Projects pre-war 26 T coupe hotrod pictures please

Hi folk's, in the throw's of my first real hot rod build, got a Ford Anglia phantom pick up nearing completion but my 26 T coupe is what I would say is my first real build... what I'm planning is a late 30's early 40's inspired coupe that would have seen action as both a daily driver and lakes racer.. the kind of car a young guy with out much cash would throw together... anyone got some period pictures of something along these lines?
got me a 26 T chassis, Model A running gear and motor/trans, a choice of 16" 19" or 21" ford wires and a 26 coupe body.
Plan is to lower the chassis with an A front crossmember and a small z in the rear, chop the top around 5 to 7 inches...
I want this to be up and running in time for the VHRA Pendine Sands racing 28th June if at all possible..
any help or inspirational pictures would be superb.. I have searched every thread without much success but I'm sure to have missed the one I need..
cheers folks..

 

just been told by a mate off facebook, that coupe's weren't allowed to run on the lakes etc until after the war, if this was the case? I may have to revise my plan!!!! still going with the coupe body though, I have a 24 T tourer front body stored away for my Gow Job project...

 

Yeah if you look at the 1940's period correct hotrod thread you'll see lots of pics of early dry lakes racing. Roadsters every where, coupes, not so much.

 

The fecal matter will probably collide with the oscillating device when I post this, but here's an opinion from somebody that 'was there' (Don Montgomery);

FWIW, Russetta Timing Assoc was formed in '48 and had three classes for coupes & sedans. Montgomery states in his book Hot Rods in the Forties that the RTA averaged around 110 entries per meet and between 40 and 45% of those entries were coupes. I believe the SCTA allowed closed cars for the first time in 1951.

 

Here's a late 40's T Coupe lakes racer. Model A Chassis, dropped axle, aircraft style shocks, and juice brakes; pretty typical components for the period.

 

That's a good looking coupe!

 

cheers guy's, love that coupe... gwhite I'm getting the feeling I want to build a car that did not exist, still inspired by the pre and post war lakes scene, so maybe build the coupe as a car that might have been

 

That pic is sooo cool.... nice I love the 40, s. The lakes rock...

 

Well, it's hard to beat this one built by Joe Mac many years ago and still around in this very same condition. Pictures taken in 2010.

 

Actually, there were probably some hot T coupes built pre-war...they just may not have been prevalent in Southern California or in the dry lakes scene. My grandfather told stories of his brother building a hopped up A closed cab pickup in the throes of the Great Depression (this was in Beaumont/Port Arthur, TX). Most folk here in the states were fortunate if they had a vehicle...the early hot rod would have been a dual-purpose vehicle (in most cases), so I would imagine that closed cars would have been a good choice in climates less favorable than Southern California.

Here's a mid-30's shot from Muroc with a hopped-up A coupe (probably pre-SCTA)....I could totally see a T Coupe done up this way!

 

IMO the best example of a T Coupe Hot Rod around! Anyone know when this car was built? Juice brakes and dropped A axle lead me to believe it was either built or updated in the mid-to-late 40's.

Panthershaun, why not build an early style clone of the Joe Mac coupe? I'd look at using an A chassis, 32-34 front axle/brakes, hopped up banger, and '32 18" wire wheels - or - T chassis with a Gabby Garrison style dropped axle & Buffalo wires! Either way, I'd go light on the top chop.

 

I was planning on doing the same thing as you, in fact your avatar is a pic that was done for me on my build thread. It would have been cool but I ended up selling the T coupe body and replaced it with a 25 roadster body.

 

olskool34 yes I borrowed it from Clayton and my mate did the roof chop for me on photoshop, in fact we played with 2 chop's to get an idea..

 

I've got a t coupe body and a stock A chassis just waiting for time to go together.

 

that sound like a rad pickup!

