Yes, … welcome. I am afraid my driving days are over for this year.
The above photos from last week … ? Now the trees are bare and we
have four inches of crunchy-nasty on the ground. Winter is here. Time
to start thinking about my major work/winter projects so that when spring
comes, I am ready to roll ! 
I finished putting together a Holley S carburetor then went on a drive. Stopped by my friend’s house but they were putting up a metal building so I left before they put me to work.
WOW, nice car!
Not exactly today, but last Sunday we went to a Model A swap meet in Dayton, OH held at a Chevrolet dealership. Go figure. Among the treasures acquired was a burned out cut out for the princely sum of $2.00 into which a donated diode was installed mid week (frugality is after all a virtue). Said cut out is headed for our '22 touring affectionately known as OSITA, which is an acronym for Old Shot In The A***. The shiny “paint” is courtesy of mixing BOILED linseed oil and mineral spirits in a 50-50 blend and applying in a hot August sun.
Haven’t done much with the TT besides roll it forward and back in the
shop to make room for unrelated projects. Yesterday I drained the coolant
system to avoid any issues with an incoming cold front that the weather
dude says will have us down into single digits. Photos would probably be
too exciting for some, so I’ll spare ya’ll. 
I took my speedster to Carolina to get front disk brakes. I found a guy who has done it before and I like his work! I should get it back in a couple of weeks and I intend to post pictures as well as my opinion of the installation.
Rear disc brakes are easy, even I can install them, front disc brakes are much more complicated, and IMPORTANT. Over 45 mph you need front brakes, and that requires a custom installation from someone with experience. On a modern car most of the wear on brake calipers are on the front, front brakes are imperative if you are going to run in modern traffic, and that requires a custom install not only of the brakes , but support for the front axel, a normal wishbone which is fine at 30 mph is not sufficient at 60 mph.
Took the old dog out of winter mothballs to go fetch a load of firewood
(tree feel at a nearby church). Took closing up the cooling system and
filling, a little fussing with gas and choke, but after a few minutes we
were ready to go. As could be expected, we got a few visitors, askers
of questions, and lots of horns and thumbs up from passing cars. The day
was sunny and beautiful. Perfect for a little winter run.
A friend introduced me to a guy who raided old bulk plants in the 1980’s
for old surplus stock “junk”. He and I worked a deal on some old Standard
Oil stuff for the shop. Many of the signs were unused and still packaged
in crumbling oil paper, bound in ancient twine. While not directly “doing
something with my T”, it is T-related.
==================================
These paddle type signs are ALWAYS crunchy at the “handle” from use. This
one and the one below are near flawless. Unsure whose “scrip” they were
accepting on the sign below. One source said this sign dates to the early
depression years.
All my fuels are kept in old cans, so the Pearl Oil kerosene sign has been one
I have wanted for a long time.
One always wants to specify “Type F” for use in their Ford cars and trucks and
read the fine print on the can.
Someone used up all the Type F oil from the two cans held in this box, but forgot
to toss the box in the shop stove. Now it will have to clutter my shop. Remember,
boys and girls, Zerolene IS the Standard oil for motor cars.
It’s been said never put off till tomorrow what can be put off till the day after tomorrow.
That said, tomorrow’s tomorrow is here. Let’s return to those thrilling days of yesteryear, specifically your post from 1 NOV 17 regarding the wing nut application instead of the knurled nut for the spark plug wire end. I like the idea. “Pure-ism” and I don’t exist in the same space-time continuum.
Are they hardware store readily available, special order, use as is, or did you have to drill out and/or re-tap them? FWIW, I run the $4.50 Motorcraft plugs. Frugality, after all, is a virtue.
Thanks kindly, Tom in Taylor Mill, KY 41015
Worked some more on my turtle deck. The reproduction panel was too tall so I reworked it at my brother’s house on his sheet metal brake. The spare carrier is intentionally upside down so I can locate and drill the top two holes easier.
The wing nuts I used are metric, as I am running a Z-head with the metric
plugs. This all came as something of an “inheritance” with the head I bought.
I originally looked for a period-looking knurled nut, to replace the screw-on
tips, but could not find anything I liked. As I prefer a “Farmer Brown” approach
to “restoration” - giving the truck the relative appearance of a well-cared-for old
truck, a la 1939 - the wing nuts seemed like not only a good practical choice for
getting a good, hand-tightened grip on the wire ends, but also had the look of
something Farmer Brown would have thought a good idea in 1939.
I went online and ordered a bag of brass M6 wing nuts from a seller in China,
and about twelve weeks later got the cutest little box in the mail with chinese
characters all over it. The wing nuts are very well made and work like a charm.
I am guessing that most plugs are not metric thread, and finding brass wing
nuts with matching SAE threads could be done at any good hardware store or
fastener vendor.
The wing nuts look period correct farm tech. Nice touch.
Looks like they are in stock at Wally World:
What is it they say about imitation and flattery ? I went to Klingenberg’s Hardware, a mom-n-pop business, down the hill from me and I was soon the owner of a dozen 8/32" wing nuts. They’re not brass but for 12 cents a pop they’re good enough for who they’re for. I put a set on the Model A as well. Thanks for the original tip and all the other input.
Tom in Taylor Mill, KY 41015
Well, … happy to share and help ! I like the term “period correct farm tech” !
That is exactly it ! I have stated this before here … I grew up playing on trucks
like mine that were squirrled away in barns on neighboring farms, or even rusting
away in the fields. A few were even in use. And it always was such a thrill to see
something like an old TT truck going down the road. They were my inspiration to
own one myself some day, and I like them best in “barn fresh” finish, complete with
“period correct farm tech” modifications like wing nuts to keep those wires tight.
In the time I have owned my TT, I have had wires work loose and cause cutting
out. These make it easy to check and fix out on the road. Just as Farmer Brown
would have done it.
Took the TT out of its winter slumber today. Opened the gas line, checked the oil
levels, closed the petcock and filled the radiator. Gave it 2 pulls with the key off
and choke pulled and it fired right up when I turned the key on. Took it on a hour
long run. As always, it is a car show at every red light, errand stop, etc. Fun to put
smiles on faces like it does.
I am involved with a program called Vets on the Farm. Next weekend the farm stand
opens out at the Model Farm. They asked for me to have the truck down there for the
opening day. Figured I better work the bugs out before they need it. Looks like there
will be no bugs to work out this year ! Nice to be driving again. 
The weather is wonderful and it is just hard to make time to go driving.
Took a nice evening drive last Tuesday. I moved to this place to escape the
pus and sprawl. It is perfect for driving early cars, no matter what direction
you point them for hundreds of miles around.
Had a load of lumber to delivery to a job. Excellent opportunity
to let the old dog be seen doing what it was built to do. It didn’t
hurt to know the job involves historic restoration.
Along the way, I stopped to talk to a line crew that was replacing
power poles in an alley. When I returned to the truck, this energetic
little urchin was excitedly telling his mother all about “the facts” of
Model T trucks. I asked Mom if he might be interested in giving it a
test drive. The answer was “yes”, so I opened the door and he climbed
right in to get to work. He was pointing out the “pedals” and “shifter”
to Mom, and I asked how old he was … seemed a little young to be
using such terms. She told me he lives and breathes for cars, … old
cars. Apparently, I made his day, and Mom was pretty amused too. I
gave her a business card and offered to give the little grub worm a
ride some time.
Perhaps another innocent mind poisoned, ruined forever, to lead a
life chasing rusty junk, forgotten backroads, and weathered wood ?