Well been lurking on this site for long enough now and thought I would start my own build thread. Am a long time modified car owner but first time hotrodder. Have been telling myself for the last 10 years that one day I would own a hot rod but have never had the money. About 6 months I was surfing trademe ( our New Zealand version of eBay ) and came across something I thought I would never see, a partly built ( well just started ) model t coupe at a very reasonable price. A deal was very quickly done and the car was mine... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
An even cooler thing about my new purchase was its history. The guy I bought it off here in nz had bought it off the side of the road in Austin Texas off an old fella who had had it sitting in his back yard since picking it up off the guy that was building it for him. And that guy just happened to be Mercury Charlie... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
When I bought it is was actually between homes and didn't actually have anywhere to store it, so I guy I knew through one of our local Hotrod forums offered to keep it at his place. Unfortunately he lives 1 1/2 hours from me so it has meant progress has been fairly slow, but on the up side he is a great old school hot rodder and I am learning a lot from him Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
First thing to go was the flathead - sorry, I know this won't go down well with a lot of people, but I know nothing about flatheads, this one needed work, I want to drive the wheels off the T, I want my wife to be able to drive it - any more excuses?? Next thing the will get me a LOT of flack is the replacement. The new engine is a 255 small block ford. I know it gets a lot of bad press and it is considered the worst engine ford ever made, but Gerard, who I have become good friends with over the last 6 months traveling to his ace to work on the T, has done a few old school back yard mechanic tricks on it and it should end up a perky wee motor, and something different Knocking out the smog nodgles Before And after Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Made the exhaust ports bigger for better flow Top before, bottom after Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Cleaned the engine up and gave it a freshen up with new rings, bearings, lifters etc Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Sat freshened up motor back in last time I was our there and off out tomorrow night to do some more, so will post some more pics in a couple of days Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Good Friday/Saturday working on the T. Am pleased Gerard talked me into changing the engine mounts, think they look a million times better, just need some gusseting under them now. Started "tweaking" the headers to fit the body too. Taking shape Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
I just sold off a sweet 27 T body that I had high hopes of turning into a cool little bar hopper. Yours looks like it's coming along real nice.
Went and picked up the 27 and finally bought it home yesterday. Left the motor behind so Gerard could finish off building it for me. Got it sitting in my garage bar now and started stripping the paint off it. Must admit I am not sure if I will paint it now - loving the bare metal look. Found a seat that will do the job even with a 4 inch roof chop, now gotta find another the same... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Had a little play on the computer today trying to figure out how much to chop it... Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Proceed with caution, as you already have a channelled body so chop needs to work with that I guess. 6" chop looks good on paper and in your pic's but with the channel job it may get a little squeezy in there...
mine is chopped till the window behind the door is square in shape. The channel job is about 4 inches. I still fit with no problem at 6 foot 1 inch .......just some information for you. The header above the windshield was removed in mine..............changes a lot about the chop and the way you see out the windsheild
Nothing wrong with a 255 for that application - an ailing flathead can be very expensive to fix and you can probably find perfectly good 255s in just about any scrap yard garbage dumpster for little or nothing...lol.
Well finally did it. Chopped the top today. Took 5 inches out and tacked it back on. Still have to line all the edges up, but looking good Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Great to see progress Barry. It sure went to the right guy. I did think some of the engineering needed re engineering. The lil 260 will make it buzz. It presume it will only have two pedals? The seat should be easy enough to find as it's early morry minor , I went back for the other one but it was too far gone. Keep chipping away. Mercury Charlie will be pleased , so will tell him when we see him soon.
I'm guessing that's you Brian. Funny small world. Was talking about you when Cal was staying with us for MCM. Yeah it does need a little re-engineering but a great starting point. Yeah hope to pick up another seat the same. You going to the states soon? Would love to get one of Charlie's chassis plates to put on the T Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Hey just found your build thread Barry. Those pics are of the Inlet ports.....remember you had to open them up in the corners to make them squarer to match the 302 inlet gasket/manifold, giving better intake flow. We did deal to the exhuast ports too.......drilled a 1/4" hole through the middle of the them smog node thingys in each exhuast port then knocked them off with a hammer and big chisel. Barry then spent ages on the end of the die grinder smoothing them all out. Just removing them nodes increases the port size by about 60%. Barry's tight budget requires him to do as much as he can himself and to that end is prepared to take on most parts of the build himself, as long as he can get some guidance from people who know what to do. He's a quick learner and will make Texas-T into a cool ride. Great to see you took the plunge and lowered the roof a bit......and a pretty unique 5" at that.
I like what your doing,I see so many over chop and I know they will hate it later,but will never admitt to having over done it,so I really do like your 5in. only. Looking very cool!
Hey Gerard. That's right. I get mixed up some times lol. Am loving having the T at home but am still gonna need your help big time when it comes to the brakes and rear end we talked about. How's the A Hog comin along???? Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
The Jalopy Journal
