GEN III ANTIQUE AUTO

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We believe that these cars should be driven, not parked in a museum. 

We rebuild motors with this in mind.

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Capabilities:

Our extended family has been involved in the hobby for four generations spanning 60+ years. "Gen I" a.k.a Grandpa started this hobby for us.  "Gen II", "Gen III" and "Gen IV" have all cut our teeth on a Model T steering wheel. (See our about us page if you don't believe me!) We know T's.

Key Benefits:

  • We fit our bearings using a compound developed by the U.S. Navy - This process can take 1-2 hours per bearing to get near 100% coverage.  Originally Ford burned them in using a larger motor.  They got the close by scraping, then spun the engine over until they started to smoke.  Ford spec's at the time required 50-60% coverage.  That is simply not good enough for us.  Properly fit bearings last longer between adjustments, and you won't need to tow the car to get it started the first time.

 

  • All moving parts are carefully weighed down to the gram level and then balanced by computer.

  • Only the best parts are used.  Questionable or damaged parts are never used. 

 

  • We take our time to do it right the first time.  We want you to enjoy your car instead of worrying about it all the time.

 

Why does it cost so much?

To answer this, understand that these parts are NOT CHEAP!  We use only the best parts available, and to the best of my knowledge, they are all  MADE IN THE U.S.A.

Lets compare costs against a more conventional "modern" engine, one that does not take special knowledge to rebuild.  Try taking your T engine to the local Ford garage, they will not touch it because no one in there would know how to rebuild it!  If this were a "normal" vehicle, like a Mustang, Camaro, etc., you could just open up a catalog and purchase an engine all done. 

I pulled some prices off a well known companies website (sounds allot like "Eggs") today: 

A "full dress crate engine", complete (from the Ford list) costs an average (highest price + lowest price / 2)  of $8270.  THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE the transmission, exhaust manifolds, the fan, belts, alternator,  or Clutch parts, and you still have to bolt them together!  Transmissions from this same company run an average of $2,000.  These two components together add up to average cost of $10,270 (plus all the other missing pieces) for your "more modern" collector cars.   

We charge considerably less than this amount to rebuild your Model T's entire power plant.  Please understand that when we give you a ballpark figure (or a firm quote like the touring package below), it usually includes the engine, transmission, and all the add on pieces you will need to make it run - ignition, carb, manifolds, etc. 

We encourage you to comparison shop, call our competitors.  Ask questions about what will be done to your engine, and what parts and processes are used.  You may find some cheaper prices, but they might not include everything you want or need done to ensure that you have a reliable long lasting engine, and more importantly - peace of mind.  Contrary to popular belief, we don't make a ton of money on these engines.  We do feel that our hourly rate is fair, as it's about 1/2 what the modern garages in our area charge.

 

High Performance Model T "Touring Package" 
 
This is the most commonly asked for combination of parts for people that like to drive their T's on tours or around town.  It's a proven and reliable package that gives you a substantial boost in power for hill climbing or keeping up with traffic on back roads. 
Click here for details.
 

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Stock Model T engine or special requests

 

 

Model A and other brands of Antique Automobiles  

 

What's involved:

To properly rebuild a Model T power plant, it takes roughly 30-40 hours of tedious hard work performed by someone that knows what they are doing.  This includes rebuilding the motor, transmission, manifolds, carburetor, head, etc.  We sometimes spend 1-2 hours per bearing (there are a total of ten Babbitt bearings in a T) to get a perfect fit. 

How long will it take? 

"Turn around" time for an engine assembly start to finish is running about two months right now. 

There is no waiting list for engines out of the car.  Your engine won't sit here for months before work begins.

 

 

 

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Send mail to
sales@Gen3AntiqueAuto.com for more information about products or services.
webmaster@ModelTengine.com with questions or comments about this web site.

Last modified: 04/09/08