The Early Ford Registry Newsletter A Chapter of The Model T Ford Club of America Early Ford 1903-1909 Register affiliated with The Horseless Carriage Club of America The Presidents Message Fall 2012 by John W. Biggs, EFR 2 My passport has seen plenty of use in the last two months. I have just returned home from the New London to New Brighton Tour with great memories of good touring, good food and above all good fellowship. My thanks to those who shared their cars with me. The EFR was well represented and the cars were prominent in the tours. The Fords were only outnumbered by the Maxwells. I shall return again next year. In late June, I took my Model A to France for the Paris to Rambouillet Run. This was my first visit to this event and gave me the chance to re-commision the car after a lay-off for transmission rebuild. I had booked the tour with a fine Paris summer weekend in my mind but fate gave us a cloudy and wet weekend. The good news is that the rain was warm if persistent, and the car ran really well. Our route with the trailer to the event took us through the Channel Tunnel between England and France. This is a rail tunnel with departures of vehicle carrying trains every 20 minutes or so. The operation is very slick and the journey itself takes 20-25 minutes. These trains share the same tracks as the Eurostar express trains from London to Paris or Brussels, so the scheduling is very tight to ensure the smooth flow of traffic. The alternative is a 1 hour ferry ride which can vary from a pleasant voyage to a rough sea crossing. Having experienced the latter on a couple of occasions, I now use the tunnel whenever possible. The Cars arriving at Les Invalides The Paris to Rambouillet Tour takes place every two years. The Run itself is on Sunday but the cars gather on early Saturday afternoon in the centre of Paris at Les Invalides, a historic building and landmark which dates back to 1676. Paris has a wonderful selection of historic buildings and sites. The city was fortunate to escape the bombing that decimated so many European cities in WW2. continued on page 2 2012 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter Volum me 10 Issue 3 page 1
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 2 The Presidents Message Fall 2012 continued from page 1 The cars were parked in the main courtyard of the complex. The courtyard is surrounded by military museums and a building housing the tomb of Napoleon and other French military heroes under the golden dome. Having offloaded the cars at Les Invalides, the entrants drove their trailers to Rambouillet some 40 miles to the west of Paris and checked into their hotels. The celebration dinner that evening was held in a huge barn where a wonderful seafood meal was served. The wine flowed freely. The French Tours always have a certain charm - on this occasion, the drinks reception before dinner was held in a livestock barn. The Bar or should it be Baa Next morning, after a breakfast of coffee and croissants at 6.30am outside a small cafe in Rambouillet, we boarded buses to take us back to Paris to start the Tour. Our tour route took us out of the courtyard of Les Invalides towards Place de la Concorde and up the Champs Elysees to the Arc de Triomphe. The cobbled streets tested the suspension and restricted our speeds. The sight of the old cars driving up the most famous street in Paris must have been one to behold but I have been unable to find a photograph of that part of the event. We drove out of Paris to the Palace of Versailles where the cars lined up outside the gate and a large crowd milled around. By now the rain had started, light at first, but this did not dampen the interest shown by spectators many of whom were tourists from the far east. Model A at Palace of Versailles After a 30 minute stop, we headed on through winding country roads to Chateau de Breteuil for a buffet lunch then another drive through undulating countryside to Chateau de Rambouillet where an continued on page 3 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 2
