What have you done to your Tin April?
Forum rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
If you need help logging in, or have question about how something works, use the Support forum located here Support Forum
Complete set of Forum Rules Forum Rules
-
Topic author - Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
What have you done to your Tin April?
Henrietta has always seemed to be struggling getting up enough way to comfortable pull away in top gear. She seemed to run out of puff. Yesterday, I scrambled underneath and took off the timer connecting rod so I could get a little more lever travel at the quadrant. I shortened the rod about 3/8". This brought the retarded position of the lever almost back to the stop, and allowed more advance as the lever was pulled down. What a difference! She is far more willing now. Now, if I put in one of Scott Conger's hi-flow needle and seats she should really fly. We have a week long tour coming up to celebrate our T club's 60th Birthday I am going to take Henrietta, to keep pace with another oldie on the run. I will post photos as we go.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2019 4:17 pm
- First Name: George
- Last Name: Danek
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1918 Coupelet, 1920 Runabout, 1923 Touring
- Location: Salem, Mass
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
- Board Member Since: 2014
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Dropping off and picking up. Monday the 1920 Runabout arrived home, after getting some woodwork done and new paint, top and interior. The 1918 Coupelet(removable pillar coupe) is off for the same treatment. The Runabout is ready for Spring driving and showing off.
-
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm
- First Name: Ryan
- Last Name: Fenrich
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedster Project
- Location: Edmonton
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Got my front axle rebuilt by Strong’s Garage. Straightened, rethreaded, bushed/reamed etcetera, and good usable spindles. I’ll need to straighten my frame and do a good once over on the front spring before I mount it.
-
- Posts: 208
- Joined: Wed Apr 03, 2024 10:13 am
- First Name: Gregory
- Last Name: Jones
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Roadster, 1926 Coupe
- Location: Aiken
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Still working away on getting the wheels painted for my 12 Runabout (along with a long list of other stuff). I love the midnight blue color with a white tire. At some point I need to get brave and mount all the tires.....
-
- Posts: 261
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:55 pm
- First Name: Pat
- Last Name: Kelly
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 23 Speedster, 25 TT, 26 Roadster, 27 Tudor
- Location: Noxon MT
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Finishing up the spring PMs' on all the T's. Took the Speedster and the Tudor out for the first run of the year.
-
- Posts: 420
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 7:45 pm
- First Name: Miles
- Last Name: Bowen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 Express Wagon, 1924 Touring
- Location: Brighton, MI
- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?

Miles
1924 Touring “Bonnie”
1925 Express Wagon “Clyde”
1924 Touring “Bonnie”
1925 Express Wagon “Clyde”
-
- Posts: 22
- Joined: Thu Nov 09, 2023 1:50 pm
- First Name: Andrew
- Last Name: Turner
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Runabout
- Location: Williamsburg, Virginia
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
It's just so cool when a few tweaks really pay off, right? And those hi-flow needle and seats seem like they'll take things up another notch.
-
Topic author - Posts: 6609
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 7:21 pm
- First Name: Allan
- Last Name: Bennett
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 van, 1917 shooting brake, 1929 roadster buckboard, 1924 tourer, 1925 barn find buckboard, 1925 D &F wide body roadster, 1927LHD Tudor sedan.
- Location: Gawler, Australia
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Miles, if you put the choke wire into the arm from the other side you should be able to set the tap upright. It would also allow you to run a hand choke wire forward without the two getting in each other's way at the carb.
Allan from down under.
Allan from down under.
-
- Posts: 420
- Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2021 7:45 pm
- First Name: Miles
- Last Name: Bowen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1925 Express Wagon, 1924 Touring
- Location: Brighton, MI
- Board Member Since: 2021
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
I got a new needle and seat from Scott while I was at it, but it’s hopefully a fix an NH that “bucks” at low throttle settings. The carb in the photo is a Simmons (or whatever brand it is that has the “floating” plate just downstream of the choke), and is by far the best running carburetor of the three I have.
Thanks for the tip, but I really don’t mind the valve the way it is. I don’t have the forward choke wire because the old apron needs to have the mounting holes slotted slightly to fit the new Brassworks radiator, and I just haven’t gotten around to doing that. When I do, I may switch the orientation of the choke wires. My Express Wagon has the dash-mounted wire this way, and the forward wire coming in from the inside, but it does drag on the carb inlet a bit.
Miles
1924 Touring “Bonnie”
1925 Express Wagon “Clyde”
1924 Touring “Bonnie”
1925 Express Wagon “Clyde”
-
- Posts: 266
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 10:42 pm
- First Name: Noel
- Last Name: Chicoine
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1920 roadster, 1923 Touring, 1926 Coupe
- Location: Pierre, South Dakota
- Board Member Since: 2005
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
I just removed, cleaned, and re-greased the front axle bearings on the roadster. I don't know when it has been done on this T I've been on 2 tours with since purchase. Yes, I know. I should have done it earlier. I used Royal Purple grease for the first time. 

