Last sat morning i put my orginal 23 Model T running gear on a trailer and took it to the "wizard" Tom Culbertson at Culbertsons Customs in Indianapolis. I had worked some on the suspension ( 12 inch drop or more) and purchased a body ( or body panels ) on ebay some time ago. (pieces were shipped in two bicycle boxes). My goal ( or simple plan) is to race this car at the Newport Hillclimb next year and then drive it to the Hunnert Car show in October the following week. I have two engines going together ( one a race motor and the other a driver) both model T 4 bangers. Today someone said i needed to go by Toms and see the car as he was almost done with it . WOW, 5 days later and it is almost done sheet metal wise. Looks pretty cool , is all steel orginal sheet metal. Body is channelled over the frame and they were putting the floors in it just a few minutes ago. Looking forward to this project.
Wow. Haven't heard the term "extra buffy" in a while. Then again, I haven't been around Jim Linder much lately either...
Don't want to fall thru a perfectly good model t do ya.?? Pete F has certified the interior space etc. The body is extended 10 inchs as well. Not as much as Mikes " suave" roadster but enough to allow some moving around in the front seat.
A guy named Dave Pratt makes them in Martinsville Indiana. Takes two axles and pieces them together . Cant find the welds, he does the ackerman on the spindles as well. Its a 7 inch drop. A couple friends have ran them for a few years. They are one low axle huh ??
The car is almost done as far as body is concerned. Tom ( Culbertson) had left town for the holidays and should be back this week. I stoped by sat morning and the floor boards are welded in and the door is hinged and a bear claw latch put in place. I still need to get a gas tank ( orginal T oval tank) and dash panel to him to finish it up. I will then bring it back to our shop for some final work on rear axle and engine etc. I will get some more pics this week sometime.
Update on the "Simple T" project. Had to call in some favors from my friends in the model t Indy 500 club to get some of the final parts. The dash came from one friend ( a 22-25 piece) and the windshield posts and orginal windshields from another. I ordered a new gas tank from Snyders and Tom quickly mounted the straps and tank. Tomorrow we will begin to fit the steering columb ( a 20s chevrolet unit) and decide how much windshield to cut out. We are thinking about just using the top half , setting on bottom with cut posts and adding a little slope as well. The opening door wasnt planed but now that its done i think it will be pretty cool. I have made the decision to build my seating arangement using the hamb tips with the army tent and some foam. This way i can make me a nest of sorts to layback in ( thats why we extended the body 10 inches) and drive like a lay down seat in a dune buggy or sand rail. I may even add a light weight portable top later down the road. Tom had a interesting comment this evening. he said the cool part of this build was that it was exactly as someone would have built it in 1937 ! Guess i never thought of it that way???
A couple more angles showing the opening door, floor level and the vertex mag in the engine up front. The carbs will be replaced with two orginal model t straight thrus from the " Piston Parlor" Russ Potter in Illinois. We are presently building tow very different engines for this car. One to drive on tours and to the pile up next year and the other is an all out racer etc. More on the race engine as it comes together. Also check out the ford expedition rear disc brakes. They will be activated by a tilson master cylinder hooked to the orginal model t hand brake lever. Steering unit will be a fat man wood wheel and a hand throttle as well. Ought to be fun to drive??
No front brakes , T's never used them but i did add to the rear brakes a whole bunch. On a T the brakes are in the transmission with a band and a petal to actually stop the car. The rear drums ( very poor at best) was for emergency only.
Me and Mike stopped by Toms today and checked it out. Awesome looking little T! He got that windshield dropped down and angled back a bit.
Jim, you guys are kicking ass out there, building some great stuff. This T is coming along terrific. I look forward to your posts. Thanx- see ya soon Bil
Thanks, Hows the poncho ? You were thinking of a new engine etc when in Joplin ?? I will need a tow this year for my HA/GR car . Its Toms next project when i pick up the T. A GMC inline six car.
Jim Hasn't happened yet, but it will have another motor by the Drags. Looking forward to them. I certainly would be available for the pit tow. We'll find someone to ride the back shelf. Hesitant to call the shop, Tom looks busy. Keep us posted with lotsa pix of the progress. There's always something interesting going on in that shop! Bil
Another updat of the "Simple T". The body is in the paint shop ( should be done in a couple weeks or less ?) The Tuckster ( machine shop dude) has finished the t wheel adapter in pic and the tank is having a extension made for it . We will start tear down and painting of all parts this week and plan on having it put together for end of Jan car show in Indpls.
Another update on the " Simple T": Every now and then you get a surprise in regards to items out side your control. I got a bad surprise early last year when a local dude fixed a 27 T Body for me. It looked like a group on kindergarden kids muded it up and sprayed black primer over it. This time the surprise went the other way. A local ( right down the street) painter stopped in the other day looking for work etc. I gave him a pair of fenders to paint on one of our teardrop trailers ( www.bubbastrailerpark.com) and he brought them back in two days and they looked great at a very fair price!! He looked over the T project and said "i could get that one done for ya next week if you want". WOW a week , no way ?? Anyway he picked the body up last friday and i checked on it today. It looks great !!!!!!! All the body work is done , primer applied and every corner ready for final color. All under panels are undercoated and all body lines are dialed in, you wont believe this was the same car from previous pics!!( I will keep the final color secret for a day or two) This afternoon he picked up the final color materials and will deliver the body to the shop sat morning ( done) as i cant work there tomorrow with meetings etc. Thought every one would like the update...
The Jalopy Journal