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 3 The Presidents Message Fall 2012 continued from page 2 enthusiastic crowd welcomed us in spite of the rain. Total mileage was about 70. The finish line interviews were being conducted in French so I was relieved to discover that the interviewer understood English and could translate my answers. The trailers being at Rambouillet already, we were able to put the Model A away to dry in a protected environment and disappear into the town for an evening meal. I am please to say we were not the only Ford on the Tour. The owner of the Model N had no command of the English language so with my lack of French we had difficulty communicating. However, we did establish that he was aware of the Early Ford Registry and knew of the website. His car is shown in the following photographs. The Model N leaves Invalides Model N Engine Compartment My next trip was a visit to Detroit to do some research at the Benson Ford archives. My visit was in the week which contained July 4th, so I had a day free to visit TPlex and see the progress that had been made on the building and the Oswald/EFR Model N restoration. I was very impressed by both and you will read elsewhere in the newsletter of the outstanding issues on the restoration project. Please help in any way you can. continued on page 4 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 3
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 4 The Presidents Message Fall 2012 continued from page 3 EFR/Oswald Project Restored Project Items on Display The Benson Ford staff are extremely helpful and I was able to obtain some drawings to help with the Model N restoration and some useful information for my research into the first few years of the Ford Motor Company. Some documents from Ford Motor Company of Canada are housed in the Leddy Library at the University of Windsor, Ontario, but I also discovered the whereabouts of other documents from the early years of Ford Motor Company of Canada which the Leddy Library could not accommodate. This archive is not open to the public but I have been told their staff will research/answer specific questions. Personally, I would like to research the production of the NRS series in Canada, from the early days when Detroit shipped complete chassis to the latter days when most of the components were produced in Canada. I would also like to discover the significance of the A, B, C and D prefixes to the later Model NRS Serial Numbers. Let me know if you have any questions and I will add them to my list. My next big trip will be to Hershey and I hope to see as many of you as possible at the EFR Meeting on the Thursday. We should have a good display of cars and some good hospitality from Carl and Anne. Don't miss it. John W. Biggs, EFR President 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 4
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 5 The Richard Oswald Model N Project Update by Jerry VanOoteghem EFR 95 & John Grace, EFR 85 The Model N project has been stalled due to other distractions, but below is the status of the restoration. Front Axle: Needs to be straightened, repainted and assembled. Still need a wish bone. John Grace has made arrangements to borrow a wish bone to investigate what it will take to duplicate. John Biggs was able to provide original drawings of the wish bone. Rudy Rathert will attend the Les Schuchardts auction in hopes of finding and buying a wish bone for the project. Rear Axle: Needs spacers for outer roller bearings, painted and reassembled. Wheels: The wheels are completed. Engine & Transmission: Both components have been rebuilt, but not attached together. Carburetor: Needs reassembled. Oiler: The oiler is completed. Body: Needs brackets installed, fitted to the frame and painted. Seat: Missing irons and springs. Needs upholstery. Firewall: Needs fitted and painted. Springs: Missing U bolts for mounting front springs to frame. John Biggs to provide a drawing of the U bolts. Gas Tank: Gas Tank is complete. Radiator: The car has a new radiator. Steering: Missing steering column shaft. Levers & Pedals: These items are complete. Fender irons: Need straightened, fitted and painted. Fenders: Need brackets attached, fitted and painted. Exhaust: The exhaust is complete. Lamps: Missing all lamps. Coil box & Coils: Coil box is complete. Missing 4 coils. John Biggs donated 4 coils on 8/14/12. Thank you John! Top: There are no plans for a top. Floorboards: Need to cut for pedals and install trim. Missing floor mat. John Biggs to provide drawings of the floorboards. Water Pump: Missing shaft and pump gear. Needs assembled. If any members can provide any of the missing parts or provide any of the needed services, please contact Jerry VanOoteghem at jerryvan65@yahoo.com 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 5
