MTFCA Forum

Some of you know that I am somewhat new to the world of Model T Fords and am right now only in the very early stages of information collection. Having never owned one of these magnificent machines, I’ve nonetheless long been fascinated by old automobiles (and old buildings and old pocket watches and old typewriters and old telescopes and other vintage machinery). But just what is it about the Model T Ford, as opposed to hundreds of other makes of antique and vintage automobiles, that is so uniquely appealing to me? And by extension, to the rest of you on this forum?

Maybe for me it comes down to the fact that the Model T Ford seems to be a perfect combination of utility and simplicity. After all, the Model T is just so honest and transparent… You can see at a glance how it was put together and how it works. And unlike a modern car, such as my Subaru, where I can’t even replace a dead turn signal bulb without taking it to the dealer, pretty much everything on a Model T is right out in the open and accessible, and looks like it can be repaired by just about anyone who owns a wrench and a screwdriver.

The Model T Ford belongs to the old world of durable items that can be worked on and fixed by the average person of reasonable intelligence, just like those old pocket watches and telescopes and buildings. They look fantastic when restored to new condition, but in my opinion at least, they look even better with the patina that comes from age and use.

Here’s a post by Brent Burger (“Burger in Spokane,” November 6, 2019, the topic: “Foto of the Day”):


“Last year I was climbing all over the hills of Colorado, following the route of a telephone
line built in 1880. I stopped to take a series of photos of a pole, high on a rock outcropping
that captures the sun and sky, the smell of the juniper and dust and sagebrush, the lichens
that contrast with the weathered granite, the rust of the metal and the weathered wood.
For those who know such things and places, you can smell the peculiar scent of the sun's
warmth on the metal. On the rocks. You can feel the breeze as it sweeps across the cliff.
This is what I live for. Most people will have no idea what I am talking about and ask the
salesman to show them the color options for a new vinyl siding job.”


Brent’s post stopped me in my tracks when I read it. That, right there, sums up what it is I love about the Model T Ford, a simple, well-designed, understandable machine that feels like a part of the natural world of sunshine and soft breezes and metallic and oily scents and dust and rocks and weathered wood.

And here’s a repost of one of Steve Jelf’s photos, which so perfectly captures that feeling:


I grew up in that world, on the dirt-road Prairie and open spaces of the mid-west, and I miss it so very much. The more I research the Model T and read about its history and design, the more I realize that it’s a time machine that can take me back. I can’t wait to go!


Well, enough about me… I’d like to hear what makes the Model T so appealing to you!

Kelly

Kelly, if you add old men to your list of fascinations, you have come to the right place.

Allan from down under.

You actually have to drive a Model T, and you are immersed in the environment you are driving through, not isolated from it. I just completed a 60 mile drive in a T roadster, and I enjoyed every minute of it. They do require more in the way of regular and frequent maintenence than some modern vehicles, but I don't mind that. It keeps you in touch with the car, and you know what you are driving. Beyond that, most people you encounter get a kick out of seeing the car.

Just drive a T or ride in one through a forest rode or some place that has not changed in 100 years. You will feel it then.

and you find them where you find them...

I came to the model T hobby from the antique motorcycle hobby because I discovered you can only take one grandkid on a motorcycle. And
that's just not good enough for me. The feel of the open road is pretty much the same.
Craig.

My Grandfather Drove TT Truck in the 20's and 30's.. One of the Machine Grinders that he acquired for his shop, and I learned, on was transported on a TT Truck from a San Jose in to Grandpas Machine Shop in Central California. It weighed 4,000 Lbs! Not bad for wood spokes! One of his 'Stories' he would tell, was by the time he got to the bottom of the Cuesta Grade, Half the Cars in the State of California were behind him. Then he would smile and chuckle..

My Dad drove a T Pickup ( no Starter ) in High school.. and he picked up the 'Hobby' in 2006 with the purchase of a TT C Cab.

I now drive Dads TT Truck

They are just a part of my DNA..


