History La Cucaracha (Isky T). Every pic, ever.

I want to have a thread with this car only.

A thread full of pictures of the famous 1924 T roadster body on Essex rails built in around 1940* and still owned by Mr. Ed Iskenderian, sporting two upper halves of 1933 Pontiac grille and the Maxi “F” converted Flathead with valve covers famously cast by Ed himself and dubbed "La Cucaracha", but maybe best known under the term "Isky T".

There are some threads about it, but it's a mess with links that don't work, redirecting to blank pages, or some info mixed in threads that are about something else entirely. Please feel free to contribute, also if you happen to have the same images, but in better quality. I obviously don't owe any of the pics, I just collected them around the net as I'm obsessed with this car.

There are rumours that it is to be auctioned off, God knows where it will land, and if the needed respect for this thing comes together with a thick wallet, or if someone thinks that it needs an overhaul (you can see on the footage shot for SEMA 2014(?) how it's ruined alerady by simply putting a new set of rubber in different dimensions than the orignal). This car should stay as is.

*The car was originally purchased by Ed from John Athan in 1938, alerady hot rodded with a souped up banger in it.



















The famous "crash" photo, where they had to tip the car to fill in not needed holes in the engine for the OHV conversion.



Still with a banger in it.





This one is interesting. When reading about this car here on HAMB people are questioning if the car is really on Essex rails, and where it has rear radius rods. There you go. Kickup, rods, the steering box seems to be between the driver's legs right under the cowl. This car has some neat solutions...

 

Another one that's showing something. The gas pedal is really there.

 

Great bunch of pics of a very cool Hotrod @Gamlebilrokker. Theres not a bad angle on that Hotrod.
Ole Ed is a happy looking guy too and
why not with his level of success
and still bopping at such a rightful
old age.

Heres a lurking in the background pic with a link that works.



https://ahrf.com/blogs/davids-news/posts/all-things-must-pass

https://ahrf.com/pioneers/ed-iskenderian


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They say a thread is worthless without pics.
You sir, have created a very worthwhile thread. Very cool.
I've always thought Eds car was an awesome T.

 

Wow, outstanding history in some of those pictures. This is one auction I would love to see! Tonite on Vintage Hot Rod TV, we will present the long history and sale of "Isky's Roadster"! Tickets anyone?

 

Good idea. Lots of pix we've never seen are bound to show up. Gary

 

Dang. Doesn't get much better.

 

Anybody know the details about the heads on the engine?

Ray

 

To my knowledge the heads are a set of rare Maxi heads, they were manufactured to prevent overheating in Ford trucks. The intake valve is still in head, and only the exhaust valves are overhead.

Intake manifold is from Edelbrock, magneto from Vertex, Jahns pistons at 13:1 compression(!), YOU guess where the cam is from, though the early version of the car had a Winfield cam.

 

Wow! Probably the best pictorial thread on the H.A.M.B. Ever.

 

Best T ever!

 

In my opinion, such an overlooked Hot Rod built by a man who has done so much for the hobby!

 

Here's a few pics I took of the car in question at the NHRA museum back in 2013...

 

Where is the generator on this car?

 

I read some pretty extensive documents on the car and no mention of that other than seeing magneto mentioned...heres the link maybe you'll spot something I missed...and that is very possible. The link is a lengthy bunch of articles from several books...just keep scrolling and reading...

https://books.google.ca/books?id=Om...XAhUl94MKHTp-CLEQ6AEIJjAA#v=onepage&q&f=false

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There was a very faithful clone of this Hotrod done but sporting a flathead but real nice and Isky
and the fellow have met.





http://www.hotrod.com/articles/0804sr-bill-schoenlebers-1924-ford-model-t-roadster/

@Gamlebilrokker if you want this pic pulled let me know...

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Nah, I'm cool. Especially since this car is kind of part of the Isky's car's history. Wouldn't call it faithful though. I guess inspired is the better word.

 

Love it!

 

Wayne Carrini of "Chaseing Classic Cars" is in possesion of the car and is on tour with it and will be auctioned off at some point

 

That is inspirational. What a neat car.

 

I was wondering that.
One of the pics posted (from an outdoor show) you can see the back half of Wayne's flattie powered Moal built speedster, next to it.
And the next pic, in front of a white building, looked like the front of his shop.

 

That's a great article! Thanks for posting it @Moriarity!

 

One observation of note is the position of wheel to driver. Pretty tight. Must have been interesting to wiggle into and no stretching out the arms...come to think of it getting into my ole hotrod is a bit of a process as well.

These cars are definately very personal experiences as in built and tuned to the user.

 

Built by Bill Schoenleber.

Now back to the Isky T.

 

So still no light shed on this...amazing how specific the descriptions get of every detail and none mention it.

So you all...anybody know and care to enlighten...

I guess its under or perhaps driven by driveshaft also under. Or it was run without and charged as needed. If it did have a magneto this would lessen draw on battery when running? Not big on this stuff but that is my ass...umption...

 

That’s supercool @Moriarity, exactly the kind of stuff I was hoping for. Thanks!

Yea, and doors are welded shut. There is only on way into that car, and it’s to hop aboard, the lip of the T body was trimmed too, adding to this odd arrangement.

That being said, the odd steeringwheel position was like that alerady when the car still had a banger in it and the steeringbox was where it is on a Model A for example. So it’s fairly safe to assume that it’s where Isky wanted it to be. For whatever reason.

 

Yuck. The thought of that fool in possession of this car is only half as painful as the thought of Ed no longer owning it.

With that said, if it's auctioned I hope it sets records. Ed is a hero.

It was great to see it at the NHRA for so long. People got to see it.