So my dads got this replica 29 ford roadster. It's all stock looking and it's actually not bad. Sits on a square tube frame with stock mustang II running gear and the 2.3 4 banger to boot. It needs a redo and he's finally open to hot rodding it a little. Gonna prolly swap a v8 in and tune up the suspension and wheel tire combo. He likes em with the fenders though and most of what I've found to show him are fenderless. Help me give him this sickness we all share. haha.
is it one of those Shay replicas? i believe they used all Pinto driveline...you may have to change the rear end to for a V-8
What kind of replica does he have? My dad has a 1980 Shay '29 replica...went for the "stocker" look...used alot of real '29 parts and some rod parts...besides the clunky looking MII front end, you can't tell it from a real one...well at 20ft. anyway. He went with a tilt IDIDIT column and a new wiring harness...Ron Francis, I think. For comfort, he used two lowback Bestop seats and had a custom top made for it. V-8?? I dunno. His has the T-4 4 speed and I know this tranny is no match for a hopped up V-8...neither is the rear for that matter. Why not just drop the whole thing on a custom chassis with a nice straight axle/ford 9" rear and a Flattie or 289/Tremec 5 speed tranny combo? Maybe just tweak that Pinto powerplant...Offy intake with a 4 bbl. or a sweet Weber single or double sidedraft Hilborn-lookin' thing sticking out the side or even a Edelbrock 2x1...there's a ton of stuff out there for that Pinto pusher! Drop it a few inches with a MII dropped spindle/coil combo, big-n-little steelies, and dressed right, you could have a damn nice pre-war lookin' rod without the dissection! I dunno...my $0.02... Got pics?? ...here's my dads...
dont know much about how this car started out but got a Kansas serial# and was registered in1980, and car was redone with a motor and rear end swap got 4 bar rear w s10 and 327 tripower turbo 350 and things are a little tight for clearnance
We'll leave the motor till last I'm sure. Plan is to swap the whole driveline if we do it. I just know I had a ranger with a 2.3 and it was a total POS engine. Biggest piece of crap I've ever owned. ( the motor not the truck). Not sure what brand it is, I'll hafta check next time I'm out there. He traded some work for it. I'd love to put it on a nice traditional chassis but I don't think he's close to there yet. Gotta take baby steps with him. Thanks guys and keep the pics comin', maybe one will light a fire under him.
Keep the Pinto. You must have had a bad one. All kinds of speed equipment for the Pinto. Here's a link to pictures of my T with a 2000cc Pinto in it. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=287279 Your's should be a 2000cc also. I wish I had another Pinto to put in something else. Here's a couple of places for Pinto speed parts. Dean http://www.esslingeracing.com/ http://racerwalsh.zoovy.com/c=p8rV0OxjfnVQNeaXJqioGhdzT/
Here is the 29 roadster I am in the process of trying to procure. Basically doing a swap. My 33 Chevy for this 29 Roadster.
I've always liked the full fender roadsters and coupes that used to fill the pages of every hotrid magazine I picked up as a kid. The steelies with wide whites, tuck and roll interiors and nurf bars just looked cool with the fenders. I have a 29 Roadster I just picked up Sunday but it needs a LOT of work. I'm already getting grief from the snotty neighbors about it.
I also own a Shay bodied roadster with the pinto 4 banger...I also like the fendered look if you can tuck the tires,my car has a custom air suspension utilizing the MII frontend with heidts 2" drop spindles, it also has a ladder bar/panhard bar rear end with a step notch flush with the rumble seat floor, factory gas tank is located in rumble seat now. I am interested in selling mine also to finish some of my earlier projects...email me if interested lotowntrimm@yahoo.com
The Shay cars are good little cars. The earliest ones have the most authentic parts and accessories, from Specialized Auto Parts and other manufacturers of reproduction Ford parts, around the country. The later ones have funky cowllamps, bumper clamps like Ts (plate and carriage bolt), handles, windshield stuff etc. With 18" wheels like 32s (why? because the 32 tires were everywhere and could be bought in bulk much cheaper than the 21" correct 29-29 tires) and some even chrome-plated, these can be snappy lookers and good performers for 4banger cars. After all the HP rating for the modern engine was at least twice the original 40HP! The company that made the wheels (which were available everywhere for years and years after the end of the Shay debacle) was bankrupted by the Shay deal. Think about it, an order for 50,000 plus wheels, manufactured in one run, and delivered as needed to the maker and only paid for on receipt. The Shay folks and this wheel outfit, a major one, were real dreamers.
Had mine out today. Put about 15 miles on it. Had a blast. It was close to 60 today. Summers coming! Later,Bill
Thanks for the pics, guys. That red one is awesome. Still hadn't had a chance to check and see if it's a shay.
This thread came back from the dead. When I first posted I had a rough 29 Roadster which I sold. Now I've got this one coming my way. The good looking red one is just one I saw and liked.
The Jalopy Journal
