I purchased this car in 2021 in Oswego, IL and at that time it needed just about everything except body paint. It was painted moca brown back in approx. 1974, and although it has some checking and cracks here and there, it looks pretty good overall when shined up. Everything else except the glass needed something done; restoration, replacing, painting, etc. Since the interior was completely rat-chewed and destroyed, I began removing it when I found a rear upholstered side panel that had been signed on the backing material by the restorers, a father and son team in Gurnee IL dated June 1974. I cut this signature and date out, placed it in a ‘time capsule’ located within the upholstery for the future owner to find once he feels the need to replace the upholstery (for the third time), and along with it I put a description of the work that I had to do starting in 2021, namely:

1. Gut and replace carpets, seat upholstery, roof liner and carpeting, along with door cards, door trim, basically the entire interior.
2. Replace old tires with new wide white wall Firestone tires.
3. Strip and paint the hickory wood spokes.
4. When I purchased the car, it had a 1925 transmission/engine installed, and I removed this and located a correct 1926 engine/trans, which needed work. I rebuilt the engine/trans, to include boring the engine .040″ oversize, new pistons/rings, new camshaft/bearings, oversize tappets and valves, valve springs, timing gear, and other misc. parts and pieces.
5. Rebuilt the driveline, to include new U-joint, replace the front driveshaft bushing, rear driveshaft bearing, replaced pinion and ring gear, replaced the original babbitt thrust bearing with modern brass thrust bearing, axle seals, etc.
6. Body work and paint to the fenders, splash guards, interior metal work, seat frames, frame, etc.
7. Replaced original steel core radiator with modern copper core unit.
8. Replaced some wood top lattice, replaced padding and vinyl top covering.
9. Added rear stop lights, turn signals for safety.
10. Too many other minor items to list.

I have over the last 12 years I have owned 50 Model T’s, and have sold 49 of them. I plan on keeping this one, as it took the most time to complete and is my favorite body style of all the Model T’s I have owned: it is enclosed so that I do not get drenched when it rains, it can lock to keep sticky fingers from walking off with my gear, it has the wide brake and low gear pedals so that I can drive it without taking my shoes off, unlike the 1925 models and older, and it has a rear seat to accommodate passengers/luggage.