Hi Bob Thanks for complements. Wheels and hubs are from an early 18 inch 1930s English Riley. Rear radius rods are Model A and front are custom. both use 1928 Chev tie rod / drag link connections. Ken
Kume, Glade I found this, If you were my neighbor my T Roadster would be so much further along. Cheers...Mike
Just got caught up. Has it really been eight years? I remember you tossing ideas around back then. Nice to see the result. Very fricken cool.
Thanks Jeff Made some progress this week in prep for winter work. Having assembled it on my front lawn over the past few years I had to do a bit of pruning to get it out and into the garage (formerly our home office). Not much space living in the city!. My wife got to choose between the magnolia and the palm. The palm lost. Roadster now safely in garage ready for finishing over the winter. Am now held up by chap making new radiator core. He has had it for 4 months !
I'm making time. Trying to get my engine built before all the old codgers that know what they're doing peg out, or parts suppliers shut down due to the coming financial crisis. Working on getting it to a stage I can roll it out and take some decent pics.
Wow! I love your use of parts! The car looks great! Only just saw this thread! We have a Riley 9 going together at work. It will have an Imp body.
I painted a 1933 Riley IMP years ago, GREAT fender design, really liked that car, so did the owner. Bob
The Riley Imp and MPH from the 1930s are lovely cars. I wish I had either one in my garage. I do have a few Kestrels from the mid thirties hence some of the Riley parts migrating to the roadster. I have thought of putting a Riley 12/4 drive train in my roadster but the Riley track is much narrower than the ford T - not impossible though.
@Kume I have been pondering a CS Amilcar project for a while, using a Riley 9 engine/g'box. I have also started collecting a pile of T bits to build something, perhaps a Roadster or possibly a boat tail racer with offset seats etc. I have also wondered about using a peroid English Engine as part of the project.... Glad I found your thread, will watch patiently! Edit - a 12/4 Riley would be a great engine in a T!
There are lots of cheap RM's out there (Australasia) - abandoned restorations etc. The RMB 2.5 motor could be detailed to look quite pretty with headers and a shiny pair of SU's. Great power to weight in a special or Ford T roadster.
It,s the original wooden body structure that makes those abandoned late 40s early 50s Rileys cheap. Who else still used wood in 1950 .With a bit of luck you get a real nice dash with cool gauges, banjo steering wheel and maybe old leather seats.
That is a lovely build. Wonder why he didn't go for a 2.5 liter or pathfinder. I have been collecting parts for another special/rod based on Riley 14/6 engine and running gear. Might be time to start a thread on that one if it is HAM friendly.
Thanks for the interest Outback. Sadly not much achieved over the winter months. Wisteria is blooming outside garage so guess its time to get it back out on the front lawn and make some progress. New radiator made and fitted over winter - trying to find source of old radiator hose and fittings. Much indecision about dash and instruments - will post photo updates soon.
A year goes by like a instant when you get to a certain age. My roadster (Tinker) is finally running after 10 years ?, all 171 chevy ci's sounding fantastic and ready for the dirt track. The hop ups have been subtle but collectively impressive during initial testing with Oldsmobile 3 port head high compression pistons, lightened fly wheel, Twin period correct SU carbs etc. Credit to Ryan McDonald for rebuilding much of the drive train and I have optimistically entered it into the famous 'Jalopy Dust Up' down here in gods own, Jan 6 2024 https://www.facebook.com/jalopydustup/ Still have a lot to do in the next 4 weeks to get it track ready but it was created for this event so I hope this Gerber inspired build lives up to my REM expectations. Spent the weekend trying to sort the handbrake with limited success compromised by mashing 1927 chev brakes with the 1934 Riley knock on hubs - (my teens spent hand braking in bmc front wheel drives on country roads in poverty bay). Have posted a few pics taken today as my wife and I maneuvered it in and out of our garage to turn it around so I can work on its boot /trunk fuel tank installation. I am so looking forward to meeting up with other NZ Hambers esp Greg Stokes, JW and Woodbox in their amazing T roadsters who have inspired my build along with numerous Hamber US legends.
This is awesome man! Well done in getting it done. Look forward to seeing you and the car at the Dust Up