"Lizzie" 1927-2007

[Old Fart]

May she rest in peace (in the garage, for a little while anyway).
I knew this day was coming when I first noticed metal chunks in the oil last year when I drained it, and every subsequent oil change.
"Lizzie" has decided to cough-up her main bearings. Model T engines do this when they wear out. It still runs, these old engines will run right up to the point of ragged disentegration!
I can't take the chance of destroying the original, "matching numbers" engine block.
Time to ship her engine up to Mass., to the guy who does nothing BUT overhaul Model T engines and have the engine/trans assy. completely overhauled.
What the heck, it's only money, a few thousand dollars , and she'll be better than new.

[las47032]

Lizzie will be resurrected soon.

For now I'll miss going for drives in the Model T.

[Anth]

It'll most certainly be worth it!

[Old Fart]

Originally Posted by las47032

Lizzie will be resurrected soon.

For now I'll miss going for drives in the Model T.

At least, 6 months from now.
It's a good thing that we have this "spare" house to mortgage, because we're going to have about $13,000 (including the purchase price) in this car by the time I'm through with it.

[Shooterman]

Originally Posted by Old Fart

May she rest in peace (in the garage, for a little while anyway).
I knew this day was coming when I first noticed metal chunks in the oil last year when I drained it, and every subsequent oil change.
"Lizzie" has decided to cough-up her main bearings. Model T engines do this when they wear out. It still runs, these old engines will run right up to the point of ragged disentegration!
I can't take the chance of destroying the original, "matching numbers" engine block.
Time to ship her engine up to Mass., to the guy who does nothing BUT overhaul Model T engines and have the engine/trans assy. completely overhauled.
What the heck, it's only money, a few thousand dollars , and she'll be better than new.

That is drop dead beautiful. I'm not sure I've said that and meant it since Gina Lollabridgida was on the scene.

[Old Fart]

I couldn't resist it. It was "For Sale" for less than a day.
I stopped to look at it the day the guy rolled it out of his garage and put a sign on it. The sign said "$5,000 and it runs", I wrote him a check.
It had been in storage for 15 years.
Aside from having to put a new top on it (wood and all), which cost me more than it sold new for ($495.00) it looked pretty much as you see it.
It's one of the last Model T's made. It was made in Feb. 1927 the end of the production run of all of the Model T's was 90 days later in May.
I originally planned on making a period correct, late 40's early 50's era, Flathead V8 powered "Hot Rod" out of it, I even had a 53 Ford pick-up engine and trans lined up to put in it, but the more I got into checking it out I realized that it was a completely original, unrestored, 80 year old "used car", complete, right down to the key for the door lock. It had been repainted and upholstered probably in the 1950's cause it has (antique) enamel paint on it and the upholstery is very sun faded and fragile, the generator had a rebuilder's tag on it from 1959.
What the hell, I drove it around for over a year and never as much as even pulled the spark plugs out of it. I knew this day was comming from the beginning, time to pay the piper.
The completely rebuilt engine/trans assy. is going to set me back $5,800+ it's going to look like any other Model T engine on the outside but it will be "blue printed" to much higher tolerances than original and balanced with a high lift cam and high compression head, I'll be able to nurse about 40HP out of it rather than the original 22.5HP which will make it much easier to drive in "modern" traffic.