Necromancy of a 1926 Ford model TT dump truck

[Basil]

Today I begin the process of bringing back to existence a 1926 Ford model TT dump truck. This car was gifted to me by my grandmother, as it was my late grandfather’s long-term project car. He always said that this car would be a show stopper if he ever got it fixed up enough to go to car shows, but he just never had the time. I am left with a box of half complete diagrams, a couple books, and a rusted, rotted carcass of a car. Any advice would be very well received. My first order of business will be making the wooden framing upright again so that I may more closely examine the structure and make a template/diagram to make a new wooden structure from. I have no idea what I’m doing. Any ideas are more than welcome. I’m not gonna give up on this car without a fight.

[Luv2Wrench]

Looks like you've got a great space to work in, so that's a big positive.   I think your plan is the right one.  Get the car as together as possible and see what's needed next.   While somewhat less efficient, it is generally a good idea to get the vehicle as complete as possible and then work one section at a time.   Once the wood framing is upright and attached you might replace wheels/tires, get the brakes working and then engine running.  Stop, turn, run.  From that point you can "restore" a section at a time at your leisure.

 

Looks like a great project, thanks for taking the time to post and share here!

 

[1912Staver]

From what I can see of the cab it looks reasonably intact. The Model T chassis should be reasonably easy as these things go. Parts supply for T's is better than any other vintage car except possibly Model A's. Is it a T or a TT ? It's hard to tell from your photo's.

 Your shop space would be the envy of many of us on here. Best of luck with the project. 

[zdillinger]

You have a great project and a great place to bring it back to life. I strongly encourage you to join the MTFCI. There will almost certainly be a chapter near you with people who will be more than happy to help out. 

 

Keep us updated!

Edited November 24, 2022 by zdillinger
Typo (see edit history)

[bradsan]

That rear wheel screams TT to me and looks just like the one attached to my TT in the garage.

Great vehicle to start on;  firewall forward parts are readily available as most of them are shared with the cars. Biggest difference is frame and rear end. There are some repro TT rear end parts available but not like the car selection.

I don't believe that is a factory cab which makes your job easier as most of the wooden cabs put on the 'chassis only' TT's were not done by fancy coachbuilders but by local 'artists'. Basic woodworking skills should see you through.

 

Having been there , here are some thoughts:

- if you are over 5'10" or long legged or 'stocky', you might want to check how the cab dimensions work for you before you duplicate it . Mine has an 8' factory stake bed and a C-cab and it is tight fit behind the wheel. You might want to customize to give yourself some room if you can still work the dump box in behind.

- they are geared way, way down from the cars. How else do you move a ton of stuff with the same 20HP motor?

- Be forewarned, they are slow and noisy in the cab. I hope you have access to some country roads ( I wish I did!) because they are heart-stopping in modern city traffic.

- If you want additional speed ( because you are not planning to haul a ton of stuff) an auxillary transmssion ( IE Warford) is available.

- The Ruxstell 2 speed rear-end for for the TT works the opposite of the car Ruxstell and makes it slower.  I know.... we tried!

- If you get the auxillary transmission, you'll really, really  want to consider Rocky Mountain Brakes ( external contracting) if they are not already on the truck.  You'll have no brakes if the transmission gets stuck between shifts for what ever reason. ( the cab and controls are tight fitting and you might not mean to shift it! )  The parking brake might keep you parked but it won't stop you once you are moving.

 

They are a lot of fun and it will make you and others smile when it runs.

 

The MTFCI and MTFCA sites are both great resources; both with great forums, lots of good advice and lots of opinions!

 

Brad

[Layden B]

bradsan,

Ford Model TT trucks first came out in 1918 but is wasn't until 1924 that Ford offered a body for them. Until then they were sold as chassis only.

This prompts my question as to what a "factory" cab would actually be. 1924 and later a Ford factory steel cab would answer the question but many and possibly most TT trucks got a wooden cab made in an aftermarket body factory. The remainder were lucky if they got something supplied by a local craftsman. 

Many nicer surviving TT wooden bodies at exactly the stage this one is in got the frame and rear end changed to car units and the bed shortened to match.

[bradsan]

Sorry , not clear enough!

 

Agreed, 1924 was the first year for a Ford cab which I referred to as 'factory' . I believe the steel cabs were still an option and standard was a bare chassis to hone your DYI cab skills up until the end of  TT production. I'll probably be corrected on that since I'm going off of memory!  Mine is a wooden cab as well . Locally made no doubt.

 

From the MTFCI site library:

http://www.cimorelli.com/mtdl/1924/1924univtruckad.pdf

If you look at the stake bed option, you'll see just how much room there is in that cab!