-
- Posts: 2531
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 4:17 pm
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Strange
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Cut Off Touring (now a pickup)
- Location: Hillsboro, MO
- Board Member Since: 2013
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
I removed my carb heat pipe and installed my air filter for warm weather driving. I found the filter on eBay, it was originally designed for a vintage Clinton lawn tractor. I made a cone out of brass sheet to adapt it to fit the inlet of my Kingston L4 carb. 

Mark Strange
Hillsboro, MO
1924 Cut-off Touring (now a pickup)
Hillsboro, MO
1924 Cut-off Touring (now a pickup)
-
- Posts: 3813
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 10:56 am
- First Name: Dan
- Last Name: Treace
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘12 open express,'23 cutoff, '27 touring
- Location: North Central FL
- Board Member Since: 2000
- Contact:
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Fitted a Ford Victor tail lamp to the '12 open hack project. Bent thick bar to hang off the undercarriage wood frame.
The lamp already had a drilled hole under the housing for I guess someone's use to wire it up, so just enlarged the hole and added grommet for wire protection of the 6v tail light, brake/stop light, and ground wires. Ground wire soldered to the socket.
Next fitted a headlamp socket by pop rivet to a small radiator clamp, and wrapped it around the wick holder. That socket has two terminals so using a newer type of 6v RED LED tail/brake stop lamp that also has array of white for display out the side clear lens to illuminate at the license plate too.
All done, lites up bright, and the brake lite too. Old Victor vintage look with modern electric bulb that won't need feeding by kerosene.[
The lamp already had a drilled hole under the housing for I guess someone's use to wire it up, so just enlarged the hole and added grommet for wire protection of the 6v tail light, brake/stop light, and ground wires. Ground wire soldered to the socket.
Next fitted a headlamp socket by pop rivet to a small radiator clamp, and wrapped it around the wick holder. That socket has two terminals so using a newer type of 6v RED LED tail/brake stop lamp that also has array of white for display out the side clear lens to illuminate at the license plate too.
All done, lites up bright, and the brake lite too. Old Victor vintage look with modern electric bulb that won't need feeding by kerosene.[
The best way is always the simplest. The attics of the world are cluttered up with complicated failures. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford
Don’t find fault, find a remedy; anybody can complain. Henry Ford
-
- Posts: 838
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:02 pm
- First Name: Vernon
- Last Name: Worley
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: October 26, 1926 Coupe
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Contact:
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Pushed the T out into the hot sun, stretched the vinyl top, and tacked into place. Then screwed the two drip rails which I made from stainless steel with stainless Philips drive screws (which I will hide in the near future). My top kit came with what I believe to be Hidem welting. I did not like the rounded ball appearance so used some scrap cobra grain and folded my own welting for the front and rear. There is a bead of silicone over the tacks before the top flap gets folded down. I suppose this is one of the many wrong ways to do it. Also, this kit's instructions said to use chicken wire. To the dislike of many here, I followed the instructions.
Vern (Vieux Carre)
-
- Posts: 1241
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 8:01 am
- First Name: Mark
- Last Name: Nunn
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Runabout
- Location: Bennington, NE
- Board Member Since: 2017
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
I finally finished reaming valve guides and cutting new seats. I spent way more time making fixtures than the actual job. I had a valve guide that had broken off at the roof of the valve chamber. I bought universal bronze guides, drilled out the iron valve guide and pressed it in. It took me two try's to get the valve and tappet in alignment.
The Neway seat cutters work easily enough. The final surface was not as smooth as when using a stone. To smooth the cut surfaces, I finished using very gentile pressure (gravity) while turning the cutter. That helped a little but if others have a better method, aside from lapping, I would like to know. (Neway says not to lap.)
The Neway seat cutters work easily enough. The final surface was not as smooth as when using a stone. To smooth the cut surfaces, I finished using very gentile pressure (gravity) while turning the cutter. That helped a little but if others have a better method, aside from lapping, I would like to know. (Neway says not to lap.)
-
- Posts: 2814
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 5:25 pm
- First Name: George
- Last Name: House
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: ‘10 Maxwell AA, ‘11Hupp Model 20, Two 1914 Ford runabouts, 19 centerdoor, 25 C Cab,26 roadster
- Location: Northern Caldwell County TX
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
- Board Member Since: 1999
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Fixin’ to swell up the spokes on my ‘14 runabout crossing this stream close to Mason, TX on T Fords of Texas club tour last weekend.
A Fine is a Tax for Doing Something Wrong….A Tax is a Fine for Doing Something RIGHT 
-
- Posts: 122
- Joined: Tue Dec 27, 2022 10:12 pm
- First Name: Harvey
- Last Name: Bergstrom
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1924 Touring
- Location: Cayuga ND
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
A good friend helped me replace the rear wheel hubs on my ‘24 Touring. Worn keyways in the hubs and were not fitting well with new axles. Were able to drive hubs straight out without disturbing the tenons in the felloes by supporting the hub end of the spokes by means of a special tool. Then, with the use of a Regan press, the new hubs pushed in with the aid of a little grease. Now I am more confident in safer travels. Thanks Steve!
