Model T: 110 Year Anniversary

The Model T was introduced by Ford on October 1, 1908. They made more than 15,000,000 by the time production ended in 1927. This video shows some of the engineering that went into the T, and a bit about driving it. Model Ts are fun cars to play with, but the two wheel brakes, slow highway speed, and splash oil system make them a poor choice for highway touring in today's high speed, congested world. Restoring one will hone your mechanical skills, and they make a good family project.

Ten years ago we posted Dyke's Ford Supplement on this blog in celebration of the centennial of the Model T. The link is provided below. You can click on each image and then save it for reference, just in case a vintage Ford is in your plans.

TrueBlueSam Dyke's Ford Supplement

Buzz Coil Ignition

The box of buzz coils in your Model T makes some mighty happy music as you idle along the backroads, and if a coil starts to misbehave, you can give it a swift kick to jar it back into operation. My Dad's mother would ride next to her dad, and when the engine missed he would say,"Tickle it Toots!", and she would give the coils a kick. This series of pages from Dyke's Ford Supplement tells you everything you need in order to make the Ford ignition fire off your Fliver. As usual, click to enlarge, then save the jpg images to your hard drive. You never know, one of these cars might be in your future.

After you have saved these pages, click on the label for "T's and Other Old Vehicles" to bring up all of the posts with pages from Dyke's Ford Supplement.

Click on each page to enlarge.

Graduation Day!

Tonight we have the final installment of the Ford Supplement from Dyke's Automobile and Gas Engine Encyclopedia from 1919. Whether your level of interest in Model T's is doing an immaculate restoration of a touring car, or fixing up a jalopy depot hack, this book can be your guide to the internal workings of the century-old design by Henry Ford. Click on each page to enlarge it, then right click and save it for future reference. Click on the T's label at the bottom of the post to bring up all of the posts with pages from Dyke's Ford Supplement. Happy Motoring!

Hopping Up Your Ford

The video is one we shot at an engine show last summer, and it has both Model T's and Model A's that have been converted into speedsters. The A's have an exhaust that is a little more 'cackley' than a T. These folks were sure having fun.

This Model T is a bona fide jalopy circuit racer. The old boy who drove it is long gone, but I knew him when I was a kid, and that man could fix anything. His sons drove stock cars, and they really knew how to get around inside an engine. You will too, if you study these pages out of Dyke's Ford Supplement. This week you will learn how to make your Ford perform, and leave those other Tin Lizzies in the dust. There is one more installment that will complete the book learning phase of your mechanical education. If you haven't done so already, click on the T's label to bring up all of the posts celebrating the centennial of the Model T. Click on each page from Dyke's book to enlarge it, then save it to your hard drive. Happy Motoring!

Breathing Easy

You are well on your way to being a Model T Ford mechanic if you have been reading these scans from Dyke's Ford Supplement. The lesson this time is Carburetors. The pages are jpg images scanned at 100 lines per inch, so click on each one to enlarge, and save them to your hard drive. Next time we open the book we will look at the Ford ignition system.

Click on the T's label to bring up all of the pages posted thus far.

Ride The Narrow Gauge Model T!

Take a ride on the narrow gauge Model T at Old Threshers! After your trip, be sure to click on each page below to enlarge, then right click and save for future reference when you are working on your Ford. If you are new to this site, click on the T's label to bring up all the posts with pages from Dyke's Ford supplement.

Model T Centennial Celebration Continued!

I am sure some of you took off for Grandma's house without switching to your winter oil. If that is the case, these next few pages of 'Dyke's Ford Supplement' will be your guide as you get under the old flivver and adjust the knock out of your rods. Remember on cold days to block the wheels and jack up one back wheel so the old girl doesn't run over you when you crank her up. Take off the top floorboard to get a little heat back in the cab on these cold winter days.

These pages are jpg images scanned at 100 lines per inch. Click on each one to expand, then save it to your hard drive. You will eventually have a very nice resource for working on your Ford. Click on the T's label to see all of the pages posted so far.

Frozen Flivver Follies

Model T's came from the factory with only rear wheel drive, but if you look through old literature you will see that aftermarket accessories could be added to improve the versatility of the Tin Lizzie. The first video shows a 1917 Model T with a four wheel drive attachment added on, and it does pretty well in the snow. Most T owners kept a set of chains available to deal with mud and snow, and since the car only weighed about 1200 pounds, and had lots of clearance around the tires, it was a great mudder with chains on the drive wheels.

The second video shows off snowmobile attachments made for Fords that operated in the frozen north. Below are three more pages from Dyke's Ford Supplement. I have peeked ahead, and by the time we get through these pages you will know how to turn you Model T into a hot rod. Click to enlarge, and save them to your hard drive for future reference. Click on the T's label at the end to see all the pages thus far.

Mrs. TBS and I got caught up in the Ford Fever and bought a new-to-us Flivver. We looked at rental cars, and were able to find obvious signs of abuse, and so we switched to looking at leased cars, and found a very nice 2008 with 20,000 miles on it.

More Model T Mechanic Mania

We saw this fixer-upper at Boonville, IN last summer. The owner probably keeps it going with his copy of Dyke's Ford Supplement. Click on each page below to enlarge, then save it to your hard drive. Click on the T's label to collect all of the pages.

Next time: Carburetors!

Over the River and Through the Woods

You all are probably getting ready to hit the road on Wednesday to visit family for Thanksgiving. If your T has been chattering in low gear, or the clutch has been slipping in high gear, you better continue reading the pages from 'Dyke's Ford Supplement.' I don't want your flivver dying on the side of the road.

Cartoon from "Model T Memories" by Floyd Clymer

These pages are jpg images scanned at 100 lines per inch, and you can copy them to your hard drive for future reference. Click on each image to en-biggify, then right click and save picture as. These four pages complete the section on the Model T transmission. The previous posts can be found by clicking on the T's label at the end of the post, or in the label list on the right side of the page.