MTFCA Forum

If you own a Model T Ford, why?

Reading post I see where owners experience issues that original owner experienced when and with the introduction. Tyre size, timers, batteries, starting with the crank and magneto only and more.

There are those who like earlier owners want more speed. Usually in the form of cylinder head changes and over head valves. High Compression pistons and high lift cam shaft as well as different carburetors.

Then there is the introduction of ignition up grad. Different timers, introduction of distributors, and the introduction of the microchip.

As a guess, how many form followers are happy with the Model T as designed. Using a vehicle that still has parts as built from 1908 to 1927?

How many tolerate the lack of power, fuel starvation on some hills, finicky timer, and more?
How many drive the T knowing that it was not designed for today's driver?

Don't know if I'm understanding the OP question, but I'll chime in and get the ball rolling. I have owned a couple of Model T's and try to keep them as original as possible, with the exception of some modern hardware for safety reasons such as bolts holding suspension and brakes together. But, although our local area does not have a Model T club, I see where most other states have clubs that seem to center around touring, rather than static display or trailer queen car shows. So I can understand where touring owners would want to make their cars as reliable, fast, safe, brake well, electrical lights, etc. I'm not one of those guys as I do not drive, but I can see that side of the hobby.


And, it's not unique to the T hobby. In my other life as a vintage military vehicle owner, many club members want disk brake conversions, engine and trans swaps, turn signals, electric wipers, etc. They are content with the visual appearance of a WWII jeep but want the driveability of a Wrangler. To each his own. There is aplace in the hobby for all.

I like to tinkering with a car. Just so much you can do to your daily driver & keeping it available 24/7.
Model T's keep you as busy as much as you want, there's always something to do.

It's quite common for British middle-aged men to go through a mid-life crisis and buy an American machine which is noisy, vibrates a lot, is uncomfortable and doesn't handle very well.
But mine has 4 wheels.

I love using my My T for daily driving around the valley! My whole town is only 3x5 miles so my diagonal commute is about 7, and the speed limit stays under 35 almost everywhere. The roadster is bone stock except for the recardo head, I even replaced the rux with a standard axle and don’t mind since I can go around all the major hills. Traffic is extremely distracted these days and wayyyyyyyy heavier than even a few years ago so I have to be really careful, but for the most part folks are entertained and patient. The amount of waving and smiling I do and the number of times a day someone takes my photo tells me I’m doing something right… The roadster gets much better gas mileage than my full size truck in the stop and go and I can take my time and enjoy the scenery. The daily routine, light maintenance and basic understanding of the workings goes hand in hand with my activities in the race car shop and my art studio/ fab shop and by the time I get in there I’m already in a mechanical mindset. I consider myself smart for living in Boulder, but really, I’m lucky to have a place to use my T almost daily and almost all year round too. One of these days I’d love to build a car capable of touring long distances and do it, but really I like the the day to day of explaining it to people. Wondering why it starts on half a pull sometimes and half hour later other times, keeping a cookie sheet handy to throw on the ground, bouncing half out from hitting huge potholes, constantly adding water to the leaky radiator, showing the coils to curious guys who think they know everything, and all the other charming nuances we’re familiar with add up to the nicest part of my day most days! Well, maybe not today…-Chris, in Boulder

There is a certain panache to the Model T. Can you imagine Harold Lloyd falling out of a Bugatti and chasing it down the road? Of course not. The T is an every-man car, perfectly at home in the most humble of surroundings a century ago. It often co-starred with The Boys, whose movies were the antithesis of snooty. Add the fact that it was produced in such huge numbers that it is now less expensive than other cars of the period, and most parts for it are still available. It is a natural choice for aficionados of old stuff, especially if circumstance or life has made them frugal.


