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South Carolina Model T Ford Club Volume 15 No. 3, August/September 2013

The South Carolina Model T Ford Club

SPARK COIL Volume 15 No. 3

August/September, 2013

Lowcountry Boil & Tech Session

Hosted by Susan Harrington & Glenn Storck

Ridgeland, SC / August 10, 2013

Thank you to Susan and

Glenn for hosting the

August Meeting and tech

session. The food, fun, and

friendship were plentiful,

and the tech session was

informative.

We again enjoyed the

company of our Model A

friends (and now club

members) from Savannah

who drove up to enjoy the

day. Susan Buff


The South Carolina Model T Ford Club is dedicated to the preservation, restoration,

and enjoyment of the Model T Ford automobile. The club is affiliated with Model T

Ford Club of America and Model T Ford Club International. Membership in MTFCA

and/or MTFCI is encouraged.

Model T Ford Club of America P.O. Box 126 Centerville, IN 47330 765/855-5248 E-mail: [email protected] Website: http://www.mtfca.com The Model T Ford Club International PO Box 355 Hudson, NC 28638 828/728-5758 E-mail: [email protected] Website:http://www.modelt.org

2013 SOUTH CAROLINA MODEL T FORD CLUB OFFICERS AND STAFF

President: Mike Chambers

Vice President: Susan Buff

Treasurer/Secretary: Susan Harrington

Safety Coordinator: John Ironside

Newsletter: Josh Lauener

Meetings are scheduled on the second Saturday of odd numbered months.

Dates are subject to change; contact any officer for more information.

See last page for information. Contact Mike Chambers for location and details.

Off the Running Board

Notes from the President…

Mike Chambers

Hey everyone, I want to thank Susan and Richard Buff for putting together the Greenwood/Trenton tour. Thank you also to Susan Harrington and Glenn Storck for the Lowcountry Boil they put together for us at their lovely home (I want a garage just like theirs). We had a great time at both events. Don’t forget the Smith & Jones Swap Meet, September 28, at the store in West Columbia. It is always a good time. If you are a club member and haven’t toured with us in a while, please come out and join us. We’ve had a lot of fun lately. We really like having a lot of people and cars on the tours. Stella and I will be providing details later for the Oliver Hardy Festival on October 5, and the Olar Festival/Walterboro Tour on October 18-20. Stay tuned!


Treasurer’s Report

Susan Harrington, Treasurer

Checking Balance 5/27/13 $1850.14 Deposits: New Member Dues ($15 x 5) $75.00 Bacon Daugherty Froehle Remion Willett Non Member Lunch (1) $5.00 Payments: Lunch for Aug 10 meeting $75.12 Balance 8/17/13 $1855.02 Members Paid: 42 (Correction: The date of the final balance reported in the last newsletter should have been 5/27/13)

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Jim and Nancy Bacon Bluffton, SC

Model A Coupe

Leonard and Debbie Daugherty

Pooler, GA 1930 Model A Sports Coupe

Jeff and Lee Froehle

Pooler, GA 1931 Model A Deluxe Coupe

Chris and Kaye Remion

Savannah, GA Model A Pick up

Hal Willett

Savannah, GA 1929 Model A Tudor

FROM THE

EDITOR

Josh Lauener

The weather is beginning to cool so its time to get your cars back on the road. The fall season is upon us and the club has been working very hard to provide exciting and fun events for you to attend. Hopefully the heat of the summer didn’t cause you to forget why you have a ‘T’ in the first place, to drive and interact with other ‘T’ lovers.

The next event on our calendar is the Annual Smith and Jones Swap Meet, being held at Smith and Jones in West Columbia, SC. While this is a two day event, the Model T's plan to participate on Saturday, September 28.

Hope to see you there!

SCMTF Club Greenwood Weekend

June 14-16, 2013

John Ironside, Richard and Susan Buff, Susan Ironside, and Mike Chambers.