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 6 The Vice-Presidents Message Fall by Rob Heyen, EFR 162 The summer has flown by. I hope all members have had a chance to enjoy our hobby. My summer culminated with the New London to New Brighton MN tour. Once again, the EFR was well represented by members and cars. While last year we had all cars represented on the tour except Models B and R, this year we added an R from North Dakota to the tour. Maybe next year a Model B will show up! I took our Model N along with our "refreshed" Model K. With tremendous help from members such as Dean Yoder (K Crew Chief) and K Crew assistants Tim Kelly, Jeff Fries and all the regulars such as Dave D., we were able to get the K across the finish line. Also providing assistance and ballast for part of the trip was EFR President John Biggs. Up next is Hershey, and I hope to see many of you there. I'll be sharing space with Don Tyler near Carl Pate, so stop by for a refreshment and chat. I also hope to have both the K and N at Hershey. Rob Heyen, EFR Vice-President The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry, Inc. Officers** President John W. Biggs EFR 2 (2012-2014) +44.1844.343161 Email JohnWBiggs@aol.com Vice-President Rob Heyen EFR 162 (2012-2014) 402.643.0235 Email Rob4Holly@hotmail.com Secretary-Treasurer Rick Lindner EFR 106 (2011-2013) Phone 614.263.3673 Email model-t-rick@insight.rr.com Technical Research Coordinator Hap Tucker EFR 59 Phone 803.469.7792 Email FordPiet@aol.com 2-cyl Technical Research Coordinator Carl Pate EFR 91 (2010-2012) Phone 860.633.2052 Email ANPCOP@aol.com Chairman, Restoration and Preservation Committee Jerry VanOoteghem EFR 95 (2010-2012) Phone 313.881.2813 Email jerryvan@ameritech.net Newsletter Editor - Internet Web Design Dave Dunlavy EFR 41 (2011-2013) Phone 563.387.3736 Cell 952.237.9131 Email dave@dunlavy.us Directors* John Grace EFR 85 (2012-2014) Phone 734.467.7802 Email jfgrace@peoplepc.com Floyd Jaehnert EFR 34 (2011-2013) Phone 651.776.9859 - Work 612.331.5512 Email floydj@usfamily.net Paul Mikeska, EFR 168 (2010-2012) Phone 303.463.1987 Email paulmikeska@yahoo.com *Directors are elected by the general membership for a period of three years. **Officers are elected by the Board of Directors annually. 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 6
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 7 Secretary-Treasurer s Report Fall by Rick Linder, EFR 106 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry held a meeting on Thursday, August 12 in Spicer, MN as a quorum was present: President - John Biggs Vice President - Rob Heyen Secretary - Treasurer - Rick Lindner Floyd Jaehnert, Past President & Board of Directors member Dave Dunlavy, Board member A profit and loss sheet was passed out, as well as a balance sheet, and a current membership roster. The club is in good financial shape. With over $1,000 in the Model N account it was decided to send the balance to Norman Bolz to help with the restoration. Talk then centered on purchasing a wishbone for same. Seems there is an auction in North Dakota where one may be and a representative for the club will try and purchase it. This seems to be a major stumbling block in the process. With that thought in mind, Dave Dunlavy showed us how he uses a program called SketchUp. With it you can make some very correct and important part drawings. We discussed the idea of purchasing a $500 version, called SketchUp Pro, but decided to wait and use the free SketchUp for a couple more months. Dave will give a report at Hershey about it. With the success of last year s Early Ford tour the week before New London to New Brighton, Rob asked about any interest in doing it next year before NLNB. Just be a three or four day event, nothing in hard writing, just kind of a get together with other Ford people to talk and tinker with their Fords. Driving would be a part of it, of course, but we all had such a good time last year we want to do the same again. Tim Kelly will be asked to be on that committee and report on it at Hershey. After that, we all went back and polished brass. Rick Lindner, EFR Secretary-Treasurer 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 7
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 8 New London New Brighton Run 2012 by Dave Dunlavy EFR 41 We were well represented this year by 9 cars as listed in the table below. There were 58 cars registered with only 5 DNF s. The manufacturer s are listed on page 8. The weather was almost perfect with mild temperatures. We had some rain on the first day of Pre-Run tours, but several of folks ran their cars in the rain. The highlight of the day Wednesday was the Luncheon at the Oaks Golf Course near Willmar. It was a first class buffet featuring beef and chicken, with great vegetables, mashed potatoes and gravy. Make-your-own ice cream sundaes were available, and most folks found space for one or two or three dishes. President John Biggs (left) is talking to Rob Heyen, owner of the 1907 Model K. Tim Kelly came from Connecticut to assist Rob. Dean Yoder (in the back seat) refurbished the drive line for Rob. Photo by Rick Lindner. (continued on page 9) 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 8
