Early Fords had a well-earned reputation for longevity, and this 1923 Model TT Delivery is no exception. It spent its active life up until 1949 as an ice delivery wagon, before it was dismantled in a barn. The current owner purchased it in 2017 and undertook a refurbishment. He added some cool custom touches along the way, making this a truly unique vehicle. It is now ready to go to a new home, so if it appeals to you, then you will find it located in Schenectady, New York, and listed for sale here on Barn Finds Classifieds. The owner is asking $13,500 for this great old classic.

When the Ford ended its active life as an ice delivery van in 1949, the owner at that point parked it in a barn and dismantled it. The vehicle remained there until it was moved to a garage in 1969. No progress was made on the restoration, and in 2017, the current owner purchased it with a view to undertaking a refurbishment. This is now complete, and while the body is largely original, it does have some interesting custom touches. The cab body itself is original, right down to the frosted glass on either side. The majority of the timber rear body is also original, although the doors have been sourced from a number of interesting locations. The front “reach-in” door on the passenger side was actually sourced from a General Electric refrigerator. The leadlight door on the same side originally saw service in a hotel in Brighton, England. The rear doors are also refrigerator doors and were from a machine that was built as a collaboration between General Electric, and A.L Co. in Schenectady, New York. The rest of the body is fairly original, while the frame is free of any rust issues.

Powering the Model TT is a 4-cylinder flathead engine with a capacity of 177ci. This engine produces 20hp, and given the fact that this old Ford doesn’t feature an accessory gearbox, top speed would be somewhere between 15 and 20mph. The entire drivetrain of the vehicle is said to be original, and the story behind this one is a true testament to just how robust these Ford flathead engines really are. When the Delivery was retired in 1949, it was driven into a barn. That was the last time that it moved under its own power until the current owner purchased it in 2017. He collected the vehicle, and when he got it home, he gave the engine a clean to remove all of the accumulated dust and dirt. He fitted a new set of plugs, and that flathead fired right up! Since then, he has gone right over the vehicle, and it is now in good running and driving order.

The cab of the Delivery is another area where we get to see a combination of original features and interesting custom touches that were added by the current elderly owner. The base of the seat is original but has been reupholstered. The seatback is a custom piece and was fashioned from the headboard of the owner’s mother’s bed. Mounted on the dash is a box that houses the Trembler Coils. This box started its life as the case for a World War I 30-caliber machine gun. The rest of the interior is basically original, and it does present quite nicely.

The rear cargo area of the Model TT is as neat and clean as you could ever hope to find. The original wainscoting on the ceiling has been carefully refinished, while the timber walls and floors are cedar. It isn’t clear why new timber was required for the walls and floors, but given the amount of moisture that it would have been exposed to during its working life, it is probably a safe bet that the original timber had either deteriorated or rotted to the point where restoration wasn’t a viable option.

When you look at this 1923 Ford Model TT Delivery, it is a vehicle that exudes plenty of charm. The custom touches are definitely quirky, but they just add to its character. The real bonus with these custom touches is that if the next owner is seeking complete originality, these changes should be easy to reverse. If the next owner simply wants a classic that will grab plenty of attention and comments wherever it goes, then this could be a great option. At the asking price, what it does seem to offer is some fairly affordable fun, and that can never be a bad thing.