- What's beautiful about this property - Is it was actually the first manufacturing facility for Ford in Canada.

So this is the roof where all the cars will be test driven.

Now it's obviously be converted over a hundred years and - So as soon as it turned, I think it's going into to advance and that's why it's backfiring.

Try it like get her running.

Every car has a story - Car, like the best thing ever.

For some they end up here.

These are just some of the stories about those who collectively restored vehicles, giving them a renewed lease on life so that their stories can be told right here on restoration.

- Closed captioning is provided by senior discovery tours online@seniordiscoverytours.ca.

Funding for radical restoration is provided by - RAA bot sources sustainable materials to create boot racks that organize footwear while allowing drippings to go in the bowl.

Models designed for home work or recreational settings are available online@rabo.com.

Birds underwater in Crystal River, - Florida supports radical restoration, offering guided excursions with Florida manatees, kayak rentals, scuba diving certifications and boat tours are also available since 1993 and online@birdsunderwater.com.

- In this episode, it's all about the Model T. We visit one of the first Ford plants in Toronto where they assembled vehicles and test drove them on the roof.

Then we meet up with a few Model T owners and their cars.

- Hey everyone, my name is Michael Denado.

We're at Fama Canada, 6 7 2 DuPont Street in downtown Toronto.

Today we're gonna be talking a little bit about the Ford model Ts, the impact of Ford in Canada and what we do as a business.

So Fama Canada was founded in 1958 by Mike Dito Sr. My grandfather.

And his goal was to bring Italian culture, cuisine and food to Canada.

At that time there was very little in regards to pizza, pasta, gelato and especially coffee.

He had a very difficult time finding specialty coffees like espressos, cappuccinos and lattes.

And when he realized there was a need for that, he started to hone in on that look for equipment in Italy, bring it back to Canada, open his own facilities and start to bring Italian culture and cuisine right to Canada.

So in 1994 the Dina family purchased this building here, 6 7 2 DuPont Tree in downtown Toronto.

Now what's beautiful about this property is it was actually the first manufacturing facility for Ford in Canada.

So essentially behind us there's a train track that would run all the way to Dearborn, Michigan where parts would come into the building.

All the cars were actually assembled, sold test drove and maintained in this facility.

Now Ford operated here from 1914 to 1927 and in that time sold more model T's outta this location than I think anywhere else in Canada that I'm aware of.

So in order to pay homage to Ford their history and heritage, we've decided to purchase some Model T's ourselves and put them on display here in a living museum.

Now these are our model T's.

We have two of them.

We have a two door and a four door.

And the reason these cars are so important and special is they actually still work.

So we've maintained 'em to the point where if we wanted to drive them we could.

The original freight elevators were in the building and that's how the cars were actually transported from the roof where there was a test track all the way to the main floor where there was a showroom.

And you can see them both here in our showroom.

You can sit in them, take pictures, we welcome everyone to come and visit, but of course you gotta try the coffee again.

- And as you can see how it flow, it looks like there's a fresh honey coming outta the jar or we call it like a elephant.

So I'm mixing the coffee and the milk and I'll just be doing this pattern because the best part is the next one.

- Hopefully there's no garbage in there.

You see that mural is, you'll notice there's brick on the right.

That area is actually level with the train track.

Yeah, so essentially what would happen is the train from Michigan would come with all the parts.

It would stop right there.

The parts would all get unloaded on this floor.

Three and four was assembly, five is where they would paint it.

You could have any color as long as it was black.

And on the sixth floor, which is essentially the roof, is where they would actually test drive the cars.

That sounds crazy.

And if you put it into perspective in 1914 and 15, how many cars do you actually think were on the road in Toronto?

They could have driven those cars anywhere at any time.

And the fact that they decide to do it on the roof for me is mind boggling.

It's just they were so far ahead of their time, it just must have been so impactful for clients to come in the main floors where they actually sold them.

It was the showroom essentially.

And this is the original freight elevator.

So this elevator is how they would transport the cars to the different floors.

We still use it today, it's still in operation.

This has the original signage, fully manual and this guy would go right to the roof.

The cars would roll in and out on either side.

So there's a lot of history and a lot of unique things to see in the building.

It's, it's really incredible to see how solid, how this was built and how they would actually run a manufacturing facility like this in the heart of downtown Toronto.

It's pretty impressive when you think about it.

Like we, this is the only floor that's ever been modified in the building.

So this was actually cut out to create this stairwell for us.

And when the actual team came to do the cutting, they thought this was gonna be an easy job, no problem, just cut it and go the amount of blades that they broke.

Because if you look at how thick the rebar is and the rock in this concrete, nothing like this exists in today's construction.

I haven't seen anything this solid.

Like the columns in this building that go from literally the main floor all the way to the roof are massive.

Like I look at new build condo construction and it's not even remotely close.

Like what they were doing at that time from a forming and concrete standpoint does not exist today.

It's incredible.

