Projects My '26 Roadster / Vintage photo search

Thank you Cactus...at least someone here sees it my way

I'm just kidding...but in all seriousness, I appreciate all of your views and opinions.

I feel the same way you do Cactus, to me...it just fits better. What are you using for the base to your new build and what are your plans?

Thank you kindly as always! That was my major criteria with this rebuild..."don't take away from the look that everyone knows and loves".

..the rear end lift being the only exception, of course.

...Actually I was thinkin' '40 Ford steelies and a 283 Chevy with try-power



That is certainly one direction in which this car will never venture. it will always stay as you know it.....a true Model T, especially at "heart"

...and I think all of my '20s and 30's goodies are very much happy at "home" where they are..

...so I think I hang on to them

 

Curses, foiled again.

-Dave

 

I believe this statement was missing the very important second half:

"Curses, foiled again!...and my plan would have worked if it wasn't for those meddling kids and their dog!"



There...I fixed it

 

....Or "That meddling kid and his Gow Job!"

 

When I was reading your first reply, I was thinking "That meddling kid and his Flivver!"

-Dave

 

...That is perfect! ..made me laugh out load

 

Clayton...looking great!! The new stance is better in my opinion too. Actually, I would have never thought about it until you did it and compare the look of the old vs. the new. Yes...more Gow-job-ee now. You're making some real, good changes on some key components. It's going to be like a new car now...in an old way. Keep it up!!

 

I like that..."A whole new car, in an very old way" ....might have to use that as it's tag line

Thanks Bugsy! That was the main idea: Take what I have learned since the first build and apply it to correcting what needed to be fixed and what I was not happy with.

 

Clayton - Like many I have always loved your T and while I am undecided on the raised rear I see it as part of the journey you have taken us all on in the last few years. Your car already has a remarkable sense of history in its short life and I suspect we will enjoy your next rebuild in 5 or 10 or 20 years time. There is an elite group of cars that will be traced through history and I believe yours is one of them. I suspect in 50 years time the T known as Mr Model T's roadster will be restored to a particular period and admired at car shows and written about with great fondness. You have contributed immensely to the revival of the traditional hot rod movement and your work has inspired my current build. Well done you.
PS - what ever happened to that Rolls Royce Upholstery you were going to install.

 

Thank you most kindly Kume ...This has been just as much a "Journey" for me too....and I am proud to be able to share it with all of you. I have made and continue to make wonderful friends here....some I have had the pleasure of meeting, some I have not yet had the pleasure of meeting.

...All thanks of my ol' T

I don't know if my roadster is, or ever will be a part of that "elite" group...like the Flint roadster, the Spencer Deuce, the Niekamp Roadster or the Iskandarian roadster to name a few. For me, its just a Model T built by kid as a starter project, but I do feel that it is becoming something more and gathering quite a following. The fact that you and many here on the H.A.M.B. feel that it is however is a real honor

I doubt that my car will be equally as revered and sought after by collectors and preservationists...and being restored 50 or 60 years from now "to it's 2012 appearance when it ran to Bonneville"....

...But is sure is cool as hell to dream about

If, your right....it would be one hell of an honor

As for the Rolls upholstery, that is still in the works. I have had it all (and some more remnants I have found) packaged and boxed up for a few years now, waiting for the right time to do the work.

...before Bonneville is the perfect time. I have a 1,500 mile round trip and I want comfortable seats

 

*UPDATE*
Just a steering bracket....hey, it's progress!

Well, I didn't get as much done Wednesday night as I did last week, but at least I got SOMETHING done. I made up the steering box rear support bracket:









It's not done yet, but it will be Saturday morning!

I also got my new carburetor tops for the Strombergs...



Chris and I are also making plans to get the chassis finalized and in paint Saturday as well...so I should have BIG update for you all this weekend!

...needless to say, stay tuned!
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That bracket almost looks like a vintage aftermarket piece.

-Dave

 

Thanks Dave!

That is what I was shooting for..so I'm glad it turned out as I had planned

 

Clayton, It is quite change in stance for your Gow Job - But , I LIKE it ! Looks more menacing with rear a little bit higher. God - no GREAT work there . I just got to be at Bonneville to check this car and the Special out !

Dave

 

*UPDATE*
Well.....not much one sadly

I didn't get a heck of allot done....just one of those weekends. I did however, get the new drag link made up...



..and I started the center support crossmember for the Chicago O.D. by making up the spring shock mount for the gearbox and the attachment yoke...