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 9 New London New Brighton Run 2012 (continued from page 8) Thursday was a 33 mile drive with a stop for coffee and donuts at Dickerson s Resort on Lake Florida. We stopped at an RV Park where an Air Stream Rally was being held. There seemed to be more interest in our old cars than we had about the Airstreams. We had a good dinner at the American Legion and picnic supper in the park. On Friday, we drove 35 miles which included going around Green Lake in Spicer. We had a Root Beer Float before returning to New London. We showed our cars at the local retirement home and then had a parade down New London s Main Street. We ended the day by parking at the American Legion for the local folks to view the cars as we had a buffet supper. Saturday we departed at 7:00am and it was cold. After the second coffee break the sun became effective and it was very nice. There were three stops before lunch where tons of folks viewed the cars. At Kingston, the Lyons Club had a plate lunch available. It was fantastic BBQ pork, potato salad, homemade pickles and corn on the cob. Our next stop was Buffalo (at 74 miles) where we had to be checked in and out to be legal with the run. We were met by many hundreds of folks. Some drivers ate there as we topped up fluids. We had only one more stop before the finish line at 114 miles. The last 25 or 30 miles were in the suburbs and city of Minneapolis, but the tour route kept us out of traffic. It s quite a feat to be able to drive through Minneapolis without being in much traffic. (continued on page 10) 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 9
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 10 New London New Brighton Run 2012 (continued from page 9) About 25 Model T Fords met us at Kingston. Irvin Haisch drove his 1906 Model N Ford. He brought three generations from Conrad, Nebraska. The younger generations enjoy the Model N. Son Robert navigated Irv successfully to the finish line on Saturday. Photos on page 7 & 8 from Irvin Haisch. 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 10
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 11 The EFR Technical Corner Editor s Note: The following was read into a Speech Recognition Program from the book, Young Henry Ford: A Picture History of the first Forty Years, by Sidney Olson. This book is available on Amazon ($23.94-$35.95 Hardcover). Spelling and punctuation have been changed to improve the readability. It is impossible to verify all the facts in this information but several errors are obvious. An example is the fuel tank is reported to be 3 gallons it has been measured to hold 2 gallons. Where you see ***** the Editor omitted some verbiage. Young Henry Ford - The Break-Through For Henry Ford, 1895 was an arduous year. By choice, he was on double duty. As chief engineer he had to maintain electriclight service 24 hours a day, and plant maintenance in those days was no push-button affair. Metals then were more fragile; little was known of such things as tensile strength, fatigue points, and alloys; no one had yet broken metals down to their molecular structures but mechanical failures were common, expected, an occasionally disastrous. The rest of Henry s 24 hours were committed to his obsession. To non-mechanical people, which means most people, the natural question about his first car may be: What took him so long? Well, there was no such thing as a spark plug; it hadn t been invented. There was no such thing as the carburetor. There were no automobile wheels - only wagon wheels and buggy wheels. The front steering on wagons and bodies had to be adapted. Camshafts, crankshafts, push rods, bearings, piston rings, gears - everything had to be made from the ground up. Each tiny part was not one problem but a host of problems. ***** One of the best machine shops in Detroit was John Lauer s, at 112-114 St. Antoine Street. In the same building was the office of brilliant Charles B. King. One of King s assistants was Oliver Barthel, who had studied machine-shop practice under Ford at the YMCA. At the Lauer shop Henry saw a copy of the November 7, 1895, issue of the American Machinist, describing the first Kane Pennington motor. A second article on this motor