Somebody needs to go back to '46 and tell Dick Megugorac his modified T is stupid, unsafe above 80, and is not built properly. Oops.
Maybe if you saw a stretched T that also had the height increased proportionally, it might not look quite so goofy......if someone ever manufactures one. Run some old 17" Ford wire wheels, and a full hood, and it should have close to stock proportions.....and even more if the driver is plus sized too. One of my favorite model A coupes is the "Green Grenade" built by "Loudpedal". It has a severely chopped top and sedan doors (lengthened body). I don't know if he did that for more room, or for looks, but to me, both reasons apply. My 27 modified has a stretched body, but it sits on top of 4" frame rails. Without those 4" of added height, it probably would look a little goofy. I sit real low in it, and can stay dry while driving in the rain with no top, as long as I keep moving! (See 27 modified pics in my public profile) With a hot rod, if modifications are done right, it will look right..........unfortunately many miss the mark.
We do in fact have a stretch body. Here I am setting in one. I am 6'2" and almost 300 lbs and have room to spare.
That's what me and my girl look like from the side. Perfect fit. Like ALL hotrods, if you don't plan it out, it won't work. And some cars have a dedicated look due to their history. Stretched T's look okay to me, but they aren't "buckets". I'm collecting parts for another car and thought about a stretched body, but why do that, when a '27 is basically what a stretched T is plus a trunk. So, I'm gonna build a '27.
Magoo has built LOTS of slick hot rods, and in my opinion, that isn't one of them. It might look better if he would slouch down a little.....like maybe 8".
Hahaha! 3 things kinda hurt the seating position; it's channeled, it's a touring front half, and he was close to 6'5". - I still dig it though!
I like the bodies stock size, but some with long legs may need a bit more, lets see if I can find an example of both... well this forum won't let you take a pic from your own computer that sucks... that makes it so easy to post pics...
Hey Ted, You can post from your own computer. Next to where it says "Submit Reply" below, there will be a tab next to it that says "Go advanced" Click that one. Scroll down a bit and you'll see one that says "manage attachments", click on that. Pick any of the tabs that say "brouse" and that will get you into your photos. Pick what you want, touch "upload attachments", when it loads touch "Submit reply", done.... Sounds tough, but it's not. Now, if your the Ted Brown I think you are, I DO want to see some of your pictures!!!
I'll vouch for him. I emailed him and tld him about this topic as I know he will have some good input.
Fred, you just haven't lived until you've made the full Loop 610 run around town then down through town from North Main to the south Loop then west and north to the 59 interchange where you dive down through town at speed on 59N up to I-10 in the cold and clear air of a winter's night at 2-3 AM. A quite refreshing and fun drive even on a sultry summer's night too.
NEWSFLASH! the bucket T 23-25 is pretty much the same size inside as the 26-27 bucket inside. Ford moved the top of the cowl and longer taller doors back on a cockpit little bigger than the earlier model and added about 2" in side wall height. The car looks bigger because of the fully integrated deck and the beefier cowl depth. Remember, there is no difference in wheelbase in all years of the T. All the firewalls are in the same place. Only passenger adjustments can be made are up and back.
Two inches helps a lot. Being longer from firewall to dash keeps the steering column from looking goofy long. The extra width at the firewall really helps.....that's the area of a hot rod that needs room for a gas pedal, brake pedal and linkage, and clutch pedal and linkage. Underneath, many times you need room for the exhaust to snake through there. Also that is where the steering column, and sometimes the steering box have to fit. Oh, and for some of us you need room for 2 size 12 or larger feet, between the transmission tunnel and the kick panel. Every inch helps....if not to stretch out, then to add more thickness to the seat pad, and or the seat back.
If you are gravity challenged you need the length to get comfortable as well. I like T buckets and if I can get comfortable in this Spirit stretched body, I will continue with the build. I think it would take a very critical eye to tell if a bucket is stretched or not. I built my first one in 1972 and have looked at more than I can remember and can't remember thinking "that one is stretched". This will be my seating position. I'm 2" off the floor here and will make every effort to stay as close to that as I can. If my car offends you......don't look at it!
