Hot Rods Preparations for the GREAT MEXICAN RACE!

I am NOT Stupid... Naive perhaps... But NOT Stupid... I was aware that Racing is Dangerous and the High-Speed Antics of the Carrera held potential Hazard... It's not that I was Fearful... I was alone in the World and few if any cared for me... Should I die during the Carrera it might make a temporary Headline, but, otherwise no one would really care... In my mind I was completely "Disposable"...
My Missions Partner was a wholly different Story! Young and Beautiful, a Golden Heart, Loved and Admired by Church Folks and Family... She had a BRILLIANT FUTURE ahead of her! There is NO WAY I could forgive myself if some Tragedy Occurred and something Horrific happened to her! OH GOD! What have I done!?! Have I subjected Her to FOOLISH and UNNECESSARY DANGER!?! The Transponder Unit was a Reality Check like a PUNCH IN THE FACE! I physically shook from the Realization...

 

As an aside Guys... This is most unusual for me to have "Downtime" to sit in front of the Computer and Share Stories... Missions Life is Demanding with Looooooong Hours... Out in the "Field" I am in remote places "Off-the -Grid" without internet connection...

Just so you know... If I disappear and this Thread goes cold, you will know I have resumed my usual Missions Duties...

Blessings to ALL!

GOD SPEED!

 

What an adventure! It makes going to a dirt track look like child’s play.

 

Good luck to you and your car and crew!

 

Hey MexT, I used a T-85 3-spOD in the El Caballo, which had the same side shift design as you 3-spd. I solved the "cramp" with an offset shifter, using a early round unit so the knob was correct. I brought it up in the center of the tranny, just like the original Cad unit was... Worked great !!

 

we wondered if it even could be kilometers!...

 

Great story and thanks for sharing your adventure. Not just the car build, but also the administrative junk, tech inspection, the racing, the other cars and drivers, your crew, and the stops each night. Looking forward to more.

As a tangent story, about 20 years ago I had disassembled a 55 Studebaker coupe (was intended to be a land speed race car, but moving caused me to sell it) and sold the transmission a B-W T96 3 speed OD version to a guy that was going to run the Carrera with a Stude. The trans I sold him was intended to be a backup spare for his car. I was under the impression that he was running a class where he had a Stude engine, and therefore the Stude trans corresponding.

 

Those details would have Improved things Tremendously at the Time... As usual for me, I was "Making Do" with the Components God put into my Hands...

Thanx for sharing your Experience/Expertise!

 

I'm pretty Ignorant about the Mechanical Details under the Sheet Metal of the Studebakers... The Fact that they perform so well and always seem to Dominate the Competition, my Hunch is they likely are not running Vintage Drivetrain... I honestly don't know...

Studebaker Components are getting extremely RARE! I Hope you did well in your Sale!

 

Some troublesome news came to me… Let me explain my circumstance… I am not able to keep the Carrera “T” here with me in Mexico. As I relayed in an earlier post, Mexico is very Bureaucratic; A Special Permit is required for a Vehicle from outside. The Permits are for a maximum of Six Months and then the vehicle must Exit Mexico. A Vehicle Owner that does not comply with these requirements risks having their Auto SIEZED by the Mexican Government.

Once the Carrera Racer was finished with the Great Mexican Race, I took the “T” to Gateway Classic Cars in San Antonio Texas. Gateway would undertake Sale of the Carrera Racer and the Funds from the eventual Sale would be used to continue Missions Work here in Mexico. Gateway has been in care of the “T” for almost Two Years now… Even though we have done a number of “Price Drops”, no one has bought the Hot Rod Racer. Gateway Reps tell me the Racer is far too “Unique”… Though the “T” generates keen interest to Visitors in the Showroom, no one has committed to buying this “Unicorn” of a Car… I have nothing but Accolades for how the Gateway Staff has handled my circumstance, but, now Higher Management says the Time is Up and the Carrera “T” has to vacate the Dealership… May 1st is my Deadline for getting the Racer out of Gateway.

I believe the Individuals on the HAMB are likely the Greatest Assembly of Hot Rodders on Earth! Certainly amongst us must be someone with the desire to be the New Owner of the Carrera “T”. Is there maybe Someone involved with the SCCA that has a Passion for Autocross? The Abundant Power, Taught Suspension, Precise Steering and Four-Wheel-Disc-Brakes of the “T” would make an Awesome and One-of-a-Kind Autocrosser!

Or… Is there perhaps a Jay Leno-like person in our midst that is Blessed with Wealth that could easily afford the “T” and add it to complement the Garage they already have established???

Please… I am appealing for help… Does anyone have interest? Please see the Gateway Website:

https://www.gatewayclassiccars.com/vehicle/san/282/1920-ford-model-t

Current Photos and even Video are available for details. I Pray I am not Wrong/Out-of-Line to Post this… I am in kind of a Crisis and don’t know what else to do… Everyone here has been very supportive so I hoped it wouldn’t hurt to ask… Many Thanx!

 

Another Photo just after completion of Qualifying in Vera Cruz Mexico, 2022...

 

^^ yep, the difficulty of selling a one of a kind Unicorn. happens more often than one might think.

 

Try Bring a Trailer