"Gowjobs": Depresion Era Performance and Early day hop-up tech

Hello H.A.M.B.ers!

It was proposed on another thread (and I thought It would be fun) to start an thread on early day "depression era" "Gowjob" performance tech, like Lowering, engine modifications, etc...the kinda stuff "Grandpa was doing in the family single car garage with crude hand tools and no money in 1931"

The great thing about these "Gowjobs" is that the only real "formula"...is that there is no "formula": just as in the old days, anything goes. There are "rules of thumb" or "guide lines" of course in regards to lowering techniques, engine performance modifications and so forth, but still...anything goes.

Of course there are several Threads, posts and groups here on the H.A.M.B. that cover many of these topics, such as the "Monthly 'Banger Meeting" threads which are devoted to all things 4-banger (which mostly becomes populated with T's A's and B's), But I thought it would be fun to focus on the "Gowjobs" like the "Multi" Aldrich car, The Robert Hodge car, Gabby Garrison's legendary T roadster and so on.

..and remember, don't be shy...post it if you got it!

I will start off with some lowering info from my own collection of T speed goodies.

 

Holy Cannoli! I really like that link. A lot of "Gow Job tech" found it's way into early race cars as well.

Take the Vorboril car, for example.



I've got some stuff to share at home. I might not get to it until after I'm back from Bonneville.

I can't wait to see where this goes, there is a wealth of knowledge on this subject from a bunch of guys around here.

 

i always took a torch to my cars . springs , fender wheels , etc .................. steve

 

Go out and find a Dykes Engineering Manual from the late 1920s-early 1930s. While it might have noting to do with lesbians there's an interesting chapter on 'remodeling old cars' that you should find of interest - my copy has a section on 'How to speed up an old Ford' that includes drawings for a speedster body.

It's kind of Hot Rodding for the Backyard Builder from way back in the day.

 

Great idea for a thread. I have a '27 waiting for the "hot iron" treatment!

 

You can also get rid of the magnets and mag coil pack from the flywheel. This gets rid of maybe 50 to 75 pounds off the flywheel which gives you some weight reduction and gets you a higher RPM redline limit: 2,100 or 2,200 as opposed to the stock 1,800 or so. It also allows the engine to work not as hard, slingin' all those weights around.

 

Wow, that .pdf is great! Shows that there are many ways to skin a cat and that most of them do not require you to purchase a chrome tube four-link axle from Speedway!

 

Wow a thread that is over due! As soon as it cools to less than the temperature on the surface of the sun out there this evening, I will sneak out and take some pictures of the speedster chassis I'm working on and how I handled the kickup to lower the back.

 

That PDF was compiled by the Northwest Vintage Speedsters and the Rose City Model T Club as a shop talk document. Most of those drawings came from Murry Fahrnstock's book.

 

The thing about 26-27 is that there were alot of changes. Some of them made the drivetrain/motor stronger. Here are some of the "stronger improvements"

-Larger brakes in rear
-Larger brake in the transmission (requires 26-27 pan and hogs head)
-Two bolts on the top of the hogs head to attach it to the block to reduce flex between the engine and trans (reducing crankshaft breakage)
-Wire wheels (were an option)

 

Im working on putting together a build thread for the this car but for now here is one on the rearend lowering.

 

To the tune of "I will survive" --- I am subscribed! Gary

 

My oh my. I'll never know as much as you guys have forgotten about these things. Way cool. Gary

 

Nick, is that a B motor mount piece on the right side of your spring mount?

 

No, its made from an old farm trailer spring shackle. The rearend (26-27) was flipped upside down and the original spring perch was rotated to its upward position. the radius rod is stock T with a bung welded in it for the end of the hanger all connecterd by a big bolt and spacers.

 

Neat file. How much of the rear body work would need to be modified for the kickup? Gary

 

Depends on what your using for a body. If you are using a stock roadster body, the kick-up should fit up inside the turtle deck with no mods except to the floor. You might have some problems with an early roadster body and a '26-27 frame as the rear cross member is wider. If your building a bare-bones bucket seat special, it really shouldn't matter.

 

I copied Multi's spring mount on my old T.

 

My cheapo home built headers and intake. Intake runners ran through the header plate and into the block and set in the original gasket flange. Ran an A carb...



And the super racy bologna cut at the other end...



I liked Gabby's windshield posts and used the early hinges on the cut down '26 stanchions.
Did something similar as he did with the lower windshield filler too. His was a piece of wood wrapped with aluminum. I used 1/8 inch aluminum and set it in the rubber seal groove in the posts.
Gabby was a cool guy, still miss him.

 

Seriously O/T for here... aside from my avatar build, my "other" favorite Ts are only models at this point. Here is my latest build, an 1:8 scale coupe being built as a little "industrial" rail car - that will have a mildly hopped flathead. The track it runs on is about 1-3/4" wide, so the gauge works out to 14-15" in that scale. I also have an 1:8 speedster of sorts planned, too. Bare bones, clipped butt. Sad to say, no full fendered 1:8 model T kits are made, only T-buckets, or I would already have my gow job in scale! Later, Gary

 

This will become a great thread! Here are some Morton & Brett underslung brackets. If fiveohnicj2932 is planning on making more of those rear brackets I wouldn't mind having a set.

 

Fantastic.

 

With all of the bizarre crap some ratty rodders come up with to lower their suspensions, none of it is anywhere as graceful or clever as the vintage lowering aides we are seeing in this thread.

 

Nice work.

 

Curious...what does everyone think of the 'laurel brackets' sold by antique T auto parts?

 

Danka. Gary

 

Don't have a Gowjob but I've always loved your T-roadster and I gotta see what get's posted on this thread!!!

 

I had an original pair of ROOF brackets that were well worn years ago. i bondoed the holes and had new ones cast in manganize bronze like the originals. still need to bore the hole to attach them to the axle. You need to use the early wishbone to make these work.. Did they offer these stamped LAUREL as well?

 

Hey guys! I promised yesterday that I would post some pictures of the speedster chassis I'm working on. Here are the kick ups at the rear of the fame that I built up and grafted in. I haven't ground or finished the inside of the rails yet, so forgive things looking a bit rough.
I didn't do a whole photo layout on the various steps of doing this, so I can't show every thing. But basically, I had Elpolacko here on the H.A.M.B. use his cnc plasma machine to cut out a pair of kickup plates that I designed. I then cut a section of 1/8"X 1 1/2" flat bar down to 1 3/8"and bent up the lips for the frame. I welded the whole perimeter on the inside first, let it cool, and flipped it over and filled the resultant "V" shape on the out side with a good hot weld. Ground the kick up to replicate the stock shape of the T rail. I then made my cuts on the stock rail and spliced in the new kick. I over lapped the upper and lower rails by six inches in either direction to help with strength. I will finish this with a small boxing plate inside the rail that spans the cut lines. I will be making the front cross member for this using this same technique this week, and I will take a bit of time and photograph the process if any body is interested.
Just so you guys know, I said last night that I would shoot some picts after it cooled to the surface temperature of the sun outside... Well, it's twenty to nine and I just walked in from the shop to write this and it's about 107 outside, and my shop is still about 113 or so. Little cooler than the sun, but not much!

 

i second that, put me in line.