Introduction

How did I end up with two Ford Model T's, and why did I start this blog?  Well, it started in June of 2018, when my wife and I went to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village with my brother and sister-in-law.  Growing up in northwest Ohio, it seemed like every year we were drug there as kids, either with the family a or on a field trip with school.  It had been many years since I had been there, so I was glad to have the chance to go again.  For those who have never been there, the Henry Ford Museum was started by... Henry Ford.  It is a great but rather eclectic collection of all things Americana.  It is a great museum though, and well worth your time if you are ever in the Detroit area.  

Henry also created Greenfield Village, which is a collection of interesting historical buildings that Henry bought and moved from all over the country to this manufactured village.  Do you want to see the Wright brother's home and bicycle shop?  Don't go to Dayton.  Henry bought them and moved them to his village.  Thomas Edison's lab is there, and many other historical buildings from around the country.  Today, many would throw a fit if someone took a historical building and moved it away, but quite likely Henry saved many of these buildings from destruction.  

Greenfield Village Model T giving rides in front of the Wright brothers home & shop

Before that day, owning a Model T had never crossed my mind.  I was a life-long airplane guy who had built a two place airplane that I still enjoy flying today.  However, going through the museum and seeing people getting rides in their fleet of Model T cars gave me the bug to get my own T.  

About a month later, a 1921 Model T touring car ended up in our garage in Andover, Kansas.  It was a nice, older restoration built in late July, 1921.  By 1921 the Model T was the undisputed king of the road; about half of all the cars on the road at that time were Model T's.  This particular car had a classic Model T look that most people would recognize: all black, convertible top, and 5 seats.  1921 was the first year that Ford built over a million Ts, and over 15 million would be produced before production ended in 1927.

When my car was restored is unknown.  My guess is the 1970s or 80s based on paint, upholstery and a few other details.  Unfortunately, nothing is known about its history, other than that the previous owner bought it for decoration in his restaurant in California.  However, it just ended up in storage for several years before he sold it.

Our First Model T.  Yes, legroom is an issue

The car was a good "first T".  It needed some minor mechanical work, but otherwise ran pretty well.  It was after several months of owning and messing with it that I realized what I really wanted to do was restore a T.  Catching my wife in a good mood in October of 2018, I brought up the subject and threw in a trip to Europe the following summer to sweeten the pot.  I was interested in finding a "brass era" T to restore, one made between 1909 and 1916, the most prominent brass item being the brass radiator.  Ford was all about reducing the cost of the Model T.  Brass was expensive, which is why it was reduced and eventually eliminated after the 1916 model year.

My search for a project car resulted in the purchase of a 1915 Runabout, which was the two seat version of the Model T.  The car made its way from Oregon to Kansas in November of 2018, where it hibernated for the winter before the frame up restoration started the following March.  I had decided that rebuilding the engine and rear axle was something that I did not want to tackle, so those were taken to expert rebuilder, Mike Bender, in Tulsa.  So began a 13 month restoration project that was completed during the beginning of the Covid pandemic.  

Our 1915 Runabout on the first anniversary of the completed restoration

I really enjoyed restoring the runabout, and  continue to enjoy driving it.  In time I got the itch to restore another T, this time an even older brass era T, but this time a touring car that ideally was old enough that it did not have front doors.  Besides, I got this message in a fortune cookie in late 2020, so how could I not look for another T project??

I blame this fortune cookie's prediction for getting the our 1911 restoration project

Model Ts are pretty awkward to enter or exit because the driver side "door" on most of the the car's production were only cosmetic, requiring the driver to get in first from the passenger side.  Model Ts from 1909 to the end of 1911 did not have front doors, making it much easier for the driver to get in.  So once again I was in the market for another T.  It was in May of 2021 that just such a project came up for sale.  After several months of negotiation, a deal was struck and the car made its way from California to Kansas.  It has a very unique history that I will cover in a future post.  Our 1921 T now had a new owner who picked it up the day before the 1911 T arrived in mid October.  The timing could not have been better!

Our 1911 Model T "before"

So you now know the answer to my first question.  The answer to the second question is that I want to provide some of the history of this unique Model T and to document my experiences restoring this car in a format that my family and friends can follow.  I hope that it will be part history, part educational, and hopefully a bit entertaining along the way!