History The John Gates 1915 T Roadster Built in 1958.

Some of you may have already seen my 1915 T Roadster at the Grand National Roadster Show, Sacramento Autorama or in the latest Hot Rod Deluxe Magazine. It's been a long time since I've posted anything on the HAMB so I figured I would post a thread about this little 1915 Ford T I've been fortunate enough to own. John is currently suffering from Dementia so his memory from the build is foggy. Luckily his wife of over 55 years, Connie remembers a bit and there's 8 MM home movie footage and photos from shortly after the car was completed. I will do my best to tell the story.
John built this car in 1958 while still in High School in Grants Pass OR. John was a member of the Satyrs Car Club there in Grants Pass. He wanted to build a roadster to go racing at the local Drag Strip which was in Medford,OR. John chose this 1915 Ford T roadster, although Im not sure how, when and exactly where he came across the car.
John told me the frame was from a "32", bobbed and Z'd, kicked up in front. The stock Ford body was channeled over the frame and the passenger door welded shut, turtle deck shortened. Originally the car had a stock Ford axle that was dropped probably from Mor-Drop with 40 Ford front brakes. John replaced the Ford axle for a tube axle in the 60's and went with the latest in braking, 64 Volvo Disc Brakes. Hairpins, front spring, etc appear to all be the same from the original build. Car now uses a real Corvair reversed box, not sure what he originally ran before that. John went with a 1955 Cadillac 331 that was bored .100" over to make nearly 350 CID. Im not sure what cam and pistons were used, engine was balanced, stock 55 heads. John said he went through the engine at one point sometime in the 70's or 80's. All I know is when I pulled the Edelbrock valve covers off, which by the way have 1950's Moon Breathers attached, it was like new underneath there. I found out that the rocker shafts had Isky adjustable rockers attached to them as well.
The biggest purchase for young John Gates in 1958 was of course the GMC 4-71 supercharger which he polished, Cragar kit and 6 carb adapter top, the new Cragar Street and Drag Kit included your intake manifold which he polished, pulleys, gaskets, covers, belts, etc and sold for about $300 in 1958 or about $2,400 in today's money. Stock distributor with vacuum advanced removed and curve reworked is still in the car today. Originally John made a real cool set of headers that were belled at the ends but hung real low, he replaced them with what you see on the car today at some point in the 60's. Something very rare is the use of a boat water pump which is still on the car. John made his own very interesting cooling system which is plumbed much like that of a boat in fact. There are two radiators, one in the stock location and one underneath horizontally with two heater blower motors for electric fans. This was done before the days of aftermarket electric fans of course. The oil pan also has a breather on each side for extra ventilating.
The 55 Caddy mill is mated to a 1937 La Salle Transmission with a chromed shift handle and what appears to be a Cragar adapter. Cadillacs 49-54 could easily be mounted to a La Salle transmission with the use of a Stock Cad or Olds stick bellhousing, but 1955-62 engines cannot without an adapter. A 1950 Oldsmobile Rear Axle with stock 4.10:1 Gears, Ford transverse spring with home made rear radius rods. Stock 50 Olds Drum Brakes.
For the first three years the car was completed, it was strictly a Drag Car with your typical roll bar of the time in which I still have with the car and chromed push bars in the rear. John went to a "Vanity" chromed bar later on when it became a Street car. The roadster remained in primer during some of its racing days. Around 1960 or so John painted the roadster himself a crazy pearl white with candy green panels. The name painted on the back of the car read "Blitz" along with an air brushed trophy cup that appeared on the grille as well and there seemed to be something like a family crest painted on the drivers door which I can't make out from the photo I have. Unfortunately I was unable to get the story on the name of the car or the"crest" as of yet. I do know that the roadster was a regular in Medford and won its share of trophies in its class. In 1961 John registered and titled the car in Oregon. I have the original title and registration from 1961. John opened his own body shop in Grants Pass Oregon, the car was shown a few times at a few indoor Oregon shows in it wild paint scheme. As time went on John repainted the car the Black Lacquer paint with flames striping that you see today. Johns memory of when he painted the car the second time is not 100% certain. Sometime between 1964-72 is what I gathered from John and his wife Connie. The wooden gauge panel with Stewart Warner gauges he installed in the late 50's are still in the car today. Like a lot of Hot Rods during that time they got "updated". The only changes that John made really, beside the paint and front axle and brakes of course, were the Slot Mags and wide tires and Tan "Boat Interior" which the car had when I purchased it. I know in the 80's it ran a single Holley on top of the blower instead of the 6 Holley 94's which were back on the car but in horrible shape when I purchased it last Summer.
I found this awesome T while searching Craigslist ads up in Oregon a couple years ago, the ad was vague with a poorly scanned photo which appeared dated. I tried replying via email to the ad sveral times but never got a response. After a while the car was removed from Craigslist so I assumed it sold. I seen it pop up again on Craigslist and had the similar outcome. I finally put it out of my mind. I had just purchased and was working on another survivor Hot Rod, the Ron Kimball 28 Model A Roadster that was built in 1963. I loved that car and was enjoying it a lot.One day my brother tells me he is going to Grants Pass Oregon to buy this survivor Hot Rod T. I knew it was the Caddy Powered T. I was afraid to even ask if it was the car or not. He said yeah, how did you know? I was disgusted. I told him how I tried to get that car a few times but never got a reply. Apparently my brother had contacted Connie Gates, John's wife a while back but never told me. He went up there and bought the car along with 8MM home movie footage, original Roll Bar, original green metal flaked T Steering Wheel from its panel paint days ,and a set of old Mickey Thompson slicks mounted on old Slot mags. The original trailer John used to tow to the drags was in the yard and came with the car if my brother wanted to try and get it out. I was a bit upset to say the least. I knew his plan was to just take it straight to one of the big auctions to sell. He called me a few days later and said I know you want this car bad and should have it, I will trade you the Model A Roadster for it straight across. At first I said Hell NO, you're nuts. After thinking about it for a few days and a few sleepless nights I caved in and traded him. It hurt to let the Model A go though. My brother sold the A at Mecum Monterey last August and I heard it went to Australia. I had Dick York rebuild the carbs, the original Gates (no relation) V Belts that came with the Cragar kit that john painted Gold were still on the car but in need of replacing ( I kept the originals of course) Installed Pertronix Ignitor in place of the points, replaced the worn out Auto Part Store Orange plug wires with Clear 7 MM Solid Core wires and Rajah terminals, rebuilt the Stock 1955 High Amp Cadillac Generator, new voltage regulator and thats about it mechanically. The car runs awesome! I had Tony Gomes of Tri Valley Glass and upholstery do the interior in Black vinyl, replaced the wheels and tires and have been enjoying the car around town when I get the chance to get away from the house alone without the kids or the wife. It's such a damn fun car to drive. Im glad I was able to own this car. I just called Connie Gates and told her the car is in the new Hot Rod Deluxe magazine with a 6 page feature. Connie seemed very excited about John's old T getting into the magazine. John's condition is getting worse from what she told me. I hope he gets to see the magazine and that I got his story right. John is a very intelligent and talented guy, and a real Hot Rodder. Hope you guys enjoyed the story. Thanks, Marcus

