Canadian built Ford Model T
I didn't know this until I first laid eyes on my 21 T, but the engine block was stamped "Made in Canada". The Canadian Model T's are rare, and when fully restored are worth a considerable amount more than the American version. The engine block that came with 21 T is cracked and it's really not worth attempting to restore as it's in really rough shape.
Here is the major difference between the Canadian vs American Model T:
Early American Model T's came as a three door car meaning that the passenger door and two rear doors were functional. The driver side door didn't open. From what I have read Henry Ford mandated that driver door on all Model T's not open as a safety measure to prevent the driver from exiting the car into traffic. Another reason was the hand break/gear shifter. Imagine sitting in the drivers seat and on your left side is a large metal rod coming out of the floor. This made it difficult to enter/exit the car.
Canadian Model T's however came as four door models with the driver side functioning as a regular door. These models still had the problem of the hand break/gear shifter being in the way, but at the time Canada was still using the British "right hand" drive in many areas of the country. To accommodate this, all four doors were functional.
Another interesting fact I found was the first Model T to cross into the USA from Canada was by rail. The tires were removed from the rims and the car was placed on a railway track and drove to the US over the railway as there were no roads to take at that time.
Enough history, lets get back to my Model T!
Here I am unloading the front axle.
This a nice shot of what I purchased. Believe it or not there is value in this. Notice the pedals coming out of the transmission. These are hard to find.
Yesterday I was finally able to start working on harvesting this new T. Below is the transmission cover I was able to pull off. It wasn't easy, almost a hundred years of rust. This piece is hard to find. When I first saw it in the original pictures I new buying this car was a good deal . I don't know of any companies that sell clones of this part. I did find some people in the US that were selling used ones between $400 - $600 without pedals. I only paid $500 (including gas and trailer) for this Model T, basically if the only thing I use off this car is the transmission cover I got a deal. Rest assured I will be using quite a few parts off this T.
My brother was over helping me and he pulled off the rear brake drum. The drum I can use, but the pads and springs I will need to purchase which is fine because I can order those new. The below picture is a little dark but you get the idea:
Here is a nice shot of the transmission without the cover. I have all these parts already, but it's nice to see one actually put together. It makes a good reference, also if needed I could use these as replacement parts.
My Dad was kind enough to purchase me a nice propane heater for my birthday! It's 40,000 BTU's and is great for when I'm working in the garage. Here is a pic:
Until next time.......... Adam
