This will be a short thread with a long time between updates as the project is already on the back burner, but here's what I've been up to since I sold the "cookie cutter" '32 roadster last year. I had felt pretty apathetic towards flatheads...one of those "they're great in someone else's car!" kinda attitudes. After riding in a friends flatty powered roadster to Shreveport and back, building a '35 truck with a flathead and T5 at work, and riding around Bonneville in Bass' roadster I really started to warm up to them. Ok, maybe warm up isn't the right terminology but I decided I had to build a flathead powered car to experience it myself. I bought the body before I sold the '32 and collected a bunch of parts right after. Picked up an 8CM block and 4" crank and rods, Winfield SU1A cam, Isky springs, adjustable lifters (thank you Jimmy White!), original Sharp intake, a couple rebuilt 97's, new Sharp heads from H&H, a new aluminum flywheel, etc. I think it will be a pretty good combination once I can get back on it and have the machine work done. Also going with a T5 to keep it very highway friendly and I do like to downshift. Started with this body and the cheapest pair of '32 rails I could find. I wanted to do all of the work on this one at home so I invested in a bunch of tools and brought this frame table down to Austin from DFW. Its kind of a community table that's been passed around among friends to whoever needs it. I had aquired a TIG welder a couple years back and finally took the time to rewire the garage for 220, adding a bunch of 110 outlets as well. Before setting up the rails I sectioned roughly 1.25" out of them. The front axle I'd say is the center piece of this car. It came from my good friend Eric Carter aka E.C. aka Carter Speed and Machine. It is a very faithful reproduction of a Cragar/Hurst axle and is flawlessly constructed. Axle in place with some '33/4 wishbones, yokes cut and reangled. Another Rodsville quick change, thanks to my pall Bass who brought it to my attention at the Pate swap meet last year. I'm also going to be running Wilson Welding finned brakes at all 4 corners. Axles in position and rails tacked up. Body on to check the proportions. I had wanted for some time to build a complete car on a table. I'm not sure that I'll stick with wire wheels until the end but the tires are typical 4.75/7.50 Firestones. These are '35/'36 Zephyr rear wishbones and they hang slightly lower than their Ford counterparts. Mounting brackets made and tacked on to the axle tubes. The first crossmember bent and in place. This car is getting a triangulated 4-link setup and the upper front mounts will be off of this tube. Spring hangers heated and bent parallel. The bars are a combination of parts from Welders Series and Thorbeck Bros. There is a lot of work left on the spring hangers and additional work on the mounting points is to come but this is the gist of it. I used the arms of those bones and made them into the lower links. I'm using a new Model A rear spring from 100% Matt here on the board which is made to be lower than stock and with reversed eyes. The rear axle located the spring which located the crossmember. From there I built the connecting pieces of the framerails.
I really liked how my first T handled and rode with the quarter elliptic springs up front. I had Posies make me another set with rolled and tapered leaves. I tried my best to get them incorporated inside the framerails this time as I always hated how I just stuck them to the outside on the last T. From here I got the engine in place and began working on the front crossmember. It is a '35-36 (IIRC). While I wont be utilizing it to hold a spring, I thought it would work well for holding the engine. There is still a lot of work left to be figured out at the front of the frame so don't judge too harshly just yet. Working on shock mounting Been-there and done-that with too weak mounting points for F1 mounts so didn't take any shortcuts on these. After the bung and mounting plates were welded into the frame I heated and bent the tops of the mounts back vertical and parallel. Steering arms heated and bent to clear the axle and Wilson backing plates. Set everything back in place again to check progress. I have gone back and forth on what to do for a radiator and grill but think I will keep the Whippet setup. Also playing around with an alternative to the T windshield posts. Yes, these are 59A water pumps and heads but I do plan on blocking off the bypasses in this block. I prefer the later block with a separate oil pan and bellhousing for serviceability. Needed to raise the engine another 1.25" so machined a couple aluminum spacers. Not sure if they'll stay or if I can come up with something better. Finally disassembled and cut out any remains of the original floor and subrails from the body. Here's another trick I've wanted to try, steering through the wishbones. I do have a plan to do a lot of reinforcement to these bones so don't fret. For now they just have giant holes in them. For steering, I'm using a gorgeous rebuilt box from Neal Jennings. He used the just-right parts to get me an upward pointing pitman arm. I will be making my own mounting setup. For proper clearance of the tie rod to the spring shackles, I had to change the shackle design. I made new plates with a curve in them and about 1/2" longer.