 

Man that is a cool little 'bucket! I can't wait to see the article on it.

 

so rad!

 

Bitchin' T

 

Nice proportions, pretty much ahead of the curve for '58. Much closer to a modern T bucket style than Grabowski's car.
That cooling system is certainly unique!

 

That is one special Hot Rod; especially when it dawns on you it was originally built forty seven years ago by a high school senior who kept it, and continued working on and tweaking it until it looked pretty much as it does now. Add to that the fact that it survived to continue doing what it does best, looking good and scooting down the road. And, a fellow HAMBer now owns it! My hat is off to you M. Edell for having the gut instinct to know how important it was as an example of the late fifties, early sixties T roadster, and saving it from being thrown to the wolves. How well I remember back in the day how Caddy engines were considered 'the' transplant into a lot of old iron, and seeing this one with every part a young man of that era dreamed of owning, I am, to say it again, damn impressed it's still with us and was not grenaded and turned to shrapnel on the drag strip. Wow! And, it still looks mighty fine.

 

Period correct e-fans! What a fantastic little T, can't wait to see more!!!

 

Thanks for the skinny on your awesome little "T". Best of luck with her.

 

Great story Marcus.
Hope when you do sell it, somebody gets it that won't change anything except maybe those front brakes. I actually was wondering where it came from. There was another black steel bucket in the East Bay. I remember seeing it in maybe the '70 when Jerry's drive on Foothill Blvd. was having those hot rod nights. I remember lightly knocking on it with a knuckle and the owner came up smiled and said "yes it is steel" (I know an ass hole thing to do).
I'll try to make an Elios restaurant night sometime this year. It would be kool seeing it and mine together.
Gary

 

Right on Gary, let me know.

 

http://www.hotrod.com/events/1503-celebrating-traditional-hot-rods-in-the-suede-palace/

 

Holy Moly Batman!...that little car looks totally awesome....absolutely love that old-school look!!! That engine set-up would definatly make a statement pulling up to a new car owner...I absolutely love it!!

 

They don't call you Cadillac'n Marcus for nothin'.

 

Didnt I just buy 41 Studebaker tail lights from you?

 

Yep.

 

Small world

 

Yessir, one of those "hang on for dear life" buggies when you floor it!

 

Way cool. I've seen it a bunch on here in GNRS coverage etc. Nice to hear the story.

 

Cool story!

 

Love the bucket.

Do you look like the guy from fast'n'loud/gas monkey? Or are you that guy?



Like it a lot, even then front discs[emoji12][emoji39]

Keep it safe, keep it cool and keep it on the road!

 

LOL Dude if I had a nickel for every time someone thought I was that guy or said I looked like that guy in the last three years Id be rich. It use to be just at car show but now it happens everywhere. One guy argued with me that I was really Richard, he thought I was lying to him I guess. The guys in my club call me Ass Monkey..

 

Nice to see an as it was example especially from 1958 with only a few changes.

 

A Couple of Trent Sherrill Shots.

 

8 MM Home Movie Footage Edited by Piero De Luca

 

Full length Video I received from the Gates- unedited- Great Drag Strip Footage

 

The T will be going to its new and awesome home tomorrow in Southern Ca. A Fellow HAMBer will now own the Gates T.

 

Here it is in its new home, next to my Phil Sauers, Dean Jeffries Built 51 Merc.

 

Went to the right guy!!

 

Thanks for sharing the great story and vids on that awesome "T".

 

Here's a pic of it in Lost Dragstrips II.