Notes on the Tidy T

The only thing that bugs me about the T is the rear window.....

 

Fascinating piece. Thank you. I'd like to know more if anyone can add to the history.

 

I like the stance and chop but it's a little long in the noose for me?

 

Rear quarter window for me too. Other than that I think it's bitchin! Oh yeah I'd choose the coupe.

 

As i building a coupe myself its cool to see a another one from that era i dont have seen before.

 

Perfect!

 

Hi Joey,
The "A" in the bumper stood for Austin, as in "Ken Austin". Ken built and owned the car earlier in the 50's, and drag raced it with a Ford six (look at the first photo), that is the reason for the long hood. I am sure he put the flathead in it as Well. Ken has been referred to as "The Stuart Hilborn of Oregon". Ken built quickchange rearends, using early V-8 Ford banjo centers and other speed equipment in the 50's. After designing and building dental equipment, with his extremely successful corporation, ADEC, he is back in the speed equipment business, as a sideline. He builds some of the most beautiful intakes to fit ARDUN heads, along with some "big" Lincoln Flathead parts. Ken had one of his employees, Al Lyda, build him a copy of the old green coupe. I don't know how the story came out like it did, as Peter Sukalac ( the author) was one of the best that worked for Petersen, and I always looked forward to his coverage of Northwest cars and drag racing. BTW Gordon drove it in the street for some time.

 

Mr Ukrop, not only did you turn me on to a damn fine little roadster called simpli-T, now you went and done it again!

That is one nice little coupe! Looks good with the flathead, looks even better with the straight six!!

To @Marty Strode ; any knowledge to why the straight six got pulled? Did mr. Austin keep it for another build?

Does anybody knows where it is today?

@Blade58 ; where did you find that fine piece of hot rod? Who owns/build it and what is the story behind it?

 

I've always spend a lot of time thinking about how a chopped and channeled Ex-tall T coupe would look with a 28/29 cowl, and tucked and bobbed frame horns!
This is the closed I believe I can come to that vision without building one my self!

 

The T that Blade posted was built by Boyd Coddington and I personally like it better than most of the high dollar cars he ever built,

My only objection was the strange quarter windows but it was just a simple hot rod. HRP

 

Okay, that's a nice break from all the drama and street rods going around his shop/tv show.

But I like the rear window and rear lights better on Boyd's car. And the rear tire to rear quarter relationship is spot on!!

But the frame quarter windows and grill shell looks awkward compared to the old one, at least to me! But you are right, it ain't bad!

What did Boyd's car run? SBC crate motor?

 

Don't hold me to it because it's been a long time but as I recall it was a late 50's 283 with dual 4 barrel carbs,automatic transmission. HRP

 

I don't use this much, but this calls for it OMG O-M-G, OMG
Are you sure it's the same Boyd ?

 

yes sir,conversation sent. HRP

 

I used to watch American Hot Rod some, but I just couldn't deal with it. I know it was a lot of staged crap for TV (Hell, they violated pretty much every labor law California has in the firing episodes!), but I just couldn't see how Boyd could allow his shop to be portrayed that stupid on National TV. I wouldn't hire them to change my F'ing oil, much less build a 1/4 million dollar Hot Rod.

 

How did this turn into a thread about a Boyd car built a decade or more ago? Let's turn it around before the drama that follows it infests this thread.

Want to see some cool model T "tweaks" and a neat cowl trick for Volvo check out Ryan aka oldsboy's sedan build!

 

I did get off track slightly but I don't see it as drama,a member ask a question and I answered his question! HRP

 

My bad, is there anybody out there with anymore info on the car from the write up!

I like it a lot, and despite the other one being build by Boyd, it looks like a tribute car!!
And I can see why, the first one is iconic!

Regarding oldboys build, I've seen it, and as I recall it he didn't do much to changing the cowl, but moved it up.
But I will go look.

 

Thanks for that. It answered a lot of "why's" I had.

 

Marty beat me to the punch! Ken Austin is an incredible individual who has touched probably ever persons lives here through his dental company. He was instrumental in creating the air drill and hundreds of other items used in the dental industry. The T coupe he built was his second build as he tells it and he built a set of Magnesium( yes Magnesium)pistons for it as well as his own injector. Well we can all figure what happened to the pistons but he has one left. I will try to get to his place and post some pictures. He did sell his aftermarket casting business to Mike Herman.

 

Conversation sent. HRP

 

Yes I've seen it, read it and enjoyed it.

But I meant the Ken Austin build car.

 

X2

 

Boyd,s T was part of a bet with Blue Bear ,which he got fired before he could finish the car ,so Curtis stepped in to build a a truck , both vehicles were driven from Cali.-Pigeon Forge I think, the editor from Rod & Customs at the time took Pics and document the journey, then people voted which hot rod the liked the best, you can find some episodes on Youtube of "American Hot Rod, I know there is one on the early stages of building both cars and Blue Bear getting fired ,the T had a stock 283 with 3 deuces ,when the show was on I watched the episodes from start to finish of the builds and the voting

 

I love T coupes. This one is my favorite, by Joe Mac long ago:

Another favorite, alive only in my memory from the '50s, was built by Bud Hand. Full fendered, stock top, powered by a centifugally blown 21 stud flathead. I've never found a picture of it.

 

I think my friend Rob pretty much got his T perfect.