Ryan & Richard’s Model T…

Ryan & Richard’s Model T…. “The R&R Special”

July 31, 2004 was the day we all gathered at our place (Frank & Carole Fenton’s) to turn over the MTFCIF Speedster to its new owners, Charlie & Anita Owen. It was a sad day for the Rockford Club, but moods improved when Ryan & Richard announced that they would like to build a Model T……

So, step-dad, Tim will donate an engine, Tim’s dad will donate a rebuilt transmission.

The boys negotiated with Frank to work a couple of days around the place to pay for a 1925 chassis.

Ryan checks out the rear tires…some real off-roaders… Or is that Richard???

Richard checks out the front tires…or is that Ryan????

Yep, they seem pretty happy with the “base” for their car…

August 18 was the first work day… as the boys had to spend a couple weeks with grandma and a few days at scout camp…

We moved the chassis over by the shop…near a shade tree…..and took it apart.

Get those nuts loose holding the rear spring….

Richard starts on the front spring mount…..

Dad, Tim finds the WD-40 spray bottle that we filled with Marvel Mystery Oil….

Get those fender irons off there….

Let’s clean & wirebrush the frame while it is still on wheels..

With a power wire brush….

Not bad….very few pits….cleaning up nicely…..

OK, let’s get the frame off there….

It’s free, now wire brush the bottom and get it cleaned up for paint…..

A little work with the wire brush……

And let’s paint it… They used POR-15, and what a beautiful job they got….

Almost done with the first coat…. Has to dry 5-6 hours, so second coat will wait a few days…..

OK, let’s get those rear spring shackles off…..

Got the rear spring off…..

And the front spring…..

And the wheels……

Got ‘em….

The next work day was Friday, August 20, 2004….to get a second coat of paint on the frame and to get the springs torn apart, wire brushed and painted…

Before things could get started, Ralph & Ronna Ricks from Huntington Beach, CA stopped by. They were in nearby Loves Park visiting Ronna’s mother, Ruth Pearson. Great people, and as Ruth is only 88, we were able to walk all over the place to see the toy barns as well as all of Carole’s Water Plants and plant collection.

Ralph is the one with the clean hands……

They had some tools to donate to the boys to help with the project…..

Great stuff: A long extension cord, ½ inch drill with disk sanding attachment, sanding disks, an adjustable wrench, a hammer, gloves, an antique gas can….what a great addition to the boys’ tool chest… Thanks, Ralph, and thanks for stopping by.

OK, Let’s get that rear spring apart…..

Got it…now tap out what’s left of that shackle bushing…..

About that time, Wayne Orrison stopped by with some coils he had found….4 for $15. We put them on my simple battery operated coil tester and got them to buzz after cleaning lots of crud from the contact area. Dad, Tim has some new points and condensers and can make them sing with his hand cranked tester…….

OK, got everything wire brushed well and cleaned with solvent….time to paint those springs with POR-15…

Note that after our initial ‘run in’ with POR-15 we started wearing gloves. It is tough stuff to get off your hands……

And a second coat on that frame…..

Tomorrow, Saturday, August 21, a second coat will go on those springs, then a coat of graphite paint.

The frame will be sanded, primed and finished with chassis black...

Next job was the wheels… get them looking decent….and make sure they’re safe….

Let’s get all that old paint off there…

We discovered one die in the Anderson Timer manufacturing process made perfect spoke shims.

Richard punched some out….. in stainless steel, of course….

Lots of work here….

The impact wrench came in handy…..

Tomorrow is the first day of school.

We’re gonna wear this paint and grease “like a badge”….

We took a break, and the boys decided that my Roadside Service Truck,

In the background needed a new varnish job in the worst way.

They decided to do it the next Saturday……

Yep, the varnish is almost gone on the rear doors….

What a great gift to me it was….I had been dreading that job

Thanks Ryan, Richard, Mike and Tim….. the truck looks new.

Mike goes over the wood with the tack cloth after sanding…

Yep, they masked the glass……

Here is the crew..Tim, Ryan, Mike and Richard posing in front of

the newly re-finished Roadside Service Truck….

What’s that round button they’re wearing???

After the last work day, I made them special buttons to wear…..

Seems appropriate for all of us to wear one of these….

After the Roadside Service Truck was done, the springs were assembled

And are now ready for installation with two coats of POR-15 and one

Coat of graphite paint.

Recently, Billy McGuire contacted the boys with the offer of a speedster body that he had made and is declaring ‘surplus’.

The boys replied that they would appreciate the donation, so plans are underway to pick it up at Hershey.

Ryan got permission from Sheryl Stier and Don Lang to use the Model T Ford Club area at Hershey as a temporary staging and meeting area for parts for the boy’s car…..so, anyone with any ‘surplus’ parts….. you know where to leave them…..