https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG74.html

They remind me of when I was a boy. We lived in Montrose, Ca. which is a small suburb of Los Angeles. I would see at least two go by our house every day, and many were parked at the curb in shopping area. My grandparents, father and uncles would tell me of their Model T's. I got to ride in one which a neighbor of my dad's business had. He was the original owner and promised it to me when he decided to sell it. Unfortunately, it was in his wife's name and she sold it to someone else.
I didn't get the first one until I was about 50 years of age, but had at least 13 Model A's as a teen and young adult. I lived about a mile from Walt Rosenthal who was the first president of the MTFCA. I also liked his car.
Anyway, I keep them as original as I can with period correct accessories such as Rocky Mountain brakes and Ruckstell. I do have an auxiliary oil line and brake light. I drive on back roads and surface streets in town where the speed limits are lower. I also take to our local museum for Open House once a month or when specific groups have reservations and the museum is open. I take on tours with the club. Only drive around town when I need gas or am testing the car after working on it. I only do car shows which have no entry fee or judging.
Norm

The availability of parts, the price (usually) and the fact that there are many around. That’s what it was for me anyway. I have a relative that has had one in the family since the 40’s which was kind of an introduction to the T.

There are other cars in the garage, but the depot hack calls to me. It's also the one the dog eagerly jumps in and waits for me. At nearly 13 he's now too old to jump in from the back, so he has for a year or so jumped on the running board, then the floor, then on the seat and over the backrest to his bed in back. He waits, glassy-eyed and impatient, while I crank. He loves riding in it.

No battery, magneto-only. Magneto lights and mag horn. No Ruckstell, bone stock from stem to stern. Enough patina to ease anyone's conscience about driving it every day. It has been just about perfect for nearly 18 years. Grease and a few drips of oil on the bones once in a while, check the oil when it needs gas, check the water every day while it is warming up after starting. It has gone through three sets of tires since I've had it; I've never dropped the pan or had the head off and it has never stranded me. Still using the Anderson timer I put on it when I got the car. Still running the original coils rebuilt by Ron Patterson - I clean the points and check the coils on a HCCT yearly.

To the best of my Knowledge, My '27 is the first T in our family. My Father was a Ford guy, so it is possible that he had one when he was a kid, But his father was a successful businessman and would have owned cars that were upscale from a T. The first car that I remember my father driving was a '39 Ford Tudor. My mom had a '38 Plymouth, and I don't remember whether it had two or four doors. My brother Tom had a '47 Plymouth woody that was as close to perfect as a driver can be. I wish that I could get it back in that condition.

This is my story- I graduated HS in 1965. Then went to college and Uncle Sam drafted me and sent me to Vietnam. Like most guys my age, my dream was to own a GTO that would squeal the tires. Upon return in Nov from Vietnam I went to the local Christmas Parade to look at all of the beautiful cars. Then, in the lineup came Dr Becraft's Model T Touring car, and that thing changed my mind. Between the beauty of the car and the cheering from the crowd ....... from that day on you know what my dream was. Since then, I have satisfied that dream 7 times.

My dad saved his father's 1926 Coupe when my grandfather passed away in 1959. Dad stuck it in our barn where it languished for many years. In 1980 I began a restoration on it and finished it a couple years later. So Model T's have always been in my life. Now I have a 1912 Runabout-the older the better!

My Father bought our 1912 T in 1960 I was born in 61 I started driving it when I was 15 years old I'm now 62 When Dad passed I could not let it go. It was $600.00 to purchase $1500.00 to restore and 60 years of fun. The car has no mods as it does what it was designed to do and I drive it as a 112 year old car . If I wish to go faster I have other cars that go fast but they aren't as fun.

Why do I own a Model T?

Every drive is a parade and every stop is a car show.

They have stories to tell.

Robert Brough (Signsup) said it perfectly. If you are either anti-social or don't like to tinker and solve problems, then this is not the vehicle for you. I likely speak for most of us T owners when I say, those are the very things we get our enjoyment out of. Who doesn't like to see a hundred year old vehicle out still driving around.

Neurological Disorder

I'm new to Model T's, having purchased my first and only in 2018. In my professional life I always dealt with people so for recreation I preferred to deal with things. My first vehicular restoration was over 40 years ago, a 1946 Aeronca Champ airplane which I still own and fly. My first wheeled restoration was in 2011... a M38A1 Army Jeep. Funny thing, when I'd take the Jeep to Motor Muster at Greenfield Village, my wife would disappear and spend the day riding the Model T's.....she absolutely loved them! I had a friend with about a dozen Model T's and decided to talk him into selling me one as a project. That was a no-go but I started looking for others... deciding on a 1917 Touring inasmuch as that was the first car my family ever owned...I have a photo that Rich Eagle turned into a beautiful painting of my grandparents, uncle and ten year old father in the car. Add to that, my other grandpa worked for Ford from 1916 to 1946 and may have had a hand in making my car. My mother grew up in Highland Park and needless to say they were a Ford family.