-
- Posts: 1128
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:16 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Gould
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1910 touring, 1912 roadster , 1927 roadster
- Location: Folsom, CA
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Finished the speedometer set up today. Everthing works as it should. After much considerstion, decided to mount the head in the lower of two positions I have reason believe were used. I located the wheel gear screw holes using a tool fashioned from a front wheel spindle. There is virtually no run out. I had some difficulty getting the cable lined up with the head due primarily to a sprung bracket. As with most work on a Model T there were difficult moments. Its funny really. All the components were restored and ready to mount a year or two ago. What I thought might be a half day job turned into a three day venture.
-
- Posts: 119
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 2:24 pm
- First Name: Ryan
- Last Name: Fenrich
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Speedster Project
- Location: Edmonton
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
I chose to buy a running chassis for my speedster rather than do it all from scratch. Cheaper, easier, and quicker than my original intention. I began mocking up the body prior to starting the final one. It's been a challenge but one where I have the skills to do so, I believe.
-
- Posts: 1230
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:51 pm
- First Name: Mike
- Last Name: Bird
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Delivery Car
- Location: Goshen IN
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
One of the many sub assemblies I’ve been wanting to get done for awhile… I had this Repo Stewart cable from Vintique with the generic cable ends. I wanted to replace the ends with the knurled nuts on both ends. I purchased two Stewart ends from Restoration Supply. The ends are really nice and the knurled section looks more like the originals rather the ones from Vintique. I did have to open up the ID area a little bit to fit the cable, but also milled off the knurled section to look more like the originals. I thought they came out great!
-
- Posts: 1128
- Joined: Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:16 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Gould
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1910 touring, 1912 roadster , 1927 roadster
- Location: Folsom, CA
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
They sure look nice. Ive seen those style connectors in both brass and steel.
-
- Posts: 239
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:55 pm
- First Name: Walt
- Last Name: Berdan
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: '18 Speedster had 25 touring and 26 coupe
- Location: Bellevue, WA
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Mostly clean up and general check and prep work. Then a tour with the T club, about 80 miles with the group but 185 total counting driving to meet them and returning home. Cold (38) in the morning but bright and sunny and upper 60's by the time I got home. Hats, coats, gloves and sun glasses came in real handy. A very good day.
-
- Posts: 1230
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 6:51 pm
- First Name: Mike
- Last Name: Bird
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1912 Delivery Car
- Location: Goshen IN
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Thanks Richard! I also began working on getting my Rands windshield together from your excellent article you shared!RGould1910 wrote: ↑Tue Apr 23, 2024 10:12 pmThey sure look nice. Ive seen those style connectors in both brass and steel.
-
- Posts: 2826
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
- First Name: Dave
- Last Name: Hjortnaes
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
- Location: Men Falls, WI
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Two new Blockley tires, a rear view mirror on the right, and a cigarette lighter plug to charge my phone.
-
- Posts: 436
- Joined: Wed Nov 25, 2020 12:45 pm
- First Name: John
- Last Name: Killelea
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1926 Touring, 1927 Tudor, 1925 Touring
- Location: Northport NY
- Board Member Since: 2020
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Found out why one of the carbs was leaking gas, and solved it. I thought it was the float level, but that didn't make sense.. Took carb out and reset. No difference. So I got under the carb, drained the bowl and removed the float and needle. Looking directly up into the valve l found the problem. There was a TINY piece of plastic the size of a pinky nail clipping in the valve, preventing the needle from sealing. After removing it, the float works perfectly. No gas leaks. Made my day!
-
- Posts: 2826
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 1:30 pm
- First Name: Dave
- Last Name: Hjortnaes
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 24 Speedster, 20 touring
- Location: Men Falls, WI
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Maybe you will have to ask your wife to do her nails somewhere other than the front seat.
-
- Posts: 838
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:02 pm
- First Name: Vernon
- Last Name: Worley
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: October 26, 1926 Coupe
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Contact:
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
'26 coupe...
Installed rear window on Tuesday night, left rear window Thursday night.
Last night we tried to install right rear window but the wood was too think at the bottom. So, shaved it with a reciprocating saw, painted it and hopefully this morning, we try again.
Installed rear window on Tuesday night, left rear window Thursday night.
Last night we tried to install right rear window but the wood was too think at the bottom. So, shaved it with a reciprocating saw, painted it and hopefully this morning, we try again.
Vern (Vieux Carre)
-
- Posts: 838
- Joined: Mon Jan 07, 2019 2:02 pm
- First Name: Vernon
- Last Name: Worley
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: October 26, 1926 Coupe
- Location: New Orleans, LA
- Contact:
Re: What have you done to your Tin April?
Installed third glass, trimmed the silicone.
Installed rear coupe panels. I used exterior duck cloth, same as on seats, not a pro job but not bad either for a first time to mount cloth on panel board.
Installed rear coupe panels. I used exterior duck cloth, same as on seats, not a pro job but not bad either for a first time to mount cloth on panel board.
Vern (Vieux Carre)