Projects Hillbilly Model T speedster (attempt #2)

I posted those race pics on Facebook, amazingly someone was able to find more info on them.

"Oneida County Free For All Sweepstakes
Riverside Park
Rome NY

Rome Sentinel of Aug 21, 1926.
““The 86th annual Oneida County Fair, given by the Oneida County Agricultural Society, came to a close this afternoon at Riverside Park.
“The program arranged for this afternoon was six automobile races. This consisted of a light car event, time trials and introduction of drivers, elimination heats for the big race, a deciding heat to pick those qualified to enter the big event, and the final, the Oneida County free-for-all sweepstakes.
“In addition to the above, Charles LeVee was scheduled to do his leap from a speeding automobile.”

 

Spending $$$. The T tank seemed like a good idea while i was standing out in the snow. Now that i see it on the chassis in the stock location however...

I got my column


Then back on these spring mounts...

 

Almost there. Just one more step and I'm done! I had to remake my shackle bosses today, some idiot didn't take into account the thickness of the shackle plates.

Bosses are made from 1 1/4" hot roll round drilled out to 3/4" to accept the 5/8" bronze bushings. The shackle plates are whiddled out of 1/4" x 2" hot roll flat drilled at 1 17/32" so the boss fits in, and drilled for a 9/16" bolt at the lower end.

Tomorrow i will weld the plates on and have this all finished up. Then onto planning the body...

 

SNOW DAY!!!


We're back on the ground now. Some shocks and the suspension is done!

 

Wheelbase? Check. Height? Check. You're doing great. Those are perfect proportions.

 

Ok model T peeps, i got a question. These pieces i circled, do they connect to the side behind the firewall? If so im assuming there is wood there?

I'm hoping to have plywood down on the frame today. Before i do that i need to fix the front body mounts someone cut off. Luckily, i have them...

Then onto my least favoritest thing in the planet... wood working...

 

I got these for the fire wall but no other metal bits

I have some other pieces I'm not sure about. I'll get pics tomorrow, maybe you guys can help me figure them out

 

Man this looks great! Nice job!

 

I made a bit of progress on the temporary floor.


These are the parts im unsure as to what they are...

This one im hoping is the wood for the seat back? If so i could use it for a pattern...

 

With the stock body removed, those are the only brackets that hold the firewall. There are some bolts which hold it to the top cowl sheet metal on a stock body. On pre-1914 stock Model Ts those the ONLY brackets that hold the firewall. There is a long rod which goes from the top of the firewall into the back of the top radiator tank as well. That just sturdies everything up. Most speedsters that have just a flat firewall just use these bottom frame brackets and the long rod to the radiator. Plenty sturdy enough.

Those longer thin tin pieces are the engine pans. They go on the left and right of the engine. They cover the gap between the engine and the frame. They attach to the bolts that hold the pan to the block and go to the frame, where they are attached with the long skinny bolts that hood the hood shelves on. The one with the hole punched out is the passenger side. That hole is for the carburetor drain. The one with the big cutout is the driver's side. That weird big cutout allows the steering column to pass through the engine bay.

That wood piece with that weirdly shaped bracket runs along the top of a touring or roadster body. That weird looking, cast bracket supports the convertible top. The main top bow attaches and pivots to this.

From the photo, I can not tell what that gray-ish looking part is. Doesn't look familiar from that angle.

Looking forward to seeing the body design!!!! Keep up the great work!!!

 

Thanks GZ! I do have the rod for the radiator, needs some straightening but over all its still a good piece.

Here's how far i got today. I gotta say I'm pretty pleased with the outcome for not knowing what the heck I'm doing.

 

Sure doesnt look like that from where Im sitting.....looks amazing

 

Working with wood is not one of my strengths.

Im decent with steel

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/media/albums/whippet.10270/?page=4

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/1929-willys-whippet-coupster-wreck-reation.391595/

 

The wood is a lot harder to weld. Bamboo welding rod helps, but it can be hard to strike an arc.

 

You need a spool of wood wire, for the WIG welder.

 

You have to keep the Bamboo wet to successfully to strike a ark, and the spool of wood wire needs to be hollow core with water in yhe core

 

And don't forget you have to switch to this style welding helmet or you'll hurt your eyes and get slag up your nose.

 

you guys are shot haha

I can promise you at some point I'm just going to spit my gum on it and hope everything holds...

I'd much rather have steel slivers than these damn wood slivers...

 

Iron is good for the blood, but the fiber is good for regularity.

 

So it took me longer to mock this seat up than it did to shape out the floor... funny how that works

 

I saw a thread somewhere the guy was using a couple of contractor wheelbarrows trimmed and welded together to fashion his cowl. Can you still get steel wheelbarrow tubs any more?

 

Hey man, long time no talk. Hope all is well. We need to get back on that Tug Hill Speedster Rally idea!

I've seen people use wheelbarrows for firewalls before. I don't see why you couldn't build a body from them, slit it down the middle and often it up like a V. Instant boat tail.

I've never seen just the tubs for sale by themselves. Those suckers don't come cheap either...

 

They are available on line for 100 to 500 b itucks.this fellow used them vertically with what would be the front end up so the rounded flair stood up like fairing.

If I recall, he made the so they were about three inches wider than the firewall on both sides so the body was wide enough for seating two.

 

Have you been following the fellows build in Georgia?

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...del-a-speedster-kind-of-thing.1086809/page-20

 

The brackets you showed a few days ago go like in the pic below....this is my body I am rewooding---I too suck at woodworking.

However, building the body that you are, I wouldn't even worry about it, as you see, you can just do the flat wood floor, which lowers the body 3-4 inches from stock.

By the way, if your not using any of those brackets, I'd be interested.

 

Something like this... did i mention i hate woodworking?

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Yay! Parts!

I practically had to make this guy take my money.

 

Im in need of whatever goes between the column and steering wheel.

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Chugga luggin along...