I bought my car from Brian Dowell, the current president of the MTFCI. I didn't realize at the time that he "came" with the car but now he is one of my best friends. He insisted we had to try touring, and wouldn't take no for an answer. I truly did not understand what I was getting into. If I had, I would have bought a T years ago. I have made many good friends and had wonderful touring experiences and have been able to make myself useful in helping others. Model T ownership came at a good time in my life inasmuch as age and it's infirmities has made it difficult or impossible to do some of the things that used to be a big part of my life. I love that old car, the friends we've made, the places we've been and the people to whom we bring joy, simply by driving by or chatting with at a stop.

Some good replies. For me, I LOVE it's utter simplicity. Its engineering is the essence of efficiency of design. There is NOTHING superfluous about it! It does NOT have a lack of power, it just doesn't have EXCESS power. If you know and understand it's limitations, with a little forethought you can drive it from coast to coast, as some on this forum have done. I also remember the stories of my mother's family driving from Missouri to Wyoming in 1928 in a second hand model T touring. I love how they look, sound, and smell. At the tender age of five, I rode in my uncle's 1922 touring and decided then that someday I would have one!

Smiles and waves

My first car,1924 Model T Fordor, came home in pieces on a trailer in 1962, 16th birthday. Have loved them ever since. Mine are for driving, concessions to modern consist of kevlar bands, Anderson timer, brake and turn signals so I get home alive. Every drive is a participation in living history. Understanding early automotive engineering is an adventure in continuing education. Model T was the best car ever made in that it's engineering was very good for the day, designed for road (or non-road) conditions at the time, priced so that it was, in fact, the everyman car as noted in a thread above, making it an essential piece of Americana. Proud to own one, proud to know how to drive one and keep it on the road. If you want power and speed then buy a Corvette.

babychadwick told me I'd be cool.

I like old tractors
It’s a mix between an old tractor and a car.
I’ve always liked the blank look on the cars face.
Seems to be a good financial option. Still feasible
I like the color black.
I liked being asked “why would you buy an old thing like that” and “all that money to go 35 mph?”
And I wanted to own a century old car.
Bryant

"If you own a Model T Ford, Why?"

I can't afford a Packard...

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 2:06 pm

"If you own a Model T Ford, Why?"

I can't afford a Packard...

Exactly, Agreed!!!

Because it's how I would design a car. As a caption in an old book said, in reference to a drawing of the engine bay; "notice the absence of unnecessary parts".
I have no interest in modern computerised cars and have never owned one.

Why do I own a T? This is why.

Pretty good reason!

My Runabout is a family heirloom. My great aunt Katie owned it. This photo was taken in 1935 with Katie on the running board and great uncle Elmer at the wheel.

Katie died in 1936, which is when Elmer turned the Runabout into a farm truck. It was parked on a fence row after it was worn out. Dad's cousin started to resurrect it but only did a little mechanical work. Then, my aunt and uncle bought what she described as "a rusty pile of parts." Two of my uncles restored the runabout cosmetically but the mechanicals were iffy.
The car sat in my aunt's garage for 18 years after my uncle's death. She would never let one of his prized possessions go. After years of bugging her, my aunt finally let me buy it and I have been bringing it up to daily driver condition. While it's mine today, I have already specified the next family caretaker in my will.

My son's wedding.

This is a great thread. It started questionably but I am loving the stories. It shows the passion many of us have for the T even though we come at it from different angles.

For me, my dad made a good living as a mechanic and brought his work home with him in the sense that he always had a hobby car, pickup or tractor to restore. I helped him turn heaps of junk parts into vehicles that were period correct and fun to drive. No museum or art projects here... the restored tractors looked great but were used on our farm land.

When my son turned 9 I wanted him to have the same experience... I was kicking around different projects and saw what would become our T. Never thought of a T before that. It barely ran but the body was good. I didn't really know what we were getting in to. It didn't run well and we blew a valve in the first few weeks. That gave us an excuse to rebuild the drive train nose to tail. Now my son is 10 and he is the tour guide whenever anyone asks questions about the car. He knows this car inside and out... and knows to pull the key before we open the inspection plate on the hogs head.

