With COVID, how does a newbie get contacts and learn?

[RedDog]

With COVID and the social distancing how does one go about making contacts and learning more about Model Ts?

I am in the NW suburbs of Chicago and thinking of buying my first model T. I am not a car mechanic by any means, but have worked a little on 1940 era tractors I have have owned and cub cadet garden tractors. (Thought I would provide some background.)

I have been following the club forums and facebook pages learning what I can. I have signed up for the Gilmore Museum driving school for July, and just ordered the Model T Owners book. Also have been watching and rewatching the videos on YouTube on the operation and the care and feeding of Model Ts.

What else would you suggest I can do prior to my first purchase?

Also are their any recommended Model T service mechanics in the general Chicago area? I know there is a Model A shop in Skokie illinois, but it seems for Model Ts the closest may be Ohio.

Appreciate your input and thank you! Jim

[Scott_Conger]

Welcome!

Joining a club is really your best bet as far as contacts...

https://midwestchaptermodeltfordclub.org/

have fun and get help in evaluating your very first purchase...whenever that happens

[Rich Eagle]

This Forum is a good start. Steve Jelf's website has a lot of good information and videos on different tasks.
http://dauntlessgeezer.com/
If there is a local chapter nearby they should have good information on Covid protocol in that area.
Many of us have learned much on our own by trial and error.
Welcome and Best Wishes.
Rich

[DHort]

Jim

Welcome to the affliction. I am in the Milwaukee club. We have board meetings every month with about 10 members and we also get together to work on cars you should make a trip soon to Loves Park(Rockford) to see Bob's Antique Auto and pick up the MTFCA books. Bob will also give you a tour. Adams Antique Auto is in Oconomowoc. The Rockford club is pretty active and maybe where you should start. It is getting pretty chili out if you wanted a ride, but can be done. COVID is not a big deal up here. I think we all have our shots. You wanta come up here I would give you your first short driving lesson. My car does no go into hibernation.

[John kuehn]

Welcome to the Model T world!
Here’s my suggestion: get the Model T service manual. Even if your not the greatest mechanic in the world you need to know what’s makes a T tick! Other publications are also available such as the Ford owners manual which is good for new Model T owners.
The MTFCA also has many publications about T’s that are really good.
It’s good to know the basic services that T owners did or learned to do in the Model T era and you can too! Joining a T club is great and learning from the T publications goes hand in hand.

Doing your homework in reading and going over the publications really helps.
Go to the resources section from the home page of this website.
There you will find the parts dealers. I would highly recommend getting Snyder’s and Lang’s parts catalogs. They are free for the asking.
You can find a wealth of parts information that is very beneficial!

And of course the online T information from our forum members is a big plus.
Good luck!

[Steve Jelf]

In addition to the references listed on my website there are some good videos.

Mitch Taylor was bitten hard by the Model T bug, and has a website with videos and other information. https://www.fordmodelt.net/

I have some Model T videos mixed among other "home movie" type stuff on my YouTube channel. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCFVx52 ... CPJXbFCA6w

The best videos on Model T mechanical work are Mike Bender's and Bill Howell's Model T-Tips. http://modelt-tips.com/

[Burger in Spokane]

If I may be so bold, turn off your TV, and 90% of the "Covid threat"
goes away. Done with that, sell your stuff, pack your bags and load
up the dog, and move 1,786.4 miles west to Spokane (center of the
universe for Model T ownership) and begin attending the Tuesday "shop
nights" at the Antique Auto Ranch. You will have access to some of
the greatest minds on Henry's baby, tools, learning, and parts. There
is no better place on planet Earth to be a T owner than Spokane. Not
sure why. But there are more active T owners in this area than anywhere
else and related events to suit just about every T interest. Let the guys
know when you'll be coming ....

c898369624633023591747483db3548f.jpg (59.72 KiB) Viewed 2069 times

[WayneJ]

Jim I am a member of the Midwest Chapter, and 2nd the recomendation. I live in Batavia. Feel free to telephone, and I can put you in touch with other members.
Sincerely, Wayne Jorgensen
630 244 2285.

[rainer]

Hello.

I was almost in the same situation, COVID or not.. I don't know your skills, but I learned everything from a few books in theory. Then I bought a copy of an original Fort Model T Workshop manual, explaining almost everything you have to know about how to repair this and that...
This books and my knowledge from High School (I am Technical Engineer + Electronics) -- plus this very warm help here (because I still have only very little practical experience) -- was sufficient to me.

If you like, I can make two of this books I started with available to you. I found them (as PDF files) in the Internet. They were very helpful for better understanding. Simply let me know if you are interested in this books.

As mentioned by others, Mitch Taylor made a series of videos, explaining things very good. As long as this videos cover your needs, everything is fine. But when I tried to contact him, he didn't even answer. After that I subcribed here and I am so happy about all this knowledge shared with me.

Have a nice Christmas!

Rainer

[Mark Gregush]

Most of the early learning I got was from books. Really did not have a lot of people around that were "T" people growing up, so by the time I was more into the T's, many of them were gone, or I just did not connect/clicked with them. Some of what I did learn from them, had to un-learn! This forum and when it was still up, the International forum were great help over the years, this one still is one of the best. Once you figure who's who on Facebook (some of the same folks from here post there too), you may find that a good resource too.
We had our first official club meeting last night, since 2019, following our state's mandates (masks), went just fine.

[TRDxB2]

With COVID and the social distancing how does one go about making contacts and learning more about Model Ts?

I am in the NW suburbs of Chicago and thinking of buying my first model T.
Appreciate your input and thank you! Jim

There are lots of T owners in the Chicago area as was pointed out.
Socializing in large or small groups have always had some rules whether we were aware of them or not. COVID has made many people more aware of practices that they should have been following all their lives and now its for the rest of ours. It was never polite to cough in the palm of your hand and then go shack someone's. Utilizing Public Transportation in itself is a potpourri of potentially unhealthy substances that you can't help and touch. Public places too have stuff you step ion and track into your car & home. Its a wonder we are sill alive. No I don't suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorder but I did grow up during the Polio Pandemic.

Today, we have our individual COVID protocols and need to respect that of others. If a group has a more stringent set you need to respect and follow theirs. If yours is more stringent, its up to you to participate in that group and not be embarrassed to still follow your rules but don't expect them to follow yours. You can always opt out at anytime.
My wife & I have had COVID, very mild systems and are fully vaccinated (3 shots each). My Brother-in-law's un-vacinated step daughter died of COVID, only 35 years old. She chose poorly.