky as I remember. The owner told me "Where in the middle of Kentucky do you find original bearings to put back in it? Well, I'm an Undertaker. Who would know everyone in town but another undertaker?" He contacted the local one who put him in touch with a Model T guy who had everything he needed to get back on the road.
I still don't think driving a model T every day for 2 months is what I want to do but these guys were having a great time. All were retired and I imagine they have passed on by now.
Now that is a long trip.
Rich
When did I do that?


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Bryant » Sun Feb 05, 2023 7:53 pm

To start I have never driven a model T. For all that matters I have never even ridden in one. So the trip I’ve been on started roughly 30 years ago with the thought that one day I would own one. Well that day came. The car was delivered to my home from the land of Kansas. I managed to place it in my lawn tractor shed until the garage was built 6 months later. Since then I have pretty much disassembled the entire car. Piece by piece my journey has taken me into the history of this car. Every day it has become a point of many topics. People ask me how the T is coming. I usually respond with a smile and say I have a 5 year plan. Hoping it will be at least drivable for its 100th birthday. Everyday I visit this forum and well, go for a ride. So far the model T has taken me farther than I expected. I hope one day after I actually clock some miles this topic will come up again so I can give a better response but for now what a long strange trip it has been ;)
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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by Burger in Spokane » Mon Feb 06, 2023 12:21 am

Steve Jelf wrote:
Thu Feb 02, 2023 11:35 am
It is quite an interesting experience to drive a TT with that kind of weight.

It wouldn't surprise me if that truck had a broken leaf or two in its rear spring. That's very common in a TT. You don't see it until the spring is out of the frame.
========================

I did an inspection when I rebuilt the Ruckstell. All were good. I have
several extra sets hoarded, should I break something during future ops.
More people are doing it today than ever before !


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Re: Longest trip you took in your T

Post by 5 WoodenWheels » Mon Feb 06, 2023 7:38 am

Only about an 80 mile tour last summer with my local club. It was, however, the first time I’d really “soloed,” other than a few short test drives to get the feel of my car which I’d recently purchased. My goals were pretty simple: To have a good time, not crash my car or worse yet crash into other club members. We were pretty well bunched up at some points, especially when starting out. The car did well and a good time was had by all. The roads in my area are not especially Tee-friendly, being in the Baltimore-Washington area where everyone is rushing around hoping to attain their life goals a little faster. But our tour planners chose some very nice and off-the-beaten track country lanes for the drive. Safety in numbers, I think it really helps on a drive like this.

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