Newbie with a barn find

Scotch said:
So again my main concern is rust on the body and engine, and water/mice living in the motor...?
Click to expand...

In the vintage car world that body is not considered very rusty, it sands off and then you paint it. Some people paint them with a product called POR15. If there are tiny little holes in the metal near the bottom of the panels some people weld them up but in the USA it is perfectly acceptable to lay a little fibreglass inside the panel and paint over it.

That engine looks like the kind i would pull apart and clean, repair what is clearly worn beyond usable limits and reassemble, then run it to see how well it goes. And if you have not heard about the thrust washers in the rear axle breaking down over time you will have just learned of it right now, it might be a good idea to replace them if you want to drive the car on the road.

Looks like a good start.
 
Since its pretty early here, Im gonna give it to you in synopsis form. You seem enthused about this guy, and this is a good thing. I would try and save it from further decomposition, just like the archaeologists do when a mummy's tomb is first opened up. Carefully remove all the junk and debris piled on top being as gentle as you can, and clear a pathway for it to the door. It looks like the wheels settled into the dirt so I would try and removed some of the mud. The wood parts are probably gonners, but the stuff is there for identification nevertheless.
If ts free, theres little to lose. If you get totally overwhelmed or discouraged, sell it or part it out. Looking at it as it sits, Id go for $500, yet the top bows alone are worth that in parts. Its evident that someone needed parts a long time ago judging from the timer roller condition, with mice inside the water jackets and no oil filler plug, they will have 50 generations of offspring living in the oil pan.
Drag it outside but pull it by the frame and NOT the front axle. Dont be surprised if the wheels disintegrate in the process. Get it to the nearest coin op car wash and rinse it down free of as much dirt as possible. After its dry, get a gallon or two of PB Blaster and some spray bottles, and spend the next week SATURATING the entire car over and over, every nook and cranny, seiously, just as though it soaked in a swimming pool with the stuff!
I would do that part parked on top of a blue tarp to save the driveway, garage floor, flowers and grass, and your old ladies temper LOL...Wear the cruddiest clothes you own, and NOW start to assess the project. It has barely maintained the "rusty and full of patina" barn find status, and depending on you, can be brought back "as is" which is cool, or do a total full blown restoration. The latter will need an open check book, lotsa love and dedication, and even more, education, if youve never worked on a T before.
As Jack mentioned earlier, SCRUTINIZE the barn for extra parts, including that farm trailer frame, carbs and coils in the rafters, and even that old black powder double barrel 12 gage behind a beam.
Now you see, some of us would be enthused about a find like this and some would get discouraged and call the junk man. DO NOT DO THE LATTER! Even if it is too far gone to restore, theres a ton of parts that guys can benefit from. Keep the faith and good luck. Keep the pics coming too! Pics are a good thing... ws
 
Lordy! It looks like it would have been better off outside than "indoors". Many consider what youve found restorable. Me? I'd walk. Even for free. Especially with no title or paperwork. There is not one single item there that doesn't need major repair or total replacement. A lot of people have started with less but if re-sale is way way in the back of your mind, forget it. Even mildly restored you'll be into it for more than it's worth. Enjoy if you must just be prepped for years & years of work before a drive.
 
I just bought a barn find in virginia last summer on ebay for $4,000. It was in much better shape than yours. If you plan on restoring the car and dont have all the parts look on craigslist and you may find someone nearby that is selling a bunch of parts nd maybe a engine. My car was well worn and had water in engine so entire drivetrain needed rebuilding. I probably have another 4 or 5 thousand into it and I restored it myself. You can buy restored model t cars for between 8 and 10 thousand. I restored it for the knowlerdge but wished I had taken a better look at car before I bought it. Or at least listened to the people in the know so I was better informed. Dont get me wrong I am glad I have the car but it was an expensive endeavor.
 

Attachments

  • model t 3.jpg
    model t 3.jpg
    128.4 KB · Views: 41
  • model t 8.jpg
    model t 8.jpg
    81.5 KB · Views: 34
  • model t 12.jpg
    model t 12.jpg
    90.7 KB · Views: 37
The pickup bed parts are in photo #3.(tail gate) You have the steel.The rest must be close by. If you take this on. Let me me know. I'll send you the
blue prints for the pickup bed.
 
My advice; TAKE IT ALL including the 30s truck... clean out the barn of everything you can scrutinize... including __all antique items.... heed all other advice... free is good...... look in places where anything could be laying or hiding good luck and good luck on your find...John..
 
I think what some are seeing here is the degree of surface rust that usually is caused by damp storage. It acts from both sides of the steel & can result in everything being too thin to work with. The same dampness often ruins the wood in the body as well. This can be determined only by an up close inspection. Fenders & mechanical parts are readily available & usually reasonable. At a modest price this is certainly worth the risk & has some good parts if all else fails.


The sleeper in this discussion is the much more rare & desirable 1936 Terraplane pickup. This would be costly to restore but might be a survivor prospect. Hudson made pickups for many years that used a car body with a back in it to make the cab so parts are not impossible to find. They are a very attractive & driveable vehicle.

Rg1FhJsseVth6deD7HI8MRaUHqdwm_KHNnvQJ3pYfJO0-4IMpx.jpg


There is room in my barn for that one.
 
Drag it outside but pull it by the frame and NOT the front axle. Dont be surprised if the wheels disintegrate in the process.

SOUNDS LIKE EXPERIENCE SPEAKING HERE ????

