MTFCA Forum

Hi all,

My name is Kevin and I'm the proud new caretaker of my late grandfather's model t.

tl/dr: I inherited a T. Bill Squires is awesome, and I'd never use anyone else. I'm in NW Tennessee, know little about what I'm getting in to, but know I want to do it right. I'd love to meet other folks in my area, even if it's just to share the love of the car.

Last Sunday, Bill Squires from Bill's Auto Works picked up in suburban Chicago at my parents house and delivered to my home town in NW Tennessee. I can't say enough superlatives about Bill's professionalism and care for my vehicle. He responded to my inquiry and we had a plan to speak after July 4. We immediately scheduled for that Sunday, Bill was fantastic with communication through the entire process, the load in and out we're perfect, and I couldn't be happier with how the entire process went. Thank you to the other members that recommended him in the forums here! When I need a car moved, he'll always be my first call. Thank you again Bill!

The car was last titled as a 1923, with a hand written note by my grandfather that it has a 1916 engine. It has been somewhat mothballed since the 1960's. My family had an old wagon wheel factory that was used as a warehouse for the family water well business. My first memory of this car was noticing it back behind a pile of old PVC coil pipe when I was maybe 6/7 years old. When the warehouse was taken down in the 80's, it moved to the pole barn on my folks property, and finally settling in their new attached garage when the pole barn came down with retirement and no kids taking over (sorry dad) in the 2000's. I've been in the will for this since a will existed. My folks are "downsizing" at their age, so after a decade of dragging my feet, I now have one of the most awesome and daunting projects of my life, but I also have something more valuable than I can express.

Unlike my father (mechanical engineering degree), I'm an entomologist. That might make it cute if I started on old Beetles, but it's certainly no help for me now, even though some folks have described the model t I own as a doodlebug. I look forward to learning a lot about things I know not a lot about. I appreciate the knowledge that is already available in the forums, and I hope one day this will be driving around, making me and others smile a lot.

If there is anyone in the Jackson, TN/NW Tennessee/Paducah, KY areas that would be interested in having a conversation with a novice like me, I'd greatly appreciate it. I'd love to buy anyone a beverage of their choice at a location convenient for them, and just chat. I'm not running in with my hair on fire with this car, and I appreciate the value of background research for any project. I feel like I finally put on my shoes and socks, but now I have to learn to walk.

I'm really happy to finally be here. I've been waiting for over 35 years for this.

Kevin

Here's what I got with it as far as paperwork and the key. I'm already getting everything together to title it here. I redacted identifying information, but left where the car came from because I'm genuinely interested if anyone from my hometown may see this.

Welcome to the hobby Kevin. You have a good start there plus it’s a memory of your grandfather. You’re in good company and you can get a lot of free advice out of the rest of us.

How does an April 15, 1916 engine make it "technically a 1917" engine?

How does an April 15, 1916 engine make it "technically a 1917" engine?

Because of the difference between calendar year and model year. The first Model T cars were 1909 models, though they were made in 1908. That pattern continued. The model year usually began in August or September. So a Ford made in September or October of 1923 would have 1924 features and would be counted as a 1924 car.

It seems I have fallen for the same confusion. April 15, 1916 is solidly in the 1916 model year. There's no 1917 about it. I'll correct my comment by removing the reference to 1917.

Steve Jelf wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 17, 2025 3:19 pm

Kevin, the serial number says the engine in your car was made on Saturday, April 15, 1916. Is it purely crank-start, as a car of that vintage would be, or has it been updated with a starter?

It has an electric starter that was an upgrade at some point. The battery is below the deck behind the cab. My understanding is that my grandfather bought the car in the 50's from the city police chief. They ran it for 10 or so years and put it up. I've been told when it moved in the 80's it still fired. I must have been in 5th grade and in school when it was fired up last.

Welcome to the affliction! Really neat that the car has a multigenerational family history.

For getting started, look at the water inlet on the driver side of the engine. At the top of it, is a cast iron flat spot with a sequence of numbers stamped firm. Compare that number to the title you have in hand. If it's the same, you be good, and as Steve points out it's a '16 engine. There will be no other on machine serial numbers. If the numbers differ, share the number here and someone will get back to you with a date of manufacture. Go from there on the title, if the numbers differ it may have to go full circle a bit to get back to Tennessee before it will all make sense.

The tin work shown is all newer all post '17 it appears. A bunch more pic's and this group will be able to zero in on a year for you, make sure pic's show windshield stanchions and if possible the firewall brackets. That helps the chase.

Good luck...(would make a great little wood box pick-up, which is what I would do before spending a whole lot of time trying to find a roadster 'trunk' shell)

Perhaps that title is missing a digit? if so and the real number is 11,929,xxx then its a '25-which is more in keeping with the tin work shown?....

BTW...Bill Squires is an ace at his trade....good choice in your first 'to do list' checkmark...

Cannot be certain without closer looks at the hood, hood sills, firewall, and radiator. However, it appears to be a 1923 roadster/runabout model T.
What is special about 1923 is that for United States production (Canadian production on these details was actually before US production), 1923 was the first year for the slanted windshield and one-man top. This was a styling upgrade that made the new Ford a bit more up-to-date looking. 1923 was also the last year for the lower style radiator and hood, being followed by a slightly more than an inch increase in height making the car a bit more modern in appearance.
The 1924 model year style began production a bit earlier than the usual model year change, making the "true 1923" car production somewhat less than a year, and unique to the one model year.

