Hiding away in this dusty barn is a 1926 Ford Model T Coupe that holds the promise of being a great restoration project. The owner purchased the vehicle several years ago at a farm auction with the intention of returning it to its former glory. As so often can happen, this is a project that stalled before it could start. However, his loss is your gain, because you have the chance to complete what he was unable to start. Located in Tebbetts, Missouri, you will find the Model T listed for sale here on Craigslist. In today’s world, projects don’t come much more affordable than this. Simply hand the owner $4,000 and you could be the next owner of a classic that can rightly be called an American icon. A big thank you has to go to Barn Finder Gunter K for referring the vintage Ford to us.
It isn’t clear how long it has been since the Model T plied our roads, but I suspect that the time can probably be measured in decades. The good news is that the car appears to be complete, and even though the photos aren’t the greatest, there is nothing there that indicates that the vehicle has anything more than some surface corrosion for the buyer to tackle. Of course, we can’t see the state of this old Ford’s timber, so that is something that will require investigation. Still, one of the great attractions of these old classics as project cars is the ready availability of almost every part ever made. Sometimes buyers can chance upon some surprising NOS components, but it is conceivable that someone could build a complete Model T out of reproduction parts. There is even a company that manufactures new engine blocks, so as you can see, the world is your oyster if you are tempted by this car as a project.
Ford offered the Model T with a 177ci flathead 4-cylinder engine that produced 20hp. This urge found its way to the rear wheels via a planetary gear transmission that Ford marketing literature described as a 3-speed. However, since one of those speeds was reverse, it could be considered as a 2-speed. This entire package was pretty bulletproof, and Model Ts have survived for decades in some pretty adverse conditions. This motor doesn’t run, and the owner hasn’t attempted to revive it. However, it does turn freely, so it seems that the buyer might have something decent to work with. As I previously stated, virtually anything that might be required to return the car to a roadworthy state is readily available, so getting it up and running again should be a straightforward task.
Henry Ford was determined that the Model T should always remain an affordable form of transport for the masses, and during its production run, its cost in real terms became progressively lower. Of course, that meant that there was no room for added luxuries, and this included such refinements as an electric starter. The interior perfectly demonstrated this approach, because the buyer received a seat, a steering wheel, and precious little else as standard equipment. However, Henry was determined that the Model T should represent more of a complete lifestyle rather than mere transport, so he offered a vast array of optional extras for anyone who had the money. This included obvious items like a heater and more obscure items like a barbecue. That way, owners could pop and splutter their way into the country for some clean and wholesome family activities. This Model T features none of these extras, but the interior is complete. Someone has fitted a new cover to the seat, and it isn’t correct. Some of the timber on the floor is also showing its age, but given the overall simplicity of its design, restoring the interior is an affordable activity that the buyer could tackle in a home workshop.
As the 1920s unrolled, Edsel Ford could see that the competition was making great progress and that the mighty Model T was being left in the wake of the opposition. He constantly discussed the idea of developing a replacement, but Henry Ford was determined that the car should remain in production indefinitely. However, the sales figures started to tell the story, and the 1926 model year cemented the car’s fate. While Ford managed to sell two million cars in 1923, that figure slumped by a massive 25% a mere three years later. Henry finally relented, and Model T production ended in 1927. The Model A was a more modern design with controls that were more conventional than its predecessor, but it seems that Henry’s belief in the car that he saw as his baby was not unfounded. This particular T is now 95-years-old, and it looks to be a solid old classic. With a bit of TLC, there’s no reason why it couldn’t be around in another 95-years. After all, there are plenty of earlier examples chugging around on our roads today. Restoring this car might not merely be a satisfying undertaking, but it could mean that you are creating a family heirloom for future generations to enjoy. That’s not a bad legacy to leave behind, is it?
In thee early seventies, my Uncle Paul was late getting to an estate auction, at an old Victorian house in Indianapolis. The auction of the goods in the house was almost finished. It was getting late and the sun was down. The auctioneer moved to the bar/carriage shed, behind the house. He said he was going to auction off the entire contents of the barn, sight unseen. Most of the people started leaving. Old Paul stayed and won the bid.
The auctioneer cut the lock off of the big doors. The first thing they saw was a 1927 Ford Model T, two door (Tudor)sedan. Behind it, in the barn, were four huge crates, with Ford oval logos stenciled in them. In the crates were four more Model Ts. There was a roadster, a phaeton, four door sedan and a coupe (aka “Phone booth).
Paul had to do some business with the heirs. He asked why their grandpa had all of these Model T cars. They told him that, “Grand Father liked the Model T and it’s two speed (forward) transmission. So when the Model A was coming out he bought enough Model Ts to last the rest of his life.”
Paul kept the Tudor sedan. Ford, Dearborn bought the other four, in crates. He never told me what Ford payed him. At that time, I suspect it was a reasonable amount. It was probably less than you could buy one, never driven, new old stock, Ford Model T, now. He did tell me that, when he sold the Tudor, he got all the money that he spent at the auction back.
They say, “If you snooze, you lose.” Well, not in this case.
I like stories like that……..Thank you Danny
As for this particular Model T, I think I’d do what ever is necessary to get it running and drivable. Clean up the interior. It should be left as a survivor. I like the patina.
Thats right, it should be left as a survivor. Today there is a greater appreciation for preservation of original features.
Looking at one of the pictures with the pedals showing it looks like an earlier engine may be in the car, 26 and 27 the clutch and brake petals were retangular not diamond shape. The picture isn’t real clear.
John
That is NOT a 26 engine in that coupe . It is PRE 26 because the outside pedels go up and dopwn NOT side to side . Buyer be ware!! Sparky
Apparently Ford had a warehouse in Andover, Ohio that they rented in the 20’s and 30’s to fill a gap in the parts shipping. They rented the building well into the late 60s and cancelled the contract. Theory was that the low cost of rent caused the expense to be overlooked for decades. According to several old timers the place was loaded with nos parts for T’s and A’s and were sold at auction in the 70’s. Anyone know anything about this? The old guys that told me about this when I was a kid are long gone and all though I don’t believe they lied I would just like to know if it was true or BS.
Gary Rhodes, I heard the same story from another uncle. Stuff like that happens with large corporations and FoMoCo is pretty large.
The discussion of original and a “survivor” when it comes to vehicles is a hot topic yet varies so much depending on the car and the people discussing it. There is very little that is original on this car if anything. That really should not be a surprise as no matter how well it was kept, very little will last 95 years. A little info here; all Model T’s had wood floorboards, all Model T closed cars such as this Coupe had wool carpet and cloth/wool interior. All Model T’s whether an open or closed car had a type of canvas for a roof. None of these things lasted for 94 plus years even under the best conditions. Many things were changed on Model T’s for the ’26 & ’27 model years leading into the upcoming Model A for ’28. At least a few of these changes are no longer present on this ’26. 95 years is a long time for many different repairs by many different people………..
Amen Brian…I found a 1928 Willys Knight in a barn in Ohio..building number 11 of an elderly gentlemans estate…it is a survivor as it is NOT butchered in any way..the canvas roof has been replaced somewhere along the line, still has wood spoked wheels..but NEW tires…..paint is NOT origional. but quite old…interior is pretty much as sold to first owner….but it is 94 years old..try and find another!!!!
Sparky Witham, what are you talking about? I owned several ‘Ts’ in the 50s and never had any with “side-to-side” pedals.
On ’26 & ’27 T’s the brake and clutch pedal pad surfaces or horizontal. Only the reverse pedal is the same as ’08 – ’25. The pedal spacing is also different on the last two years.
Thats just what I was tryingto say!