Page 1 of 1

Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 8:50 pm
by Mark Osterman
Was out in the T with my wife this evening and we stopped for dinner. Left her off to get a table and as I was backing into the parking space my foot got stuck between the reverse pedal and under the brake pedal. I turned off the engine and grabbed the emergency brake .. but the passenger side fender connected with a concrete wall. The wall won.

I got out .. gave the fender a strong upward tug and brought it back in line. Guess I need to bolt on one of the reverse pedal extenders.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sat Sep 14, 2019 9:20 pm
by Oldav8tor
I'm size 14 EEEE - three days after I started driving my T I ordered a reverse extender (I already had extenders for the others). No regrets :-)

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:42 am
by John kuehn
The reverse pedal extender works well with my size 13 foot. Especially when backing into a tight space. Well worth having!

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:19 am
by Original Smith
Sorry to hear that. Those things happen! A different pair of shoes may have helped. I hope you are able to repair your fender.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 11:06 am
by Mark Gregush
I only have 9-1/2 narrow and depending on what shoes I have on, have had that happen(shoe getting stuck under the low). One was a close call the others not so much.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 12:31 pm
by Mark Osterman
The fender is fine ... pulled easily back in place. Installed this ... this morning.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:31 pm
by Norman Kling
I know that this is after the fact, but I am thinking that pushing forward on the lever might have helped. One thing would be that high gear is a forward gear which would cancel the reverse and kill the engine and at the same time would release the low pedal from the neutral position allowing you to remove your foot from under the pedal.
Norm

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:49 pm
by Jugster
The Model T Ford is an ergonomic nightmare. At 5'11", I'm of average height, but the driver's seat of my brass-accoutremented pride and joy is so far forward, I ride with my knees high, the steering wheel rubbing my thighs and all my weight on my tailbone. If only the front settee could have been set three or four inches further aft. It's easy to arrive at the cognition that not too long ago, people were smaller.

The spacing of the pedals and brake lever leave little space for average size tootsies and I've gotten my shoe-laces caught in the pedals enough times to remember to tuck them in prior to climbing aboard. Manifestly, the terrible treadle trio was designed to be operated by a barefoot chimp and my allegedly human feet do occasionally have maladroit difficulty playing the necessary game of 3-card Monty with the stupid pedals.

To avoid having to lean too far forward while driving, I've added an extension to the brake/up-shift lever. Though an improvement, when the parking brake is set, the extension makes it a little difficult to get my heel on the starter button—which for reasons unfathomable, then becomes readily available to accidentally activate the starter any time the engine is running. Of course, the hilarious location of the parking brake lever made preposterous the installation of an actual driver's-side door, so just for show is the faux door. Driver egress, consequently, requires the disembarkation of the front passenger.

The "Two-Man-Top," by inference of its name, tells you all you need to know about what happens to an infelicitous, unaccompanied individual who gets caught in the rain with the top down. Even with two people aboard to facilitate deployment, such actual performance requires the interpersonal coordination of trapeze artists.

Now, most people have their heads attached to their necks, so one cannot help but wonder what sort of creature Henry had in mind when he mounted the already difficult-to-read speedometer at the feet of the front passenger.

Unrelated to actual driving, but a prerequisite thereof, would be accessing the twist-type oilers on the rear spring shackles. This undertaking requires such serpentine plasticity as to helically incurvate one's upper body around the rear axle and take a grease shampoo in order to see where to insert the oil-can spout.

My lengthy association with airplanes and crazy people has resulted in my becoming a devout pyrophobe, so when the car is parked in the attached garage below my bedroom, turning the fuel off at the carburetor will not suffice. Nay, I must lay down on my back, reach across, stain the front of my shirt and turn off the fuel at the tank. When my wife witnesses this enactment, she is sure to remark, "If you can do that, why can't you___________________?" (Fill in the blank with your least favorite, physical household chore) My answer to that is, "Hey, even a dead man can lie down."

