Hot Rods '25 T Roadster Sports Rod.

Not too sure if this fits in on here, so Moderators feel free to delete this if it doesn't.
I like the late 50's/early 60's as the era for Hot Rods and Sports cars. It was the era of tall skinny tyres. I built my coupe to fit this timeframe also. With the exception of the transmission, nothing on the coupe is younger than 1962.
I have had this idea for a T roadster kicking around in my head for years, slowly finessing the details, taking measurements of various parts to make sure they work.
This spring I had to pull the plug on the "Beach Bum" idea to race at Pendine. I sold all the drivetrain and some assorted sheetmetal to my friends son in the UK. I kept the basic, less than cherry, basic body for myself though, with the idea of building the sports rod.
So this is the overall idea.....
In the early 60's a young hot rodder decides to try his hand at some sports car racing. He looks around the garage and at his left-over bits and pieces, and decides to use a '25 T roadster body for the base. He looks at the new spaceframe sports cars that Lotus and Mallock are making, and decides this is the way to go. He looks to build something that is very light, around 1100 lbs, but very rigid, and with a low stance to keep the centre of gravity low.
It will use a '34 front axle and spindles, but use a 4-bar suspension with 1/4 elliptic springs and some alloy lever-arm shocks to give good articulation and keep the weight down. An aluminum steering box will be used as cowl steer. He will use a small aluminum DOHC 4 cylinder engine with an aluminum 5-speed (a bit of artistic license here, as 5-speeds weren't available till later) and an early MGB rear axle used for its aluminum drop-out centre section, again on 1/4 elliptics and aluminum lever-arm shocks. It will use MGA steel wheels lightened to resemble the lightweight wheels found on the racing Jaguars, and will widen the rears. He uses Excelsior racing tyres which are good for 149mph, in 5.00 fronts and 7.00 rears. Smiths gauges and GT 500 mirrors, both used on Shelbys Cobra round out the list of parts. The spaceframe will be built out of various sizes of 16ga tube. The bottom rails are 1' x 3'' tapered at the front. The rest is a mixture of 1' square tube and 3/4' round tube. The sheetmetal body panels will be bolted to the spaceframe with no other form of structure. The firewall, back panel will be welded to the spaceframe , and the floor welded to the bottom of the bottom rails for more legroom. The floor/belly pan will run from the grille to the rear of the turtle deck.
So with this story in my head, I set out to build it. I have most of the spaceframe built, the sheetmetal scabbed together, the wheels modified and painted, and the tyres mounted. Today I mocked up these parts to establish the position of the front and rear axle lines. It turned out to be 96 1/2" wheelbase, right in the the mid-90s I had aimed for. It has 4" ground clearance under the grille and 7" at the rear axle, so the bottom of the frame rail under the hood is level to the ground, to satisfy my aesthetic sensibilities. I mocked up the seat so I could make sure I am sitting down low IN the car, not appearing to be sitting ON the car.
The pictures show the progress, and the mock-up today. If the moderators OK this, I will add more as it progresses.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Cool build like an updated version of Duffy Livingstone's "Eliminator" and a Brit sports car. I Look forward to the progress.

 

I like it!

 

Me too,keep the photos coming.

 

Looks good... Great idea....

 

Got my attention!
Kinda reminds me of a Euro-trash version of something Cotton Werksman might have built!

 

Wonderful idea. Gary

 

Hey, Kid...
Neat idea, how much length did you add to the formerly short 'T' bucket? (looks like approx. 6" in the quarters...?)

 

The bucket is stock, it's just pieced together from various scabs. I did have to have 6" surgically removed from both legs though! The hood sides are '26-'27 T, which are about 2" longer than the earlier T.
I want to run in Modified Roadster class at ECTA, so basically everything behind the windshield has to remain stock.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Funny you should say that! At Billetproof this summer I got to sit in the Cotton Werksman T. It was a bit tight. I have another 3" because the body is on top of the bottom rails, but the floor will be welded to the bottom of the rails. And who are you callin "Euro-trash" .
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Looks correct from all angles to me.

 

Looks great to me. Keep the pictures coming

 

Love
It!

 

Hahahahaha...well, I didn't mean it as a dig! Honest!
Cotton's T and Bob Knaack's black & flamed version of the same chassis are in my top 10 list, so when I compare yours to them...you're doing pretty good in my book!
Totally jealous you got near Cotton's Roadster, let alone sit in it!

 

I like it a lot. Reminds me of the story a while ago about the guy over here who went up against the jags and such in sports car racing with a t bucket and a 283 that had a hole in the side that he welded up.

 

Like where You are headed with this !!! How tall are You anyway ??? (before and after surgery) I am 6' 6" and once owned a '65 Triump Spitfire ( 50 years ago).......................... Jeff

 

How did you fit into a Spitfire??? It's snug. I'm 5' 9", 160lbs. Everything is about 1/2" here and 1/2" there. The transmission tunnel is high, but isn't too wide. The starter and clutch arm are on the passenger side, which really helped. I pushed the engine right up to the radiator, which put the bellhousing in the engine bay. That gives me a couple more inches for pedals.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Stewart, The floor in the Spitfire works like the one in Your car. The seats are recessed into the floor adding extra room. I must admit the the Spitfire did have quite a tall trans hump and long foot wells. When summer was over that year I sold the Spitfire when I had to put the top up. That made it very tight in the cockpit........... Jeff

 

Stewart--by the looks of it, you could push the grille out another inch or so and still keep the wheelbase you have. We had similar cars built in New Zealand for Beach Racing. Sort of a cross between a Sprint Car, Single Seater and a Hillclimb Special. Keep after it....

 

The axle is a stock, undropped '34. The spindles are '35. The track rod sits just in front of the grille. If I push the grille forward, the axle has to go forward too. I wanted to use '26-'27 hood sides and I'll make a hood top in aluminum. I wanted to keep the wheelbase in the mid 90"s , so it will corner well. I want to autocross and track day the car. I have spent months measuring, trial fitting parts, until it all fitted around me!
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

I have been watching this build on another site and lovin' it. Good to see you over here Limey Kid! John

 

Cool look, I would lay the windshield back a bit more to resemble the Healy's of the day. but I like the direction you have chosen!

 

Nice start, like the direction you are going.

 

I'm liking this one too...a lot! Keep up the good work.

 

I agree, but had to wait until it was mocked up to see how short the windshield posts could be before leaning them back. I mocked up the seat cushion, so I am sitting at driving position. I don't think I will chop them any more, just lean them back an inch or so.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Like it

 

Yeah, some of the OT details aren't appropriate over here, so I will not show them here. I have been over here, long before I was over there!
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Can you say where "over there" is?
I, and I'm sure others, would like to check out the full scope of your build.

 

Locostusa.com it's under non traditional builds, in the forums.
I feel all dirty, and unfaithful now .
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

You shouldn't .... their like button is for sh#t !! Well ... they don't have one. Pretty talented build LK. Yes, show what you can here, you will have fans . I'm a big Ak Miller, Brock Yates and Doane Spencer fan. Those guys would dig on your build. Give the sports car guys their hot rod lessons man !! American iron can sling the corners too. Keep it HAMB'y !