Simplici-T

A little more than 55 years ago, Ralph Umhoefer built a roadster. There’s no question that it started with an idea, a vision and a definitive series of sketches in which he mapped out the “what�? and “where�?—pushing the “how�? down the way a bit while the plans came together. For five years he studied, schemed and scrutinized before finalizing the layout of his first hot rod project. A parts clerk with United Motors by day, Ralph’s goal was to build a simple, sturdy hot rod on the tightest budget possible.

When it was time to get moving, Ralph sourced a set of Model A frame rails near his Alberquerque, New Mexico, home. Rather than going the traditional routes of either bobbing or leaving the frame horns as Henry created them, Ralph angled them upward at until they sat at about 110 degrees. This clever trick allowed them to double as mounting brackets for both the headlights (repurposed Appleton spotlights) as well as the Delco shocks. Down below, Ralph chose a less popular front suspension setup based on ’40 Ford components. The axle was treated to a 2½ inch drop, while stock ’40 Ford juice brakes helped in the deceleration department. In the rear, Ralph Z-ed the frame an even foot to bring the chassis down to earth. He returned to the trusty ’40 once again for the Banjo rear and aforementioned brakes, which were supported by a Model A leaf spring.

Between the rails, Ralph looked to a Mercury flathead for power. The block was bored and equipped with a Harman-Collins cam, Vitalloy pistons and some hot 8.5:1 Edelbrock heads. As a finishing touch, three Strombergs were bolted atop the motor. Not one to settle for a whole lot of bolt-on components, Ralph fabricated a trick exhaust setup for the Merc. At first glimpse, they look like some swoopy weedburners. But upon further inspection, you’ll notice he built a secondary set of pipes underneath to route gasses discreetly underneath the car. Best of all, he built them out of pieces of an old bed!

Ralph’s roadster used a Model T body of 1924 vintage. Wanting a turtle deck to round out the rear, he built his own out of sheet metal and a few scraps of an existing piece. Inside the cockpit, the car was upholstered in white and featured a polished dash that housed seven gauges across the board. When the car was complete, it was sprayed in Lake Placid Blue.

By the winter of 1960, Ralph was ready to hit the streets. According to the three-page feature in Hot Rod Magazine, he reportedly built the little T for $600. I did some math, and that comes out under $5,000 in today’s American currency. Impressive to say the least.

Looking at the car as a whole, it’s immediately apparent that Ralph was an extremely sharp guy. He opted for modifications that made sense mechanically, aesthetically and monetarily. The more you see, the more you can tell how much fun he had building this thing. Dig the tall shifter with figurine knob and, best of all, the Mercedes radiator cap. Although it took him years of planning, I can assure you it paid off as soon as he got rolling in his homebuilt T.

—Joey Ukrop

Photos from HRM, February 1960