Model T Ford
02-01-2009, 06:17 AM
#1
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Model T Ford
We don't realize how much automotive technology has progressed in the past 100 years, since the 1908 Model T. Engines are now extremely powerful, east to operate, as well as being emissions compliant. In today's local newspaper, an interesting article was run about the Model T and what it took to operate it. I give our great-grandparents a lot of credit for driving these crates. Here is the article:
Model T Drives Memories of Youth
By THOMAS A. BERGBAUER
For the Courier-Post
On Oct. 1, 1908, a revolutionary new auto for all of the people went on the market. It was the Model T Ford.
The T, as it was called, was the genius of Henry Ford and was around for at least 20 years. When I think of the T, it brings back memories of the elderly man who lived across the street from where I grew up in North Camden. I can still see him cranking it up to get it started each morning.
When the Model T made its debut, the purchase price was $825 and more than 10,000 were sold. Four years later, the price dropped to $575 and sales soared.
What made it so popular?
"The answer is simple," says Bob Shapleigh, a retired Haddonfield firefighter who lives in Haddon Heights. "The T was the first car that the average person could afford to buy. It wasn't very fancy, but it was reliable (by the standards of the day) and cheap and easy to fix when it did break down.
"It was revolutionary in that it was assembly line produced and the parts were interchangeable," says Shapleigh, who grew up around the Model T.
Called the car that "put America on wheels," the vehicle had 10 models from which to choose and as Ford once stated, "They (the people) can have any color they want as long as it's black."
Shapleigh says the car, nicknamed the Tin Lizzie, perhaps from Lizzie, a name commonly given to horses, came with a basic tool kit. The kit consisted of a wheel jack, air pump, Model T operations manual, oiling can, tire iron, pliers, screwdriver, adjustable wrench, hub cap wrench, open end wrenches and a spark plug and cylinder head wrench.
"I grew up with my granddad's 1922 Model T sedan and 1923 quarter ton Model T truck," he recalls.
He says his granddad, Elmer E. Eberhard of Haddonfield, had an extra engine, which in his spare time he rebuilt. He says when a working engine was worn, the "shade tree garage" came into existence.
"The vehicle was driven under a large tree limb and with block and tackle the old engine was removed and the rebuilt one lowered in, hooked up and off you went," he explains.
"My granddad was an excellent teacher," Shapleigh recalls. "I was at least 8 years old when I learned to grind new valves by hand and wrap in new piston rings, and install new bands in the transmission. The older I became, the more I was capable of doing."
Getting the car started was another task. Today we are spoiled. We just jump into our cars, start the engine and off we go.
Not so back then and Shapleigh, who is 85, points out hand cranking the T was a special trick and dangerous. The T came with a warning: CAUTION: You must retard the spark before cranking. If you forget to do this, the engine can pre-ignite and can kick the crank backward into your arms, causing pain and/or injury.
"It was common to see men walking around with an arm in a cast and sling," he says. "My granddad taught me to avoid that by turning the crank to top dead center (against compression), then pulling the crank up and out."
On the steering column just under the steering wheel there were two levers, he continues. The one on the left was to advance/retard the timing of the spark plug firing. It was advanced a bit to start the engine, retarded after the engine was running to smooth out the rpms. The right lever was the throttle, advanced a bit for starting.
"In the cab there were three pedals, the left was the clutch, the center was for reverse, the right was the brake," he points out.
Shapleigh says on the left was what looked like a hand brake. It had three positions. When you put it in the center position, it put the transmission in neutral.
"Now we are ready to start," he says. "Hand lever in neutral, spark advanced, gas lever advanced a bit, an improvised choke wire out below the radiator, of course key was set in magneto, OK, here we go.
"With the key off, you pulled the choke wire out with one hand and used the crank with the other," he continues. "Turn it over twice to get some fuel into the cylinders. Then turn key on and pull the crank over until it started."
It sounds like flying an airplane was a lot simpler.