Like look how big that is.

This is like 12 inches of pure concrete and rock.

So this is another version, this is our second car, it's on the ground floor.

And one thing that's unique about this that I find unique anyways is that it's a four door convertible.

I don't really know of any four door convertibles today, maybe like a Jeep Wrangler if that even counts.

But these cars are just so unique in the way they were built and designed.

Like this thing is a brick wall.

And when you actually look at some of the finer details of the vehicles and these still run.

So for example, hypothetically you're driving in this rain, can you imagine doing this while you're driving?

Like even this beautiful little mirror.

Everything about these things, like I, nothing here is adjustable, so I'm a bit of a big boy.

I don't even know if I could fit in like barely.

And yeah, you have your reverse pedal, your clutch and your brake and your throttle is here, which is also kind of ridiculous when you think about that.

When we bought the cars, I remember asking the original owner like, so like is this a stick shift?

They're like, how do I, and he's like, you're never driving this car.

Don't even think about it.

And I, that really taught me a bit that day that that not everything is as it seems, but the fact that they were able to build these at a scale and kind of create an automotive revolution that allowed everyone to transition from horse and buggy to car and any American or Canadian at that time.

It's just really incredible to see how Ford has advanced, not only manufacturing but our economy in general because that's what really drove the industrial revolution my, in my opinion anyways.

And here's the engine bay, we'll also see the stamp of made in Canada on the engine itself.

Really incredible to think about that, the history behind it.

And then you'll notice we've paid homage to this car on our main floor with almost like a small museum.

And in this we've kind of tried to recreate the cobblestone.

And on that side there we actually have pictures of the manufacturing floors, the showroom, the prices, the initial invitation that was actually sent out to anyone living in the area in Toronto.

The way that Ford did those launches was truly incredible.

And I think a lot of people, if we could talk to anyone from that era, would be, would have so many amazing things to say about it.

So this is the roof where all the cars will be test driven.

Now it's obviously be converted over a hundred years, but if you look along this side here, you'll actually see the original train track.

And this is the track that would come from Michigan where all the cars and all the parts would be rolling across and unloaded.

And as I mentioned, this was the test track for the cars.

So you'll see right here in this space where there's newer brick and a different color.

So the frail there that we were just on would actually come right up to here.

The doors would open and prospective clients would be able to take their cars and actually test drive them here.

Now you can obviously see the skyline of Toronto is probably a lot different than it was a hundred years ago ago, but I could imagine that it would, it must've been incredible for people at time.

I mean even now it's still incredible to be up here and see this view a hundred years ago and driving a car must have just been a mind blowing experience for your average consumer, especially when you consider the Model T being really an entry level vehicle that anyone could afford at $500.

- My name's Glen Ano, I'm from London, drove the Model T here from London for the show.

It's a 1921 Model T Canadian made.

So a little rare.

Henry Ford made about 15 million of these and 750,000 approximately made in Canada.

So a wonderful old car, very simple, reliable, but maximum speed's only 60 K. So it just chugs along.

Yeah, but they were cheap in the day and still relatively cheap to own basically about probably you can get a good one for anywhere between 12 to 20 right now.

My grandfather owned a Model T, he was one of the original owners out in Manitoba.

And so I've always been in the back of my mind to get one.

And then 10 years ago I started looking and was lucky enough to find what I wanted off of Kei of all places off of farm in Chatham.

So really fortunate, my friend here, he got a ride in mine and now he has to have one.

And so he has a bit of an addiction as well.

- Yeah.

Oh, James Armstrong from Bayfield Ontario.

And anyway, like Glen said, I had a couple rides in his and got bitten by the bug and then we actually, I bought it online and we went down to New Hampshire and brought it back in April.

So this is at 23, so a hundred years old this year.

But they're just kind of the car that changed the world I guess.

So nice to be part of history.

So we're actually taking it down to Greenfield Village in Michigan in September.

Anyway, looking forward to that.

- I think the majority were made out of Walkerville, you know, just outside of Windsor, you know, that's what I, I was told.

But yeah, they had plants, like you said in Toronto.

Oh my gosh.

Is here.

I think they had some out in in the prairies too, I think in Saskatchewan.

So hard to know.

Yeah, like I guess if you followed all the serial numbers you might be able to track it down, but I haven't gotten into it quite that far yet, yet.

Well he's gonna try to fire his gene.

I wasn't holding your breath on.

This one might turn as soon as you, you put it on the whole distributor.

I think the gears are down.

Yeah.

And so as soon as it turned, I think it's going into to advance and that's why it's backfiring.

Try it like get her running.

Don't think it's gonna give it a shot.

Yeah, you can see look it.

No, I can, I can feel it on the hand.

Oh yeah, you felt it.

As soon as you turn it, it goes - Unless you want, well I know you get your hand chopped off.

- But see this is the difference is someone modified it.

This is a distributor off a Volkswagen, so it's a little different than the the original.

