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1908-1927 Ford Model T
How to find your own example of the car that put the world on wheels

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  Gallery
Buyer's Guide from Hemmings Motor News
September, 2011 - David Traver Adolphus

Even during its long production run, we recognized the Model T as something special.
Today, you'll probably find a couple pages of them in the classifieds; dozens more at
hemmings.com; and thousands for sale worldwide in Model T club newsletters,
estate sales, local papers and swap meets. Experts estimate there may be as many as
50,000 roadworthy Ts, and another 10,000 not running.

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There were many years in which the cars changed little or not at all, and it often takes
an expert to figure out the year. Additionally, before 1916, changes were usually
introduced as developed, rather than conforming to a model year. But there are
some watersheds that influence people, one way or another, in their choice of cars.
The rarest are from the first 800 produced, in 1908 and 1909. Rather than the three-
pedal layout, which they switched to and kept for the next 17 years, these were built
with two foot pedals and two hand levers. When Ford introduced the three-pedal T,
many owners opted to have their cars converted by the factory for a reasonable $15
fee. There are fewer than 10 known surviving two-lever Ts.

The next change obvious to the uninitiated would probably be the curved, rather
than flat fenders the T received in 1915. Between that and the switch from brass to
painted steel radiator surround in mid-'16, these are some of the few years you can
identify at a glance: Curved fenders and brass make it a 1915 or early '16. After that,
well, can you tell the difference between a 15- and 16-inch steering wheel (1920)? Do
you recognize 21 x 4.4-inch balloon tires at a glance?

But you don't buy a Model T to start a revolution--that upheaval ended about a
century ago. "Even to this day, I find them exciting, exciting to see and exciting to
drive," said Joe Findysz, owner of a 1919 center-door sedan. "The first car I bought,
when I was 14, was a 1924 roadster, and I restored that with help from my father. We
lived way outside of Tucson, there wasn't a whole lot to do and it was a way of
keeping us entertained." Mark Romano, who built a 1915 Speedster with a modern
Rootlieb kit, said he did it for his kids: "It's so when they get old enough to drive, they
can stop better," he told us a few years ago.

Low cost of entry not only ensures that at least half the cars on a Brass tour will be Ts,
but keeps the aftermarket humming. You don't have to worry about much in the way
of hard-to-find dash parts, or window cranks; interiors are mostly wood, linoleum or
metal. Almost everything is reproduced, or available from parts cars. There aren't just
Model T catalogs; there are single-serving specialists producing electrical, brake and
engine parts. You can find anything up to a remanufactured block or complete frame,
should you need it, and there's a thriving speed parts scene if you want more than
20hp.

Drivetrain
Aside from the two-pedal/three-pedal thing, not much changed. The engine was
always an L-head four and the listed displacement and horsepower were always
176.6-cu.in. and 20hp, although there actually were minor differences in compression
and output over the years. As with the rest of the car, Ford incrementally improved
design and manufacturing, but there's a lot of parts commonality. If 20hp is
offputting, a rated 83-lbs.ft. of torque from the long-stroke engine ameliorated the
engine's low horsepower. It is rebuildable at home, but specialist Model T engine
rebuilders will use improved babbitting materials, hardened valves and valve seats,
improved timing gear and more to make your driving and starting easier. Expect to
pay $2,000 for a rebuilt short-block; some shops will do a complete engine with
accessories for you.

Mounted as a unit with the engine, Ford advertised the two-speed planetary
transmission that was a constant Model T feature as being easy to drive, but that's in
comparison to other period cars. "The Ford transmission moves in mysterious ways
its wonders to perform," wrote Ford Owner in 1925, before taking nine pages to
describe it "as simply as possible." It helps to remember that the transmission gears
are always meshed, so there's a clutch for each speed. We recently went with a
restorer to get a 1923 Model T truck out of storage, and as he hadn't driven one for
two or three years. we were treated to some entertaining and colorful language as he
tried to remember how it worked. "If you don't own one, you probably wouldn't be
able to drive one," said Mike Skinner, another Model T owner. Even owners have been
known to stall when they forget to adjust the hand throttle.

But as with anything, it becomes second nature with practice, and if you had never
driven a car before, it was probably easier than learning to drive most other cars of
the era, with their unsynchronized gearboxes, and thus need for rev matching and
double clutching on up and downshifts. No stock model T is fast, but many in touring
use have a Ruckstell two-speed rear end. This was reportedly the only aftermarket
accessory approved by Henry Ford, and has been popular for about 90 years, raising
the top speed--with the addition of an auxiliary brake kit--to over 45 MPH, depending
on the car to which it's affixed. On some tours, cars so equipped will make up the
entire field.

It takes a lot to break a Model T, but you can do so by overheating the engine, an
occasional problem if the small, stock brass radiator is installed. The integrated
engine, clutch and transmission unit does not like to be flat towed, either, as the
flywheel doesn't rotate, depriving clutch bands and transmission parts of lubrication.

Body, Chassis and Suspension

The Model T chassis and running gear remained almost unchanged until the
Improved T of 1926; even then, there were very minor changes: larger rear hand
brakes, improved rear crossmember, and new springs and spindles to drop the
bodies slightly. Otherwise, the 100-inch wheelbase and steel frame changed little.
The Model T's distinctive stance is thanks to a somewhat unconventional suspension.
Front and rear were very similar, with the single spring parallel to the axle. The semi-
floating banjo-type rear differential is immediately identifiable, and the tremendous
travel available in the suspension is apparent in the distance between springs and
axles.

