In November I completed the first frame up restoration of our November 1911 built touring car. I started the restoration in late March and it took about 8 months to the day to complete. It helps that I retired in May! It is probably considered a 1912 model year as it came with removable front doors, but it still had the stepside body. I like that body style, but it made painting and buffing out more difficult.
The car was very solid, coming to Kansas after spending 110 years in southern California. This is the second T that I’ve restored, but the first that I rebuilt the engine and rear axle myself. Mike Bender did the block babbitt work and a machine shop did the cylinders, valves and head milling work. Everything else I did. It is amazing how much money you save if you paint it yourself. I used single stage urethane that I then sanded and buffed to a mirror finish.
I painted it black instead of midnight blue because all the original paint remnants that I found were black.
Here are a couple of pictures of it after my first drive in it. I am glad that I recharged the magnets and carefully set the gap, because it easily starts on magneto.
Neal
