My 1919 Model T

So, about 8 months ago I bought a Model A engine from a guy in the next town over. 

He had a Model T in his garage as well and I told him that if he wanted to sell it, please call me first.

About a month ago the phone rang and today I dragged the old girl home.

It's a 1919 Touring. Canadian built car too.

Needs tires, new spokes, a good tune up. Maybe a couple new coils and the timer is out of whack. The transmission is way out of adjustment but it's all an easy fix

All of the top is missing, even the buggy rail.

I took it for a couple mile drive today. Should be a ton of fun.

Going to pick away at it and update when I can.

Nice! Looking forward to hearing more.

That is truly the root of the grass of grassroots motoring and Motorsports. Produced before my long gone great-grandparents arrived on this continent, probably will still be chugging along after I'm gone, too. One day I'd like to drive one, it will be an unusual feeling to need someone to teach me how to drive!

Asking artificial intelligence to generate an image of a Model T Ford makes me feel 105 light-years away from the world  that car was born in.

Everyone should drive a T at least once. They're as different from a modern car as a modern car is from a horse and buggy.

I'm not really an owner at this point, just another caretaker. 

If I dig around I might fight a picture of my dad's family move from Regina to Vancouver in a Model T.

ShawnG said:

Everyone should drive a T at least once. They're as different from a modern car as a modern car is from a horse and buggy.

I'm not really an owner at this point, just another caretaker. 

Agreed. Drove one and it reminded me of learning to drive a clutch. 

I could not do it again without an experienced person in the passenger seat reminding me what to do. 

Super cool.

It's too far to drive it, but it would be cool to take it to the Model T races in Bruderheim.

I would have a hard time not defiling that tub into a hotrod.

In reply to Appleseed :

It's survived this long. No need for that.

There's plenty of fiberglass T-buckets out there.

Also, T-buckets are just plain awful. Except for Norm Grabowski's T.

In reply to MuSTANK :

That's awesome. I've never managed to mooch a drive in a Maxwell. I've been told they're a powerful car for the era.

It's pretty solid. Doors shut nicely, no excessive rattles or squeaks.

In reply to ShawnG :

Why do you hate Tommy Ivo?

In reply to Appleseed :

I liked his Wagonmaster better.

Did a little diagnostic today, it was running on two cylinders. 

Found two dead ignition coils so I pulled the two out, cleaned everything and re-tested. Still dead.

Found a spare coil under the seat which tested out good. Installed and now have it running on three cylinders. 

Now hunting for a couple good, used coils.

There the ones that were still in wooden cases, right?

In reply to Appleseed :

Yes.

Decided to set up the transmission properly. 

First step, floor out.

Next we set up the high gear selector. Someone has installed the link backwards.

Link installed, adjusted and cam has been greased.

Inspection cover comes off so we can adjust the bands and clutches.

The high gear clutch needs to be adjusted. There's three fingers that push a multi-disc clutch together to engage direct drive (high gear).

Pull the cotter pin out and turn the screw in half a turn. This was so worn that I had to give each of the three screws a full turn.

The hand brake lever engages the hand brake when pulled all the way back. The same lever engages high gear when pushed all the way forward. The middle position is neutral and also allows low gear or reverse to be engaged.

I like to put a zip tie or wire through the eye on the pin so I don't drop it. If you do, it ends up in the oil pan because the engine and transmission share the oil pan in a T.

Next, tighten the reverse band nut so the pedal stops about an inch off the floor. Reverse is the pedal in the middle.

Tighten the brake band the same way. The brake on a T is a single band inside the transmission. If the universal joint breaks or your differential breaks, you must use the handbrake to stop. The right pedal is the brake.

Low gear is adjusted outside the transmission on the right side. Same as the others, you want full engagement an inch or so off the floorr.

The left pedal is low gear. Step on it to go forward. Once up to speed, move the handbrake lever all the way forward and release the low gear pedal to engage high gear.

Once high is engaged, you can select low or high by pushing or releasing the low gear pedal. Floating the pedal in between gives you a neutral. 

Once it's all set, close it back up and go for a test drive.

That is way cool, and paging Carl.

ShawnG said:

In reply to Appleseed :

Yes.

berkeley me. I threw away about 12 of those when clearing out my Dad's hoard of random crap in about 1993. I had no idea what they were and no interest in finding out.

In reply to AngryCorvair (Forum Supporter) :

No worries. 15 million Model T's, 4 coils per car. I think I have a chance of finding them.

Plus, all the aftermaket coils that were made.

David S. Wallens said:

That is way cool, and paging Carl.

Late to the party as usual. I love Model Ts and have three bone stock in each era '14, '21, '27, all touring cars like yours. We fairly regularly repair them at Eclectic and just rebuilt the transmission and went through the adjustment process on the '23 below. 

I don't care for T buckets either but like track roasters. I recently bought this one, built by some big names in the 1980's. 
I'm starting to build a new track roadster inspired by the one above, but with a slightly stretched aluminum'26-27 body. 
So yea, Model Ts are cool. Once you get the hang of the three pedals and hand throttle, you agree with Henry Ford that they're easier to drive that the now-conventional arrangement. 

In reply to ShawnG :

I buy them all the time at garage sales, swap meets, etc., usually under $10 each. About 25% of them work or are easily fixed. Most of the rest can be fixed by carefully taking them apart and replacing the capacitor. I'm sure you know that given your background but probably worth sharing for the hive. 

I always carry a spare or two in case one acts up on a drive--just pop it out and pop in the spare. 

Those coils are also used on a dyna jet model airplane engine, I forget how but I bought a new one for a dyna jet several years ago.  I think new ones are available

In reply to TED_fiestaHP :

They're available new from a few suppliers. About 150 freedom units each.

I've got a set of four, untested but in good shape coming from a guy on Marketplace. 

I have a client with a 1908 Model S and two of his coils need a rebuild. They're completely different from a T coil but work on the same principle. 

I'm planning on buying the test equipment and adding coil rebuilding to my list of services. My dead coils will be used to learn on as well as build an adapter to let me service the S coils as well.