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02-27-2021, 12:59 PM | #1 |
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Considering buying a T
I’ve always been a Model A guy, but this is tempting. The seller says it’s all original, 90% complete, and was running when parked. Been in the family since new. It looks a little rough, but good unrestored T’s are getting hard to find. He’s only asking $1500. What do you guys think?
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Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. |
02-27-2021, 01:03 PM | #2 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I always wanted a T and bought one fully restored 3 years ago. I refer to it as a major mistake.
A 1924 one door turtle back roadster.[/B] |
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02-27-2021, 01:18 PM | #3 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
A couple of new tires and some fresh gas and you are all set!
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02-27-2021, 01:33 PM | #4 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-27-2021, 02:06 PM | #5 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Ray, surely you jest! I think the cows got the better of that car. Not much left useable. Couple hundred bucks? I think new wooden wheels alone are over a grand, RUN! Plus T's aren't worth much finished. I put a '15 T touring together a few years ago, and it really is an interesting car, nothing like a Model A, but to be honest, I don't put 300 miles a year on it anymore.
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02-27-2021, 02:12 PM | #6 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-27-2021, 02:24 PM | #7 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Quote:
Below are a few random pix of my family touring with our Ts. Even a video clip of my son Blake unloading & starting his speedster on a tour in Galax, VA. It definitely runs out of steering WAY before it runs out of throttle, ...and will easily outrun most stock Model-As. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYZ8uQ0VkiA . |
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02-27-2021, 03:07 PM | #8 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-27-2021, 03:45 PM | #9 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I have also always been a Model A person. I wanted to buy a Model T in high school. It was for sale for $150 and pretty much stock. I would guess mid 1920's. But my father said no. He had experience with Model T's and knew they could be dangerous. He lost an axle or gears on a down grade in LA with his parents in the back seat and had to head for a curb to stop. I kind of agree with him that it can be dangerous car.
Fast forward to about 12 years ago when I had the money to buy a 1915 Model T touring car. I bought it because I had never owned one and wanted the experience. I put a lot of work into the that car, basically increasing the value twofold. One of the first things I did was put working brakes on the rear wheels so that I would not have to depend on a connection between the transmission and rear wheels. I really enjoyed that car and drove it all over the south east. But eventually I had enough experience and sold it to buy another A. If I had the money and space I would have kept it. The A is a modern car compared to the T. It has a real transmission and 4-wheel brakes. Plus a steering box. The T had a steering setup more like a gokart. The transmission brake is almost useless. Coast to a stop then apply the brake. The ignition system is from another era. But that is part of the charm of a T. A comfortable speed is 35 mph and maybe 40 on a 4 lane road that is flat and straight. It cannot go on the highway. Although people build speedsters that can do 70 mph but you will never catch me riding in one. If you can afford it and have the room, I recommend owning a T and an A. A 1915 Model T or earlier will get you into the Horseless Carriage Club tours which are a blast because of the variety of brass cars. Even an occasional Stanley Steamer.
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A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. |
02-27-2021, 06:04 PM | #10 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-27-2021, 06:49 PM | #11 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
RPM,
Are you handy with money ?? |
02-27-2021, 07:26 PM | #12 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Hello ,
I bought a 20 Model T tourer about 20 years ago . Since I was a kid I was attracted to the history and looks of the T as well as its agricultural Mechanics.It was the first Antique car I purchased. After owning it and driving it for 12 months I decided to sell it. Why ? Every time I it took it out for a a drive whether short or long at the end of the drive I had a headache. I never had headaches before this. I put this down to the stress I was under driving it in a big city. Every time I got close to a set of traffic lights I had to decide whether to proceed at normal speed or slow down in case the traffic lights changed.This was stressful as I knew if the lights changed when I was reasonably close to the lights I could not stop in time if travelling at 35 mph.All I had was the transmission brake band to stop the car. It was only a matter of time before my luck would run out and I would be T boned by another car.. The number of red lights I ran through made me decide the T was not suitable to drive in a big city with lots of traffic. If I lived in a small town this would not have been an issue. After I sold the T and got the A I no longer got headaches when driving the A. I still love the look of the T models but for me they are not suited to driving in big busy cities. Mark. |
02-27-2021, 07:35 PM | #13 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Roger is on the right track with this one.