followed, on January 9, 1896. The two articles were passionately studied in bicycle shops and machine shops everywhere. The Kane- Pennington Motor was light, powerful, and ingenious; its ignition system was particularly effective, since in avoided a late spark. The article was a bit critical: The machine work on the Pennington motors is not of high grade; it cannot possibly rank beyond fair ordinary machine-shop practice in any particular; there is nothing modern and nothing special in any way of the tools in the shops were these motors were built; the performance of the motor is due solely to its design, not workmanship. ***** continued on page 12 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 11
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 12 The EFR Technical Corner continued from page 11 But none of the pioneers copied the Pennington motor. It was a tremendous stimulus; it showed how one designer had ingeniously solved the problems all were pondering, and each inventor adapted those answers into his own designs. Charles B. King was ahead of Pennington; "ahead" is relative, for he was going in a somewhat different direction. But King, and to some extent Barthel, were useful to Ford since they too we're trying to design a gasoline engine. ***** King and Ford were opposite in approach: King was a designer on paper whose designs were executed by others; Ford made his own rough sketches and then pretty much built the machines himself. ***** Oliver Barthel drove Kings' first motor wagon on the streets of Detroit on March 6th 1896. King's car was really just a wagon with his own engine implanted: he had ordered a carriage, but it had not been delivered and he was anxious to go ahead. (Ford was still developing his own carriage) This motor wagon weighed about 1300 pounds and had a top speed of about 5 miles an hour. (Ford's car, ready three months later, weighed the 500 pounds and went 25 miles per hour) ***** Henry Ford wanted to supersede the horse, too. But he needed one thing very badly - valves. Valves were expensive and hard to come by. And this was why it was a lucky day for him when he dropped in to the Lauer shop, met his old student Barthel, and was introduced to Charles King. For King generously gave Ford some valves. These were steam valves-bodies, actually, and needed considerable conversion to function in Henry s car, but they were all-important to Ford. The car was slow in coming. Henry first set out to develop is little tubular engine into a real instrument of power. We do not know for sure whether he made more than one of these: there is conflicting testimony. But sometime soon after Henry ran his first engine in the kitchen on the sink in the Bagley Street house, he began to build a true automotive engine. He had very stiff requirements for that engine; it must be light in weight, rugged, durable, powerful, sample, safe, above all, reliable. Each one of those qualities was then only an inventor s dream - and this is the hardest thing of all to realize today, when each of these qualities is taken for granted. Since only a few people ever like to read about machinery, I will omit most of the mechanical details of Henry s long months of trial and error up as he worked out his first car. But a certain sprinkling of them is necessary if the reader is to get even a glimmering of what one automobile pioneer had to go through - otherwise you might think that Henry just bolted of the few odds and ends together from the diagrams in the magazines, the way a man does today with the Do-It-Yourself Kit. The point is, Henry had to build each part in the kit, and he didn t even know how many parts there would be, and when he put them together they wouldn t work right. continued on page 13 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 12
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 13 The EFR Technical Corner continued from page 12 First, Henry got a piece of scrap from an old steam engine, a length of 2 ½ inch exhaust pipe. This he cut up to make his two cylinders, reaming out the pipe to a bore that was later measured as 2.565 inches. He made the cylinders 11 inches long and gave the piston a 6 inch stroke. He worked to distribute the power strokes evenly. He strove to keep the flywheel light and yet heavy enough to furnish the inertia to carry one piston through a whole compression stroke and the other piston through the whole exhaust stroke, with as little slow down as possible. His pistons were iron, with two rings. He went to the waterfront to the Detroit Dry Dock plant, where some old friends forged a