High Gear to Clutch

As I stated earlier, I am new to the model T’s. I know that when you are going down a hill the timing is retarded and the throttle is reduced. When you let out the low speed the car will stop with the assistance of the brake. The question I have is this.if I am in high gear my foot is off the pedal. if I want the car to stop for some reason suddenly would I still be able to put the hand brake lever into neutral. Would that stop the car the same as it would if I were in low? Obviously not on a dime.

If you put the hand brake lever in the center position the car would eventually coast to a stop because the clutch is disengaged and there are no brakes applied.

With a Model T a panic stop can cause quite a panic because they’re not the best to stop in a panic. That being said, you would have to be quick with the pedals and push the left one 1/2 way and hold it there and use your right foot to apply the brake as firmly as required to get the desired result and maintain control. I always look as far ahead in traffic to avoid panic stops. Now in an absolute panic, I have heard (not recommending) someone say, just jam all 3 pedals to the floor. But, to me, this may also cause some control issues because, like any car, if you lock up the rear wheels, the steering gets snaky and with the Model T steering, I think that this would not only cause an issue with control, but might require a quick trip home to do some laundry :laughing: