02.2012

Removed the second transmission, I knew the bearings were going, it kept falling out of first gear. I also needed a better way to attatch the two transmissions, the existing method was out of alignment by somewhat over 0.10" resulting in the destruction of the Model T fourth main bearing. Repairs here.

Also removed the rear axle, to find out why the yoke had almost 1/2 revolution of movement before slack was taken up. More on this later..

11.2011

Got the engine to run, and it runs well. All it needed was some additional voltage to it's poorly adjusted coils, new plugs and some new wires to replace the ones without any insulation. The radiator was in pretty rough shape with a serious mouse nest in it. Repairs here.

09.2011

I don't know why I never thought to check Jake Smero's farm for parts though I should have while his brother was still alive. I really could have learned some interesting stuff and maybe saved more interesting vehicles.

The Doodlebug needs lots of work on wear items like bushings and bearings, but otherwise good shape for being that it was made from used parts almost 100 years old. - I got the engine to cough some bluish smoke but it needs a new carburator. I was very glad to get the vehicle, it was built by Jake Smero the brother of Joe, who's house I own and who was very much like a grandfather to me. Joe used to talk about driving T's over Lincon Mountain rd. where his father ran a still.

Engine turns freely and the leather belt seems to be in functioning shape. The radius arms are intact, a rare thing on a doodle bug.	Solid tires up front, hard to get a flat with them...	Hmmmm.. did the mice steal the upholstery or was there just never any? Note the hand brake lever connects to the driver side rear wheel. Who needs more than one working brake? The farm was only on the side of a mountain, a tree would stop you eventually
I like the wood spacer blocks for the axle, better than many doodle bugs I have seen with cob-job welds to the frame	no connection between the hand brake and the T-transmission does that mean this thing is always going if the second trans. is in any gear?	As an added bonus I got a free mouse poking his rear out of the hole in the tire as noted by a passer by when I stopped on my way home.