Roy "Multi" Aldrich roadster found?

thank you for bring it too are show in Natick this year. I when in to shock went I seen it! You guys are so lucky Thanks again Jared

 

Okay, here's the scoop on this one, as I just dug out the book (called The Hot Rod and written by Dain Gingerelli, I think it's an edited version of his Hot Rod Milestones). Chapter 1 discusses this car, the "Downey Brothers' 1926 Ford Roadster: An Early Soup Job That Helped Pave the Way for Today's Hot Rods." The current owner is a fellow named Hank Becker. The car is now medium blue with black fenders and yellow wheels. It was repainted in 1978.

The windshield, headlamps, and radiator shell are all chromed. The front suspension is kicked out in front of the crossmember and the fenders were extended for a stock appearance. The rear crossmember is kicked up (Gingerelli writes about this as "removing the third-member's crossmember, so that they could position a new cross-member higher in the frame"). The '32 Plymouth wheels were chosen because they shared a bolt-pattern with the Ford T wheels (not five-on-five-and-a-half, I presume).

The car was in the Harrah's collection, and this is referenced in a discussion of the hand-painted "Roar With Gilmore" spare tire cover. Apparently the Downey Bros. originally ran a Rajo head, but Hank Becker is friends with Joe Gemsa, so the car now has the one and only Gemsa Model T head.

The car had been in storage for some time at the point pictures were taken (I swear I read somewhere the owner blew up the engine while going in excess of 90 mph, but that's not in the book). He avowed an interest in getting the roadster back on the road, however.

-Dave

 

I remember reading that also. Street Rodder featured the Downey Brothers roadster in a 'Hot Rod Milestones' Feature, can't remember when, it was within the last 6 years.

:Edit: Found the feature it was March 2000 Street Rodder
Hank Becker would go down California freeway doing 100mph, Motor however didn't want to that speed all the time, hence why it let go.

Back to regular programming. Good to see the Multi T still exists and is to be restored.

 

Hank Becker also use to own, until recently, what was billed as the worlds fastest Model T powered car which also ran a Gemsa head. I think it ran 136 and change. Hanks next door neighbor, George Hood, is also a mover and shaker in the 'T' world as well as a motorcycle restorer and Gemsa alumni.

The Downey Bro. car does not have the 'only' Gemsa head for a T engine. My neighbor Nick D'Antiono owns three of them, one sohc and 2 dohc set ups, both on complete engines built by Gemsa back in the day. Nick and his father were big into the local Model T hill climb that was hosted by the Long Beach T club from the mid 50's to it's end in the early 80's, and Nick was the last 'King of the Hill' posting the fastest time of that last event. Overhead conversions were banned by then and Nick ran a flathead that year.

Another member of the T club owned and raced another Downey Brothers car, it was a cut down '27 roadster running a flathead T. The car was featured, or at least pictured, in Hot Rod in the 50s in an article they did on a group of guys still getting together and racing their T's on a dirt circle track. Later the car became a hill climb only car. Oh, it was later owned by Herb Bramley, who's still with us but no longer owns the racer.

 

Dan sold out all his remaining books years ago to a book dealer in his area, that's why they pop up on ebay now and then.

Dan's hard at work on his next book about Ed Winfield.

 

Does anyone know the diameter of the Buffs on the Multy T? I used to think they were 21-inch, but lately have had a sneaking suspicion they might be 19-inch.

-Dave

 

I'm gonna' say they are 20's. Only because in the early 80's my Dad bought 5 20" Buffalos from Multi, and he had a pile of the to pick from.

 

Any updates on this beautiful little car????

 

Thanks for posting the pic Bigcheese.. I just saw that same shot in the new Rolls&Pleats. Such a great car. Anybody know who bought it?

 

Bttt, anymore progress....anyone???

 

Any more updates on this car?
I guess it may very well be on display at the Roadster Show this weekend?

 

Hey guys, Sorry for leaving some of you hanging. We are currently rebuilding the rear end. We found he was using a 3-1 ring and pinion. Ill keep you guys posted

 

Found a photo of it with 16 inch Buffalos, they give it a totaly different look.

 

What a gorgeous little car! I love model ts!

 

Well, don't hold out on us, man! Post it!

-Dave

 

Well, don't hold out on us, man! Post it!


Yeah - what he said!!!

 

love this car.....

 

so where is the pic?????

 

I just heard on the MTFCA forum that the current owner is Don Lang of Lang's Old Car Parts. Which I believe would make slang250 his son Steve.

Speaking of which, any updates on the resto? Preferably with detailed pictures?

-Dave

 

I talk to one of his sons early in the summer on the phone but he didn't says much about the T, they were busy with A Model T cross county race at the time. Jared

 

Just talked to Steve Coniff from Colorado. Him and Steve Lang just got done rebuilding the short block of Aldrichs' car. So the restoration is coming along.

 

here are a few pictures I took at the Alter Boys 08

 

Thanks, great pics, it's made my weekend

 

Any possiblity of getting those guys to post some pics during the restoration?

 

Just talked to slang250. He has the machine work done on the motor. He say's there seems to be a conundrum as to "how far should they go on the restoration." It has style and patina, that a total restoration would destroy. It sounded to me that they would like to get it running and drive it.

 

That is a tough question. My answer would be similar to the fellows who own the Gray Baskerville roadster. Rehab, stabilize, and preserve the original; then build a high-zoot, ten-tenths clone worthy of a Pebble Beach restoration.

-Dave

 

I like to 2nd that idear, Stabilize and get it running!!

 

Bump for updates... maybe some detailed pics? I'd love to see this car in person. There are so many little things I'm curious about.

 

They should have hired you to get it done, Brent. If they were clipping along at the same rate you are in building that '20 from scratch, I think they'd be done!

-Dave

 

Anyone know how the rear end on the Aldrich car was lowered? Was the frame z'd, Laurel brackets used, or...?

-Dave