Hot Rods '25 T Roadster Sports Rod.

Wasn't up to much this weekend, so just a bit of pottering about on a little project.
I love those old photographs of the early drag coupes with lightening holes drilled everywhere. If you were to search for pictures of similar era sports cars they have holes drilled in all of the parts too. So with this build I have gone for holes in a big way.
I had determined I needed a steering wheel no bigger than 15" diameter, so I don't drag my left hand on the body, and with a 3" dish. My first thought was a nice wood rimmed job, until I saw the prices, and that changed my mind . So what would a sports car/hot Rodder have done back then. Modified what he had on hand, that's what.
With that in mind I noticed the old Superior wheel I have had hanging on the wall for 20 years or so. It came with some basket case I bought back when. I have put quick release steering wheels on most of the cars I have built, and have always used this wheel when I needed to move those cars around. The chrome was peeling, it had some rust, and the foam grip had some battle scars. It was perfect! I found some self- adhesive binding tape on eBay, so I will wrap it with that. I cut the foam off the spokes and then sanded off the rust and chrome. Then I did what those drag and sports car guys did back then, drilled more holes!!!
It was free, as I already had it. It looks the part for the car. I love that it has been on a lot of cars I have built. I rattle canned some Hammerite on it. I will leave it to harden for a few days before I wrap it.
I will get back to the front suspension next week hopefully.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Nice save on the wheel Stewart. I used your tip on hose clamps to mark the cut lines on a 9" rear that I narrowed this past week.

 

Isn't that neat! I could never draw a line around a tube square with the end until someone showed me that. Glad it works for you too.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Look up "Nuffin Special" in my threads in my profile. Sorry, I don't know how to link to it.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Started on the 1/4 elliptics. I found a T-Bucket spring in my stash of parts. It was a standard eye, and I was going to need a reverse eye to get the spring pack lower. So using a press I went about re-arching the spring to effectively reverse the eyes.
I then cut the main leaf in half to create the 1/4 elliptics main leaves. Using my stash of various 1 3/4" leaves, I cut down what I needed to form the spring packs. Took some time to sand the edges to smooth out the ride. Modified some shackles to take a through bolt for the shock link. Mocked it up on the bench using a Ford TT spring perch and an old MG lever arm shock. The shock link will be 5/8" round stock drilled and tapped to take the 3/8' Heims.

 

I want to do 1/4 elliptical up front ( with lever action shocks ) but am bothered by not knowing spring rate ( how many leafs ) and adjustment for height. Designing dual elliptical ( total 4 ) with no shackles and no hairpins. Afraid I will end up hard as a board and to high or soft and low. What then? just keep add/remove leafs? Would be neat if could do with 1 leaf each - and what about length? I am about ready to just wing it and weld it up. Look forward to see where you place shocks on frame compared to spring location.

 

Love that design. I am doing something similar, but using a split Model A front spring.

 

Started to install the bushings in the frame rails for the rear mounts of the 4-links. The bushings are the same DOM tube I use for the tie rod and 4-links, just drilled out to take a 5/8" bolt. I drilled the holes in the outside wall of the rail no problem, but to get to the inside wall, I would need an angle drive drill. No problem, I have one. Problem is, my compressor took a dive and is in for repair, so no air! Anyway a couple of pictures to show where they will go. They won't stick out that far when finished, as they will protrude out of the inside wall as well. This allows for a nice weld bead all around the end of the bushing.
So, I moved onto the shock mounts. Was going to make them out of 2" wide 3/16" plate, but didn't have enough. Decided to use 1/8" plate, and bend a couple of flanges to give it more strength. Then came up with the idea to use some 1/8" wall 2 1/2" square tube. So I hade these cut out and ready. Thought they looked a bit boring, so added some lightness. Much better! Tacked them in place, and mocked up the spring. Not sure that there will be enough clearance between the spring and the bottom of the shock body. I can't move the shock up without the mounting bolts interfering with the frame tubes, can't lower the spring as it will lift the car. I am going to wait until the car is fully loaded and sitting on the springs to make a decision. The air compressor will be in the shop for a couple of weeks, so all work will have to work around that. I will probably start on the back axle and suspension next.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Wise choice for shocks. I used the Armstrong shocks on my track roadster.
dechrome

 

Love the aluminum access panels!
Peter Caldwell in Wisconsin rebuilds them with upgraded seals bearings and can change the valving also. He does a lot of custom rebuilt shocks for the vintage sports racers. Will get him to rebuild these eventually.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Love this build, I went to the locost site and read your entire thread. I also registered there.
I've been sort of collecting parts for a similar themed build. It will be based on a TR-3 engine and trans I've had for 25 years. I've recently sourced some 27 touring body parts. In my mind it will look like a Euro flavored lakes modified.
Again, nice build and documentation, Thanks for taking the time

 

Got the 4-link mounts welded on the frame. The mounts are made from 7/8' OD, 5/8"ID, DOM tube. The lower mounts are welded into the bottom rail, and the upper mount is welded to the firewall, and a gusset added. The steering box mount is now welded to the firewall. I took a ball bit in my die grinder to the welds on the firewall to give a soft corner, to make it look like it was stamped as part of the firewall. I just need to make the final side next to the output shaft to totally enclose the steering box and seal it from the engine bay. Next is mounting the front 1/4 elliptics to the frame and axle.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Hey lime kid, Love you project man !!

