model t's

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Wed 3 Mar 2004 11:52
model t's - billy25
anybody see the 5th gear programme last night that featured Henry's baby?, i got the impression that in it's day it was quite a versatile beast, with body styles that range from "saloon" to "charabanc",which if you took the top-sides off, left you with a flat-bed truck!. Apparently, there is still a bloke (farmer) in britain that still restores them, and can supply you with all the parts to build your own. he even has a sportster version that will do 90mph!!!. the programme also featured archive footage of the 't' going through and over terrain that would make even some of todays 4x4's baulk!.

billy.
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Wed 3 Mar 2004 11:58
model t's - Garethj
Didn't see the program but the T is an incredibly versatile vehicle. Not sure I believe 90mph, but 70mph is pushing the limits of human endurance in one of those!

At one time, over half the vehicles in the world were Model Ts !

Gareth
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Wed 3 Mar 2004 12:46
model t's - Dynamic Dave
Was this on Discovery, Home & Leisure? If so, then it's a repeat of an earlier showing of it when it was on Channel 5.

Didn't see it this time round, but watched Salvage Squad on Channel 4 Monday where they restored "the Golden Ford" which was a stripped down model T and had a brass plated bodyshell with a beefed up engine that developed 45bhp. Not bad considering the standard model T only had 25 bhp. Might not sound much, but this was way back in 1911.
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Wed 3 Mar 2004 13:01
model t's - billy25
it certainly was, although i didn't see it first time round.
found it enthralling, especially when it came to stopping it,apparently it had three pedals, one for forwards, one for reverse, and a brake,coupled up with a "hand throttle", to stop it,the presenter said "you just jam all three pedals down". ouch! what happened to the gearboxes! did they carry a spare one in the boot?
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Wed 3 Mar 2004 13:05
model t's - Garethj
Reverse gear on a pedal meant that Model Ts were used in a sort of Polo game replacing the horses! The riders, err drivers could swing the polo hammer in one hand while steering with the other hand and could go forwards or backwards with their feet. Mad

Didn't Ford build a few new Model Ts last year?

Gareth
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