T-Time on the Mother Road – 1925 Ford Sedan

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Old U.S. Route 66, a.k.a. the “Main Street of America” or the “Mother Road” carried waves of early westbound travelers and tourists through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona all the way to California. The road opened in 1926, and over the years was certainly traveled by thousands of cars like this one.

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It’s a 1925 T-model Ford two-door sedan. This one is in exceptional, untouched condition, and is offered for sale here on craigslist. The asking price is $6,000. It’s shown in the first photo in front of the sign of a very well known Rt. 66 landmark, the Gardenway Motel, and the car is located in nearby Gray Summit, Missouri.

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The seller tells us this car is all-original and period correct, and that it has had only enough repairs to get it back to running and driving condition. He states that it was kept in dry storage in a rural farm building for nearly 55 years!

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This interior shots certainly lend credence to the notion that this car has ever had very few hands on it. To drive, use and enjoy it like it is, keeping the interior in the original condition shown here, would be a real challenge. Even if patched up, it would wear very quickly because of the age, but I also think replacing it entirely would be a loss in this case.

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The final shot shows the spare tire is missing,  and that the car sports a 1925 Illinois license plate. As long as the number doesn’t conflict with a modern plate currently in use, in Missouri and Illinois, it’s legal to register a “year of manufacture” license plate to the car. Is this legal in your area?

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I think this car is too nice and original by far, to consider restoring it. What’s your opinion?

Auctions Ending Soon

Comments

  1. OhU8one2

    The way I see it is,after the car was made roadworthy,you would have a car for parades. It’s no longer safe by today’s standard. But if your willing to anti-up,and put in the time. What you’ll have is a novelty car. A realic to show the younger generation how American’s once traveled our roadways. Nice history tour.

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    • Doc

      Nonsense. I drive a Model T in normal traffic regularly. It doesn’t stop as quickly as a modern car, so you need to leave yourself a little more room, but beyond that, it’s perfectly safe in traffic.

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      • Tom S.

        Just hope you don’t get T-boned by a Suburban.

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  2. DolphinMember

    Spent some time on Rt. 66 this past February. Great memories there, kept alive by a lot of businesses that benefit from it, but that’s just fine with me. The biggest pleasant surprise was that the Wigwam motel still has a vintage car parked permanently in front of each wigwam.

    Agree with OhU8, this T tudor might be able to get along on some of the rural roads out in the hinterland, but not the heavily used roads around Phoenix or most cities. It really is a novelty / relic car now.

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  3. JW454

    I agree, this T is mostly just a novelty car at this point. However, one of its successors, a 1930 “A” model, is used daily by a person in my town. I see it out an about several times a week making trips to the local Wal-Mart, Ace Hardware, fast food joints, and other places. Making the feature car roadworthy, it could serve just as well in that role in our small town.

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  4. Jesper

    Just use it for local driving. No rush our.
    Take it easy, and be carefull when u drive in it.
    I have a Renault Frégate, 1956 i use as everyday car in the summer season.
    That i ofcourse doesnt drive, as my newer Mercedes.
    People make crazy overhaul, and i are wery carefull, when i make left turn.

    This old Ford, is super sweet.
    It should be forbidden, to cut all these historic cars up for making toy cars (hot rod’s)
    Soon they are all gone.
    Just my opinion.

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  5. Jay D.M.

    In Illinois it is legal to run year of manufacturer plates as long as the car is registered with antique plates. When I had a 67 Mustang I got 1967 Illinois plates off EBay. Ran them for years. Just adds a bit yesterday to the old gal.

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  6. survivor

    I run 1960 NY plates on my 1960 Volkswagen.

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  7. Carroll overton

    I do the same in NC and never been pulled over to verify
    I think it’s a compliment to your ride
    C overton

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  8. DAVE

    It’s a 1926 body not a 25. I don’t care what his title says.

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    • z1rider

      I was thinking the same thing. An underhood shot would have settled it very easily.

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  9. CarGuy

    Just FYI, the Lincoln Highway, or US Highway 30, is officially known as “America’s Main Street.” The 100th Anniversary of the highway was celebrated in 2013 with road tours starting in New York and San Francisco and culminating at the halfway point in Kearney, Nebraska. Henry Joy of Packard Motor Co.was one of the people who suggested the name Lincoln Highway 100 years ago. His 1916 Packard Twin 8, a V-16, touring car was on display at the event .

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    • z1rider

      V-16? Unless it was a one-off, (possible for a Packard exec I suppose) then I think you are talking about the twin 6, a v-12.

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  10. roger

    Street rod it.

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    • Mark S

      I think a resto mod would be better than street rod. Keep it looking original as possible, but install the drive line out of a 2.3 litre pinto with a 4 or 5 speed trans and rear axle then install the pinto steering and brakes. Than restore interior and body and paint it red body and black fenders. Finally install some period looking steel wheel and paint them red too.

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      • Doc

        Both are horrible ideas. Leave it original. A properly rebuilt and tuned Model T is very reliable and capable of 55mph. If this were a shell of a car, that might be different, but a 90 year old survivor shouldn’t be destroyed like that.

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  11. Jesper

    Right said Doc….

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  12. George

    make it operable and clean it up. Then drive it.

    Like 0

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