crankshaft for him. He arranged the crankshaft to make both pistons move in the same direction at the same time, with the power stroke at every complete turn of the shaft. The valves gave him deep trouble, just as they did all the other auto pioneers, from the Duryeas to Haynes. After months of struggling, he needed luck. And that came when King gave him valves. Henry, or his friends, converted the steam valve bodies into poppet valves. He used two of them as automatic intake valves in the intake manifold near the cylinder. He threaded the valve stems at the end so he could put a hexagon nut to hold a spring against the valve body. On the valve stem he fitted a loose fiber sleeve to act as a spacer which would permit the valve to open only 1/8 inch. He could change the pressure of the spring by screwing the nut up or down. The other two valves he used as exhaust valves in the cylinder head. They opened by a complicated but very ingenious device involving a rocker arm and a push rod. The Kane Pennington engine had an experimental carburetor (then called up carburetters, as so much of the early automotive language was adopted straight from the French; e.g., chauffeur, garage, and automobile). But Henry used a more practical system. He simply put the gasoline tank higher than the engine, so the gas would flow into the manifold by gravity. He placed a needle valve just above an opening in the manifold. He regulated this valve by a throttle rod at the right side of the seat; when it opened, the gas dropped into the manifold to mix with the air. He could make the mixture rich or lean by supplying it with more or less gasoline; this was the first choke, for he choked it by placing his thumb and forefinger over the air intake to shut off air. continued on page 14 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 13
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 14 The EFR Technical Corner continued from page 13 His next big problem, through 1895 and into 1896, was the old one of the ignition. He tried three different systems. In the first, Henry attached a wire to the end of the piston, but the continual arcing soon burned off the end of the wire, and he dropped this system. Next he tried a hot- tube system. Since gasoline has a very low flash-point, the gas-air mixture can be ignited by glowing hot metal. In this system he actually started the car by heating the tubes with a gasoline torch, and the tubes were kept hot by the burning of the mixture. This was dangerously unstable; once Henry came close two burning up his engine, the car and the shed. Finally Ford came up with a third system, an improvement on the first make-andbreak system. He drilled a hole in the cylinder and fitted in a spark breaker. At the farthest point of the piston s stroke a pin struck the spark breaker and opened the circuit; a spark jumped, up igniting the mixture; as the piston was forced back by the explosion the spring closed the circuit. In his first version Henry neglected to provide for cooling, and on one early trip the engine became so hot that it s bits of soldered dropped off, striking the ground and looking like dimes. But his final version was superior; he brazed water jackets on the cylinders and fixed a water Drawing by George DeAngelis of Quadricycle Ignition tank under the seat with a brass pipe leading to the water jackets and back to the tank. By the end of 1895 Henry had his car on wooden horses. He got most of the ironwork from a firm named Bar and Dates, at the corner of Park Place and State Street. He bought tires and rims for the 28- inch wheels, drilled holes in the rims, and upset the heads on each one of the bicycle spokes, making all the little brass nipples himself. He made his own steering handle, attaching a button in the top of the teller by a wire to the electric doorbell in front of the dashboard. He bought a small body seat C. R. Wilson carriage works, John S. Newbury of the Detroit Steel and Spring Works made him some springs. From Strelinger s hardware, on January 2, 1896 he bought one dozen medium nuts for 12, one dozen small nuts for 16 and a Brass rod for 8. With the engine solved, he knew exactly what he wanted to do with the carriage. He used a belt to take the power from the flywheel two a counter shaft, with a belt tightener to serve as a clutch. A chain transferred the power from the counter shaft to the rear axle; and Henry remembered how the differential gear on a steam road engine allowed one wheel to move faster than the other around corners. The batteries he bought. The rest of the iron work he made himself-with some help from George Cato, from angle and scrap iron and steel, machined to shape in his little shop. continued on page 15 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 14
