Hot Rods Preparations for the GREAT MEXICAN RACE!

Dave G in Gansevoort - It sound like you have much more experience than I do in Carb Tuning. The Carrera is such a relentless, non-stop event that I had no time to attempt re-tuning... The EFI was just a No-Brainer to keep the Jalopy going. Thanks for sharing your expertise!

 

So, Mex T, when is the race, or has it already taken place?

 

The Carrera Pan Americana crosses Mexico every October. I Participated in the 2022 Running. In retrospect, I am finally posting some Photos of the "T" Racer from back when it was under construction. Time demands and preparation stress before the Race prevented me from posting at the time... Sorry Brother... This is all "Old News" or perhaps "History" if that's what you consider it...

 

Great choice for a motor Mexican "T". I love the Ford 300s. Simple. Rugged.
Would you care to share more about the engine's internals?

I used the factory EFI cast exhaust manifolds on my hot rods too since they are more durable than tubular headers and nearly as efficient.

 

Frenchtown Flyer - If my memory serves me right, You Drag Race a 300 Six Dragster very successfully in Pennsylvania... I believe I am familiar with your work...

One of my Best Hot Rodder Friends in Central Ohio had the misfortune of crashing his 1995 F-150 about the same time the "T" Roadster's Frame and Suspension was coming together. Insurance Paid for the Truck as "Totaled" but allowed my Friend to keep the Demolished Truck. I bought the Engine from him with only around 90 K miles... It ran like new so no significant work was needed on it. I installed a mild "Comp Cams" Cam in it, an Offenhauser Four-Barrel Intake and the aforementioned F.A.S.T. EFI Unit. My thought was RELIABILITY for the Event was the most necessary Engine Characteristic. I was afraid of doing a radical build fearing a high strung engine might breakdown. Plus, considering the light weight of the "T" Roadster, from a Power-to-Weight standpoint, it shouldn't take much Horsepower to make the little Roadster very Speedy.

 

Well, we’ll see when I put the 3 deuce setup together and on the whatever project! It’s been quite a while since I’ve fiddled with carburetors…

 

This Pic will give you an Idea of how CRAMPED the Interior of the Racer was... After several hours of Racing it was a TORTURE CHAMBER! No room to stretch my legs or move whatsoever! When not going Full Speed, I would reach above to the Safety Cage and try to lift myself up to renew Blood circulation to the Seat of my Pants! See that the Shift Lever is bent at a Strange Angle? This alteration was necessary so I could change gears. The Shifter Ball was between my legs and very close to Mister Happy/Senior Feliz.

The Interior was not complete at the time of this Photo... The Fire Suppression System and Windshield still needs installation.

Look closely at the Dashboard please... Just like everything else in the Tiny Interior there was NO ROOM for necessary Gauges. Towards the right side two small Screens are in view. The First (Most Center) is the Digital Display for the F.A.S.T. System. This served as my Tachometer and my Engine Temperature Gauge. Far Right is a Garmin GPS - This filled the Role of Speedometer.

The only "Real" Gauges it had were the Oil Pressure and Fuel Tank Level put into a Sheet Metal Dash Extension with the Ignition Switch and Buttons and Switches.

 

And Yes! A Kewpie Doll Key Ring is Mandatory Equipment for a Vintage Racer!

 

Hopefully these next series of Photos are not "Too Much"... I don't want to be responsible for Wrinkling your Brain and causing Blood to run out of your ears... These portray how the Safety Cage was coming together:

 

Mike Derrick - known for Building Drag Racing Chassis in Central Ohio - did the Safety Cage for me. Not only did Mike do great work on the Cage itself, he kept up almost daily correspondence with the Carrera Safety Officials in Mexico City. Any Question or Safety Concern that the Carrera Officials had Mike promptly addressed. Mike also established "Goodwill" as well. This was a GODSEND! When I arrived for Scrutineering in Vera Cruz Mexico, the Safety Officials were well familiar with the Racer and Bless God, the Racer was approved to Race NO PROBLEM! I highly recommend Mike Derrick's Shop!

 

The Seats were NOT simply bolted to a flimsy sheet metal floor. An Interior Sub-Frame was welded to the Frame for the Seats to attach to...

 

Diagonal Roll Cage Supports actually protruded thru the Wall of the Fiberglass Body...

 

These Diagonal Supports were and additional reason for the Cramped Interior...

 

This Tab welded to the Roll Bar is for the 5 Point Safety Harness/Seat Belts. To get all the Seat Belt Mounting Points in correct places it was necessary to go thru the Wall of the Fiberglass Body again.

 

Last Roll Cage Photo... I PROMISE!

 

The Diagonal Cage Supports at the rear help to enclose and protect the eventual Fuel Cell and Turtledeck.

WHAT!?! A Trailer Hitch! That's DUMB! Why a Trailer Hitch??? you ask... Carrera Regulations require a Spare Tire and Jack & Tire Change Tools to be carried with the Racer. The Trailer Hitch provided a good Mounting Point for Two Spares Tires.

