Well, I've wanted to do this for years, but never had the chance. Everywhere I looked the cars or parts I wanted were out of reach, both financially and realistically. Unfortunately a medical problem has kept me out of work for the last few months, so time was started to wear me down. Day in and day out, doctor visit after doctor visit, I started to go stir crazy. So, saturday found me out wandering around the countryside with my four year old son, him wanting; out of the house as badly as I did. We wandered here and there, exploring new roads, and as always, kept an eye out for interesting tin. We turned up a dead end road (didn't know it at the time) and as we were coming to the end I saw a pair of "T" headlights poking out of some brush. Hmmm. I stopped at the next driveway, intending to turn around, and I was in heaven. The driveway was to a shop, and it wasn't so much a driveway as it was a path. A path between piles of "T" and "A" parts. Engines, transmissions, tin, axles galore. There were windshield frames, whole "T" windshields, and stacks and stacks of wire wheels. I couldn't believe it. We backed to the house with the frame in the yard. I went to the door and introduced myself to the owner. He's 94 years old and doesn't look a day over 70. We talked, and I have to admit I was really nervous. Most of the time I stop at places to talk to the owners I get either one of two responses; "Not for sale", or "Get the hell out of here before I call the cops". I almost forgot, I also had one "I'm gettin' my gun you bastard!" This guy was nothing like that. I told him what I was after and asked about some cowls lying out front. He said, "You don't want those, come back here". We went behind the shop to a lean to building, and he shows me a 27 cowl sitting next to the remains of a sedan body. It was a nice looking cowl, and I started to think that my next statement was going to get me in trouble. "I don't have much money", I said, "maybe I should just look at those ones out by the road." "Nawh, you want this one", he replies, "I'd give it to you for, say, how about 10 bucks?" 10 bucks? Either I'd died and gone to heaven or I was about to never be heard from again... "10 bucks sounds too good to be true", I tell him. "Do you want it?", he asked again. "Heck yeah I want it", I replied. From there my day only got better. I had a cowl, a somewhat raggedy grille shell, windshield frame, and the hinge plates that bolt to the cowl, all for $30. I arranged to come back the next day (Sunday) and pick up my parts. Sunday it rained cats and dogs. Between my gimp leg and cane and my newfound 94 year old friend, the idea of loading parts in the rain didn't seem like a good idea. Monday became my new target date, and I spent all afternoon reading through my ragged collection of mags looking at cars and daydreaming about mods. Monday morning rolled around, the sky dark but free of moisture. After my mandatory trip to the docs, I headed out to the shop where my dreamcar awaited me. I met the son of the owner, another in a line of engine builders and car lovers. Time to collect my treasures. I backed my van up to the shed, and we loaded my cowl. Underneath the cowl lay the back of the sedan body, and underneath that lay the floor, from the cowl attachments back behind the seat frame. My newfound friend threw these in for free. I asked about doors, and he dug up a beautiful set of "T" sedan doors, narrower than I had hoped, but for another $10 they'll work beautifully! I topped off my treasure trove with an "A" axle, complete with the still attached wishbone and spindles with backing plates, another $10 treasure. Before I left, the owner showed me a book he had that had everything and anything you ever wanted to know about a "T" in it. The book even had dimensions for custom truck bodies you could add behind your cab and frame originally. I left him and his wonderful playground a happier man. I realized that I'm on the right track. Any hobby were a 94 year old man still enjoys what he does must be right on about something. I mean the guy has an "A" he's building with an original engine, converted to overhead valves, with a Max Iskederian cam, and he smiled when he said it'd go faster than you'd want to in a model A. Too cool. If I have a quarter of that energy at HALF his age I'll be unstoppable! I feel like I found a car and a friend today, and that's what led me to join this group. Lifes too short as it is, and I'm tired of wasting it wishing and wanting for something I don't have. I have a rusted up pile of model T parts, and I'm gonna make something out of them, even if it takes me forever to get it done. With some help from my new friend and some from the members of this group, I'll be well on my way. Thanks for having me, Electrodude
Thanks for sharing that. Great first post. I hope this project is all the medicine you need and you get better quick.....They're still out there!
Thanks Trashed, I already feel better just sitting here in the house and thinking about being outside working on my car...
Welcome to the Hamb from st louis Electrodude....you better keep in touch with your new friend....send him a christmas card......
Yea and in between building on your new car. if you get time we could use more storylines of that nature. (too cool) welcome...ghost
Thank you all for the warm welcome. I'm sure I'll have more to write about as time goes on, but first I need to empty the garage so I can start laying out my floor and cowl to figure out how I'm going to configure the body. Right now I think I'm leaning towards using the back of the sedan body to form the rear of a roadster cab, then fabricate from behind the door posts to the back. Then again, with the majority of the sedan body there, maybe I'll mock it out and see about making an extended type enclosed cab. Here on the wrong side of Washington state (the left, or rainy side) a closed cab makes more sense if you want to use it as much as possible. Back that up with a wooden flatbed, possibly a beer keg gas tank, and I'll be seventies stylin' in no time!
The Jalopy Journal