Unfortunately, I only got these two pictures before the battery in my camera died so more next week for sure...and some better progress.

Stay tuned!


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Thanks Dave! I think that is the best way to describe it...."Menacing"...or as Ryan put it..."Sinister"

...I heard you are planning to make the trip to the Salt this year..it will be great to put a face with a screen name!

 

Clayton, I feel I know both you and Chris from just watching what you are doing on the HAMB. It would be great to see you both at Bonneville. Sure trying to make this time happen.

Dave

 

Great job. I was thinking the same thing when I saw the first photos. Seemed like too much action was possible. But this fixes it big time. No worries now.

 

When I saw the photo of the body on the frame I thought "OH NO!! You cant see much of the hard work and killer vintage hop up's you did. But from the side you can see many. I love it. I think it looks very good. I can also see that the steering wheel is ridding a bit higher and I like the look of the new radiator cap better. The blue Chicago box is much better and stands out, as it should. Overall I think this is going to blow away thoes who know. It's like nothing anyone has done. I feel this is such a quality, sneaky, and well thought out machine that you should get another cetnerfold shot in some mags....well not YOU, but your car. Awkward!

 

Have to agree with that. The car just looks right!

 

That is the point however. These details are supposed to be "hidden" in a way. If they were made to all stand out....it would all be too much and it would look as if it was "trying to hard". If the details are more subtle, their collective sum make the car work....rather then trying to stand out on their own.

Over the course of this re-build, I have made a point to correct the issues that needed to be addressed for years and little refinements that make the car flow better and give it the look it always should have had from day 1.

Glad to hear that I have been successful thus far

Your statement just puts a period on the above. When I built this car, I wanted it to be something that someone could look at say "there isn't a single thing I would change...it just looks right"

Guess I got that right

 

Neat stuff tonight at Oldmotor-dot-com. Fronty catalog! How on earth did those little motors stay together going 85 mph at indy for 500 miles! Seems impossible.

 

I often wonder the same thing, but those ol' T engines are WAY stronger then most people think...

...or seems physically possible

I can tell you one thing for sure....those Indy motors got a full rebuild after every race...and I bet there wasn't much babbit left

 

*UPDATE*
More progress...and some goodies

Well, made some progress last night, but had to call it quits a little early due to the cold in the shop...and oncoming cold and the mounting snow that chose to start falling about 7:00 pm.

I did get the yoke for the O.D. spring mount done...



...and the patterns for the lower portion that mounts to the new cross member...





Also found a sample of the wiring style I will be using...in an effort to keep that "period correct" vibe going

These are called "Cross Courtney" connectors and were used on some of the bigger American and Euro cars like Rolls-Royce, Bentley, etc. The Becker's '34 Phantom II had them for all 200 some connections....

First you strip the wire casing back, twist up the wires and roll them into a loop. Then the loop is placed into a brass washer with tabs on it, a flat washer is then placed on top of that...covering the twisted wire. The tabs are then folded over to crimp the washer in and make contact with the wire...

..Then thread or small cord is wrapped around the exposed wire and down the casing about 1/4 inch and is then painted with dope to seal it...

...all 200 connections like this

I won't have that many, but sure will look cool under the hood with all the connections done like this:





Here are a few of the originals and the new..



Chris also gave me some of the old exhaust system cover sheet metal from the Rolls as well which I will restore and put to use for a period looking exhaust system:

The down pipe cover (manifold to box)


The exhaust box:





The out pipe cover (from Box to exit pipe)



Mocked up together:



...with the old lake pipe end mock up...



Hopefully more to come this weekend...if this damn cold goes away

Stay tuned!
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I think certain builders could take lessons from you on how to appropriately utilize detail without throwing it in people's faces. I'll bet I could spend all day going over your car just to spot the cool little things you've done to make it more period correct.

-Dave

 

You have very good taste. Good job!

 

I see you're using the outer torque tube housing for the exhaust. See if you can find the drive shaft from a '35 ford. It's the same shape but much lighter.

Ron

 

Funny you should mention that.....the Torque Tube I have came a '35 Ford

 

Clayton, Love the look of the wire connectors. Are they available on the internet or swap meets ?

Making some good progress there young guy . . . Hah, made you snort your coke out your nose . . . .

Dave

 

Dave,

you can buy all the parts to do the cross Courtney connectors from restoration supply in California. I still have quite a bit left from when we did the wiring harness on our 1934 Roll Royce Continental.



Wish we still had the Rolls, fun car to drive.