]I've always been partial to model t roadsters. My dad's ford roadster with a Columbia 2 speed and flathead and our bonneville car(my avitar) are both 27s. Sent from my SM-N900T using Tapatalk
Hmmm...Ira Hassad was also the inventor/mfr. of the famous Hassad Twin Stack model Tether Car engines... at .60 C.I., jewel like finish, the ultimate engine for a scale Bunch Flat Tail Midget!
Thank you for recognizing my dad's miniature engine background. Actually, the pre-war model car racing was on an oval track made of wood, like the real cars. There were four metal rails which the cars clipped on with ball-bearing guides. The four cars were started with a roller which dropped below the track. Races were 10 laps. My dad's engine were built for torque and it leaped out to an early lead. He qualified to go to the national meet. He was winning the race when the plug wire came off (no glow plugs then!) one half lap from finish. He ran the car solo the next day and set the national record time. BTW, the aluminum car body was crafted by Roy Richter, of Bell Helmet and Crager Wheels fame and they remained life long friends. It was a small world in pre-war Los Angeles.
Jim The T roadster is without a doubt, as cool of a car there could ever be regardless of category, pure hot rod, end to end, top to bottom, perfection. That car must be an absolute blast on an asphalt track, even better on dirt, though it would be hard even for me to get it dirty. And that red paint; it gives me chills, what a beautiful car. It's the first hand stories like this that make the HAMB community so special. My first hands-on experience to scale racing was with H.O. cars. I had my face glued to car magazines starting in my early teens, (mid 60's). Even though the SoCal hot rod scene was just "down the coast" from here; it might as well have been from the moon compared to actually having viewed it from the perspective that you guys had. Just wanted to say thanks for sharing your familys' history and glad to have you on board.
Thanks for your kind words. My dad left the LA scene during WW2 to work at the Navy's sonar facility in Pt. Loma. He honed his fine machining skills there, as he was self-taught as a machinist. His initial trade was a pattern maker at Alcoa Aluminum in LA. (The roadster has many small cast parts in the front suspension, so it could be sold as a kit.) He then became an apprentice aircraft mechanic at Lockheed Air Terminal in Burbank for Major Mosely. (Another famous pre-war name.) Behind the hanger was a shed with a lathe and small mill, where he learned machining. If you are interested, a fine article is here ( http://adriansmodelaeroengines.com/catalog/main.php?cat_id=20 ) regarding his 10cc engine "limited" production. I am very glad I grew up and still live in San Diego, but I was also a little envious of not being in the LA racing scene. My dad lost so many friends to racing deaths, that he just walked away and discouraged me from racing. However, the four years I vintage raced the car made up for a lot and proved his engineering skills.
That car is the #1 influence in my decision to undertake my project. To me it was and is the definition of simple elegance. Somewhere along the way I lost track of the goal of simplicity. It's fitting that you would post those pics a week or so after reevaluating my project and deciding that I need to get back to simplicity. Thanks!
He's looking to build another one if anyone wants to sell something or need info on this build from 55 years ago he can be reached [email protected].
KOOL CARS ! A young man's Hot Rod. Went to T- Nats type event or the T was featured at some big show I attended, LOTS of nice TBuckets/TRoadsters/Tdecks. Still see a few here in Wi. One I remeber from 30+ years ago. I built a T Bucket in 67/68 using CarCraft Magazine blueprint, I did not use coils, A spring, suicide front, T spring back, ford wishbones both, glass body, SBC, powerglide, 57 Chev rear. I built frame, mounts, brackets/Etc, have been looking for it at shows for 40+ years. It fit traditional/low buck build to a T.(pun intended) Thinking reason they faded some is they are like a Chopper bike/KOOL, but if you want to go somewhere/distance, you get on your Dressor. The majority (Gray Hair or No Hair) of us Hot Rodders are way past Choppers and T Buckets IMO.
If you design your seating and rear suspension correctly, you can drive a T Bucket all day. On a typical Saturday or Sunday, I'd hit the road at sun up and drive all day and into the evening. Quite a few times, I put 200+ miles on her in a day. Usually making one stop for gas. During the week, she was my daily. Only about 40 miles a day, during the week. Hell, I used to put more miles on my T Bucket in the FALL, than a lot of guys put on their cars in a whole year.
Obviously, You did your homework and tried to make it comfy, I was just a kid doing, more than once in my life, was asked, know what you are doing ? My answer was and still is, questionable, But Doing, LOL. You are and only man that I have talked to that drives a T that much, ass u me you are a younger man in a good weather climate. Good for you and ENJOY, the key to our great Hobby.
You hit two big points, Fred. PROPERLY set up seating and suspension. I think one of the reasons 'Buckets have gotten a bad rap is there has always a certain way that 'Buckets are set up, (even commercially) and much of it is contrary to proper, early Ford suspension set up. Lots of this stuff can make them a bit "squirrely" or even down right scary. End result is they are thought of as "run down to the fast food joint once a week cars". Sad, 'cause when they are done correctly, even with out huge amounts of horsepower, they are a BALL to drive, and quite comfortable. But, you have to have an idea of how to do that correctly, and looking at and mimiking the commercial efforts isn't always gonna get you there. Seating... Fred said a HUGE mouthful with one word on that one! Ya got have the seat down as low as you can, and vertical steering columns suck rocks! It sucks rocks sitting way up, thigh barely under the body top, wind whipping around a stock windshield beating you in the face, and your eight inches of light density foam smacking your tailbone into a solid wood base over every bump. A short riser, a webbed base with a small amount of high density foam is ridiculously comfortable, and I too have no problems with 200, 300 or even 400 mile days for me. In this picture, I'm driving, and I'm 6'1" and 190lbs. My passenger, Jake is 6'2" and a bit lighter. His feet are up on my tool box in this picture.
I know this is an old thread but, I just got these cool pics from my childhood. This is about 1976, and the T-Buckets I grew up with. The white one was a "1922" built by Von Wolfe and then later owned by Jim Sentell named "White Trash". The yellow one is my stepdad's second bucket, a "1923" with my Mom's name painted on the side. "Paula"
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