Model T restored to former glory!

XR6_661 · 03-03-2010, 10:56 AM

http://www.cairns.com.au/article/201...ocal-news.html

Good to see there are still a few gems around.

Expensive rebuild too!!

Fev · 03-03-2010, 11:11 AM

$30,000 ON THE ENGINE?! What the hell were they doing? Gold plating it?

cosmo20btt · 03-03-2010, 11:19 AM

I might be a bit critical here, but didn't ol'e Henry say "you can have any color you want, so long as it's black"?

XR Martin · 03-03-2010, 11:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20btt

I might be a bit critical here, but didn't ol'e Henry say "you can have any color you want, so long as it's black"?

Not for the whole production period

trippytaka · 03-03-2010, 03:21 PM

Pretty damn nice effort though...

**Luke Plaizier** · 03-03-2010, 04:08 PM

96 years between engine rebuilds?

Who the heck builds them like that any more?

Lukeyson

sd1800 · 03-03-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luke Plaizier

96 years between engine rebuilds?

Who the heck builds them like that any more?

Lukeyson

Technically it has been in a shed since early 70's, but nevertheless thats still 60years of constant service without a rebuild!!

Road_Warrior · 03-03-2010, 04:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fev

$30,000 ON THE ENGINE?! What the hell were they doing? Gold plating it?

I'd say a lot of it could relate to custom fabbing of parts that no longer exist.

Peter B - CV8 · 03-03-2010, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Road_Warrior

I'd say a lot of it could relate to custom fabbing of parts that no longer exist.

Plenty of repro parts available for model T's from the States (and pretty cheap as well). Given the family history of the car, it seems as though the owner preferred to retain the "originality" of the vehicle & pay top $$$ to do so.
More a labour of love than a money making exercise (because around $20k will get you a top notch model T).

Kryton · 03-03-2010, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sd1800

Technically it has been in a shed since early 70's, but nevertheless thats still 60years of constant service without a rebuild!!

Theres a really old farmer around here that still has the Model A that he and his brother bought brand new in the day.
This is the only car they ever bought and it still gets driven when he needs to go somewhere.
Never been rebuilt either.

mr smith · 03-03-2010, 05:31 PM

T's are great. I would love one in the shed.

charlie200 · 03-03-2010, 05:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmo20btt

I might be a bit critical here, but didn't ol'e Henry say "you can have any color you want, so long as it's black"?

Only the Model T's built in the United States were painted in black....Ours were from Canada.

**ebxr8240** · 03-03-2010, 05:41 PM

The bearing in them are poured, using white metal..
Then line bored...
I did this years ago as an apprentice machinist ..
Slow way of overhaulin an engine...
The cranks in these are strange compared to modern ....

fordOwner · 03-03-2010, 10:01 PM

On the note of the colour.
I remember being told years ago (correct me if im wrong) That they painted the Model T fords black as it was the fastest drying colour.
This practice also followed on with "large production" cars of the olden days hence so many cars (Horesless Carrages) were black.
Anyone else heard this?

**ebxr8240** · 03-03-2010, 11:01 PM

Yep .. Paint dried quicker...

tankclare · 03-03-2010, 11:47 PM

My uncle has a 1922 model T.. They are incredible cars with the retard and throttle on the steering column and the way you have to control the foot pedals.

But I think his biggest pride an joy is his 1908 DeWitt electric car..1 of only 2 in the world. Dolly Parton owns the other one

Scott · 04-03-2010, 12:01 AM

Interesting bit of history tankclare.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tankclare

But I think his biggest pride an joy is his 1908 DeWitt electric car..1 of only 2 in the world. Dolly Parton owns the other one

Quote:

Originally Posted by exclusivevintageweddingcars.com.au

1906 De Witt Electric car. This very unique vehicle has a very interesting history. The factory was built by the De Witt company in 1906. Orders were taken (requiring substantial deposits) for these then totally unique forms of transport. Unfortunately the factory was destroyed by fire before any of the vehicles were built. Some 30 years ago, the owner of the original plans sold them to Dolly Parton (the country singer). She was fascinated with the vehicle & in turn had the vehicle built. It was used in movies & the stage production of Showboat. When the stage production came to Australia, the production company organised for the Birdwood Motor Museum to build another car for the stage production via the plans. Hence there are only 2 in existence. Since being purchased by Allan, it has been used in processions & shows. It is available for weddings on private property. Dolly is not registrable for public roads & requires transport to & from the wedding venue. She is well suited for weddings where the service & reception are all at one location.

tankclare · 04-03-2010, 12:19 AM

Thanks heaps for that GTP006.. My uncles collection of old stuff is amazing.. He also has an ex army 1942 Chev truck and a huge shed full of history including a fully restored malvern star push/motor bike, a restored BDS bike, stacks of working farm machinery and equipment, tractors etc right through to old magazines, collectables, house items, toys and even a 1928 Pontiac pedal car. His shed has to be seen to be appreciated.

How it came to getting the DeWitt is that he runs small tours through his private museum and a bloke liked his collection so much he rang a few days later and told my uncle he has something he may be interested in. So my uncle and aunty drove to his place and had a cup of coffee etc without knowing what they were going to be shown. Then they saw the DeWitt and loved it..The fella said "if you can afford it it's yours".. and so yeah that is how he got it.

It was built in 1998 by some people in south australia then moved somewhere down the coast. It really is a work of art and my uncle showed us how it drove. He was really good and even let us take photos of us in it etc. He really is a great man

last fairlane · 04-03-2010, 02:23 AM

When I was doing my apprentiship back in the sixties
I met a man who had a model T
and he showed me the pedals and how they worked
with the pedal in you had 1st and with the pedal out you had top gear
and half way you had neutral
another trick he showed me was with the spark retarder lever
some times not every time if the piston was at top dead centre
you turned on the ignition and pulled the lever
the motor would burst into life
that way you didnt need to crank it
the problem was it didnt work every time
anyway thats the way I recall it
thanks John

**ebxr8240** · 04-03-2010, 08:59 AM

From memory I think the compression was very low..
Around 5 to 1... Fuel back then was very poor...

tankclare · 04-03-2010, 09:50 PM

How the pedals work on the model T is like last fairlane said. The far left pedal is the gear pedal. Right in is first gear, half way is neutral and right out is top gear. The middle pedal is reverse (also have to have the handbrake half on so it doesn't take off). The far right pedal is the brakes. The pedals are that close together you need to use the side of your foot to press them in. On the steering column there are 2 levers. One on each side. One is the throttle and the other is the timing retard. Both need to be set right to start the car via the crank handle. If they are wrong it can shoot back with the compression and break your arm.

My uncles model T was fully restored and entered in the world rally before he purchased it. What an awesome piece of machinery