Back in the late 90's, I started building a nostalgia street rod with a 1915 Ford model-T coupe body. I got it up to a rolling chassis when I lost my job. We ended up having to sell our home and moved out of state so I decided to put the rod in storage for a year or so until I could get back on it. ............. Well .... that was over 20 years ago and I'm just now finally able to get it out of storage so I can start working on it again. Unfortunately, the car has deteriorated quite a bit while in storage. Over the years it has been moved to four different storage places in Indiana and Michigan and in one place the roof leaked and it got wet. I was really concerned that the engine would be froze up but it is okay and still turns over. I'm going to have to take the body back off and start by re-painting the frame and then going back up from there. Here are some photos of it ready to unload it into my garage. When this was put in storage, these fenders had a nice coat of primer on them ... now they have a nice coat of surface rust. Once I got it inside, I set the fenders back on it so you can get a better idea of how it will look. The frame is built out of 2x3 box steel. Rear axle is a mid to late 60's Mustang with posi. Wheels are 15 inch Kelsey Hayes wire wheels with adjustable spokes. The rear wheels have been widened out to 8 inches. The engine is a 1957 Chrysler 354 hemi with a 700-R4 automatic transmission. It has a 471 blower with a home made aluminum manifold.
That was on its' way to being a very interesting hot rod. Good luck this time around bringing it back to life.
I'm digging the Tall-T look. I wasn't sure about the fenders but the pics of it in the garage confirm they belong. Good luck.
Hello, We all have our sight lines and perspectives on different styles of hot rods. Normally, a tall T cab would be high on my list, like Sheldon Bardin’s T Sedan or the Red Fire Chief’s Sedan. They both have the style of the T Sedans and for themselves represent that style in hot rods. But, for some reason, your left over build from way back then needs something. Yes, it is apart and the various photos make your T seem a little off. It has to be the tall T cab. So, just experimenting, with some chopping, the coupe looks somewhat better. I like the normal height of any hot rod cab and I usually do not like a chopped truck, car or what ever, from the inside. It just feels like a giant flat iron is pressing on my head constantly. Plus the greenhouse view all around the precious hot rod is blocked or hindered for safely driving around. So, with the modified look, your coupe now has the attitude with the supercharged motor. (With or without fenders.) The blue frame looks like it would take too much work to make the fenderless look smooth and feasible. So, the full fender version could be a cool hot rod. The motor is impressive, new smaller front wheels/tires would give it a nice rake stance and rolling hot rod look. Jnaki Sorry if this is too radical and not to your liking, but I do like Model T hot rods done well. They are always different than the standard “cookie cutter” 32 Ford coupe or sedan. Or even changing the stock grille for a 32 grille. It is a Model T coupe with its own character.
Not being a keep it stock guy I like the "let it fly" theme... appears to be a well made home made turtle deck... keep us in the loop.
Love it! The tall top, fenders and blown Hemi makes it look like it drove right out of a late 60's/early 70's Rod and Custom. I assume the quarter window was shortened? Nice looking shop space. Good to see you back on track with your project. Keep us updated!
That is some interesting photo-shopping that you did. I have chopped the top on cars before and a T coupe is probably the easiest one to work with. The hardest top job that I have done is this 1957 Chevy that I did for a guy in Elkhart County, Indiana. I did it in a way that I was able to keep all of the stainless window trim around the windows and doors. I also did the prostreet on it. View attachment 4727224 Personally ... I have never liked the looks of a chopped model-T coupe. Besides the looks .. there is already very little room in a T coupe and this 15 T body is even shorter then the 20 to 25 coupe bodies. Notice the narrower rear side windows on my coupe compared to a 1925 coupe.
Your car wasn't shortened through the quarter windows? Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Yes, my T is shortened at the rear side windows. I shortened it so it would fit properly with the 1915 fenders and still have room for the longer hemi engine.
I say stick with your original plan and get it going. You can change it later, if you want to. The quarter window had me confused, too.
How did you determine it was 1915? Longgoner has a car in the classified ads listed as a 1921 and it has the suicide doors. None of us are old enough to have seen these cars when they were new. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Very good. Definitely more documentation than I have for mine. Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
If you think it is a 1915 Model T Coupe based on those two pieces of paper, I'm not going to show you any facts that prove it isn't. Have fun with it. Bob
need pic of you, or someone, sitting in it - with any V8 they are very cozy inside - why many went for a V6 - plus, with yours being shortened -
I like your plans. Go with it. I like the tall coupe, the shortened body, the fenders, and the size of the front tires. Does it matter? No. You will hear everyone's opinion on how you should build it. Please keep us posted on your progress. Neal
The Jalopy Journal
