Projects What might have been!!! Hopped up 26 T Coupe

OK folk's, thought it was about time a build thread was started, this will be off to a slow start whilst I wait for the weather to improve, part's to arrive etc etc. Had planned on this being a pre-war inspired build but with good advice from here I felt I was pushing myself into a corner, so I came up with this little scenario to set the scene as to what is in my mind's eye...

"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"

I'm going to try and use as many part's on this build that are pre 1950 as possible, only going modern with the things I cannot find easily here in the UK.
So the plan is....
26 T chassis
28 A motor/trans and axles
either 16, 19 or 21 inch wire wheels, leaning towards the 19 inchers at the moment..
26 T Coupe body.

So far I have the chassis, motor/trans and axles mocked up in the open barn where I do my building.



Here we see it with the 24 T tourer body and 24 grill shell mocked up.



and here is the body that is hopefully on route to the UK as we speak?!!

 

I'm hoping to achieve something like a Coupe version of this.. I know it's an early T but the stance in superb..



Inspired by this

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and more realistically I'm using this pic of Robert Wesley Holmes jr's 6 inch chopped T Coupe as a reference point in my build...



I am hoping that I can get my ride height down just a tad without too much work.. I am replacing the T front crossmember with a repro A one, which has a 1 inch drop manufactured in, so hoping for around 3-4 inches.. as I'm using a stock model A rear axle, torque tube etc I will be moving the rear cross member back a few inches so will incorporate some hangers to lower the rear end..

 

Other part's I have in readiness for the build are a pair of repro vintage tractor head lights and on the sound advice from you guy's I have just received 2 new repro 37 Ford taillights.
For the steering box I'm going with the good old Land Rover item, a right hand drive Land Rover box makes an excellent left hand drive Hotrod box and is used quite often here in the UK on model A's etc, cheap to buy, easy to repair and very strong..
Interior wise it's going to be very basic, bench seat, model A dash cluster and a hidden power socket and Ipod dock so that I can have music and a sat nav for those long road trip's into europe I'm hoping to do in the future...

I hope you like what you hear?? any advice for this green builder would be gratefully accepted, negative comment's also welcome if you think I'm heading in the wrong direction.. this is hopefully going to be a fun build, inspired by but not ruled by the period I have chosen..

 

Hope you have doors coming with the coupe body. The doors are becoming harder and harder to find = loadsa money!
Looking forward to seeing this come together. Hope you make it in time for Pendine.
Cheers,
Stewart.

 

I do like where you are trying to go with this, and I really like your inspiration pict from the lakes! (my guess is early fifties) But, I think if I was in your shoes, I would look for a Model "A" frame to do this with instead of going with the "T". The inspiration picture is fuzzy, but I can tell the car is channeled, and it's little bit of extra length tells me it is on an "A" frame. I also see the spring mounted out in front of the grill shell which is accounting for more of the suspension drop. It has typical 16" Early Ford disc wheels and what looks like 5.00X16 motorcycle front tires.

I am sort of a "T" nut, and normally I am telling guys not to put them on "A" frames because it seems lately the question involves building a full fendered car. These tall coupes really look better fenderless with the extra 3 1/2" that the Model "A" frame brings, and it is a stronger base to start from. Channel it just the depth of the frame, kick the rear similar to the way shown in the Mike Bishop book, and build a bulldog perch for the front and you'll have it!

 

As a general statement traditional hotrods are old cars that are updated with newer mechanicals. I am also using a 26 T coupe body but using a Model A chassis with a newer 4 cylinder engine and transmission. You do know that there are NO BRAKES for your T chassis, right? How are you going to stop? Model A brakes on the rear only is no good

 

I'm hoping to be done by Pendine as well.. body comes with both door's and the trunk lid..

I'm sticking with the T chassis as that is what I have and it is registered here in the UK, going to stretch it A wheelbase when we do the rear kick-up.

 

going with the A axles front and back, so will have A brakes all round.

 

Great build ! - I will be watching closely- I nearly went with A running gear in my T chassis build - how do you propose lowering it?

 

On the rear I'm going to use hanger's to locate the rear cross member so we can go as low as we want... with the front I'm fitting an A crossmember and maybe a reverse eye spring.. can't go too low as I'm using the A's rod brakes...