We should go look on that bw.

- Yeah, - Go take a peek.

See how different they're, why do we differ?

No, never a see mine's totally, totally different.

There's, it's just a, a little timer that's in here and it's controlled through the linkage as well.

And then I put a can in there, made in Canada, no, no air filter, like this little pipe, you know, collects the air just off the, you know the manifold there.

So it's a little warmer.

There's no fuel filter, there's no water pump, it just circulates the water through the hot, hot water rises and then it circulates.

This is a, an old leather felt, but still good.

So we leave that simple, simple.

In 1919 they put electric start on them.

So it does have an electric start.

Henry Ford doesn't like you coming in this way, so you, it's easier.

This the other way in the passenger side buzzing coils, the only gauge they have is whether it's charging or not.

I added modern convenience cup holders.

Pedals are all different here.

You control, you control the throttle.

Here you have spark advance over on this side.

Right now the parking brake is on.

There's a neutral position when you want to go forward, you press and hold, you press this left, go forward.

When you want to go in reverse, you press this.

And this is a break.

The break on this side are cloth bands holding the drive shot, but I added, there's an accessory, a period correct accessory called Rocky Mountain Brakes.

So when you pull back, it engages their external shoes.

So it's a little, a little nicer.

I chain the key because I've had the key fall out of the ignition and then there's just these holes in the floor.

And so the key went onto the road.

So I just leave the key in and I don't think too many people know how to start it.

The starter switches down here, like the, the used to have the, like the high beams from like the sixties and it'd be on the floor, you know, so it's a little, a little different.

You can choke it from inside the car.

And there's also a lever down here where you can adjust your carburetor on the go.

So complicated in the day, but easy.

It probably wouldn't take people very long to learn how to drive it.

- High gears when that comes off.

- Yes.

When you, when you're in high gear or you're in top of low gear, I put the lever forward, you release that, the, the clutch so to speak.

Then it's, it's totally like you just control it with your, with your throttle.

So it's like cruise control and it only goes maximum speed is only like 60 kilometers.

So it's, you don't go very or fast and you don't want to go too fast because basically you're only on like really thin, thin rubber and a little wobbly and it doesn't stop very well.

So yeah, I'm glad there's people like you that still know how to drive.

Oh, I enjoy it.

Like I drove from London, I drive, you know, like I still do a little bit of work in the shop and my shop's, you know, 15 kilometers away.

So I drive it to the shop in the morning.

You drove here from London today?

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah.

I drove it here on Friday.

Wow, that's terrific.

Well you have to just, you know, once the cars start lining up behind you, you pull over a little and let them go.

You don't want to, you know, irritate people too much, but most people it's easy to see and they don't, they respect you.

I'm glad you have this car.

Oh, I love it.

And you get to see it.

Well it's so much fun because look it, I get to meet all these people, you know, like if I go for coffee, well that's why I put the cup holders on.

I'd go for coffee and then somebody would come over and start talking to you.

I had to have some place to put it.

Yeah, there, there's a great way to meet people, that's for sure.

You're preserving our history.

Thank you.

You're - My name's Dwayne Gork and it's a 1930 model, a coop.

- And how long have you had this car?

- I've had it probably about 10 years.

I restored it.

That took probably three to four years to restore it.

And we did a, it was a ground up restoration right down to the frame and back together.

And I've always wanted a coop and a friend of mine at, he had, at the time, he had three model A's, and he got me interested in model a's I guess.

And so I had looked for a while for one and, and I found this one down in Waterloo.

That's beautiful.

And it was a fellow, I didn't know him, but a fellow I know knew this guy in Waterloo who's a car collector.

And he'd heard about it and it was in a state sale.

So he went and bought it just with the idea of flipping it.

And when, when he went to look at it, the card sat for 20 years outside covered up and when he wasn't expecting much and when he went to see it, he took the cover off it and he couldn't believe the shape it was still in.

And the fellow that had passed away 20 years ago, he parked the car and he covered the whole thing inside with oil heavy oil filled the gas tank with oil.

The rumble seat was about a half an inch thick of used real thick oil.

And that's what preserved the car.

- Cars like this are not really practical for people that don't have some ability and place to work on them.

There are always things to to do.

They're not as bad as wooden boats, but there's still a lot of maintenance and work that has to be done on them to keep them in top condition and keep them running properly.

- Closed captioning is provided by senior discovery tours online@seniordiscoverytours.ca.

Funding for radical restoration is provided by - Rabo sources sustainable materials to create boot racks that organize footwear while allowing drippings to go in the bowl.

Models designed for home work or recreational settings are available online@rabo.com.

Birds underwater in Crystal - River, Florida supports radical restoration, offering guided excursions with Florida manatees, kayak rentals, scuba diving certifications, and boat tours are also available since 1993 and online@birdsunderwater.com.

- Thank you for joining us.

My name's Gary Nichols.

Until next time, may all your rides be radical.