He always wants to take the T if we can. We use it for shopping, baseball practice, going to the park, library, etc.

I have gained so much respect for this car, not only for the history but for it's ability to just go after 100 years. I've also made some good friends in a very short period of time in this hobby.

Someone joked about wanting to buy my car today. My first reaction was to respond that it wasn't for sale... then I explained the story I just layed out here.

The first model T (T Model where my family is from) I ever saw was when I was a kid of single digit age (late 60's) in my great uncle's barnyard, I was drawn like a moth to a flame. It was a truck sitting there minus the radiator. I heard stories about the one having a meltdown in the cow manure in the barn, a touring, and the tractor conversion that used to be on the farm.

From that time on I always wanted a T truck, but like with most, life got in the way. Over the last 15-20 years I started looking again, went to a couple farm auctions with T's but the bids went higher than I was prepared to pay at the time. A ride on the Big South Fork train in Ky. had a stop at a small coal mine with early tools and methods on display, this mine went back to the miniature pony days of pulling the cars in and out of the mines, on its way to the more modern Blue Heron Mine.

Most of the people on the trip were of the, well that's a dark hole in the ground, and that's an odd-looking drill, now where's the gift shop type of tourist. At the end of the walking tour, the owner/tour guide and I got sidetracked when told him his JEEP didn't look right, it was a Ford, that was about the end of that mine's operation, shortly after WW2. That led to a sidetrack for him and I, and my wife, into another barn that had a variety of vehicles in it, including a couple very nice original T's. More fuel to the fire, and we never did make it to the gift shop and darn near missed the train to go on down to the more modern mine.

About 18 months ago a face book marketplace search produced a TT truck about 3 1/2 hours from here, I thought it was a good deal, it wasn't as good as I thought, but we made up for that a few months later. I wasn't sure how the wife would take it, so I took her to a Mexican restaurant close to home. Figured I'd break the news while she was in a good mood. The conversation went something like this.

I'm going to go look at a truck Sunday, you want to go along?

Where?

Grand rapids, Mi.

What kind?

Ford one ton.

What kind of wheels?

Wood spoke.

No, I mean single or dual.

Single wood spoke.

Now I get ignored for a few minutes while the veggie quesadilla gets a little smaller.

Are you serious, wood spoke?

Yes.

So, what year is this truck?

Supposed to be 1927.

Then the shocker, she says, okay, I'll ride along!

To make it even better, on the ride home with the truck on the trailer, and no I won't say how I strapped it down, out of the blue she says, we need a car to go along with the truck!

So, the 26 Touring we picked up a few months later in Bardstown, Ky., found because of a post on this forum, was a good deal, that helped make up for the bad deal on the truck.

So that's how we own 2 T's, plus I like to work on mechanical stuff, a must for a T owner, and I like history, and a Ford T model is about as much of an American history icon as there ever was or will be in the mechanical world, that's the rest of the why.

People drive model T’s today for the same reason they did when they were new. Simple fact is they are cheaper than anything else available.

As a pre-teen, I used to see an older woman drive a wood spoked car, probably not a T, but a large sedan, around town occasionally. Always loved that design. When I was a teen, I used to see a similar car behind some stores, near where I worked at my first job at a hamburger joint. I loved that car too. Then there was the TV show "The Untouchables". Really loved those cars. Fast forward to adulthood when I went to some car shows and there were several cars from the 20's. I took some photos, but that was it. About 30 years ago, I fell in love with WW2 jeeps and restored an early Ford jeep. Then another one.
Fast forward to 3 years ago when a car guy relative showed me a photo of a 27 Tudor stuffed in a warehouse where he had looked at a Buick from the 70's. "I bet you could have that car for a song" he said. I was hooked. The seller didn't respond to my calls to buy the car. But I was hooked. So I started looking around and found a 26 Touring, which I bought. Then, the 27 Tudor from the warehouse became available. So I bought it. Then a month ago, I found a 25 Touring barn find and couldn't help myself. So I bought it. Why? The classic lines. The piece of history. A disease that I brought upon myself. But I love it!