A few years back i bought a Model T sitting in a field in northern Indiana on ebay for like $65 bucks. Cant go wrong here can i , part of the body was there and the pictures showed all four wheels and a engine.
I took the wife with me and my trailer with a winch to pick it up sight unseen.
When i got there the lady that owned the car couldnt even find the car ! The horse weeds around the barn had covered up everything and the pics i seen must have been taken years ago. After some looking thru the weeds i found the car sitting next to a crosley and both had just rusted into the ground.
I backed the trailer into the weeds and added some chain to the winch cable and hooked up maybe 50 feet from the trailer to the front axle. Back to the trailer to run the winch and started the pull, after some serious grunting the carcas started coming at me thru the 8 ft tall weeds. When it got to sight at the trailer all i had was the front axle, two busted wheels and one side of the frame horn. Not to be outdone i rehooked until i got this mess on the trailer in 5-6 pieces. As we drove home with this pile of scrap my wife calmly said : It wasnt what you expected was it??
There was not one usuable part on the trailer the engine was missing the head, the trans was missing the top cover and even the rear axle was bent, broken and full of water.
I guess you live and learn ?????:D:eek:

Even today i have trouble smiling when i think of this one......:eek::eek:
 
Even today i have trouble smiling when i think of this one......:eek::eek:


I dunno... I smiled! In 1968 dad and I made the 800 mile+ trip from Chicago to Tulsa to pick up a T roadster. Found it in Hemmings, and the guy mailed me a polaroid pic. Great... We get there and that thing mustve sat in a river bottom for 50 years! A bunch of guys literally lifted the whole thing into the bed of a dodge pick up truck with ANOTHER roadster body lashed down on top of that and we dragged them home. THAT, was my own first model T. I still smile about that one... BTW, the dodge had a non synchro first gear with half the teeth missing; and the hills in Kansas City were a *****!!! :rolleyes: ws
 
Last edited:
What we do for a "good deal". Some times we convince ourselves that we just found a great deal andwe better scoop it up before someone else does. But our wives, God bless them, just hope we dont get into too much trouble. I hope this find works out for you and you are getting it for free so you are a leg up on me. This forum has been a great help for me. Someone once told me that one more good deal would probably put him out of business. Good luck, I havent driven mine but plan on having a blast with it soon.
 
Whoa guys!! That's a 1936 Hudson pickup truck you've got there. We're talking some serious money for a restored example. Notice the suicide doors on this truck. In 37, Hudson went to conventional opening doors, so this is a 36 for sure. Get the title for this little art deco jem in the rough and get it outa there quick. I't's worth 2 or 3 grand just sitting there the way it is, depending on what's missing. Hope you can find the left headlight. For my money, these mid 30's Hudson pickups were the high point of truck styling ever, with long swoopy fenders and a cab that looks raked and chopped, but they came that way from the factory. Could you take some more photos of the Hudson? Side, rear, interior if possible. Thanks
mike
 
Ok, I talked to the rightful owner today and I expressed my interest in it. He and his grandfather always talked about fixing it up one day but his grandfather passed away. He also said he may still be interested in fixing it up. But told me a "couple times" to just ask him every once in a while and said that if he doesn't end up doing it he'd let me have at it!

I was actually debating over the last week whether or not I even wanted to take on the project. Mostly because it seemed like some things were taken off of it. But, he told me that the pickup was parked outside in the early 1960's then brought into the barn in the 1980's. And that when it was first parked it was still running! He also said all the parts should be there, like the hood, and that he had the back hatch stored somewhere too!

So it may be awhile but there's a good chance I may get it later on. And the Hudson, thanks Jack!, is staying where it is for now, it's not really his at the moment. He thought it was a nash...

Thanks Bill and to all for the thoughts and info, I really appreciate it! Hopefully I can talk him into letting me have at it before it goes through another winter.

Oh, and he said he believed it to be a 1923.

Scott
 
Well this gives you time to look around and see what is out there and if this is exactly what you want. Between ebay and swap meets there are plenty of opportunities. Order a parts book from Macs and thumb through it to see what parts cost and see what your budget will allow. Sometimes when things happen fast one doesnt get the chance to check out other options. Good luck with your dream. Put a picture of a model T on the refrigerator and it will happen.
 
Thanks for the postings Scotch. That roadster looks like it was in the barn a very long time. Until you do some clean up, it is hard to tell what you got. Some parts seem to have some serious rust and pitting. Its a start.
 
Several posters here have suggested to you from experience that this particular free barn find will cost you way more to get it running again than it will ever be worth.

Count me as one of those voices as well, been there, done that. I am just finishing a 1919 Touring that cost me $3000,(and was in WAY WAAAAY better shape than this relic of yours), did all the work over about 18 months, and it turned out pretty good. I consider the costs above what it is worth as tuition at the University of Model T Mechanics. I essentially put a parts car back on the road, with the help of quite a few folks here at Ford Barn forum.

I could see if this completely deteriorated husk was your grandfather's car, or great grandfather's car, sure, then sentimental value would be there and keeping it in the family would be the right thing to do. But this is just someone else's wreck that has been 'totaled' (worth less than the cost to repair) at some point during the FDR administration.

And now it will probably cost you more to remove it from where it lies than what you can reasonably expect to get from parts. From what I can see, there are very likely no parts that don't need complete and expensive restoration.

Look around for other more compatible restoration candidates, there are hundreds if not thousands of them out there that far better condition than this one. Take Charlie B's advice (and mine): walk away.

You will be glad you did.
 
I agree that this car would be a money pit. Me I would only want the roadster. And I would have to get it cheap. Three or four hundred is all I would pay for it. With cars I straddle both sides of the fence. This would be perfect for a t-bucket.i got one over the weekend. And that's what it might be some day.
6ABD4F72-CA08-4049-95E5-8D6B5AE6CAED-6049-0000085BE4ABDE59-1.jpg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top