South Carolina Model T Ford Club Meeting Minutes

South Carolina Model T Ford Club

Meeting Minutes August 10, 2013

Attendance: Members: Glenn Storck and Susan Harrington, Josh and Rocio Lauener, Mike and Stella Chambers, Richard and Susan Buff, Bob Levy Guests: Jim and Nancy Bacon, Jeff and Lee Froehle, Leonard and Debbie Daugherty, Hal Willet, Bruce Andrews, Chris and Kaye Remion

President Mike Chambers called the meeting to order at 11:10 AM at the home of Susan Harrington and Glenn Storck in Ridgeland, SC. He thanked Glenn and Susan for their hospitality and welcomed guests who had driven Model A’s to the meeting.

Minutes of the April meeting were approved as published in the newsletter.

Susan Harrington reported no financial activity so the treasurer’s report was unchanged with a balance of $1850.14

Coy and Peggy Gibson were in Indiana, and Susan mentioned the woman who joined them on the Bluffton tour had passed away. No library activity was reported.

Information and documentation for the web page was received from Fae Evans. Josh will look into it and maintain the page if and when it gets up and running.

Fae Evans is moving to Pueblo West, Colorado and is having an open web auction September 28 to sell 2 T’s, tons of parts, her house, etc.

Susan Buff reported disappointing participation for the Greenwood tour in May. Only she and Richard, John and Susan Ironside, and Mike and Stella Chambers had gone. It was beautiful driving and the Old 96 Model A club joined for dinner.

Susan Buff invited the Model A’s to a Mobile, Alabama tour, but it is the same weekend as Olar, and some of the A’s are going up to Tennessee that same weekend.

Mike Chambers reported the Hilton Head Concours d’Elegance is Sunday, November 3, and Porsche is the featured car.

Glenn Storck mentioned a 26 Fordor for sale in Ridgeland. Engine turns over but doesn’t run, needs a lot of work. Contact Glenn for more information

Upcoming events were reviewed and are included in the calendar.

A planning meeting for next year’s elections and events will be held November 9 during the visit to Clyo, GA.

A holiday party was discussed for December 7, possibly in Lexington.

A tour in Beaufort County was proposed for next spring.

At the April meeting the members agreed that the Lowcountry boil lunch would be provided to members by the club. Susan Harrington suggested that the Model A guests would be included if they joined the SCMTFC. The meeting was adjourned at 11:45.

Glenn Storck was assisted by Chris Remion in preparing the Lowcountry Boil. Covered dishes brought by the participants helped to make a very enjoyable and complete meal.

After lunch Glenn presented ideas for adding turn signals to Model T’s for safety.

Susan Harrington August 19, 2013


(A note from the editor: I received this awhile back and thought you may be interested.)

Texas Touring Ts; I don't know if you have been following Ernie & Ginger Wentrcek and Tommy & Patsy Supak, but this is an interesting picture of Tommy's Model A Tudor Sedan after he broke an axle on his way south out of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska. The trucker hauled them all of the way back to Fairbanks for free. It was Carlile Trucking of the famous "Ice Road Truck-ers" TV show. They have the car apart as of this evening (July 3rd) and will probably be able to get back on the road tomorrow to con-tinue their trip. We thought the Model T club members may be interested in this "event". Their full trip website can be seen at: http://www.ginsphotos.com/alaska.html Ben & Nancy Hardeman

Don’t forget to order your SCMTFC t-shirt! Only $10!

Contact Mike and Stella Chambers

with any questions and for ordering information:


MATERIALS LIST

Lights - 6V, 12V or LED – preference is amber Trailer wiring kit $25 + light bulbs

Flasher - available at Auto Supply stores Need electronic is using LED $13 S&J $12

If using 6 V, available at S&J in Model A section $5

Switch - SPDT Radio Shack (275-0711) $3.19

Beeper - Radio Shack (273-0059) $4 S&J $6

Wire -16 gage - use 2 colors for right & left lights

Mounting brackets and hardware – such as cable ties, crimp-on wire connectors, etc.

