Vehicle Description
In the days slightly after the horse and wagon and slightly before
superhighways, if you wanted something big and heavy moved, you
used Ford's rugged, reliable, and versatile Model T. This familiar
1927 Ford Model T is a great example with the right look, a bit of
patina, and it remains a great deal of fun to own and drive.
If you're a truck collector, and I know there are plenty of you out
there, you need a big T in your collection and this is an excellent
choice. With a no-nonsense, job-ready look, it's pretty much the
way Henry built it back in 1927, including a coat of honest black
paint. The familiar grille and fenders, plus the upright cab all
date the truck and make it the most identifiable heavy hauler of
all time, and given the values, you don't see them all that often
because so few were preserved this well. The bed is finished the
way the factory would have done it with wooden planks painted
black, and it remains just as sturdy and ready to work as it was
nearly a century ago. Looking at the overall form, it's kind of
cool to think that commercial vehicles also were things of beauty
back in the day. There's not much chrome, of course, but the plated
radiator dresses the simple T up a bit and dates it to the end of
production (1927 was the final year for the Model T).
The interior is simple, as you'd expect for a simple machine like
this. The seat is simple leatherette, which was Ford's name for
vinyl, and the floors are not carpeted. The same Model T controls
that you got on the passenger cars were used here, too, including a
hand throttle, and a set of foot pedals for the 2-speed planetary
transmission. It's easy to operate once you see how it works and if
you've got the time, the dependable Model T will get you anywhere
you need to go as long as there's gas in the under-seat tank. A
hard rubber steering wheel is big and beefy and offers plenty of
leverage for the steering, even fully loaded. Instrumentation
includes just an ammeter that monitors the generator's output and
the ignition switch, plus a gear lever for the Ruckstell 2-speed
rear end that helps with around-town driving. There are windows in
the doors and it seals up reasonably well for something so ancient,
and you'll probably dig the fabric mechanism for lowering the
windows: simply unsnap it and lower the glass!
The engine is the same 4-cylinder 20-horsepower powerplant that was
under the hood of every Model T, but with clever gearing, it moves
the truck easily, loaded or empty. Speed isn't the point,
reliability is, and this ancient machine will still out-last just
about anything made today on the job site. Correct in just about
every way, from the individual coils and plug leads to the simple
cooling system (Henry finally added water pumps late in production
to cope with the added demands of 1920s traffic). The updraft
carburetor hangs under the cast iron exhaust manifold and it fires
with a familiar sound that forms the background soundtrack for
every old movie ever made. The basic chassis is in great shape, and
even though it looks spindly and fragile, rest assured that this
sucker is robust and ready to work. 23-inch wood wheels with
hickory spokes sport staggered tires that manage the load out
back.
A wonderful vintage truck that always attracts a lot of attention
and will be a lot of fun for parades and shows. Call today!