Sometimes the transmission brake band didn't hold tight and the T would try to run over the crank, he says. You would hold the car back, then run and jump in, retard the spark and cut the throttle to idle.
"It was nice to have someone with you to do the cab work and push the brake down and turn the key off and on," he admits.
To get going, the clutch pedal was depressed, putting the transmission into low gear and advancing the gas. A running speed was attained when the clutch was brought back to high gear.
"A tricky process," he admits, "nothing smooth about this operation."
To reverse the car, the clutch was put in neutral position and the center pedal depressed.
"Now if the bands in the transmission were worn, depressing the right pedal (brake) made it tough getting stopped, so the reverse was also depressed," he points out.
"Top speed was around 35 mph," he adds.
It took about 2 1/2 hours to go to Atlantic City (60 miles), that is if you didn't get a flat tire.
The cars did not come with heaters, so in the winter a blanket was needed to keep you warm.
Many Model T fire engines were in use during those early years, Shapleigh claims. Merchantville has one in its headquarters and uses it in parades, he says.
By 1928, when the Model T was replaced by the Model A, more than 15 million Model Ts had been sold. That made it the most popular car on the road, with more Model Ts on the road than all other makes combined.
With an increase in the number of autos on the road, more dirt paths were being paved over and highways were being built.
The age of the auto had finally arrived.
Model T Drives Memories of Youth
By THOMAS A. BERGBAUER
For the Courier-Post
On Oct. 1, 1908, a revolutionary new auto for all of the people went on the market. It was the Model T Ford.
The T, as it was called, was the genius of Henry Ford and was around for at least 20 years. When I think of the T, it brings back memories of the elderly man who lived across the street from where I grew up in North Camden. I can still see him cranking it up to get it started each morning.
When the Model T made its debut, the purchase price was $825 and more than 10,000 were sold. Four years later, the price dropped to $575 and sales soared.
What made it so popular?
"The answer is simple," says Bob Shapleigh, a retired Haddonfield firefighter who lives in Haddon Heights. "The T was the first car that the average person could afford to buy. It wasn't very fancy, but it was reliable (by the standards of the day) and cheap and easy to fix when it did break down.
"It was revolutionary in that it was assembly line produced and the parts were interchangeable," says Shapleigh, who grew up around the Model T.
Called the car that "put America on wheels," the vehicle had 10 models from which to choose and as Ford once stated, "They (the people) can have any color they want as long as it's black."
Shapleigh says the car, nicknamed the Tin Lizzie, perhaps from Lizzie, a name commonly given to horses, came with a basic tool kit. The kit consisted of a wheel jack, air pump, Model T operations manual, oiling can, tire iron, pliers, screwdriver, adjustable wrench, hub cap wrench, open end wrenches and a spark plug and cylinder head wrench.
"I grew up with my granddad's 1922 Model T sedan and 1923 quarter ton Model T truck," he recalls.
He says his granddad, Elmer E. Eberhard of Haddonfield, had an extra engine, which in his spare time he rebuilt. He says when a working engine was worn, the "shade tree garage" came into existence.
"The vehicle was driven under a large tree limb and with block and tackle the old engine was removed and the rebuilt one lowered in, hooked up and off you went," he explains.
"My granddad was an excellent teacher," Shapleigh recalls. "I was at least 8 years old when I learned to grind new valves by hand and wrap in new piston rings, and install new bands in the transmission. The older I became, the more I was capable of doing."
Getting the car started was another task. Today we are spoiled. We just jump into our cars, start the engine and off we go.
Not so back then and Shapleigh, who is 85, points out hand cranking the T was a special trick and dangerous. The T came with a warning: CAUTION: You must retard the spark before cranking. If you forget to do this, the engine can pre-ignite and can kick the crank backward into your arms, causing pain and/or injury.
"It was common to see men walking around with an arm in a cast and sling," he says. "My granddad taught me to avoid that by turning the crank to top dead center (against compression), then pulling the crank up and out."