 

I've always thought that a chopped, T coupe on a Model A chassis with a hopped up banger would be sweet. I've only ever seen a couple done in this fashion. I've "almost" done this very thing a couple of times in the past and may still do one in the future. Were they poplular pre-war?? Most evidence would say no but I wouldn't let that stop me. Build one how it "would have been built" back then.

 

As bugs says, I think everyone wants to see one done this way. I would have loved to build mine but money got in the way. I like the A chassis but during my mock up, it was evident to me that the engine sits far too forward if you line up the rear wheels with the body. The accelerator pedal was on the outside of the firewall. Really hope to see what you come up with. This was the last pic I took of mine before selling the body.

 

+1. The T chassis could be made to work, but I'd look at building an A style front cross member - then you've got motor mounts to fab up and would need to figure out how to make the mechanical brakes work (if you wanted to stay pre-war, mechanicals are a must IMO). Seems like it would be quite a bit easier though to use an A chassis - shortened a few inches - or take a look at what hotrodfil did on his '27 "Mercury";

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=727945

 

Here's one from ShiftyRat......I still think one done up in gow-job style would be slick. Historically correct?? Who knows...Cool?? I think so!!!

 

You're not far off. I scanned this from F.A.S.T. 2011 issue number 3

 

Olskool34 I have your pics from here saved for inspiration.. gwhite I just spent the weekend at hotrodphil's, it's his fault I'm up to my neck in T's now I'm going to use an A front crossmember, going to keep the T chassis as it has a registration already, plus the appeal of hotrodding a T is my passion at the moment,

 

maybe trying to pin the build to pre-war may be making things difficult. so imagine this scenario.....
"Bud is just back from the war, back pumping gas in a little hick town on a desert road out of LA, one of his army buddies turns up in his hotrod on route to the lakes, offers Bud a ride out to see the fun. On his return to the family gas station he is full of fire and inspiration, hotrodding is just what he needs to fill the action void that the war ending has left in his soul.. One problem, well 2 actually, no money and a couple of night's of passion with his sweetheart has left him an expectant father...
The only way Bud can get anything together is by raiding the old car's sitting quietly rusting in the yard behind the gas station.. hence the use of an unpopular 26 T coupe body/chassis and the axles, motor and trans from a wrecked model A"

So maybe I should build that car for Bud??
Bugsy, that coupe is pretty near to what I have in mind sir.. chers

 

a mate just posted this on another forum, maybe Bud did exist after all this is what I have in my mind's eye..

 

I think you have a good plan and youre smart by not trying to make it totally pre-war. Gearing a T coupe more towards an immidiate, post-war build (Like your pal, Bud's situation!) will give you more options from a coupe build standpoint. The depression years and then right after the war forced guys to build what they could get their hands on and what money that they had allowed. With the scrap drives during the war, a lot of would be hot rods were turned into tanks, ships and munitions so I think that this one reason why the coupes and sedans may have started to show up right after the war. Do like they did and build what you can with what you have and keep the general, time period in mind and it'll look great. That's what I've always tried to do with the Dust Bowl Spl......The above pic of the coupe is good inspiration.

 

Great find! Get to it!!

 

That is a great pic. Are you going to run A wires on it or later v-8 wires like the one in the pic? I vote for running the A's.

 

A wires sir, 19 incher's. I do have a set of 16's and a set of 21's to play with if I so desire but I plan to use as much original A stuff as I can on the running gear...

 

Good call..the 19's will give it an earlier feel for sure. 18's would be slick on this too. I wouldn't get real crazy with the chop either. Any thoughts on what grille you plan on using. Lots of options of course but is something else that can help make or break the time period or the flavor of the build you're going for.

 

I have a 24 T grill shell I plan to use on this, small headlights and I was thinking of using 1950 Pontiac tail lights as I just love them but it may well spoil the "vibe" but I would like an alternative to the usual model A "pork pie" lights if anyone has some other period idea's?

 

How about 1937 ford? They are awesome tail lights.


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