Norman Bragg fired up his 1923 Model-T Ford last Monday night for the first time in 50 years. The Jefferson resident finished up the last of the restoration details in time for the Jefferson Day parade on Aug. 15.
The Ford Motor Company manufactured the Model-T (popularly named the Tin Lizzy), starting in 1908 in Detroit, Mich. Several variations of the model rolled off the assembly line, including two-door and four-door wagons, coupes, and roadsters. According to online publicity, the company manufactured 15 million cars between 1908 and 1927.
Talking about the history of Bragg’s 1923 pitch-black four-door wagon churned up memories of the past and the road the car has taken with the man who has lived in the automotive world most of his life.
“It’s no creampuff,” Bragg said, mentioning he couldn’t afford a more expensive paint job.
As it states on the Ford website, the car company began offering the Model-T, “in any color so long as it is black,” starting in 1914. Ford enthusiasts have said offering the cars in one color sped up efficiency on their assembly lines, as the color black dried faster.
Bragg said he doesn’t remember the exact year he bought the car from Waldoboro resident Ruby Hofses, widow of his friend, Irvine. He intended to fix the car right away and drive by her house with the restored wagon. He said he’s had the car for about 50 years.
“He (Irvine) courted her in that car,” Bragg said, who believes he is the second owner.
The Jefferson car restorer, who turned 80 this year, does not consider himself a mechanic or machinist, but has enjoyed fixing up the Model-T. He learned about cars starting at a very young age.
Bragg told the story of how his family started in the automotive business during the Great Depression. He said his father sold vegetables, traveling on the road.
“I was just a little fella then,” he said.
His father acquired an old car in trade for some vegetables from a woman who could not afford to pay in cash. This transaction jump-started the engine and turned the gears for an automobile parts business, which his father operated in Waldoboro for a number of years before moving to Augusta. The business, Bragg’s Auto Parts, which young Bragg took over and operated with his siblings for several years, sold new and used parts.
Bragg knows every part on his restored Model-T, saying Ford inscribed their trademark on all the parts, including the chassis. He stopped working on the car when his daughter, Cynthia, was four years old and he decided to finish the project six years ago. Bragg said he had a hard time finding all of the right parts over the years.
Cynthia excitedly talked about getting a dress in Lisbon Falls in anticipation of the Jefferson Community Day parade. She and her sister and nieces dressed up in 1920s attire to commemorate the occasion, and said the family had been waiting for this moment for some time, also the celebrating of Bragg’s 80th birthday. They all rode in the vehicle together on Jefferson Day.
“I learned to drive on a Model-A,” she said, recalling the experience of operating her father’s truck out in a field.
Bragg, who lives alone with his dog, mows the lawn and splits wood for the winter. He uses his Model-A truck for hauling the wood.
“I was wondering if it was going to outlast me,” Bragg said in admiration of the sturdy vehicle and the mileage he has gotten out of it over the years. “It was born in the same year I was.”
In restoring the 1923 wagon, Bragg said he had some help from Searsmont Antique Express store owner and friend, George Sproul. He said Sproul reupholstered the car and helped him get it running. The black leather seats made the car look as though it had just rolled off the factory floor. A new wood floor had also been replaced inside the cab. During Jefferson Community Day, Sproul said Bragg did a lot of the work himself.
“They’re pretty simple, really,” Bragg said, comparing his work on the old models with the difficulty of working on new cars.
Sharing the opinion of many antique automobile enthusiasts, Bragg likes the fact that he can fit his hands in the engine compartment and can see the individual parts. Of newer cars, Bragg said there are just too many conveniences and a bundle of wires that make diagnosis for the backyard mechanic confusing.
Bragg mentioned a new model car, which the company boasts 130 miles on a gallon of gas. He said the car sells for $40,000.
“The average guy can’t afford that,” He said.
In 1924, the price for a new Model-T was lowered to $260 and was considered to be an affordable price at the time. The company boasts the manufacture of the Model-T “put the world on wheels.” The company boasts that their Model-T can operate up to 45 miles per hour and gets 25 miles per gallon of gas. It has a four-cylinder (177 cubic inch), 2.9- liter engine.
Bragg took some time to relearn how to drive the car, saying earlier he wasn’t quite ready to drive it on the open road. He has been practicing driving the car in a large lot, as it takes some getting used to.
The throttle lever is on the steering wheel, with three pedals on the floor for the brake, reverse, and clutch. An electric switch button on the floor nearest the driver’s seat starts the engine.
Maneuvering the vehicle must take practice as well. The wheels are tall and tires thinner than the tires of modern vehicles. Climbing up into the cab gives a person the sensation they are riding in more of a buggy, with its canvass top and open sides.
“She’s no Rolls Royce,” Bragg said after a cool ride down Rt. 32 in Jefferson, adding, “but we sure do have fun in it.”