 

Sorry to perpetuate the tangent, but:

Note the scenes where the 2CV has no roof, and how little flex there is. Sure, they could have reinforced the frame for these scenes, but to what end? A floppy frame would have served the dramatic purpose just as well.

 

So today I got the Drag Link made and installed.
I'm using '35 spindles, so the Speedway steering arm isn't a straight fit. The holes on the spindle needed to be drilled out to 3/8", and the arms of the Steering Arm bent to fit the different bolt pattern of the earlier spindles. With that done, I could measure for the length of the Drag Link. So a length of DOM was cut, the ends drilled, and then RH and LH threads tapped.
Not a lot of work, but progress all the same.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Beautiful work, Stew.

Chuck

 

Chuck,
I'm not sure "beautiful"and any work I do, belong in the same sentence..
How's yours coming along?
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

This weekend I removed the front suspension and sheet metal. I then installed the engine and transmission. Laid out some tubes for the transmission tunnel, made the transmission mount, driveshaft hoop, and the tubes for the rear bulkhead.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Spent most of the weekend sanding and priming. Repeat. Repeat.

Chuck

 

Just stopped by Stewart's place to pick up some seats I bought from him. This is a great project he's got going here. Quite a bit of creativity that's for sure!

Stewart is a helluva nice guy too, and can stand in the garage for 20 minutes at 11 degrees F with only a sweatshirt and not even flinch! Thanks Stewart for the seats and I hope I see this thing beating the snot out of some Miata's on a auto-X course sometime this summer.

Mike

 

Chuck,
If you did it right the first time, you wouldn't have to keep repeating!.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Mike,
Somebody once told me that where there's no sense, there's no feeling!
Glad you are happy with the seats, and that they have gone to a good home. Even better that they are going in something I would like.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Just more tubes!
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Been out of town/state recently, so not much progress. I made some supports to hold the rear axle in the correct position on the table, and then made the axle bracket for the top link.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Made the brackets for the lower links, and drilled the frame to take the bushing for the fromt of the links. I need to make and weld a gusset for the bushing.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

I've got the rear of the frame finished, tube wise, just need to finish the mounts for the rear suspension. In the end I went with coil-overs. I was trying to use 1/4 elliptics and MG lever arm shocks, but the packaging of them was fighting me all the way. The coil-overs will be inboard of the frame within the turtle deck, and with the full length belly pan will not be seen unless the trunk lid is open. I then put in the transmission tunnel which joins the engine bay to the rear frame, strength wise.This frame ended up very well triangulated. It will be light, yet very rigid. Its all 16ga tubes in 1" square and round, and 3/4" square and round. The lower "frame rails" are in 3'x1" 16ga.
I also made a start on converting the engine from EFI to Carb. The intake manifold is being totally remade. Just need to make and weld the plenum on the log.
I am looking to have it on its wheels within the month, all being well.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

Wow, Stewart ! I went looking for a thread on this car after spending the day with you Friday. I don't know how I missed this, it's right up my alley. I love the stance and wheelbase in your mock up...you nailed the proportions perfectly, just like I knew you would. Great job thinking lightweight, yet rigid. This is going to be one of those cars I can look at for an hour and not be bored... No 1(800) hot rod here! I can't wait to see more.

 

Just a quick bit of work today. The rear Top Link and the brackets on the frame.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

I'm really enjoying your build, reminds me of Lotus 7s, Stalkers, et al.. What size / wall have you been using? Any ideas of how heavy it will be, Brooklyn Bridge-wise? Gary

 

Everything is 16ga. The bottom "frame rails" are 3"x 1". I used that size to resemble normal frame rails, and give some visual weight to the bottom of the car. I used 1" square tube for the "outline" of the frame, although I did use 1" round for the top edge of the body because I couldn't figure out how to bend square tube in both planes without deforming it. For triangulation I used 3/4" square and round tube, square if panels will attach to it, round if not. I guesstimate the car will be around 1300 lbs when finished. I will be the heaviest thing in the car at 160lbs. The engine and trans weigh 155 lbs together, the rear axle is just over 100lbs. There's only a couple more tubes left to go in, so I might weigh the frame just coz.
Cheers,
Stewart.