Turn it over to any one of the impossible time schedule car 'restoration' shows on cable TV and they'll have this baby tour and show ready in what, 5 days tops? Throw in the drama of the wrong set of rims that were sourced and the cussing and stupidity and vo-ila,,, we gots a SHOW THAT is how you handle this. |
02-27-2021, 08:25 PM | #14 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Seems the only kind of money I ever have is real slippery.
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Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. |
02-27-2021, 08:25 PM | #15 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I have my grandfather's Model T (it was his work car in the 40's and early 50's). My Dad gave it to me and I restored it. All of the above is true in that driving in modern traffic is risky, certainly in a populated city. They don't move fast. And the bit about a broken axle and loosing your brakes is all too true. If you do want a Model T, certain modifications are almost essential, particularly floating rear hubs and auxiliary brakes.
I will never get rid of my Model T even though I rarely drive it, and when I do, only out on a sparsely traveled country road. By comparison, I refer to my Model A's as my "modern cars." A Model T owner has to be willing to tinker and tweak and not everyone is willing to do that. Far more tinkering and tweaking on a Model T than a Model A. Having said that, I sure would like an early brass T....... |
02-27-2021, 08:27 PM | #16 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. |
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02-27-2021, 08:46 PM | #17 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-27-2021, 09:12 PM | #18 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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And Greg just think about this, The T was the first little car, that the average person could afford, THAT WORKED. That's why they sold so many of them. |
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02-27-2021, 09:19 PM | #19 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Ray
I live in Melbourne Australia which is about the same size as LA. 5 million people. I live 15 miles out in the burbs. The city spreads out in a radius of 50 miles in all directions from the center. In the suburbs there are traffic lights everywhere , now they have cameras on them so you incur a $200 fine if you run them. Once out in the countryside it is great. It just getting there that is the problem. You cannot run a T on a freeway, but with an A you can . Big cities suck. Avoid living in them if you can. My plan in a few years is to shift to Dunedin NZ my favorite city , with less than a million people and get out of the rat race. Mark. |
02-27-2021, 09:58 PM | #20 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
90% completely gone
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02-27-2021, 11:39 PM | #21 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
MarkA, 15 million! My city has only about 650,000, and spreads out to about twice that, but traffic is nuts and you have to drive a ways to find a nice country road.
I just read “The Lost Man”, by Jane Harper, a very descriptive and interesting novel set in the Outback. Sounds like there might be a gazillon square miles with zero traffic! you might enjoy it. Good luck in NZ; I have an old US Navy shipmate who retired to the North Island and loves it. I wish I could do that.
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Ray Horton, Portland, OR As you go through life, keep your eye on the donut, not the hole. Last edited by 700rpm; 02-28-2021 at 11:51 AM. |
02-28-2021, 04:59 AM | #22 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-28-2021, 11:45 AM | #23 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Like a lot of others, I thought I wanted a Model T to go along with my 2 Model A's. Worst mistake I ever made. I was at an auction and bought an original '24 Tudor, original interior, ran and drove great. The other guy bidding was a rat-rod guy who was going to cut it up. Got it home and replaced all the plate glass windows, new wiring harness, new radiator, new tires, added a set of Rocky Mt brakes, got the license and registration sorted out, cleaned up the interior, etc. Now what ?? Its impossible to drive in city traffic. It terrifies me !! Now it just sits in the garage taking up valuable space. I love looking at it and talking about it but hate driving it. Maybe if I lived in the middle of Nebraska with no one around for miles I would think differently. I'm in it so deep now that I doubt I can get 2/3 investment back.
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02-28-2021, 12:11 PM | #24 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I learned to drive in a T in the mid '50s. The first time I drove in traffic was a Friday night in downtown in the big city, what a white knuckle ride that was. I still enjoy Ts, sold my last one about 2 years ago.
