Projects My '26 Roadster / Vintage photo search

Thanks Herb!

The little blue car is a 1909 (really a 1911 or 1912) Brush Roadster. They are such a fun little car.

This one is Chris's Mom's car...she drives the daylights out of it too..

 

I've had really a problem in thinking what to do with it. That is why I got so exited about your project. It is currently a half done restoration. Chassis and engine are done, but it is missing a bodywork (I do have all the parts including 2&1/2 touring bodies). I was thinking of making it RPU, but now I am leaning to the idea of sticking in the original parts and make it a hopped up and little lowered Touring (fenders maybe - maybe not...) It would be more family suitable as well. This is not yet acute project. I have lots of other things to be done first.

Your idea of dropping the front and rear were great. And the way how mildly you have worked the engine to make it roadproof for modern roads gives me a lot of confidence to do something with the car. I have also been thinking of adding a conventional gearbox after the engine for example from A. That would require a longer diff. ratio though. The period aftermarket accessories, sucs as Chigacos, Warfords and Ruckstell or Rocky Mountains were not much or at all available here during the 20s. Only the stock T parts, so finding a period overdrive unit is pretty much impossible or expensive. Making frot brakes has also been in my mind. A bit tricky, since I want to stick on wood spokes.
One major modernisation in your car is the steering column and -box. Is this really the Achilles heel of the drivability of T?

I'll add some shots, when I get the T home. I only need to empty some space in my carage first.

 

Hi
I actually found a couple of pics from my old harddrive.

 

Nice stuff. A touring built along the line of Clayton's roadster would be great.

 

A couple of years ago, a complete T touring came up for sale at an auction, and I tried to scrap together enough to buy it and do just this. It went for way over market value. One of these days, it would be great to see a T touring built just like Clayton's with a chopped and folding top. That would be so mean-looking..

Maybe one of these days..

 

That would be awesome!

A fellow HAMBer sent me this...its exactly what you are suggesting..

 

Oohhh, yes.. Daddy likes..

 

Something like that exacly! There is a picture of really good looking Touring in the end of the page 4 of this thread that really turned my eyes around and i could see how the Touring would look.

P.s. This fresh picture leans me more towards going fenderless...

 

Clayton, back to the Brush for a second. If you've never heard of the Abernathy Boys do a google on them. In the early 1900's at the ages of 5 and 9 the two brothers rode horses from Oklahoma to Sante Fe, N.M. by themselves. Then rode to Washington D.C. to meet the president, then to NYC to meet Teddy Roosevelt. They then bought a Brush roadster, like this one, and drove home.

 

Friggin' Okie kids, You just can't keep 'em home.
Yep, The touring will be mean looking now who's going to build the roadster pickup version?
There is a great Dodge touring body near here that I had for a while then the guy got pissy about wanting my welder in addition to what we traded for. Rather than deal with his "biker brothers" threats I took it back. Years later we are on better terms and I'm working on getting if back before he puts it on a Toyota 4X4 frame.

 

That photos hopped picture helps with the vision for this

 

Oh yeah!

 

Nice looking body. As you see, I have three bodies, but all of them are missing the large rear panel. During the post war years there was a lack of everything and those rear panels were cut to sheet metal use from pretty much every single abandoned T-body.

By the way, I just remembered. A few years ago I bought some Chevy parts from a long term restorer from couple of hundred miles from my home. He also tried to sel me a complete and very good looking 1924 T-roadster project. Wonder if he still has it... If only there were no limits in money and time...

 

Seems like I picked the worst touring body of everyone here. I scored one of the rear doors, but that's all I have for what's missing in the pictures. If this sticks around, it will become a RPU. I already have a Y-block and a '38 trans sitting around waiting for it..

Of course, if I were to come across a complete and driving A frame, I could easily be convinced to nix the OHV.

 

Dude, come on!.....find an A chassis....keep it a touring!

You know.....you don't HAVE to give up OHV.....you can always throw a Crager or Miller OHV setup..

 

Haha! I'm torn apart.. Room for all my friends, or a sweet shop truck to scoot around in..?

We'll see what becomes of it when the roadster is up and driving. I'd love full fenders too.

 

Nonsense. Your touring body is better than any of my three bodies. Luckily i have three of them, so taking the best parts of each gives me almost comblete body (I still need to replace most of the sheet metals, there is no such thing as "rust free" here in the north).

 

Matt, You're a lucky guy. All my friends and I could fit in Clayton's roadster with a seat left over.

 

See....I went the other direction: a cool roadster AND a cool shop truck to run around in...

 

My wife's RPU project....

 

When does the build thread on this one start??

 

Next couple of months hopefully.... Have all the running chassis components, so we can get started.

... Just gotta hunt down a budget '25 roadster body.

 

Have a good, complete '26-'27 engine, frame, axles, springs, hubs, wire wheels, radiator, steering, etc...so we should have a chassis soon.

Plan is a hot T engine, full race cam, .080" over, Z-head, single 81, EE crank, 2.5" drop axle, A 'bones and a Ruckstell with 3:1s

Mrs. ModelT is lobbying for my Spare Chicago too

 

That's gonna be one cool truck Clayton. Looking forward to following the build. You can start the build thread any time now. You have enough parts to take some pictures of and that's where we all started.

 

Guess I have one more thing to add to my list for this weekend....

 

Cool!

 

Quick update: Shift linkage beginnings...and new wires.

It was a slow weekend, but managed to get some work done on the bracket for the new Ruckstell shift lever. I drew out a pattern for the bracket and mocked it up, but didn't get much further. Next step is to fab it in steel.



Also got the Buffalo wire wheels blasted! Chris was blasting other stuff and offered to give them a once over...



Next week, we should have them in prime and paint.

Stay tuned!

 

You have a drop frame frame and front axle.

 

Awesome! Stunning car.

 

Good to see the bump, 'cause Clayton needs to update anyway- seems he's been spending some time with Jay Leno... just hope that Jay didn't ask him to do any wheels stands like his last adventure