February 2024 Progress Report, Model T at Southeast Polk Schools
Model T restoration: Progress Report 1: 2/16/24
Joseph Phillips, Southeast Polk Industrial Technology
As you know we have been given a 1927 Model T to restore and use for the Red flag horseless carriage tour. We are in the process of stripping down to the frame, transmission, engine and running gear.
Before stripping the Model T to the frame we assessed issues and components wrong with the engine. We found rust in the cooling jacket. We also had a warped head which we sent out to a local machinist named Vance Barnes who was kind enough to donate that service to our cause. We also found rust scale inside the block's cooling passages. This leads us to believe that the block will need to be cleaned out. We plan to tackle this process by using evapo-rust to clean the inside of the cooling jackets. We plan to remove the engine and transmission and have the engine dipped to prepare for paint. While the engine is out we plan to wire wheel and paint the frame.
Another concern of ours is the condition of the wiring harness. The vehicle suffered a fire at some point in its life and this leaves the sheathing on the harness melted and brittle. We would like to replace the harness before reassembling the T.
We also have some loose wooden spokes on our rims. This is a concern especially on the rear right side of the T. We are open to ideas or suggestions for how to remedy the spokes.
After assessing all the problems, we took all the body panels and the cab off to get to the frame and removed the rust with wire wheels.
Proposals:
Joseph Phillips, Southeast Polk Industrial Technology
As you know we have been given a 1927 Model T to restore and use for the Red flag horseless carriage tour. We are in the process of stripping down to the frame, transmission, engine and running gear.
Before stripping the Model T to the frame we assessed issues and components wrong with the engine. We found rust in the cooling jacket. We also had a warped head which we sent out to a local machinist named Vance Barnes who was kind enough to donate that service to our cause. We also found rust scale inside the block's cooling passages. This leads us to believe that the block will need to be cleaned out. We plan to tackle this process by using evapo-rust to clean the inside of the cooling jackets. We plan to remove the engine and transmission and have the engine dipped to prepare for paint. While the engine is out we plan to wire wheel and paint the frame.
Another concern of ours is the condition of the wiring harness. The vehicle suffered a fire at some point in its life and this leaves the sheathing on the harness melted and brittle. We would like to replace the harness before reassembling the T.
We also have some loose wooden spokes on our rims. This is a concern especially on the rear right side of the T. We are open to ideas or suggestions for how to remedy the spokes.
After assessing all the problems, we took all the body panels and the cab off to get to the frame and removed the rust with wire wheels.
Proposals:
- Convert the electrical system to 12 Volt (run better headlights and more powerful battery for starting). This would require the purchase of an alternator to replace the generator and the purchase of a new wiring harness.
- Paint the chassis and engine black with Rustoleum Professional Grade enamel (Red primer and Black paint).
- Convert the truck body to a speedster body: This alleviates two problems. We hope to add 2 additional seats so more students can enjoy the event the weekend of the RFT, but also alleviates the need to purchase new sheet metal as much of the fenders and the aprons do have serious rust along the mounting flanges. This would also give the T a more spirited driving experience.