Model T Turn Signals

For more than fifty years, turn signals have been required on all new cars. Today, many people are unfamiliar with hand signals. Even if they were required to pass the driver’s test, they are rarely used and the average driver today is accustomed only to flashing lights. For this reason, adding turn signals to your Model T is recommended. There are a number of kits available from the parts suppliers to accomplish this job including a new completely wireless system. But if you are a diehard Do-it-Yourselfer the job can be accomplished for considerably less money and customized for you vehicle. Here is the wiring diagram and materials list that Glenn Storck presented at the August 10 meeting, as well as some pictures of installations. Thanks to Gary Tillstrom of the Tennessee T’s for sharing this idea.


A note from Susan Harrington: This article originally appeared in the Tennessee T’s newsletter. Ken and Joyce Swan are long time

friends from Selmer TN. Ken has owned his 1922 Touring car since 1954. He and Joyce do a lot of Model T driving. Several

years ago they drove their Model T from Tennessee to Alaska with a group from Texas T Parts. Dr Joyce recently received a PhD.

in Education for which she did many hours of research reading while riding in their Model T.

I hope you enjoy their point of view.

TAKING THE PLUNGE By Dr. Joyce & Ken Swan

As someone who is approaching the “older than dirt”, “old codger”, “old as Santa Claus”, “beyond post mor-

tem” age, I am still in awe of the unyielding grasp that a Model T Ford has on the newcomers to the world of Henry’s antique rolling iron. For them there seems to be no end to the copyright or patented claim on their new found excitement or enthusiasm directed toward the pile of iron sitting on four wheels; the newest of

which is at least 86 years old. My funny bone is always stimulated to action whenever I see a person drive a Model T for the first time and to be forever smitten by its siren lure of bonding between man and metal. Few persons can shake the hypnotic, narcotic, magnetic attraction a Model T has upon the soul. It becomes an aphrodisiac hook on the mind of most mortals; practically the masculus homo sapiens erectus; the all American grease encrusted man. The af-

fective mental urge almost approaches the ancient drive to procreate. I am always entertained by how quickly bravado and machismo generate the desire to rise to the challenge of manipulating and navigating the hunk of rolling mystery into the unknown horizon of excitement of steering steel and rubber at warp speeds of 35 miles per hour without the faintest forethought of how to arrest the iner-tia of the 1800 pounds of paint smeared sheet metal and cast iron. The Almighty surely must abide white knuckled alongside the benighted pilot of a pile of loose fitting nuts and bolts held together by a word and a prayer. I have especially been moved to chortle, while observing over a period of time how rapid progress, or lack of, develops in operating, maintaining, and caring for their ancient rolling asset. How quickly mechanical prow-ess, expertise, and skill latches onto the novice owner’s knowledge bank is absolutely astounding! It almost seems as if the deep dark chasm between complete ignorance of the machine and mastery of design/function disappears faster than a Model T falling off a cliff in an old silent comedy movie feature. The transition of student to master of the arts moves quicker than grand pappy running to the outhouse after eating too many prunes. In reality, that is how it has to be whenever we look at the future of our stewardship of the pinnacle of Ameri-can manufacturing enterprise, The Model T Ford. If the folks that are new to the aura of this magnificent piece of mobility equipment that made this country the centerpiece and envy of the world don’t bravely step up and take the reins by the hand, there will be no exam-ples to look toward. I have often told folks that are in the process of learning about the Model T Ford they should drive it often and drive it a lot because the more one drives a Model T the more one will want to drive it. Therefore the more one wants to drive a T the more one learns its characteristics and idiosyncrasies. In time, the better it will run. The uninitiated must always remember that a flivver is not a toy but a real, full size car in every sense of the word. It can and will cause pain and death if not properly respected. To drive a Model T, one must drive as if it has no brakes at all…it doesn’t!!

South Carolina Model T Ford Club

Important Dates and Events

September 28 Annual Smith and Jones Swap Meet

West Columbia, SC

October 5 Oliver Hardy Festival

Harlem, GA

October 18-20 Model T’s to Olar/Walterboro Tour

Olar, SC

November 9 Danny Hardin’s Annual Cane Grinding Day Trip

Clyo, Georgia

Board Meeting/2014 Planning Meeting

December 6-7 Christmas Tour and Party

Location to be Determined

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