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Bob Coiro kindly granted
permission for me to post his buying guide here. This should be
helpful for anybody looking to buy that first Model T.
Model T Fords come in three
basic flavors; the "brass cars" built between 1908 and 1916; the
"steel cars" built between 1917 and 1925 which were painted
overall black including the radiators; and the "improved cars"
built in 1926 and 1927, which, though available once again in
some nice colors, were still powered by the same basic Brass Era
4- banger and 2-speed planetary transmission, and were still
stopped by the same type of seriously outdated, single-drum,
drive-train brake.
Most if not all of the brass
Fords made between 1908 and 1911 had wooden bodies. A
changeover was made to sheet metal-covered wooden frames
midway through the 1912 model year.
Brass cars command a much
higher price than the steel or improved cars. The earlier
vintage brass cars are worth much more than the later brass
cars and even between back-to-back model years, like 1912 and
1913, the 1912 car will command a significantly higher price
than the 1913 car. It's no surprise, then, that the 1915 and
1916 model- year cars are the least expensive of the brass
cars (fetching somewhere in the neighborhood of $17,000 for a
very good daily driver with good paint, upholstery and top, in
good mechanical condition).
This pricing principle
does not hold true for the "steel cars," all of which are
worth about the same price, assuming identical body style
(touring, roadster, etc.) and equal condition. As far as
daily-drivers are concerned, a fair steel car might run
$5,000; a good one, $10,000 and a creampuff might fetch
$13,000 (oh, and by the way, I'm not talking about show cars
that win trophies at sanctioned Antique Automobile Club of
America competitions. Prices for those rolling works of
art—whether brass or steel—are astronomical and you wouldn't
dare drive one in traffic).
The "improved cars" enjoy
upgrades like balloon tires, geared-down steering and slightly
better brakes. In terms of price, they're worth about the same
as the black cars, but look so similar to the Model A Ford
that you almost might as well get one of those and enjoy its
greater cruising speed and highway capability.
As originally
manufactured, the earlier Model T's were lighter and had
slightly more power. They do perform better than the later
cars, but that isn't really saying very much. The Model T is
not a highway car. Its best cruising speed is about 35 mph —
40, if you don't mind abusing the engine. That means most of
your afternoon drives will pretty much be limited to a forty
or fifty-mile radius. Taking a Model T beyond that distance
involves either getting out of bed earlier or towing the car
on a trailer. That having been said, in the summer of 2009,
fifty-four Model T Fords drove from New York to Seattle.
Traveling in caravan is much easier, safer and more fun than
going it alone.
For reasons of simplicity
(and perhaps a reluctance on the part of Mr. Ford to pay
royalties to those who held patents on more conventional
accessories), theModel T had some basic equipment unique unto
itself. This included a flywheel-mounted, low-voltage magneto;
4-coil ignition and a 2-speed planetary transmission featuring
a brake that transmitted the braking impulse down the drive-shaft, through the differential, to that
rear wheel which had the least traction. The most important
thing to understand about driving Model T is that it was
designed to have the same braking capability as the Titanic.
It will take time and patience to learn to drive a Model T. In
fact, it's best to have someone teach you.
People think of the Model
T as being tough to the point of being indestructible. That's
a myth. In some ways, it is far more delicate than any modern
car—yet many thousand examples of this century-old design are
on the road today. The car's obstinate longevity is mostly due
to its having been produced in ridiculously large numbers, its
go-kart simplicity and a super-availability of parts (not to
mention the best technical advice forum on the internet).
Aside from powerplant overhauls, you can pretty much do all of
your own maintenance. The car always needs tinkering and a
little at a time, you'll learn what you need to know about
twirling screwdrivers and bending cotterpins.
Here are some questions to
consider while making a pre- purchase inspection:
What is the general
condition of the car and is everything on it in working
condition? A generally dirty car with dust on the seats hasn't
been run in a while and that tells you something about recent
maintenance. That doesn't mean a car that looks good is
good—because the race is not always to the swift, nor the
battle always to the strong, but if you're going to bet,
that's the way to go.
Has the car suffered any
damage or been in a serious accident? A century-old car is
going to be carrying some baggage, so it's not reasonable to
expect a vestal virgin, but as a first-time buyer, you
definitely want to avoid a car that has structural issues like
a bent frame.
Is the front end nice and
tight? It's easy enough to rough- test for tightness in the
front end by rocking the steering wheel side to side and
checking for excessive play. If you're mechanically inclined,
taking the play out of a loose front end is fairly
straightforward, but for a newbie, it's a headache you don't
need right off the bat.
Is there any rust on the
car? Model T Fords are made of some seriously good quality
materials, but corrosion on a car is never a good thing.
Perforation rust on the body is more serious than fender rust
because it may be indicating the presence of wood rot beneath.
Most Model T's have wooden frames covered by sheet metal.
So, is there any wood-rot
in the body? Fixing this problem can be expensive and
difficult. Significant wood rot is a problem for an
experienced restorer, not a first-time antique car hobbyist.
Is there a lot of Bondo in
the body? This isn't critically important, but it can become a
point when negotiating price.
In what condition is the
paint job? Same as above.
In what condition is the
upholstery? Ditto. Is this car a Ford-factory-built original,
or was it custom- built later on from parts? This is a
value-related question. An original is simply worth more.