 

It would make good sense to use a model A frame and stock model A brakes means you still dont have any brakes

 

I agree an A chassis should possibly be the way to go.. This build is being done on a limited budget and using what I have to hand, I'm happy with the T chassis, it's registered in my name and all legal for here in the UK, that alone will save me loads of hassle down the line. And I still like the idea of hopping up a T by fitting the A part's rather than building an A and retro fitting the Coupe body.. either path is cool, and one is probably far more sensible than the other.. but I do have one other reason for using the T chassis, I got most of these part's off hotrodphil with the full intention of building a 24 roadster, all this was/is a kind of therapy to help me through the devastating loss of my wife early last year. I decided I needed a project and was offered nearly everything I needed, apart from a change from roadster to coupe body I'm well on my way to building my T... may be the wrong path to take but it's the one I'm happiest heading down.. ultimate goal is to run the beast down Pendine sands in June, I did the same last year but on my Panther motorbike, all this in Hayley's memory... doesn't change thing's but makes life just that little bit more bearable.....

 

Why LHD?

 

everything I have is for a lhd car.. stock A peddles etc.. and as I'm building my interpretation of a 40's hotrod it has to left hand drive.... I'll leave the right hand drive stuff for when I build my brooklands era racer.. one day

 

Glad you started a build thread!

I don't see an issue with A axles on that frame...the only challenge I envision will be figuring out how to incorporate the A brake cross shafts onto the T frame (if you must have mechanicals).

Of course, there's always the option of juice brakes too - seems like they were really coming on the scene (based on period photos) by late 46-early 47.

 

Plenty of us building T chassis and banger based gowjobs.
Looks like that T chassis has already had an A motor in it at some stage & A radius rods and torque tube already shortened. ?

 

Glad to see the build ive sweden the questions you've asked . This should be fun.

 

No reason to justify the build, do it the way you want. With as much rain as the UK gets, a roadster would be a pain in the ass anyway. Loking forward to the build.

 

Sweet ride great start...

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one of the reason's I went Coupe, apart from the fact I find them damn cool looking.. I got me a hound for company and he rides everywhere with me, didn't think it would be fair for him to ride in the open when it's wet, plus 35 years of motorcycles nd I'm a litle tired of getting soaked

The Hound with "Bill" my other 26 T coupe...

 

Kume, hotrodphil did start putting an A motor into the chassis, I'm afraid I "stole" his retirement project indeed the torque tube and shaft and arm's have been shortened, but more for use in a shortened chassis, around 6 inches shorter so I'm guessing a racer or speedster...

I will add a little info about the Land Rover steering box and why it is so good for this kind of build.
The steering arm exit's on the left of the box in a right hand drive Land Rover and then heads forwards to a pivot that takes the cross steer rod.
So when fitted into a left hand drive hotrod/special it exit's towards the outside of the chassis and it mounts through holes o the left of the box as well which makes it a nice fit in an A or T chassis

 

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nice

 

What a nice build thread, good luck with it. Many years ago I was building a T based dirt track car with left over bits and an old original single seat body. I sold it andit wopund up in the UK, wonder who has it now? I do remember making a pattern to have castings made to adapt an A bellhousing to the T chassis. I'll look around to see if they are still here. Great to see another T build underway, I need to do something with my Bobtail project. Bob

 

cheers for the positive replies guy's.. things have stalled whilst I sit out the bad weather, though luckily none of my storage/workshop area's have been to badly hit and no flooding...
I'm awaiting around 5 shipments from the states so i can get to work... itching to get my hands dirty...

 

OK folk's, we have a MASSIVE change in direction... I'm still going post-war style and plan to use as much pre-50 stuff as I can BUT I have been offered and accepted a complete 1931 Model A rolling chassis, all up and running last summer... I know i said i was going to stick with the T chassis at all cost's and if time wasn't so important I would, but with only around 11 or so weeks until Pendine and the weather having been so crap this winter and me wanting a set of wheels on the road asap... blah blah blah you all know the drill I couldn't resist the offer.. the 26 T chassis is being stored away and will get built up with the 24 t tourer front body and turtle deck i the future...
Here is hopefully what I have purchased....

 

Good luck on your project hope you luv your t as much as i luv mine

 

I know you wanted the T chassis, but I think you are going to really like the A chassis under the coupe.

 

I hope so olskool34 ,it will save me loads of work to just to get her up and running, so now I can concentrate on the body once it arrives from Kansas...