BECAUSE it was not designed for today's driver.

I wanted one for a long time. From about age 11. Got one when I was 29. Had it ever since.

I don’t mind driving mine just about every day in the summer.

I drive in New Jersey. If I can drive in that congested Hell, I can drive anywhere.

When I was in grade school our history teacher spent a lot of time on the early automotive innovations. There were electric, steam and gasoline powered cars and innovation was driving major changes to all of them. I loved the look of the brass era cars and I always wanted one. When I finally decided to get a brass car I realized how hard it could be to get parts for brass cars....that is why I decided to get a brass model T. Some of the parts for an early Model T are harder to find, but not as hard as other brass cars.

My car was built on October 28, 1913 and still has the feel of a car that was built just before the assembly line came to dominate how cars were built. I can find parts for it and I can drive it to work anytime I want....and that is what I was dreaming of.

Several things came together near simultaneous.

1- I went to Drexel University and at the time the Kinematics course had great lectures and homework! Studying 'cams' - let's look at how the Model T cam works and works without bounce skipping! Studying springs...you guessed it. Studying industrial brake systems? Yup! How do planetary systems work? Something about a driveshaft transmission and a steering column. Move along to another course from the same professor? One that relates to IC engines? "Why was the Model T only about 23 or 24% fuel efficient was a case study.

2- I became engaged to a girl whose father had apparently decided to buy a 50 buck Model T and drive cross country and back before heading off to Paris Island and Iwo with the 3rd Marine Division. At the time I met his daughter, he then had an old A, but was thinking military and was one of the 4 charter members of MVPA, and after years of that actually got their equivalent of a Stynoski for one of his restorations.

3- At the July 4 parade in my home town for the bicentennial, the Marshall led the parade in a 1915 Roadster that had previously only come out for static display. I was in awe as it rode past me.

All 3 things happened within about a year of one another.

Took two years of piggy bank and value lunches...but I was able to get a '25 really barn (not so) fresh Fordor that allowed further lunch savings to send for cheap parts...I also lived in Elgin IL at the time and anyone who showed interest in a T got swooped in with open arms, and when my car kept having issue roadside they always got me home or showed me how to fix it roadside. That '15 that started it all? Took near 20 years of trying and failing and trying - but it wound up in my garage and, the first time I opened something up and knowing the provenance as a commercial set aside in a warehouse while nearly new (Was an NJ Bell supervisor vehicle when new and apparently he liked to be driven by others more than driving himself. Bell decided to warehouse it when it was taken from service...unknown miles, but known low)...and knowing the provenance on the 2nd owner was static only for the decades up to that bicentennial day and had stayed static for the 20 years thereafter...that tranny was not just nice on reveal...it was brand all but new inside-still.

Along the way, others have joined the flock...I have a hard habit of buying and never selling. That '15 was becoming a garage queen and the youngest at 40 said, 'How about we just move it to me now...I'll be a good steward!' We did, he is! (He also has his Grandpop's '45 MB jeep that he stewards extremely well@)

They get in your blood...into your DNA...I'm semi disabled now with full use of only one knee...so I have really slowed down with my own T use...a 19 Hack that was too good to pass up now sits in my garage that I just a week ago added a 12,000 BTU mini-split to. Has both heat, and cool. Yippee...eliminates THAT excuse! LOL

That father in law eventually bought a '26 Coupe...kept it absolutely as found...and today my oldest has it along with my original '25 (and a 72 Pontiac Espirit, and a 78 Smokey and the Bandit T/A, an old F150 with an F600 rear, and three 2N tractors, and a host of other things). Gives family gatherings a lot to talk about...lol

In my DNA, but so much more...
My dad and Uncle were Southern CA hotrodders of the 40/50's, cjopping/channeling 32 to 36 models and racing out on the flats.
I grew up surrounded by hotrods, as well as various antiques. Along the same lines, I also grew up around well equipped shops picking up skills from those across multiple generations. That's a requisite to owning a T IMO...having fabricating skills.
But with such varied exposure to so many era's/models, why a T?
It was my 7th birthday. Everyone remember Matchbox toys? I got a 1911 T Matchbox for a present....I was in love, and my life dream from that point on was a brass T. Left unrealized for the most part given the typical astronomical prices for the early years.
I bought my first T in my early 20's, a 26 TT Closed Cab. It was rough, requiring dismantling every last bolt.
Owned it 40 years, but sold it 5 yrs ago when I retired and had to divest half my car collection. What remained was an 88 Jeep Grand Wagoneer, a 78 VW Westphalia bus, a 71 VW long body Kellison Dune Buggy, and a 29 A Roadster.