Does the engine start well
when hand-cranked? Some of these cars have self-starters and
that includes retro-fitment of some of the early brass cars
which came out of the factory with no electrical system
whatsoever. A starter is a wonderful thing to have because
when you stall the car in heavy traffic, setting the brake and
getting out front to begin a lengthy wrestling match with a
stubborn engine while frustrated, angry drivers are trying to
pass at close quarters, can be a humbling experience. At the
very least, you want a non-self-starting car to start easily
when hand- cranked.
Does the engine run
smoothly, have good power, etc.? A correctly running, stock
Model T engine is a joy to drive. A properly set-up magneto is
important because getting in there to adjust the thing is just
not a practical option for someone new to the hobby. On the
other hand, the four individual coils, which also benefit
greatly from proper adjustment, are very accessible and if you
don't have the expertise to adjust them yourself, it's a
simple matter to ship them out to an expert like "The Coil
Doctor," who will have them singing like The Shirelles.
Does the engine have a
high-compression head? A high compression head is the most
effective piece of bolt-on performance equipment you can buy.
Don't expect a big increase in cruising speed, but
acceleration and hill-climbing ability will be measurably
improved. Other enhancements might include a later-model
carburetor, like the NH, and/or a bigger intake manifold.
These are all easy to get.
Does the car have a
generator? If not, then by what method is the battery charged
and where is the battery mounted? None of the brass-radiator
Fords were manufactured with any kind of electrical system. In
fact, when electric headlights replaced acetylene headlamps in
1915, these were wired up to the engine's magneto. The
headlights would be nice and bright at 30 mph, but dimmed down
to almost nothing when the car slowed for turns. Legend has it
that you could burn out the bulbs by exceeding 40 mph with the
headlights switched on. Henry Ford seemed to pride himself on
being the first to be last and he didn't begin installing
electrical systems in his cars until 1919, when 6-volt
batteries and generators appeared for the first time on the
Model T. The brass cars can be retro-fitted with electrical
systems, but of course, that would be a significant departure
from originality.
Is the radiator of the
round-tube or flat-tube type? The original round-tube radiator
won't cool as efficiently as the aftermarket, flat-tube
radiators being manufactured today. The issue is originality
vs. function.
Is the front wishbone
attached to the top or to the bottom of the front axle?
Originally, the front wishbone was attached to the top of the
front axle. For reasons of safety related to loss of steering
control, that geometry was changed in 1919 by instead
attaching the wishbone to the bottom of the axle. Some of the
earlier cars have been retrofitted.
Are the thrust washers in
the differential made of babbitt or bronze? The original
babbitt thrust washers in the differential have not aged well
and so developed a tendency to fall apart. When that happens,
the firm mesh of gears between the drive shaft and the
differential can loosen to the point where the drive-train
brake is rendered inoperative and the only remaining means of
stopping the car would
be the parking brake (unless you happen to have some kind of
auxiliary brakes installed on the rear wheels).
Does the car have a
Ruckstell rear end? This 2-speed, shiftable differential was
one of the few aftermarket items of which Henry Ford approved,
and some of Ford's dealers offered this as an option. It's a
nice thing to have if you live in a very hilly area or if
you're going to be driving in parades. The most serious
disadvantage of a Ruckstell is that it can get stuck in
neutral between gears and that renders the drive- train brake completely ineffective.
Does the car have Rocky
Mountain brakes? If you have a Ruckstell rear end, you need
Rocky Mountain Brakes (or some other kind of auxiliary
brakes). Rocky Mountain Brakes became available as an
aftermarket item in 1917. They improve the Model T Ford's
braking ability dramatically, from abominable to bad. Rocky
Mountain brakes are of the "self-energizing" type, which means
they don't stop very well when the car is rolling backwards.
They're also reputed to work badly in wet conditions (and this
is why the original drive-train brake, which functions in
either direction and in wet conditions, should be retained
even when the car is retrofitted with Rocky Mountain brakes).
Some folks have mounted
disc brakes to the Model T and that modification is
commercially available. Though these are extremely high
quality units, that doesn’t change the fact that the car has
awfully skinny wheels and when your tires have the same
footprint as a shot-glass, the best disc brakes in the world
won't stop the car in any shorter distance than the Rocky
Mountain type.
Does the car have
de-mountable wheels? De-mountable rims became available in
1919 and they make for much simpler and quicker flat tire
changes on the road, assuming you're carrying spares. They're
not correct on earlier cars, but that hasn't stopped a lot of
people from retrofitting brass cars that frequently go on
tour.
Does the car have an
electric brake tail light and directional signals? In an open
car with the top down, you may get away with hand signals, but
an enclosed car that is driven in traffic really needs turn
signals because hand signals won't be visible to someone on
the right side of the car. Either way, at least one
brake-light is a must, for obvious reasons.
Does the car have safety
glass? Think of the old type of glass windshield as a
guillotine. Replacing such panes with safety glass is a must.
When was the last time the
car was driven? How often is the car driven? Has it
participated in any tours? Active cars tend to be healthier
cars. To take an inactive car out of mothballs invariably
costs significant bucks.
Buy the best car you can
afford. It's almost always cheaper to find and buy the one
that's already restored and equipped as you like than it is to
buy a basket case and restore it yourself.
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