On the steering column just under the steering wheel there were two levers, he continues. The one on the left was to advance/retard the timing of the spark plug firing. It was advanced a bit to start the engine, retarded after the engine was running to smooth out the rpms. The right lever was the throttle, advanced a bit for starting.
"In the cab there were three pedals, the left was the clutch, the center was for reverse, the right was the brake," he points out.
Shapleigh says on the left was what looked like a hand brake. It had three positions. When you put it in the center position, it put the transmission in neutral.
"Now we are ready to start," he says. "Hand lever in neutral, spark advanced, gas lever advanced a bit, an improvised choke wire out below the radiator, of course key was set in magneto, OK, here we go.
"With the key off, you pulled the choke wire out with one hand and used the crank with the other," he continues. "Turn it over twice to get some fuel into the cylinders. Then turn key on and pull the crank over until it started."
It sounds like flying an airplane was a lot simpler.
Sometimes the transmission brake band didn't hold tight and the T would try to run over the crank, he says. You would hold the car back, then run and jump in, retard the spark and cut the throttle to idle.
"It was nice to have someone with you to do the cab work and push the brake down and turn the key off and on," he admits.
To get going, the clutch pedal was depressed, putting the transmission into low gear and advancing the gas. A running speed was attained when the clutch was brought back to high gear.
"A tricky process," he admits, "nothing smooth about this operation."
To reverse the car, the clutch was put in neutral position and the center pedal depressed.
"Now if the bands in the transmission were worn, depressing the right pedal (brake) made it tough getting stopped, so the reverse was also depressed," he points out.
"Top speed was around 35 mph," he adds.
It took about 2 1/2 hours to go to Atlantic City (60 miles), that is if you didn't get a flat tire.
The cars did not come with heaters, so in the winter a blanket was needed to keep you warm.
Many Model T fire engines were in use during those early years, Shapleigh claims. Merchantville has one in its headquarters and uses it in parades, he says.
By 1928, when the Model T was replaced by the Model A, more than 15 million Model Ts had been sold. That made it the most popular car on the road, with more Model Ts on the road than all other makes combined.
With an increase in the number of autos on the road, more dirt paths were being paved over and highways were being built.
The age of the auto had finally arrived.
02-01-2009, 06:36 AM
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RE: Model T Ford
Interesting story. I got to drive a 1927 Model A once that belonged to my wife's great uncle - it was alot of fun, but it was also like driving a John Deere lawn tractor (and just about as fast). He also had a 1929 Chevy coupe with a rumble seat - I so much wanted to drive that one but he never could get it to run properly.
02-02-2009, 03:30 AM
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RE: Model T Ford
When the Auto industry leaders first went to Washington, they were scolded about how the Model T got 20 MPH, and why after 100 years they have not improved mileage exponentially. Like comparing apples and oranges in weight, comfort, safety, convenience, etc.
02-02-2009, 03:38 PM
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RE: Model T Ford
My Great Grandpa had a 1928 Model A. My grandpa bought it from him and nobody wants it in my family so.... Guess who has dibs on it once Great Grandpa Ab passes away? You guessed it! ME!
But at the rate Grandpa's going I'll be married and have 3 kids by the time he dies. He still golfs and plows the driveway. He is my idol. He'll make to 100 easy.
we'll keep it original. same paint and everything. very good running car for the age. only a few weekend fixes to get it into shape.
Baige with black fender/running boards.
But at the rate Grandpa's going I'll be married and have 3 kids by the time he dies. He still golfs and plows the driveway. He is my idol. He'll make to 100 easy.
we'll keep it original. same paint and everything. very good running car for the age. only a few weekend fixes to get it into shape.
Baige with black fender/running boards.
02-03-2009, 06:50 AM
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RE: Model T Ford
I can't help but hold a very fund place in my heart for the Model T for reasons other than the invention of the assembly line. My school mascot is a 1928 Model A, The Rambling Wreck. The original was a 1914 Model T driven by the school's Dean back in the 20's. The Rambling Wreck from Georgia Tech has a pretty cool history when you dig into it. Long Live the Tin Lizzy!!
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