That should be a nice build. Do you have a thread on it? And, I can spot a stretched T easily. Especially when the manufacturers omit the doors (trying to hide the stretch?), they are fairly easy to spot. You don't appear to be that tall. Was the stretch needed or just a preference?
Im over 6 ft and fit fine in my 27 RPU, T buckets are just too small a car...good advice is a 26/7 body...mine is actually an older build of a 27 front section of a tub....pretty available and not ususlly pricey L.B.
ha ha the last car makes me laugh dude probably had to spray himself with cooking oil to get out of that car
And it's not a T Bucket, but it's easy to see he went WAY past the allowable limits. Definite lack of planning. Kinda looks like your avatar body style, but maybe a shortened wheel base. I've seen guys scrunched up in cool looking, 8" chopped coupes. Now, THAT'S funny.
According to some of the above posts, the 23T body is either the same dimensions, or slightly smaller than a 27T style body. It's not a bucket.......so what's your point? If it was a bucket style T, would he fit better?
Get a stock 23-25 T seat cushion spring assembly from Car-Line Mfg. in Beaumont TX 409-833-9757. Mount it with a slight tilt down in back with a 2-3" riser up front. This will put you in the area you want be sitting after compression of the springs and make life very long distance liveable in your T. We've found the best seating for these little cars was designed by Henry.
Time for my 2 cents. When I first got my T I thought I really made a mistake. But changes to the seat bottom and back and steering position helped tremendously. I now have the seat cushion which is about 3 inches thick on a 3 inch riser in the front and about 1 inch in the back. The back rest is 1/4 board right against the back of the body. I've moved the steering 3 times to get it right. I got 3 pedals. And can drive the car for hours and still stand up when I get out. But it did get some getting used to and the body does adapt to being cramped after awhile. I've ridden in two 26-27's as a passenger out at Bonneville and my conclusion on them is that they are just as tight as the 23. I was considering the later T also, thinking that they had to be bigger inside. But they aren't. The main thing is, if you are a big and wide guy to work on getting it comfortable for you. I have a 9 inch windshield and now look thru it, right near the top, but still thru the glass.
My point was that it's not a '23 T Bucket and still has poorly planned seating. Resulting in a cramped cockpit. I've acknowledged you think all stock Model T's are too small and stupid. Opinion noted and.....moving right along.
Funny, my first thought when I saw that pict quite awhile ago was, "why would someone channel a modified? That I do have in the works right now and when I have someone here tomorrow to snap a picture, I will post a picture of my 6'1" frame in my current project. I have the seating pan worked in the car and the steering and pedals mounted so everything is where it should be, too. Oh, mine is narrowed 6" as well...
One thing that I would like to point out is that there are many of us "Old Farts" that are over age 65 and still try to stay active with our cars and projects. I am 6' 6" tall and have been crippled in my right leg since a motorcycle wreck in 1972. I cannot fit in tight restricted spaces. Some suffer from weight gain, circulation problems, bad backs and other problems. Are we "Not Allowed" to build to suit our needs ??? Should we give up and fade away ??? HELL NO !!! There was an Old Round Fart from Nantucket. His Ass got to Big for his Bucket. On the next one he builds, He Stretches his Skills................ And for those that don't like it, GO FucK IT !!! Keeping the Sport Alive after age 65........................ JEFF
First order of a six-footer's T is a perimeter frame! Then possibly a sunken footwell...but not necessarily the whole well. Just some reversed 'eyebrows' for heels... Easily 'bumped' into a sheet of aluminum panel at the lower footwell. Seat is easily 'lowered', 3" front riser can be used, but seat straps (stretchy webbing) that can fall into a void below the floor line. True perimeter frame will have 41" width at the seat area, so mufflers can be close together in the middle. Just avoid the 'Spirit design' of fat tilt column that resembles a tree stump growing just beneath the wheel... Steering box can be Dodge aluminum, Schroeder, or BMW 2002...all work inside the cowl, BUT! A below floor steering box can be used, not vertical, but Grabowski-Ivo style, with a longer drag link... Mast jacket should be 1-3/4" diameter, NOT 5"! Proportion, proportion, proportion... Finally, cover that 4" thick frame with sheet aluminum (or 'glass) covers! There are better ways to lower thin buckets than channelling!
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