That's why

Cap

When I was a kid I would listen to my grandpa talk about his Model T's and was fascinated by them. When I was in High School History class the teacher asked why they had to back the Model T up hills and I was the only one who could answer that. Fast forward to last year and I was finally able to buy one, a '26 Roadster. The other day I was reading my grandma's writings and she was telling of grandpa's Model T adventures. He had bought a brand new '23 Roadster and splurged for the $1.00 electric taillight. Later he bought a Model TT. So, it's neat to have a car kind of like what he did and now I'm wanting a TT! I've had an offer to trade this Roadster for a 1950's car, but right now this is so much more fun to me......and I have a small connection to my family's past.

To me, it’s about slowing my world down. I spent most of my life in a high pressure, fast paced manufacturing engineering environment. Ive bought, sold and restored tractors for over 30 years, mostly John Deere two cylinders. It was “normal” for me to jump on my 1949 John Deere R and do a 30 mile road trip on a sunny weekend afternoon. It was a fantastic stress reliever and wind-down from a hectic workweek. Seven years ago, I retired to a very remote offgrid lifestyle. This lifestyle is a natural for making the TT a daily driver. Its not going to take very long for me to put several thousand miles on my TT ( Time Machine), mostly on Forest Service roads and trails. 20 mph on these roads is just my speed. A very real danger for me will be ATV’s screaming around an inside corner head on….racing to point B at insane trail speeds. I will be driving thru mature stands of old growth Hemlocks growing so densely that very little light reached the forest floor and the temp drops 10 deg. As I drive thru these areas, I will no doubt wonder how many TT’s these trees have shaded since the early 20’s. As I drive past long abandoned copper and iron mines, I will reminisce that TT’s probably brought the lions share of supplies in to the communities and mines. In summary, the T to me is my “time machine” back into history and simpler times.

When I was growing up there were several Model T's which went by our house every day. In the summer without air conditioning and sleeping upstairs, the windows would be open. I have always had very good hearing and there was a stop sign about 1/4 mile from our house and starting out was up a slight grade. I would hear the cars starting out from the sign and I knew the sound of each make of car as it left that intersection. The T had a particular sound like a whir putt putt.
My grandfather had a T probably about a 25. I have seen pictures of it. He and one Uncle drove it from Los Angeles to the East Coast and back through part of Canada and home. They saw Plymouth Rock and a number of relatives along the way. I have a log of the people who they saw, and actually met two of them when traveling later. They took the old Route 66 soon after it was opened.
My dad had a T while in college, which he later wrecked in a collision with a trolley in Los Angeles. The family bought him a brand new Model A in 1929.
When I got ready to drive I wanted a Model T, but dad thought a Model A would be better for me.. So i actually had about 13 Model A's over the years. My dad and Uncles had told me how to shift a Model T, but I had never driven one. I practiced with the A by shifting directly from Low to High and using the hand throttle.
I lived about one mile from Walt Rosenthal, who was the first president of the Model T Ford Club of America. He helped us organize the Model A Ford Club of America known as MAFCA. I liked his 1909 Model T.
Anyway, about 1989 a woman where I worked, saw an old car parked on the street in San Diego with a for sale sign on it, and I ended up buying it. That was the first of 3 Model T's I have owned. I still have the 3. I had one to drive while I worked on the second and the third was for spare parts. Now All 3 are running, so if I need spare parts, I need to look for them elsewhere.
Norm

Brilliant, Steve. Thanks for posting the link… that essay made my day.

Kelly

It's Americana! If you love that era you must to have one or so in order to be a part of that era.

Ed aka #4

Boy, I could be long winded on this one! I will try to keep it short. I was first afflicted at the early age of five riding in my uncle's 1922 touring. I decided then that someday I would have one. Also listening to the stories of when my uncle, age 10; my aunt, 14 (who drove) my mother, 6; with their mother, acquired a second hand touring and traveled from North East Missouri to Wyoming to join my grandfather and their older siblings in 1928 to start a new life. They arrived safely but times were about to turn dark and it changed their lives forever. That is another story.

I love the sound, smell and the beauty in its simplicity. Without sounding corny, that simplicity requires you to be more aware and in charge of the moment, your safety, and in a sense, your destiny. A skill that is easy to lose in this day and age. I am always amused at the posts where they are asking how to "fix" their car before they crash into something, as if the car is broken. I will say it again, I am not against modifying your own car, but I guess for some that is easier than changing your thinking.

Get out and drive! Open your eyes, ears and mind. Be ready to take on whatever is around the next turn.