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02-28-2021, 12:12 PM | #25 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-28-2021, 12:53 PM | #26 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-28-2021, 12:56 PM | #27 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
We use to live in a small town in Central New York. Country roads everywhere and so were Model T’s and A’s, plus many other antique cars. You could drive them.
There not for everyone. Like an antique airplane or wooden boat. You have to just want to own one. We live on the shoreline in Connecticut. Lots of back roads, but not the fun driving your car as in a more rural area. To many city drivers. If you live in the right place? Model T’s are a blast. |
02-28-2021, 12:59 PM | #28 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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02-28-2021, 02:45 PM | #29 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
RPM, that pile is what is called "yard art." If he gives it to you, drag it home and plant flowers in and around it. Perhaps with a few nice boulders about.
I redid everything in my T, from the headlights back. It had a Ruckstell two speed rearend with 3:1 gearing. I put disk brakes on the rear that I could ride down a steep grade instead of going into low band. They stopped very nicely. I tightened up the steering and aligned the front end, even straightening out the twisted axle with a 6 inch pipe wrench and floor jack on the end of the handle. I drove it on all over the back roads of North Carolina and neighboring states, which there are still plenty of. I felt fairly safe driving it. It would go over 50 mph, although I never drove it that fast on a regular basis.
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A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. |
02-28-2021, 08:40 PM | #30 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I would make sure you change the oil if you get it lol......looks like a driver to me
Last edited by Model A Ron; 02-28-2021 at 08:40 PM. Reason: typo |
02-28-2021, 08:52 PM | #31 | |
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Re: Considering buying a T
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I do appreciate them, enjoy seeing them, but I will stick to Model A's and early V-8's for antique Fords |
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03-01-2021, 02:34 AM | #32 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I have an 09 T touring, 28 A rpu and my avatar V8. They are all very different drives, but the T is the lively one. Light as a daisy, go-kart steering, super fast gear shift.
I've had the T 40yrs, must have done 60,000 miles. Read Farewell my Lovely http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/19...well-my-lovely The biggest mistake Ford made was not developing the epicyclic gearbox into a 3 or 4 speed, like the brilliant Wilson box. The crash box in the A was a step backwards. https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sour...dLx3sPf5AWMJze To drive a T today you do need improved brakes, and someone needs to come up an improved steering box. The late Ralph Rick's used his 1915 as a daily driver; it had Austin Metropolitan 4 wheel hydraulics, 37 V8 steering box and OHV head, cruised freeways at 70mph, but I like to potter country lanes at 20mph with the coils quietly buzzing.. |
03-01-2021, 05:49 PM | #33 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I see some comments about faster speeds on the Ts. I have heard that the engines will not stand that for very long. I have heard that the babbit will go away. If not that, then the crankshaft will snap.
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03-01-2021, 07:10 PM | #34 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
The crankshaft in a Model T will snap. It happens all the time. A lot of people will tell you that it is caused by the 4th main, the bearing at the end of the transmission, being out of alignment, and they may be right. My personal belief is that it is caused by torsional vibration causing fatigue cracks in the crank. The Model T crankshaft is very spindly and the original pistons are heavy cast iron. This puts the natural frequency within the operating range of the engine. People put aluminum pistons in the engine but not until there have been lots of miles built up with the cast iron pistons.
For gofast Model T's a Model A crank is used with insert bearings. Or a new crank with the same size journals as the Model A and counter balanced. If I remember correctly the journals for a stock Model T crankshaft are only 1 inch in diameter.
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A is for apple, green as the sky. Step on the gas, for tomorrow I die. Forget the brakes, they really don't work. The clutch always sticks, and starts with a jerk. My car grows red hair, and flies through the air. Driving's a blast, a blast from the past. |
03-02-2021, 02:25 PM | #35 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
Ray, somebody is pulling somebody's leg.............
for only a little more dough, you can get a running driving car. Ive seen nice drivers lately for under 5k. Im talking tourings and roadster......... that is a lawn ornament. |
03-02-2021, 04:53 PM | #36 |
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Re: Considering buying a T
I think it's missing something!
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