11376 Ford Model T - MODs and Improvements

[jb70]

Please welcome to share some of your ideas for MODs and Improvements to the legendary 11376 Ford Model T. 

I would like to share my digital CAD ldraw model: 11376 - FORD Model T.mpd

 

Here is some interesting background information giving instructions on how to drive the real car and showing some nice closeups of the real car design:

 

 

And I would like to start with my first MOCs and Improvements:

• The drive shaft has been reinforced, extended and connected to a working 4 cylinder fake engine. This gives the model a historical rattling sound when moving the car.
  
• Modified and openable engine hood giving free view to the engine.
  
• Reinforced front wheel steering with clearly better turning radius. This corrects the wabbly X-legs look of the original design.
  
• Reinforced steering wheel attachment using a technic connector #7 
• Corrected the "illegal" building technic mentioned by Tiago Catarino.
• Some minor color changes to get a clearer look.

 

 

All these have been included into MOC-255792 - 11376 - Pimp up my Ford MODEL T v1.0.

[aeh5040]

That's great! The set might be worth buying now. Embarrassing for TLG that they were apparently unable to do this.

[blondasek]

This is what I hoped for but never imagined it happens :D Thank you!

[gyenesvi]

Great improvements, especially the drivetrain and fake engine!

As for the bottom stabilization of the front axle, I think it could be slimmed down using more of those elbow pieces. I don't even understand why those elbow pieces are used on the top, it seems unrealistic when comparing with the real thing.

[Sven J]

I really wonder why nobody seems to notice that the proportions of Lego's Model T are miles off.

This is visible at first sight when you compare it with prototype photos, but thankfully @jb70 has made the CAD file available, so we can also calculate, based on the prototype dimensions which can be found online (wheel (tire) diameter 760 mm; wheelbase 2,540 mm; width 1,676 mm; height 1,860 mm):

Tire diameter is roughly in 1:10 scale, while the wheelbase is 1:11.75 - so, to match the tire size, the wheelbase would have to be 4 studs longer.
Width is only 1:13, which means that the model is too narrow by a considerable amount.
But the really ridiculous thing is height, at a scale of ca. 1:8.9!

I was really excited when the Model T was announced, but this caricature is a no-go for me.

Edited April 26 by Sven J

[Toastie]

20 hours ago, Sven J said:

I was really excited when the Model T was announced, but this caricature is a no-go for me.

Well, making it higher with a few pieces to make it look bigger than it really is, saves them a lot of money - other than making it wider and longer.

There is a huge benefit though: It doesn't waste too much space, depthwise, when it sits on a shelf. It smoothly aligns with the wall. Which reduces shelf costs, saving those, who actually go for it, a lot of money.

And finally it saves you and me both the cost for buying the set and the shelf.

Win-win-win! 

Best
Thorsten 

[Sven J]

3 hours ago, Toastie said:

And finally it saves you and me both the cost for buying the set and the shelf.

Win-win-win! 

That's an aspect I never thought of, but of course you're absolutely right!