Started on the transmission crossmember. This will get a top hoop eventually. This time I added a cowl hoop instead of cutting one out. Pedals and other underdash items will mount to it. Legs added tying both mid crossmembers to the trans crossmember. I was pretty happy with everything and needed to get the frame off of the table so I final welded all the tubes. The pedal assembly is from Afco. Added fish plates to the rear frame rail transitions and some additional welding inside and cleaned it all up. Final welding and blending/smoothing of the perches into the front axle. I tacked one more crossmember in place just in front of the rear axle, then cut the frame off of the table and reassembled it as a roller. I will be tacking it back in place on the table eventually when it comes time to box the frame. This is how it sits now. Had to stop work and get the house in shape and sold as I'm moving back up to DFW very soon. Once I'm there I have another exciting project vehicle that will be taking my time and attention for a few months. I'll be sure to post about it when work starts. Playing around with an early A shell I don't think I'll end up using I believe the dash is a '20's Desoto. Insert is from my friend Karl. A small project within the project. Didn't want to have a bolt on shift arm but the short throw shifter arm looked to be made of some cheap non-weldable material. I straightened and machined a stock S10 arm to work in the short throw and will weld the early Ford handle to it later.
Nice work! Are you planning on running a turtle deck? Or a bed? You sure do have a way with Model Ts!
Thanks! I am planning on a deck, and like the last one I’ll make it from scratch, this time in aluminum.
I am continually amazed be the true craftsman that are on the HAMB, not your average backyard guy like me (not that I am unhappy with my own work most of the time). Great job so far, keep up the great work!
Eric, great to see a build thread on your new T. I am a big fan of the Whippet shell but that is screaming for a track nose.
I’ve had that on the brain a little here and there...if I make the deck as planned, then make the hood and nose from scratch, I might as well make the whole body too and I’m not sure if I’m ready to tackle that just yet!
Looks great! I really like your sweeping rear frame rails and how you used the Lincoln bones as lower links for the 4 bar. Why do you like the pitman arm pointing up? Also can you tell me more about the repop Auburn dash insert? Where would I get one like that?
Thanks! There’s a lot you can find here and elsewhere on the internet about draglink angle but the end goal is to eliminate all bump steer. The pitman arm up keeps the draglink parallel to the wishbone so they always travel in the same arc or close to it. That insert was made by Knecht Equipment but unfortunately he is no longer in business.
Thanks! No updates. Unfortunately there wont be any updates for quite a while at this point. To fit all my stuff in my 2 car garage I got a lift, put the T on top and piled a bunch around it. It's stuck in the air until I get the '57 back on the road and find some more storage solutions. Potentially the car could be dead in the water for a year or better while I save to build an additional garage.
I can understand the need for more shop space and other things a guy needs to do. We'll be here watching and knowing the wait will be worth it.
One of my long-standing pet peeves has been related to the crude (IMHO) chassis lowering procedure of "zeeing", with its attendent miter cuts, chassis overlapping, triangular gussets, and external weld reinforcement pads. I understand this was a common traditional technique, but kudos to you for taking the small extra effort to achieve a professional looking result. In general, your standards for craftsmanship are apparent throughout the project. I was going to comment that the radiator shell looks goofy, and I'd be willing to swap, as a favor, a "T", "A", or Deuce shell, but I guess that would be a fairly transparent ruse. Go with it! I do have a comment on one detail. The lug attaching the rear end upper link to the chassis puts the bolt in single shear, and creates a twisting moment on the lug. This is exacerbated by the distance the link centerline is offset from the lug, due to the width of the misalignment spacer, which I don't think is necessary in this application. I realize you're using a flathead, not a blown Hemi. But the loads under braking would be about the same, regardless. Can't see it well in pictures, but maybe the axle attachment of the lower link has the same arrangement, and will have about twice the load as the upper link. Not meaning to be critical, just passing along my concern.
Desmo, look a the later pics. He has another bracket on the other end of those bolts, so it's not in single shear anymore. I think this car is looking great. He's used quite a few ideas I had floating in my head for a '27 T build. And I LOVE that front axle.
Let me go ahead an nip this one in the bud, the rear suspension is far from finished. Less than 25% of the brackets are more than tacked on (or even made as you've pointed out) and will -all- be in double shear with gussets.
Mr Anderson your Craftsmanship is crazy cool and really dig this build. I unfortunately understand the space issues and have them as well . I would suspect most car collectors builders have this challenge. I look forward to when you get back to the Model T
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