Timeless Ts - Ford Model T Repairs & Services

05/11/2026

04/27/2026

Just grinding away at Timeless Ts in San Antonio. Terrie is making a set of wheel rims look pretty again. Daniel is repairing a hood on a 1925 Touring car.

04/20/2026

Things are going well at Timeless T's. A couple of Ford Model Ts have recently been returned to their owners from my shop in San Antonio. And a couple more have just arrived. One of them is a 1926 Dr. Coupe. It came in to have disc brakes installed plus some other issues. The window regulator on the driver's side is broken, and it seems to be running a little rough. The owner is from Fort Worth and is a member of the Cowtown T's. He brought the parts to tune up his distributor.

One of the things about working on 100 year old vehicles is that you never know what unusual decisions have been made by previous owners and mechanics. The “interesting” thing I found on the coupe was that the wheel lugs were not peeened to prevent the nuts coming off. Instead they were welded. You can imagine how much fun it was removing the nuts as a result. After it was disassembled and the disc added, I used a chisel to peen the lugs properly. The next person who ever has to remove them will think a little more highly of my work than I do of the previous person who did what they did, with the best of intentions no doubt.

02/02/2026

File this under - While we're in there, we might as well . . ." This coupe came to Timeless T in San Antonio because the starter drive Bendix had come apart and locked up the engine. To take care of this, the hogshead and lower oil pan cover were removed and the broken pieces extracted, freeing up the engine. An inspection of the transmission for any damage caused by these fragments revealed that the transmission bushings were worn out. Once informed, the owner agreed that these should be replaced. The transmission drum bushings were easily replaced. However, the triple-gear bushings were a different story. Two of them had seized up on their posts. The third bushing had not seized and was free spinning within the triple-gear. All three posts were replaced. New bushings were installed in the triple-gears. Finding no other damage or worn parts, the transmission was mated back onto the engine and put back into the car. Everything is working as it should – in fact it sounds and runs great - and the car is ready to be returned to the owner.

01/12/2026

While the body of the 1914 T mentioned in the previous post on this page is being painted, Daniel and Michael have successfully installed the starter motor that the owner requested. The engine sounds great, guys.

12/31/2025

As 2025 draws to a close, so does the third year for Daniel Bratcher’s full time operation of Timeless Ts. Once he retired from the charter bus business, he has been able to devote his energy towards providing repair and maintenance services to the San Antonio Ford Model T community and beyond. The demand is there and Timeless Ts has been profitable each year. Daniel, like all new business owners, had to figure out the business's ups and downs, plus still be have a life away from the shop. Towards this end, he has been invaluably assisted by Michael Mackechney. They have been friends since middle school. Both have a deep appreciation for all things Model T, including the local Model T community. They have also developed a network of local specialist businesses, such as body and paint, upholstery, radiators and electrical component rebuilders. This allows them to focus on what they do best, and move projects along, with different elements being taken care of by the most qualified people.

Here, in Daniel’s own words, is a report about just one of the Ford Model Ts currently being worked on at Tieless Ts.

A customer from the Dallas area has brought his 1914 Touring car to Timeless T Services for several upgrades. The most significant is to have a starter added to it. To add this, the engine must be pulled. The flywheel will be replaced with a flywheel that has a starter ring gear. The original transmission assembly can then mate with the replacement flywheel. The original hogs head will be replaced with one that accepts a starter. The customer has requested that the new style WOSP starter be used.
However, the car has already been significantly modified. It has an overhead valve conversion added to it, which places the carburetor on the driver’s side of the engine in the same location the starter needs to be placed. The carburetor is normally located on the passenger side of the engine. Also, on a regular T, the magneto is located internally at the back of the engine block. This one has an external magneto located on the frame rail on the passenger side. The first challenge was to relocate the carburetor to make room for the starter. The carburetor was relocated 3 inches forward to make room for the WOSP starter. The owner’s brother performed this task and did a great job. There will be a 3/4 inch gap between the starter and the carburetor. A tight fit for sure.

Now my fun can begin. In order to get the engine out of the car, the body will be loosened from the frame and raised 1 ¾ inches to allow the engine to be removed. This will also include removing the steering column from the frame and fire wall. The entire body is lifted as one unit to avoid damaging the wooden frame of the body.


Also, the owner has also asked that a battery box be added to his car. This was thought to be a simple job. However, a Ruckstell rear differential has been added. Usually the shifting rod and linkage is located in the center of the car. This car has it located on the left driver's side running along the frame. This location interferes with putting the battery box under the floor on this side. So why not just locate the battery box on the right passenger side of the frame you ask? The exhaust pipe and muffler run the length of the frame on the passenger side. I am not sure what the solution to this issue is yet but it will be resolved in due course.

And if all this wasn’t enough, the owner has also requested that a spare tire rack be added to the back of the car. We will discuss that when we cross that bridge much further done the road in this adventure. I shall try to post updates as this project progresses.

12/02/2025

This event was so much fun. Not at the event itself, but you can be gosh darn sure that both Mike Mackechney and Daniel Bratcher have worked on each of the eight Ford Model Ts that took part.

11/12/2025

Nobody focuses on 95 cent parts - until they fail. A customer who drives his T over 2,500 miles every year finally had not one but two engine valve spring seats fail while on his way to an event on Saturday. Each was on a different cylinder, so he lost two at the same moment. Most Ts will get you home on 3 cylinders but losing two means you're not going any further. Timeless Ts rebuilt this engine about four years ago so that's 10,000 miles on these stamped thin discs. That really ain't bad and compared to all the other ways an engine can leave you stranded, it's a relatively easy repair. After the customer got to rolling again, Daniel Bratcher moved on to a slightly more expensive proposition - a transmission rebuild.

09/26/2025

Business is brisk at "Timeless Ts," San Antonio's very own Ford Model T repair shop. While engine work - from repairs to full rebuilds - is the shop's bread and butter, we do most of the other tasks required to either get a T up and running, or to keep it moving on down the road.

08/19/2025

A little "Show & Tell" concerning the differences between the windshields of the 1917-1923 model Year Model Ts and those from the 1924 and 1925. The earlier type stood straight up and has an attachment plate that is equally straight. The 24 & 25 type slanted back about 25 degrees. How the top section pivots is also different. The 24/25 style is a lot more streamlined.