1923 Model T Roadster Abandoned project since 84

[Tamas Opra]

So the story goes...
The other day I get a service call to fix a dashboard on a 2004 silverado.I get the address and I head out.
When I get to the destination I see that its a ranch.
Average guy,with his pickup truck and his ranch.I fix the dashboard and we talk.He asks me this is all I do,and I reply no I buy,fix and sell old cars.
He looks at me than points towards the barn and says theres an old ford in the barn,it used to be my dads(passed away in 84) I think I want to sell it.
So we started walking towards the barn,he told me while we were walking that his dad started to restore the car,but never finished it.
He opened the doors and there she was 1923 model t roadster.I will never forget the smell of horses,oil and hay.

I stopped and just starred for a minute.It was sitting there undisturbed for longer than i've been born.
Needless to say we made a deal right there and in a couple of hours it was sitting in my garage(moved to house).
I've had a couple of model t's before,but this was different,a true barn find,just the way I imagined it.
I felt like a teenager when I was going to hold the hand of my first girlfriend.I know it sounds silly,but thats how I felt.
I didnt know where to start.
So made a quick checklist and went to autozone.Bought oil,hoses,clamps and W40.
I took off the connector rubber hoses and flushed the radiator.The waterpump(upgrade) was stuck so I took it down cleaned and lubed it and installed it back.The water pump has Los Angeles written on it so I assume it was made in LA.Gastank was empty and clean,so I just rinsed it.
Than I put back the hoses with new clamps.Changed the sparkplugs,changed the oil.Luckily I had a set of new coils and wires from my previous T's and I swapped those to.I replaced all the wires to the ignition switch as they were old and in bad shape.
So I put the new battery,turn the ignition retard the spark I can hear the buzzing,and as I hit the pushbutton the car starts moving forward.Its stuck in gear.
Im thinking I worked on this damn car for 10 hours straight I want to hear it running.I jacked up the rear,hit the startbutton.First just puffing and than just wroom it was running like a clock.
Tomorrow I will try all the tricks I know to free up the rusted clutch plate.
Cool thing about the car that it has the red california horseless carriage plates,and I got it running again after 28 years.The frame is vin tagged by dmv so no more scraping and looking for the vin.
It still smells like a barn

[Scuba Steve]

VERY cool!!!

More pics are always a good idea though.

[sc_rufctr]

Wow. What a find. Well done.

I believe no car comes into your life by accident.

[Rick V]

Very nice. The best trick I know of to unstick a clutch is to fire it up in gear with your foot on the clutch. It will release, but you better have some room to drive.
More pics please!!!!

[targa911S]

Now why don't that stuff happen to me? Very cool!

[stomachmonkey]

Awesome.

Thanks for sharing.

[dennis in se pa]

"I believe no car comes into your life by accident."

For true car guys this is true.

Sort of like stray dogs, they were meant to be with you.

I have lately gotten an interest in an old original Model T roadster. This looks perfect.

I am happy for you.

[Joeaksa]

And you had the parts needed AT HOME to get it running again?

Believe it found the right home!

Joe A

[azasadny]

Excellent!!!

[tweezers74]

So cool!

[tevake]

Great story of a very nice find!! Cool that you had some of its needs met at home. Sounds like a quick flip for you. Good news that you found a house with garage.
things are humming in the world of Tamas, good on ya. let us know how the clutch issue sorts out and how it drives.

Cheers Richard

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

More pics please!!

[intakexhaust]

Don't let Granny embarrass you - there's no clutch plate in a Model T as in a more conventional manual trans car! It uses a beautifully simple concept of a planetary transmission.

Left pedal is NOT a common clutch as one thinks. It engages the gears. The middle pedal is reverse when applied. The right pedal is the transmission brake. Throttle is on the steering wheel. The gear lever is a matter of feel. The bands are easily adjusted from the top and cover removed.

[Tamas Opra]

@intakexhaust
I know ,I had 2 T's before and I love to drive them.Its funny how millions learned to drive on these and yet it seems a little complicated/odd to drive them by todays standard.

[Tamas Opra]

Ok so heres a little video that I took after the first startup:
1923 Model T Roadster runs after 28 years - YouTube


You may want to checkout my youtube channel,as since the end of last year I started making videos of the cars I had while I was driving them.Theres quite a few you guys will love it.My user name is Tomka8569 .You will recognize a few cars as they were featured on BAT.

Anyhow back to the T.Today I got the seats reupholstered,thanks to Jorge making the effort to come out to my house.
Here are a few more pictures.(yes thats an american austin 1930 next to it:-)



I just love the license plate


The T and the Bantam get along quite well


New seat

Waterpump made in LA

Today I worked on the bantam a bit,got it running,but the carb seems to be clogged ,gitta take it apart tomorrow.

[intakexhaust]

If the end of the world ever comes, the Model T will be the last vehicle left...
Quirky, fun, off-road capable, rugged, parts easily swap, only need a wrench or two, screwdriver and plier for the home mechanic, burns any type of gasoline (even run on atomized vaporizer's). Some that are set-up with a basic steering damper and two speed rear-end can cruise all day at 55 mph. Open top or touring bodies seem the most fun. Kids pile in for a ride and have a lifetime memory. And for nice T's always under $10k, you can't go wrong.

[A930Rocket]

Let's see some more pix of the american austin 1930.

[Tamas Opra]

allrite here ar more pics of the austin


way more pics here

1930 American Austin Coupe pictures by oprah85 - Photobucket

[dafischer]

The water pump was an aftermarket add-on. T's didn't have a water pump, but functioned on the "Thermosyphon" principle. Cool car, Tamas. One of my dad's friends had a very rare T. It was a 4 door sedan, with an aluminum body, from 1923. Supposedly Henry built some when he was considering building an electic powered car.
I guess his friendship with Thomas Edison had something to do with this.

[Tamas Opra]

I wonder how many aluminium body sedans were made.I just sent one off to Poland last month.