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 15 The EFR Technical Corner continued from page 14 When Henry s belt tightener was straight up and down the car was in neutral: both belts hung loose. When he pulled the lever back a low-speed belt tightened; when he pushed it forward the high-speed belt tightened. To back up was simple enough. He merely climbed out and pushed the car backward. There were no brakes; he stopped the car by killing the engine and letting the car run against the compression in the cylinders. The throttle was under the seat; the spark could not be adjusted unless the engine was shut off. But the car delivered slightly more than four horsepower, and he could run about 25 miles an hour. Ford s first car had one tremendous advantage over many of its predecessors and contemporaries. Some parts were inferior, some only slightly superior, but the sum of the hole was truly an automobile it was not a wagon with an engine on it. It was rugged, speedy, light in weight, durable, reliable. ***** We do know that Henry finished the last little touches at about 2:00 AM on a June morning and that a light warm rain was falling. Clara was up to watch, a shawl over her head; faithful Jim Bishop was on hand with his bicycle. Henry had a body seat but had not mounted it on the car; he put a bicycle seat on top of the two tanks. And then he must have torn his hair and smitten his brow: he was in the classic dilemma of a man who builds a boat in the basement. The first Ford car was too wide to pass through that little door. He took up an axe and doubled the width of the opening. Then he trundled the little machine out onto the cobbles. He turned on the current from the battery and adjusted the gasoline. He covered the air opening of the valve with his thumb and forefinger to choke it and then turned over the flywheel. The engine sputtered and roared into life. He mounted the seat, pulled back the lever that tightened the belt, adjusted the gasoline valve, and went bumping down the alley to Bagley Avenue and around the corner onto Grand River Avenue out of Clara s site and into history. ***** He had done it. In a few weeks he would be 33. He was getting on as they say and until this very moment he had done nothing much; he had a small comfortable job with a modest future. His lifework was still dormant in his head and hands; the world judges not by what is in the head or hands, but by what they have done. Now at last Henry Ford had done something. 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 15
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 16 Hershey Early Ford / Annual Meet & Greet The fall season is almost here and there is only one month until the Hershey Antique Flea Market and Car show. We are getting ready for the annual Hershey Early Ford Meet and Greet Get-Together; we hope you are too GOAL: Share friendships, stories, show and tell and help others solve their mechanical issues on early ford cars. ATTENDEES: Members, families (kids welcome) and friends of the Early Ford Group and Early Ford Registry DATE: OCTOBER 11, 2012 DAY: Thursday TIME: 4:00 PM ( hopefully after your flea market shopping) PLACE: Hershey Flee Market LOCATION: Red Field RWM 22-26 (Under the name of Magee in Catalogue) Since the space will have a large tent, the event will be held rain or shine. R.S.V.P. - Since drinks and refreshments will be provided, please send an email to ANPCOP@AOL.com to let me know how many in your group / family will be attending. If you are bringing an early Ford to the Hershey show, drive it to our Get-Together... Hope you can make it It will be great to see all of you again Carl and Anne Pate Tours, Swap Meets and Events September 6-7, 2012 Dearborn, MI Lansing to Dearborn Run, 2 days. 200 mile run for any pre-1909 vehicles and any 1&2 cylinder car, steam car, electric car, cycle car and motorcycle built up to 1915. Co sponsored by The Snapper s Brass and Gas Touring Region of the AACA and the South Michigan Motorists Chapter of the HCCA. Contact John and Dorothy Grace, 734.467.7802 or jfgrace@peoplepc.com October 10-13, 2012 - AACA Eastern Division National Fall Swap Meet, Hershey, PA. We will have a Hershey Meet & Greet on Thursday, October 11 th at 4:00pm. See Notice above. November 4, 2012 - London to Brighton Veteran Car Run, The Royal Automobile Club's annual run is the world's longest running motoring event. More information http://www.lbvcr.com/ continued on page 17 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 16