Bodies were pressed steel, with a few special alloy examples in 1922-'23. As we
mentioned, there were an assortment of bodies, although they were sometimes
extremely similar. Framing was always in hardwood. Inside, you'll often find leather
upholstery today, but as Ford squeezed every dollar out of the car to both drop the
price and increase profits, it had disappeared by 1915 in favor of leatherette in open
cars, and cloth in closed. Whatever you found on the seats was generally what
appeared on the doors. There were some exceptions, such as the low-production
landaulet Town Car. The dashboard/firewall was virtually unchanged.

Wheels and Brakes

Wood spoke wheels were the norm through the end, when wire wheels started to
turn up. Henry Ford specifically resisted four-wheel brakes for the life of the car, so
small drums and cast-iron shoes were standard almost through the end, in 1926
getting a much larger version. These were always emergency, hand-operated brakes,
however; primary braking was via the far right foot pedal, activating a band inside the
transmission acting on the diveshaft.

Representative Prices
There's a Model T for every need and every budget. Without getting into the TT heavy
trucks, you can find T bodies in everything from the popular speedsters, up to one-
ton delivery trucks. Factory available bodies varied greatly by year, but there were
usually five or six different styles of T in the catalog, and sometimes more, especially
in the Twenties. A bare chassis was almost always available and when production
really started to take off in 1912 or 1913, aftermarket body kits started to appear,
some staid, some quite outlandish. On top of that, there were home builders, and
many cars received assorted updates over the years.

Broadly, though, you'll generally find topless speedsters; two-passenger runabouts

and roadsters; five-passenger touring cars; coupes; and depot hacks and trucks.
Model T people who drive their cars regularly, and that's most, seem to care less
about originality and correctness than most other segments of the hobby. We suspect
that arises from the confluence of the huge supply of cars, and a tradition of making
and modifying parts and cars that goes back a full century. Certainly, there's a
thriving market for aftermarket parts and a brisk trade in ideas on how to improve
and modify Model Ts, and there are a certain number of early Teens bodies mounted
on Twenties chassis.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are concours-restored cars, many of which
are more elaborate and rare body styles. It almost defies belief, especially for those in
the hobby for many years, but several Model Ts every year now sell at auction for over
$50,000. Those are often C cab deliveries, roadsters or torpedo roadsters, but even
good touring cars have broken through that barrier repeatedly.

Realistically, however, you can expect to pay $8,000-$9,000 for a rough but running
mid-Twenties enclosed car, and $12,000-$14,000 to get into a touring car. A truck or
panel van with a less-popular body will be $17,000-$20,000; and quality restored cars
start at $20,000. Brass, in the Model T's case extending into mid-1916, brings more,
and speedsters and roadsters are always popular. If you're on a real budget, project
cars in any and all stages of completion are always listed in Hemmings. For around
$2,500, you should be able to find an already-disassembled, complete car with an un-
seized engine, and probably spares as well. $4,000-$5,000 brings restorable cars with
running engines, some of which may even be the sort of thing you could drive around
the driveway once or twice, as long as it's flat. Find a restoration candidate at around
$5,000 with the major mechanical parts already rebuilt, and your major investment
will be time.
Production
1908-1927 Ford Model T -- 15,007,003

What to Pay
Low -- $7,500
Avg -- $12,000
High -- $24,000

PARTS PRICES
Brake drum with shoes, 1909-'25 -- $275
Camshaft, .280 lift high-performance -- $330
Commutator wire loom, 1909-'15 -- $91
Clutch disk set, improved -- $80
Dash, predrilled birch plywood, 1919-'22 -- 85.95
Engine, reman short block, with core -- $1,900
Engine bolt set, stainless -- $49.95
Engine gasket set, 30-piece with copper -- $39.95
Floorboard set, front 4-door Touring, 1912 -- $140
Front wheel outer bearing cone, L/R -- $10
Generator and gear, rebuilt, with core -- $165
Generator brush set -- $7.95
Hand brake quadrant, laser cut -- $36.95
Head, high-compression aluminum -- $335
Large timing gear, bronze -- $105
Manifold, hi-po dual exhaust -- $275
Patch panel, door, 1926-'27 Tudor -- $105
Radius rod ball cap -- $9.50
Rear end gasket set -- $2.95
Spring, front, roadster, high arch, 1923-'25 -- $229
Top kit, Touring, 1917-'21 -- $385.90
Tie rod bolt set, 1912-'16 -- $38.95
Transmission bushing set -- $39
Upholstery kit, vinyl, Roadster, 1914-'15 -- $394.90
Water pump, improved stainless -- $199.95
Windshield glass, for two-piece, 1915-'27 -- $85

SPECIALISTS

Lang's Old Car Parts

800 T-PARTS-1
www.modeltford.com

Mac's Antique Auto Parts

800-777-0948
www.macsautoparts.com

Model T Ranch
817-613-9233
www.modeltranch.com

Chaffin's Garage
951-735-4791
www.chaffinsgarage.com

Gaslight Auto Parts

www.gaslightauto.com
937-652-2145

Performance T-Parts
832-226-6127

Sacramento Vintage Ford

916-853-2244
www.vintageford.com
Smith and Jones
803-822-4141
www.modela-t-snj.com

Snyder's Antique Auto Parts

888-262-5712
www.snydersantiqueauto.com

Texas T & A Parts

800-337-6977
www.texastparts.com

Bob's Antique Auto Parts

888-modelt1
www.bobsantiqueautoparts.com

Totally Ts
989-732-1065
www.totallyts.com

CLUB SCENE

Model T Ford Club International

PO Box 355
Hudson, North Carolina 28638-0355
828-728-5758
www.modelt.org
Dues: $35; Membership: 4,000

Model T Ford Club of America

P.O. Box 126
Centerville, Indiana 47330-0126
765-855-5248
www.mtfca.com
Dues: $29; Membership: 9,000

This article originally appeared in the September, 2011 issue of Hemmings Motor
News.

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Originally published in the September, 2011 issue of Hemmings Motor News.

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