In a video posted about five months ago, Westen Champlin set out to learn how well a century-old Ford could handle dirt trails. His Model T had a much better day than you might expect, though some of his route choices could use work.
The idea came from old footage of a Model T being driven off-road. Champlin bought one to see whether a car from that era could still pull off the same tricks.
He describes the red Ford as a 1926 model with its original engine and transmission. Getting it moving is one task; knowing which pedal will stop it is quite another.
That learning curve makes a modern truck look tempting. During a driving lesson, someone has to check a phone for instructions, while the crew jokes that a Boeing 747 would be less complex.
Built for This
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Out on the trails at Horsepower Ranch, the Ford starts to make more sense. The crew finds the ride smooth, and the car keeps moving across rough ground without much fuss. Champlin grows more fond of it the longer he drives.
There is a good reason for that. The Henry Ford museum explains that the Model T’s flexible frame and suspension helped it cope with poor roads. High ground clearance served the same purpose. What feels odd on a paved road was useful when a rough track might be the road home.
So the little Ford has some history on its side here. It was built to handle bad ground long before off-road trucks became weekend toys, and this test gives that design a chance to prove itself.
The crew’s praise gets warmer as the trails go on. Even when the ride turns rough, the Ford keeps earning their respect. Then Champlin tries the mud.
One Foot Over
After getting stuck, Champlin is willing to take some blame. He says it may have been driver error and gives the car credit for how well it had done up to that point.
Once freed, he has another go with a slight change in line. This time, the Ford gets stuck even worse, which does little to settle the debate over who is at fault.
Zach questions trying the same thing again. Champlin objects: “It wasn’t the same thing, Zach.” His defense rests on a small but, to him, vital detail: “I went a foot to the right.”
A foot is doing a lot of work in that argument. Meanwhile, the crew has a more pressing problem: recovery gear that falls short, including a winch with no hook and a controller that doesn’t work.
Pulling backward fails to free the Ford, and Champlin does not want to tear out the rear axle. They switch to pulling from the front and get it out. The engine is still running after the mud-hole ordeal.
A Familiar Fix
In sand, the Ford runs out of steam.
Champlin thinks more power would have helped it keep going, and he already has a fix in mind: “We got to turbo the Model T.”