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 17 Tours, Swap Meets and Events continued from page 16 November 19, 2012 Mark Cameron s 10 th Annual Swap Meet, Free heated indoor spaces, first come- first serve. Plenty of outdoor spaces for larger items. Motel 6 miles away (Microtel Inn and Suites (866.430.2692) AmericInn Hotel & Suites (800.634.3444) Lunch served Address: 5894 Lemond Road, Owatonna, MN Phone 507.261.1837 Everyone is a vendor, bring something to Swap! If you would like to host a 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Tour, please contact any member of the Board of Directors. It takes months to plan and host a good tour, so we are always looking for the next location. If you don t know any of the Board personally, simply call or email, Dave Dunlavy, Newsletter Editor (563.387.3736 or dave@dunlavy.us). For Sale 1906 Model N Ford Serial No. 1511, recently restored, Car was written up in the March- April 2010 issue of the Horseless Carriage Gazette. $48,000. Obo. Ottawa, Ont. Canada. Call Herb (613) 521-3138 or email me at carsherb@yahoo.ca 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 17
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 18 For Sale Model C or AC water pump and Model F water pump. Oversize Model F pistons, pins and rings, new. Model C and AC water pump. Don Tyler 419.934.2835 Email: mtyleroh@aol.com For Sale Model T parts available, call me with your needs. Jeff Fries, Omaha, NE 402.339.1926 For Sale Two cylinder Ford tonneau step, rubber original style floor mats, engine mounts for 8 & 10 hp cars, 20 flywheel. Email me for a complete list and prices. Richard Emery 940.783.3949 - Email: randkemery1@aol.com New Reproduction N.R.S. Ford Parts. Call, email or write for a complete list with prices. Floyd Jaehnert, 1679 Atlantic St St. Paul, MN 55106 612-331-5512 days 651-776-9859 evenings floydj@usfamily.com Wanted to Buy Model A 4 door Sedan, 1930-1931, must be restored. Don Tyler 419.934.2835 Email: mtyleroh@aol.com Wanted to Buy 1915 Model T Headlights or the parts to build them. Dave Dunlavy 563.387.3736 Email: dave@dunlavy.us Wanted to Buy Need headlight forks for E&J 366 headlights to mount on my Model S Roadster I can use adjustable forks and make mounting brackets, so generic forks will work. Call to discuss. Dave Dunlavy 563.387.3736 Email: dave@dunlavy.us 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3 page 18
2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry Newsletter page 19 About Us... The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry, Inc. (EFR) is a Chapter of The Model T Ford Club of America (MTFCA) and an Affiliated Register of the Horseless Carriage Club of America (HCCA). You must be a member of the Horseless Carriage Club of America and we encourage membership in the Model T Ford Club of America. Contact the Secretary for specific information regarding furnishing your membership number. We welcome anyone with an interest in Ford automobiles manufactured from 1903 through 1909 (those were generally manufactured in the first manufacturing plant that Ford Motor Company built, the Piquette Plant). You do not need to own a car of this vintage to be a member of the EFR. Annual membership dues: $10 US to receive Newsletters by email - $20 US to receive Newsletters by USPO in the USA - $30 US to receive Newsletters by USPO outside the USA. We are a 501(c)3 Non-profit tax-exempt corporation. This means you may make tax deductable donations of material and money to us and receive a receipt letter which may be used to itemize your Income Tax. The corporate office is 2895 Bluffton Road, Decorah, Iowa 52101-7802. The web page is www.earlyfordregistry.com The Email address is Secy@EarlyFordRegistry.com. The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry, Inc. is not responsible for any incorrect technical information contained herein. The opinions expressed in this newsletter are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of the editor or EFR. For Sale and Wanted Items are listed as a free service to EFR members. The editor can not be held accountable for unclear or misleading statements in listings. If you have any questions regarding our organization, please contact the Newsletter Editor by Email at NewsletterEditor@EarlyFordRegistry.com or write to Newsletter Editor, The 1903-1909 Early Ford Registry, Inc., 2895 Bluffton Road, Decorah, IA 52101-7802. 2012 The 1903-1909 Early Ford Register Newsletter Volum me 10 Issue 3 page 19