Kevin as an entomologist I’m sure you’ll be able get get the bugs out of your T & buzzing around regularly! One of my professors in college was an entomologist and in the summer l worked the fields in the Delta of Mississippi, helping the farmers identify insect issues. I give him a lot of credit for me changing my long term goals in life. The 2 summers made me realize I didn’t want to do that long term, ha.
I’m glad that you’re pumped up about the family T.
Just a bit of encouragement & a suggestion. Don’t start taking stuff apart just yet. Get one of the T folks In the ara to look things over and see what it will take to revive your T.
Steve Jelf has several topics on his website that will help guide you too. One of which is bringing a T out of mothballs, courtesy Milt Webb.
Congrats! Best John

https://dauntlessgeezer.com/DG93.html

George Mills wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 17, 2025 6:14 pm

Welcome to the affliction! Really neat that the car has a multigenerational family history.

For getting started, look at the water inlet on the driver side of the engine. At the top of it, is a cast iron flat spot with a sequence of numbers stamped firm. Compare that number to the title you have in hand. If it's the same, you be good, and as Steve points out it's a '16 engine. There will be no other on machine serial numbers. If the numbers differ, share the number here and someone will get back to you with a date of manufacture. Go from there on the title, if the numbers differ it may have to go full circle a bit to get back to Tennessee before it will all make sense.

Here's the engine engraving.

aha...the plot starts to unwind...thats an April of '26 engine block in there with that serial number if we agree the second digit is a '3'!

George Mills wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:40 pm

aha...the plot starts to unwind...thats an April of '26 engine block in there with that serial number if we agree the second digit is a '3'!

The title has 1192948 and the engine really is 13547066, so sounds like mystery solved. I appreciate your help!

Sorry to my grandpa, but his title doesn't match what's in the car from the looks of it.

I want to thank everyone for the encouragement and all the information already! I've connected with the president of the Tennessee T club, and I'll speak with him again today to schedule a time for him and another club member to come over and take a look (Thank you Ricky and Dennis). We turned 2 bolts to get the horn off and clean the block number to be readable, but that's enough till we have our new friends look at it. Here are some images I took, trying to get the parts folks mentioned in their posts. I'm doing all this on my phone right now and I thought this easier than making a bunch of replies to all that suggested specific shots. I'm happy to take any other images folks would like to see, as well.

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/ ... fJz8F2ITMR

Quite a mix. The body appears to be a high hood. Maybe a late 23? Sold in 23, but a 24 model?
Thats how things were done. Your motor wears out & in goes a random junk yard motor.
Didnt mater for a $10 jitney.

Hi Kevin, thanks for posting the pictures,
All the best with recommissioning.
Remember its over 100 years old and was well used in its lifetime so it most unusual if all bits are 'original'
Doesn't make it any less of a T and in no way does it stop being your grandad's T!

This may sound a little weird, but I'm a little bit that way myself. I was adopted at birth so there's some potential surprises not knowing what I'm built from, so to speak. Just makes it more special to be part of my family and hoping to keep family a priority moving forward. I want to drive my grandpa's car, not a restored version of it, if that makes sense.

DrBug wrote: ↑

Thu Jul 17, 2025 1:29 pm

The car was last titled as a 1923, with a hand written note by my grandfather that it has a 1916 engine.

George Mills wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 18, 2025 4:40 pm

aha...the plot starts to unwind...thats an April of '26 engine block in there with that serial number if we agree the second digit is a '3'!

Perhaps the handwritten note meant to say that it's a 1926 engine.

If so, that was a very common thing to do. The '26/'27 engines had better support for the transmission with the hogshead bolted to the block and the wider brake drum and brake band were a definite upgrade. The clutch lugs were also replaceable in the "improved" engines, a nice maintenance improvement.

So for most of the cars that swapped in the later engines, my guess is that most of them were not re-titled with the new block number at that time. My '16 has a late engine so when I got it licensed in 2011 after 30+ years in storage and no surviving paperwork, the new pink slip lists the VIN as 13263xxx which points to an engine manufacture date of February 1926. The car is still listed as a 1916 convertible.

Enjoy the "new" (to you) car!

Keep crankin',
Eric

If that were mine, I'd just get it running and drive it some before I spent a lot of money.
Then, I'd get the drive line up to snuff and drive it some more.
Then and only then, I MIGHT think about doing something to the body.

Oh yeah, I'd build a nice wooden pickup bed.

Kool "truck". I love it.

fschrope wrote: ↑

Fri Jul 18, 2025 9:43 pm

If that were mine, I'd just get it running and drive it some before I spent a lot of money.
Then, I'd get the drive line up to snuff and drive it some more.
Then and only then, I MIGHT think about doing something to the body.

Oh yeah, I'd build a nice wooden pickup bed.

Kool "truck". I love it.

That's the plan, pretty much all around. I've been thinking a lot about this car for the last month. I really love how it looks, with the idea of making all the woodwork new with a wooden bed while maintaining the patina. It tells too much of a story as is. Mechanical soundness is well above making it look like it came from a showroom.

Greets Kevin,
The horn you pulled looks like a battery horn, which is important in how you wire it back into service.
Nice car.

I want to drive my grandpa's car, not a restored version of it, if that makes sense.

Amen, go for it Kevin,

"The car was last titled as a 1923, with a hand written note by my grandfather that it has a 1916 engine."

That was no doubt the case at one time.

Hi Kevin,

Glad you joined the forum! Thanks to you & the other gentlemen for the kind words. Honestly I transport many 6 figure+ vehicles, but they don't have the background/history/story that yours does & it really gives me a great feeling to be a part of the journey.

Here is that picture when I caught you guys trying to step out of frame! LOL

God Bless
Bill
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/thr ... ed.614419/