Hot Rods Trying to build a 1920ish Ford roadster body out of this!

Hahahaha!

Your humility is honorable, but perhaps misplaced.

Well done, Sir Edward.

 

Here's the moment you've all been waiting for. Body roll out in paint. I still need to sand down the paint to get it to be matt and lighter. But you get the impression of what the body looks like now.
The tub is made out of body panels from 3 small cars from the late 1990s.

 

Ausgezeichnet!!!

Fantastic job on the transfomation

 

Love to see it with the rear deck on it. You've done a stellar job!

 

People on this site are freeking amazing!

 

great thread , and the body turned out excellent ,

 

And I was proud cuz I built my hood scoop out of exhaust tubing and cold roll, oh well..........

You sir, have done an impressive job.

 

Dude!!!!!!! Incredible!!!!!!

 

Wow!!!!!!


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That looks more like a T body than my avatar that is real steel. Great job. I had my doubts when you started. I think you might have the door on the wrong side though.

 

I'm building this car RHD so that's why the door is on the other side. I have some RHD left over parts but which I want to use.
Ed

 

Yeah I kinda figured that out I was just kidding. Still looks funny to us "Ugly Americans" over here.

Were Ford Ts built in Germany and were the doors like yours?

I do love the work you have done it's amazing. Can't wait to see how you pull off the cowl.

Gary

 

Model-Ts were built at Trafford Park in Manchester, UK. Also RHD cars were built in Canada for the world market. The picture of the knocked down Canadian export model appears to have a door on the right. In the illustration there's only one door on the left. The photograph of the UK car in a barn has a door on the left hand side. So I reckon I'm OK with my left hand door.
In Europe only the UK and Ireland are RHD. Sweden was too until 1955. So German spec Model-Ts were just like the US versions. Model-Ts were very common in the UK and Ireland. I don't know how popular they were in Germany.
I have an original Model-T cowl / dash. There's no point in fabricating them as they're complex, available on ebay for around $100 and easy to ship.
Don't forget quite a few early American cars were built RHD. In fact it was Ford's decision to build his cars LHD which made that the norm back then. And it was probably because his cars were so small you couldn't get out of the left hand side anyway, so the driver still got out on the right, keeping his boots clean.

 

Yes. Nearly all cars were RHD before the Model T Ford, including all the pre-T Fords. FoMoCo built RHD cars from 1903-1908, models A through S. Henry's notion that cars should be LHD was pretty radical at the time, but it seems to have stuck.

 

Today I finished sanding the body down and I think I may have finished it now. The sanded paint darkens a bit with time. I also mounted the parking brake lever.
I fitted the windshield and cowl and rolled it outside for some pictures. The trunk looks a bit odd because it's higher than a real '15 T roadster but that's because the gas tank is going in there.

 

That is amazing!
Fantastic build. You are obviously an extremely talented guy. Who else could have looked at a Fiesta van and seen this?

 

Great stuff. I think Canadian Ts had doors on both sides of their roadsters. I too think it is amazing craftsmanship what you are doing. I keep hearing people over here say "we can't find steel". I say if you can't find steel you don't want it bad enough and your not looking hard enough. Or maybe they are just lazy.

Gary

 

Yes, they did. Canadian cars were built in both RHD and LHD configurations, so they put doors on both sides.

 

You probably used a bigger tank, but stock Model T tanks (round, oval, or square) will fit in a '15 turtle. I put an oval one in mine.

 

I think the taller deck looks great! Nice job!!

 

Love it, would never believe what it started out as. I had to modify the turtle deck on mine to take a gas tank as well, and I have period pics of several T hotrods that had custom turtle decks on them, I think they were hard to find even 50+ years ago. Very nice work.

 

Very Dramatic stuff going on here...Front row seats at the HAMB it's a good place to be...Thanks Ed...

 

yes, yes, yes! (Meg Ryan voice)

 

I'm nominating Ed for Most creative recycler, of the year.

Don't know if there is such an award Ed, but there should be.

 

Amen.

 

A few things here,
1) AMAZING JOB!! What vision you have to see that panel and think this could come out of it.
2) It looks like you have some pretty sweet American iron laying around over there just looking at the racks In the back of your pictures.


I had to quote this again, too funny to not get the credit it deserves.

 

Small update:
The body being basically finished I've been reconditioning all the old rusty parts I'm using, trying to preserve their patina'd look. I've put together a great set of 1932 Brakes, Spindles and an early '32 rear axle together with a Model-A torque tube. I've a pretty rough '32 heavy I-beam for this project but will be using a mint one until I can get the rough one straightened up.i I've got a set of '32 wire wheels with tires and have ordered a pair of new '32 perches from Bob Drake. (I'll have to do some work on them to make them look old;-).
However I'm missing a front wishbone. '32s are too pricey and rare but a '33-'34 would do. I'll need to adjust the length anyway and I have a couple of '32 yokes, so what I need is a 33-34 front wishbone, split or unsplit. Preferably with a nice light rusty finish.
Ed

 

Absolutely amazing. If this doesn't represent the dedication and ingenuity that's the heart of hot rodding then I have no idea what does.

 

This is a great thread and your use of materials is fantastic.
Gives me ideas for a 27 Hudson cowl I found.