With all of the preceding, the farcical truth is that among brass cars, the Model T Ford is the easiest to operate. I'd shake my head at that apprehension were not my neck aching from the perilous contortion of reading the aforementioned speedo.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 3:57 pm
by Jeff Hood
You will not regret having the pedal extender. It makes reversing so much easier. Additionally, when backing up, I always pull the handbrake lever to neutral and use the left foot for reverse and keep the right foot on the brake. You can quickly apply the brake if necessary without the delay of moving from the reverse pedal to the brake pedal. And if your reverse foot is stuck between pedals, you can still stomp the brake with your right foot.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 4:03 pm
by John kuehn
I have to say that my 21 Touring is a tighter fit when it comes to driving and being comfortable. I had to move the horn button all the way to top of the column to keep my knee from hitting it when I use the low pedal. I’m 6’3” and not having much leg room using the reverse pedal with the extension makes the pedal a little more easy to use.
My 24 Coupe sure seems it’s a little roomier. It has the reverse pedal extension also.

If OSHA was around in the T era it probably would have given Ford a bad grade in passenger comfort and driver friendly design.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:05 pm
by Ruxstel24
I have been spoiled with my 26 drivetrain.
I road with my friend in his 24 RPU and had forgotten how close the pedals are.
2 words....cowboy boots !! You know, the pointy toed corner cockroach killers... ;)

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:25 pm
by Norman Kling
The amount of padding in the seat and backrest makes a big difference. I have a 26 Roadster and a 26 Touring which have the same dimensions for the front seat, but the touring has much more padding and makes me closer to the wheel and pedals. I have a friend who is over 6' tall who has a 27 touring and he has removed some of the padding and also tilted his seat back. The base of the seat is in the standard location, but he leans farther back. He needs to do this to see through the windshield when the top is up.
I realize this has strayed from the problem with the feet stuck, but I think it might be one way to get a little more room and also the reverse extension is a good idea.
Norm

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:51 pm
by Rich Bingham
Ruxstel24 wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:05 pm
2 words....cowboy boots !! . . .
Not these ! (Don't forget to take your Spurs off) :roll:

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Sun Sep 15, 2019 9:18 pm
by Ruxstel24
Rich Bingham wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 8:51 pm
Ruxstel24 wrote:
Sun Sep 15, 2019 5:05 pm
2 words....cowboy boots !! . . .
Not these ! (Don't forget to take your Spurs off) :roll:
Nope, not those...the pointy toes with the spike heels...you can work reverse with a heel or toe !! :lol:

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:08 am
by Kaiser
Thes work great for me, and keep your feet cool with the open toe ... :lol:

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:14 am
by Loftfield
In response to Jugster's comment about the T being easiest to drive. He is correct. I always tell folks that the Model T is easy to drive if you have five appendages, but that the 1910 Buick Model 10 that I drive requires six.

At first glance

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:14 am
by FreighTer Jim
Kaiser,

At first glance - I was sure Burger had posted.

I think these shorts are a perfect accompaniment to your shoes of choice ...
for “ Cool Summer Driving “ ..... ;)


FJ

42BD617F-FEAD-4414-AC57-990750A2C8F6.jpeg

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Mon Sep 16, 2019 9:33 am
by Kaiser
Who would have thought you could turn your T into a "Babe magnet" just by dressing the part !

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:50 am
by Duey_C
:lol: You guys.... :)

Mark, how is the pedal extension working. OK? I should too.

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 6:55 am
by Mark Osterman
Well, it’s not as useful as I expected. Seems like another inch longer would be better. Of course I have those pads on the other pedals, so, maybe I need to remove them. In regards to the previous post of a T being a “chic magnet” .... my wife has said “my T was a chic magnet ... but all the chics are 90 years old.”

Re: Whoops .. foot got stuck

Posted: Tue Sep 17, 2019 2:06 pm
by Will_Vanderburg
You can get pedal extensions for the other two that resemble 26-27 pedals