1920 Model T Coupe

[Beth V]

No wonder you are so skinny!!!

[Craig A]

THIN Beth..........THIN........ .......which really helps getting behind the wheel.......

[OTTO-Sawyer]

Originally Posted by Craig A

...Late this afternoon the wife and I went for a 12 mile ride and it was fun for BOTH of us.......
When I go for coffee (about 3 times a day) to the local Stop @ Go BP station here someone ALWAYS asks about the car.......

Sounds like it's become your daily driver...

Are you running regular plates or antique plates that the cops could nail you for if they catch you out 'too often' with it.

[Ken Majeski]

In Wisconsin we have what they call a collector plate. Unlimited Mileage but there is one month of the year we can't be on the road. Jan or Feb ? But I don't think I will be driving a model T with one door and no side windows much anyway in the winter

The reason they put the restriction on the collector plate is so people wouldn't put them on old winter beeters to get a non expiring plate.

We still do have the regular antique plate but they are only "Supposed" to be used for special events ect.

I have 2 sets of the collector plates.

[Craig A]

Ken.......earlier you mentioned shaving the head to soop it up.......I'm positive this one has the head shaved........this one's purdy zippy....... .......

Otto.......for just tooling around town and going the two miles to my Mom's the T's ARE, pretty much, my daily drivers....... (SHHHHHHHHHHH)

I have a 1PM wedding to play for today and I'm taking the touring car.......

[OTTO-Sawyer]

If it was a model A, I'd say check it out and see if it had a Stover-Swartz (one of the many off-shoots of Stover Manufacturing & Engine Co.) high compression head on it.

They made them for model A Fords and for 6 cylinder Chevy's in the 1930s along with cylinder sleeves, pistons, etc., for pretty much every make & model of car, truck, & tractor made up till that time.

Don't know if they made heads for the T's or not, (not in my catalog), but they did make pistons & sleeves for them.

[Ken Majeski]

Along with milling/changing the head there are a few more things that will make a T More Zippy. For example later cars had lighter connecting rods and lighter cast iron pistons. Also a open car is a Lot lighter than a closed car. Most cars that have had some work done on them will have aluminum pistons and the heavy rods exchanged for lighter ones.

If you find a Engine or Car that has been backyard fixed it might even have mixed parts. This can lead a weight reducing machine at higher speeds anyway...

[Craig A]

I don't think there has been much backyard fixing done to this one although, at some point, somebody either had or the original owner bought, a Holley manifold and carb with a built in preheater.
I'm glad it was in one of the two boxes of "stuff" that came with the car instead of on the engine.......
It doesn't matter where you go with a T......it WILL attract attention.......

By the way: Early T's had higher compression engines, 4.5:1 versus the 3.98 ratio used afterward, which was reduced due to lower quality gas during WWI and they never went back.......

[Ackman]

Is Craig a "happy camper" or not???

[Beth V]

Should we be worried that Craig will give up his tractors for his T's???

Nary a word and no photos have been seen of the 2 other toys that were on that load!

Just checking........

Beth

[Ackman]

Here's the load when it JUST arrived........

BTW...I was pretty much the only one taking pics & vids...Craig was being to about his new toys & Norma was busy doing sum ting else in da haus at the time.

[Craig A]

Originally Posted by Roger Byrne

I'm waiting. . . . you said you were getting it today, how about a picture of your T's side by side at your place?? Sorry I can't make it for the party.

Here you are Roger. A friend is bringing his '52 Pontiac over so I can put in a new condenser for him so I needed to open some space in the shed anyway......the sun is HOT.......

[casertractor]

nice looking pair of T's.John

[Craig A]

Thank you John......but the coupe isn't quite as nice as it seems.
Both doors are sagging and one is worse than the other.
I visited a body shop friend and he's going to do the doors for me over winter.
All I need is a $546 wood kit (+ shipping).......

But.......that is another reason, BESIDES just liking them, I wanted a T. You can buy every part to build one....... .......

To Rick McKay: I put at least 30 miles on the NEW (older) T today.......never skipped a beat but I don't THINK a trip to the UP is in my future......

[Rick McKay]

Come on Craig, are ya chiiiiiiiiickeeeeeeeeen????


Rick

PS: Real men drive their T's.....wimps need not apply......trailer queens belong in a museum......

[Craig A]

ME? CHICKEN?.......
Not a CHANCE!.......
In the very near future I'm taking it to Iola (about 17 miles) to visit with Chet Krause.......

The UP is a different story.......

[Rick McKay]

I'll be camping out at Iola in for 4 days next month.

Maybe I'll see you there.

Rick

[Ken Majeski]

Well.. My T will Likely will be a Trailer Queen Getting to the UP. But after I get there it will have to haul itself around. Rick can give you Quite a Tour of the UP, He knows where all the Old Iron Highlights are

We used to have a run around here we would go on, it would be around 100 miles by the time we got back with a few variations from time to time. If we had a stranger along it would always include a couple Creek Fordings below Maiden Rock

Rick; Will you be using your T / Canvas camper or a Modern Version ? Are they friendly to spectator camping at Iola ?

[Roger Byrne]

I really agree with Ken's comments. With the speed of traffic on many roads today, there are real limitations to where you can safely and comfortable drive a model T. Many times I'll load up the T on the trailer and drive 50-100 miles to some location, unload, and then enjoy a day driving in some other area of the country. I gives me a greater range where I can enjoy my car without several hours of "white knuckle" driving to get there and back. I'm lucky enough to live in an area where I can just get in the T and enjoy a few hours of back road driving without having to fight high speed, heavily traveled roads. I'm sure the trip to the UP would be interesting in a Model T, but many of us who live a distance way, like Ken stated, would rather put our cars on a trailer to get there and then enjoy driving around the UP for a day or two in our Ts.

[Craig A]

I had a couple visitors today.....a fella for whom I did a lot of work (and store some tractors for as well) and his wife.
They REALLY had to twist my arm....... .......but they wanted to go for a ride....... .......