Condolences - Bill Sieberg

June Brunch News

The June Monthly Brunch turned out 3 Model Ts, 1 new member, 1 junior member-in-training, and 5 members overall.  We lingered until well past 1 p.m. as new member, Dave Barker of Beavercreek, was introduced to the club and told us of his family's history with the 1919 Speedster he is rebuilding. Dave was joined by Ethan, Darryl and Nancy's grandson, and all-around lover of Model T autos having inherited that gene from Darryl.  Ethan was Darryl's partner at last year's Ohio Jamboree and looks forward to his first driver experience in the 1922 Touring.

June Brunch Bunch Minus Denny The Photog

Shandon Swap Meet

Shandon Swap Meet by webdoofus

Featured Member T - May/June

Steve Ellis Relates The Six Post Express Story

I married Valerie in 1972 while I was in the United States Air Force. We decided to marry quickly and gave our parents two weeks notice. Her folks (Henry and Helen Black) lived in rural Maine and operated a dairy farm and were understandably unable to attend the ceremony.

Later, we took some USAF leave time and visited them so I could get acquainted. Her dad and I really hit it off (no wedding expense!) and found we shared several interests. Among those interests, he had an old Model T Touring Car stuffed into a barn that he intended to get out and drive again. It had been his first car and he courted my mother-in-law in it. He also had a pile of parts from an earlier T that he intended to use for spare parts. I learned to drive in a my dad's '23 T Touring!

Over the course of many years it never got done. So, in 1994 (22 years later) we literally dragged the Touring Car out of the barn with a tractor with the intention of getting it running for him. Two years later we took it back and presented it to him. We teased him excessively and wouldn't give him any information about our progress. Finally, on the designated day, we'd arranged for his childhood friends to enjoy the arrival of the car. Many of them had piled into this car as they went to softball games. A small ‘potluck’ was laid out and lunch was served as we unloaded the car. They couldn't believe the transformation. He took my mother-in-law for a long ride and continued to enjoy the car for several years before his health declined. After his death we retrieved the car again and it is now titled in my son's name first and my name second. Whenever I pass, he'll have no title work to do.

I found the restoration so much fun that after a year of ‘rest‘ we retrieved the earlier vehicle's remaining parts, gathered many more things I would need and finished the restoration of the 1920 Six Post Express to it's current state. My father-in-law had to positively identify the body for me, because all I had left to view in the pile were running gear, firewall, headlights, radiator, miscellaneous parts in a galvanized feed bucket. When Henry looked at the Ford Commercial Body booklet, he immediately pointed at Body #84 and said ‘that's it!’

Steve, and Henry's, 1920 Six Post Express
 

 This vehicle spent its first life in an apple orchard, rarely on the road. The body irons and tailgate hinges where missing, but a local friend, Cliff Whitney, had a set on an old wooden farm wagon that appeared perfect for the task. As I began measuring for the actual reconstruction, I discovered that the irons were perfect and everything fit without modification...so I concluded Henry and Cliff must have both been right!

Two vehicles saved from the recycler!
 

Newsletter Changes

The Mad River Ts newsletter has undergone a redesign and we are changing its frequency from monthly to bi-monthly.  Look for the new design beginning today, May 15, covering May and June, then in the odd-numbered months throughout the year.  Submissions for the newsletters should be made as early as possible before the beginning of odd-numbered months for inclusion in each bi-monthly newsletter.  The new schedule tracks with the bi-monthly format of Vintage Ford.

Newsletter Page

Evening Social - April 16

 

Our second evening gathering is scheduled for tomorrow evening, April 16 at 7 p.m.  We hope you will join us at the Panera Bread store near I-75 at 1920 W. Main Street in Troy.  Enjoy dinner or some hot chocolate or coffee and an evening dessert along with some fine fellowship with T lovers.

 

Featured Member T - April 2013

Dan Treace’s Autowa T at Winter Tour 2013

Dan Treace’s Autowa-Bodied Model T

The superb restoration of this unique T began with Dan’s persistence at pursuing this after-market body to add to his collection of antique autos. Though another buyer outbid Dan on an eBay auction, Dan was able to negotiate a subsequent transfer to him in Florida.

This Autowa body was produced as one of the "popular bodies for Ford chassis." The company that built these beautiful bodies was located in Ottawa, Illinois and sold the entire collection for a body and its associated parts for $297.50. We bet Dan has considerably more invested in this restoration.

You can view this great Model T on You-Tube as Dan has posted several videos there. Outstanding!
 

Henry Ford

Important Date - Spring Planning Meeting and Brunch

Don't forget this Saturday, March 23rd, is the Spring Planning Meeting at Heck Yeah in Piqua.  We plan to gather for breakfast around 10 to 10:30 and have our Spring Meeting immediately after eating.  See the map below...

 

 

 

Winter Tour Images