Someone posted a Pic of their TT with their grandkid....I have to admit while there was a lot of reasons I wanted to own antiques, having grandkids has brought a new basis of joy!!
60 years after getting that Matchbox, I was fortunate to buy a 14 Touring!!!
While in great overall shape, I'm full on tinkering in the shop. Having been fortunate to learn my skills at a young age, I am blessed that the eldest of our 4 has shown an interest. Here he is showing off his handiwork after I instructed him how to put together the contact panel for the coil box....
life goes full circle.
Why a T? Cuz there ain't much in life that will provide so much fun, and bring smiles across all generations....what a gift & blessing!

My car came to me through a friend. He wanted to pass on the knowledge of Model Ts. I’ll do the same and forward the experience.

Mopar_man wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 10:09 pm

Why do I own a T?
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This is why.

Best reason of all.

Well done !

Since this question was asked on April 20 there have been some wonderful posts. Thinking back over the years since I got seriously into the Model T scene, I find that my motivation has changed. At first, I was attracted to the idea of local driving in a 100-year-old car. Then, inspired by Dean, Seamus, George Akin, Ed Archer, the Hardmans, and others, I discovered Model T travel. It began with my drive to a club event 125 miles to my north. Even with some incidents that would repel some, I enjoyed that 250-mile day. With that under my belt, I thought a longer drive taking more than one day was in order. After driving modern to the OCF in 20217, I thought it was so neat I had to bring an old car. But drive a Model T all the way to Detroit? I had doubts about such a thing. What if I broke down? When I expressed my misgivings to Mike Bender, a very smart and experienced T guy, he encouraged me. I think he was kidding when he said he would come and get me if I broke down. But then he pointed out that anywhere you go in the USA, there are likely to be Model T folks who can help in a pinch. It turned out that he was right. I won't take the time to review all the trips of the following several years, but I'm hooked. Oddly, I find a 200-250 mile day of Model T driving somehow deeply satisfying. Most people would be repelled by Model T travel, especially the way I do it. Given last year's "event", do I want to continue? It may be stupidity, or my TBI, or senility, but yes. Even if circumstances demand that I never get back to it, I don't regret a minute of my Model T travel.

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG121_Model-T-Travel.html

Anybody can drive a Ferrari.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 2:06 pm

"If you own a Model T Ford, Why?"

I can't afford a Packard...

Same for me as well.

John Codman wrote: ↑

Mon May 27, 2024 2:00 pm

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 2:06 pm

"If you own a Model T Ford, Why?"

I can't afford a Packard...

Same for me as well.

Yes, I would love to own a Packard. However, I wouldn't trade any one of my Model T's for a dozen Packards.

If you do have a Packard and it breaks down, you will have a hard time finding parts. In fact some parts might need to be manufactured. With a T, you can usually get spare parts within a few days from one of our parts suppliers. Even the tires are easy to find. And also many usable used parts are available. And on tours someone else on the tour might be able to help you get it going. I have been touring for 30 years and have only needed the trouble truck once. That time while the others were looking at the sights nearby, I was able to get it going again and took off the trailer and continued on the tour. Once I needed a battery and found one at an Auto Zone along the way!
Norm

ONLY, and I repeat, ONLY because I inherited my Grandfather's 27 coupe. If it had been a Model A or any year early Ford V8, I would have what was left to me.

My family always had brass cars and brass model t's. At 15 my family drove our 1913 t touring to Sacramento for a HCCA national tour. We made several Harrah's Reno tours over the years as well.

It was just natural to own a model t. I bought and restored several, then I fell off the wagon, and started collecting early Ferrari's, loud and very fast. Then more model t's, to many to count.