 

That was certainly thinking outside of the box, er, the bucket! I wish I had seen this before starting on the whatever project. No one ever mentioned just how small a t-bucket is…

 

I'm 5'10" and only about 145 lbs... It was tight for me! Heavy Weight Co-Drivers were never considered!
Thanks for contributing Dave G!

 

Oh fudge! Only I mean the other word. I’m 6 foot and 255! And I don’t have long feet, size 9, but they are 8E width! I think I might be in for some trying times. Like trying to figure out how to make a blivet out of it…

You know, 10 pounds of…. in a 5 pound sack!

 

Glad the efi unit worked out for you.

Should you wish to be more conventional, that Offy 4-barrel intake and a genuine Carter AFB (probably a 4759s for racing) with a few minor modifications is an excellent road race carbureted set-up.

(1) replace the standard fuel valves with the off road / marine spring-loaded ones
(2) fabricate and install a pair of overhead vent tubes (see Chevy 2x4 WCFB's for ideas)
(3) a few pair of different calibration metering rods for altitude.
(4) if long corners close to 1-G, fabricate a pair of fuel baffles for the front jets.

The rods for the following day may easily be installed without disassembly of the carburetor at the end-of-day service.

Jon

 

Thanx CarbKing! If I go Racing over the Mountains in Mexico again I AM TAKING YOU WITH ME!

Dave G - Don't despair over your Size and having a "T"... I have built several of them and know there are options for making the Interior more spacious. "Floored" posts on the HAMB and has the most spacious "T" I have ever ridden in. Check out his posts for some different Interior ideas. Also, if you haven't bought a Body yet, some Manufacturers are making "Stretched" Versions that address the lack of Leg Room very nicely. I find the Open Top "T's" the Best FUN! Don't be hesitant about building one.

 

Check out my whatever project. It’s too late for me! I’ve already started on one. Almost 5 years in…

 

For today's edition, I'm going to share some things that didn't go well for the Model "T" Carrera Racer... I had a complete Rolling Chassis finished when I finally got detailed Requirements from the Carrera Safety Officials in Mexico City. I was truly Rock-Headed to start building before I had specific Instructions in hand.

Being a Licensed NHRA Drag Racer, I mistakenly assumed all the World would accept the Authority of the NHRA... I was WRONG! The Carrera abides by European Racing Standards... As and Example, SFI Rated Safety Gear is the Standard here in the States... The different European Standards made extra difficulties in finding approved Seat Belts, Helmets, Fire Suit and the like...

The Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is close to where I once Lived. I frequently Camped at the Track for their Vintage Racing Weekends. Impressed with what I saw there, I was emulating what I saw there with the Design of the Carrera "T". The "T's" original concept was low slung, close to the ground with Low Profile Speed Rated Tires... I was copying what I saw Blasting around the Mid-Ohio Course...

 

Ever seen one of these??? This is a common Mexican Road Sign... It's a WARNING! A "Tope" is ahead... What's a "Tope?" you ask... It's a KILLER MUTANT SPEED BUMP! Mexican Cops have better things to do than write Speeding tickets! Soooo... The Traffic Engineers put these "Topes" every place where they want Traffic to SLOW DOWN. School Zones, City Limits, the Approach of Intersections, Residential Streets, EVERYWHERE... If you hit one at Speed there is almost certain DAMAGE to the underside of your Vehicle.

What makes me especially ROCK-HEADED is that I KNEW THIS! I have travelled extensively throughout Mexico by Truck & Trailer for several years! It was only when I viewed in the Carrera Regulations that I saw a Ground Clearance Requirement that my Brick-Brain thought DUH!!!!

 

Somehow missed this thread before. Subscribed!

 

Si... There are alterations to raise the ride height... But with deadlines looming making radical changes to the Suspension did not seem feasible... My solution was to find Larger Wheels and really Tall Profile Tires... Swapping out the "Rollers" just got me to the Clearance I needed. Aware that Crunched Oil Pans are a Common Carrera Failure, I made sure everything needed to replace the Pan was packed away in our Support Vehicle.

 

Soooo... This is how things turned out... I really like the Cartoon Appearance of the Big Tires! It makes me recall the Hot Rods Ed "Big Daddy" Roth drew back in the 60's & 70's...

I found 16" Steelies that matched the Ford Bolt Pattern I was using... Too my Shock, Carrera Regs did NOT require Speed Rated Tires! This allowed me to use Tall-Profile TRUCK TIRES.

Once again, time was running out... I had to get to Southern Mexico in Vera Cruz for the Start of the Race... Driving the "T" Racer around my Home was the only bit of "Test Driving" I had... NO High Speed Testing whatsoever...

It Handled SUPERBLY! No Shakes or Shimmies... Arced thru Curves with Precision... By all appearance from the Driving I had done, I thought the "T" Ready and potentially Competitive!