Totally non-interseting, except that its brake lights were out. I followed him for miles, hoping I’d have an opportunity to tell him his brake lights were out. He took a left at the corner market, where I wanted to stop. I followed him to the southern end of the state park, where he turned into the turn-around. I went into the other end of the turn-around and told him his brake lights (except for the centre one) were out. He seemed grateful. I went back to the corner market, a few miles back.
I have no personal experience, but I have heard from YouTube videos that driving a Model T feels more like driving a big riding lawnmower than a modern car.
Surprisingly difficult, if you are used to a modern car. It has a steering wheel and three pedals, so you think it works like a modern car, but it doesn’t. Instead of the three pedals being gas, brake, and clutch, they are brake (on the right, where you expect the gas to be), reverse, and hi/low gear select. There are two levers on the steering column just under the steering wheel so that you can operate them while you are steering the car. The right lever is your gas throttle and the left lever controls the timing advance, which you have to manually control yourself. So every time you go up a hill you need to adjust both the throttle and the timing.
There is also a really big jump between gear ratios from low gear to high gear.
I own an old VW Beetle so I am used to driving a car that doesn’t have power steering or power brakes. The steering on the Model T is just as easy to control as the Beetle, so no biggie there. The Model T actually handles very nicely. The brake pedal is connected to the transmission, not to the wheels, so the brake is a bit weak by modern standards.
I only just bought it today so I haven’t driven it much, but my first trip around the block was a bit of a struggle. I was constantly fighting my instincts the entire way. It’s like learning how to drive all over again (ok, I want to slow down, so move the throttle lever, adjust the timing, and right foot on the brake pedal all the way on the right. Ok now I want to speed up and shift gears, so move the throttle lever, adjust the timing again since we’re accelerating, push the big brake lever forward, and then release the left pedal). It’s also kind of weird to push the throttle lever into position and then just leave it there. On a modern car you are in constant control of the throttle by how much pressure you put on the gas pedal. On the Model T, if you let go of the throttle lever it just stays where it is. If you don’t move the throttle lever, the car still wants to go at the same speed.
If you are in low gear with the brake lever in the neutral position, then you basically use the left pedal like a clutch, except backwards. You push the pedal in to make it grab, and release the pedal to make it slip. To get the car moving, you push in on the left pedal while fiddling with the throttle lever and timing lever. Once the car is moving and you want to go into high gear, you push the big parking brake lever forward (this lever has two different functions). Now your left pedal doesn’t act like a clutch. When you let the pedal out, the car switches from low gear to high gear.
It definitely takes some getting used to. Everything just feels backwards.
In PA (where I live) it’s licensed just like any other car. I’m getting an antique plate for it, which has some restrictions. They don’t want you driving it around after dark since it only has two headlights, one tail light, and nothing else. As you can imagine, a black car with only one small tail light and no turn signals is going to be a bit difficult for other drivers to see in the dark. I think the Model T is actually the poster child for why PA restricts vehicles with antique plates to daytime only driving.
Cars with antique plates also don’t need to be inspected every year.
Right now PA is very slow with processing antique plates, so I paid a bit extra for a regular plate for it just so I can drive it now. In a month or two when the antique plate finally shows up, I’ll put that on it. I can keep the regular plate and put it on some other vehicle at some point.
Neat! I was gonna make a wisecrack about you being lucky to get a black one but it looks like they were available in other colors in 1926 (and before 1914).
The car was only offered in black from 1914-1925, however before and after that various models of the vehicle could be purchased in a variety of colors including blue, red, grey, and green.
When I was little I noticed a peeling vinyl top. I pointed it out to my mom and said, ‘Look! Tht roof has a sunburn!’ She told me I was actually right; that the Sun will cause vinyl to peel like that. I don’t remember if I said it out loud or not (I think I did), but what was in my mind was along the lines of ‘I know, mom. That’s why I made the joke.’
I’m not even sure what this is. For reference, this was about the size of a Ford Econoline, but with the cab push back. At first I thought it might have been a modified pickup, but with the windows slanted forward, I don’t think that’s the case.