At 80 I now have my last model t. A 1915 roadster with a Gallivan dual overhead cam engine, it too, is loud and very very fast. I enjoy restoring and working on my model t's. I can spend an entire day in the car barn tinkering and adjusting. Love to fire up the Gallivan and take it around the neighborhood. Driving a model t is always exciting. It's always exciting if it will start, it's exciting to drive down to micky d's for lunch, then its really exciting if it starts to go back home.

just sayin'

brasscarguy

When I was younger I would listen to my grandfather tell about his Model T's and always thought it would be neat to drive one someday. He had a '23 Runabout that he bought new when he was 18 and an unknown year TT. In High School once when they got to the era of the 20's, the question was asked "why did they back the Model T up hills?" I was the only one to raise my hand and be able to answer that. Flash forward to 2021 when I bought my '28 Sport Coupe and I got thinking about a Model T. A year later, April of '22, I bought a '26 Roadster. (I wanted to take the Model T class, but decided to by one instead!) It hasn't been easy trying to figure it out most days, but I keep plugging away. Currently work has me so wore down by the end of the day that I don't work on either one or drive them either, but in 12 years or so I can retire and get back into them.....I hope. The other night I dreamed I was driving a Model T around......

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon May 27, 2024 5:38 pm

John Codman wrote: ↑

Mon May 27, 2024 2:00 pm

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Mon Apr 22, 2024 2:06 pm

"If you own a Model T Ford, Why?"

I can't afford a Packard...

Same for me as well.

Yes, I would love to own a Packard. However, I wouldn't trade any one of my Model T's for a dozen Packards.

In the same condition as my T? I would In a heartbeat. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid. No disrespect intended, and I have never been involved with cars to make money, but think about the relative worth of one Model T vs a dozen Packards. I couldn't afford not to trade.

I own lotsa Model Ts because I thrive on aggravation! Theres nothin like a thrown fan belt causing loss of half the coolant in a slow south Texas August small town parade!! And having a cracked low speed drum on a National tour assures much hands on future enjoyment. You ever crap your pants when the exhaust pack nut unscrews while you’re holding spark and gas levers in one hand and the Ford Special speedo is showing 49 ? What a thrill !!

Also what Mr House said above!

John Codman wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2024 12:58 pm

In the same condition as my T? I would In a heartbeat. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid. No disrespect intended, and I have never been involved with cars to make money, but think about the relative worth of one Model T vs a dozen Packards. I couldn't afford not to trade.

John,

My T's are all in pretty good condition, but still, financially it would not make sense. However, at least 2 of my T's have huge sentimental value to me. I don't aspire to greater wealth, fame or fortune, so my enjoying my T's, along with my wife & friends, are fortune enough for me. That being said... nobody is currently offering me 12 Packards, so that makes my resolve much easier to claim.

Jerry VanOoteghem wrote: ↑

Sat Jun 01, 2024 8:22 am

John Codman wrote: ↑

Fri May 31, 2024 12:58 pm

In the same condition as my T? I would In a heartbeat. I may be crazy, but I'm not stupid. No disrespect intended, and I have never been involved with cars to make money, but think about the relative worth of one Model T vs a dozen Packards. I couldn't afford not to trade.

John,

My T's are all in pretty good condition, but still, financially it would not make sense. However, at least 2 of my T's have huge sentimental value to me. I don't aspire to greater wealth, fame or fortune, so my enjoying my T's, along with my wife & friends, are fortune enough for me. That being said... nobody is currently offering me 12 Packards, so that makes my resolve much easier to claim.

I can't disagree with the above comment.

I grew up in the '60's listening to my grandfather's stories about Model T's and reading his books about them. I was always interested in old cars, and had restored a '64 T-bird. In 1999 I bought a '65 Mustang for a daily driver and went through it until it was reliable. I never figured on owning anything as old as a T, but a friend called me up one day in 2008 and said I had to come look at a car. It was a '26 T Roadster and it wasn't running, but was in pretty good condition and cheap, and my friend talked me into buying it so we could get it running and sell it for a profit. I got it home, my wife took one look at it and said, "You have an old car, why can't I have one?" So we still have it and it's a member of the family now. The kids, and now grandkids love riding in it, I like working on it (always something to do) and it's a great link to memories of my grandparents.

There are actually some parts available for Packards... and there are still some "barn car" Packards.