Projects Introducing "Special Tea"...My 1923 model T roadster, almost finished!

Its been a while since I posted on here, so in honor of my 1923rd post, I figured I would do an update on my little model T hot rod.
2009 was a really tough year and I was unemployed for most of it. I didnt make as much progress as I would have liked. About 5 months ago, my cluster gear and first gear went out so I pulled the motor to fix it. I started to think that I should just pull it apart for paint since I was doing all that work anyway. So it has been sitting way too long. I finally got it pretty much ready for paint, and the trans is all apart. I just have to order the gears today.

I would like to thank the HAMB for the inspiration and wealth of knowledge on here. Also I would like to thank Shifter Marky for helping me with the wiring and getting it on the road. Thanks VNTG41 for the parts you machined for me, and thanks AXLe for letting me borrow the trailer and for sharing your resources.

Heres the Specs:

I bought the car from a buddy, Jimmy "The Perch" McCord as a rolling mock up about 3 years ago. He did a lot of the fab work and boxed the frame and I took over the project. I'd had other old cars before, but this was my first ground-up hot rod.

I was shooting for the early-mid 50's era. I was trying to build something a teenager in the 50's could have built. Hopefully I nailed it since I wasn't actually there

The name "Special Tea" comes from an obscure song from 1954 by Los ANgeles based RnB saxophone honker, Chuck Higgins. http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/chuck_higgins.htm
Heres a youtube of his music. THis one is called motorhead baby, featuring a 17 year old Johnny Guitar Watson (my favorite blues man)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j4PJpPLV404

Its a steel bodied 23-25 ford roadster with the back/top of the cab cut down for a lower profile. It sits on a 28-29 frame, with cut down model a bed, and it's Z'ed about 9" in the rear.
motor is a 1951 8BA flathead, with edmunds dual intake, and 2 94 carbs, and zoomie headers. 39 toploader trans, torque tube and 46-48 rear end, running 3:55 gears. Front axle is '32 heavy axle mounted on custom suicide perch (by Jimmy). Original '32 grill shell and insert, aluminum radiator. overflow tank is made from a 30's fire extinguisher. Rims are 40 ford with deluxe hubcaps. Rear tires are vintage dunlop 7.00x16 and the fronts are firestone 5.00/5.25x16 blackwalls. Brakes are 40-48 ford hydraulic. The gas tank is a model t oval gas tank mounted in the bed. I made the upholstered tonneau cover with a steel frame and plywood so you can sit on it. The tailights are 41 chevy.
The Seat came from a handicap shuttle bus at pick-your-part, and fit really well. I cut the back down and leaned it back a little. Its upholstered in white vinyl with gold piping, and antique gold vinyl with 2" pleats.
The steering box is a vintage sprint car box that sticks out of the cowl. It has a really tight ratio, everyone said it would be too tight, but I love it since the cab is so small. I machined the steering column in metal shop cl*** to accept the 40 ford steering wheel. I had an original one, but it was too big. I sold that one and bought a brand spankin' new repro 15" one.
Pedals are cut down f1's. I trimmed and engine turned the firewall in metal shop, and I also made the custom guage panel and engine turned that as well. I have some autozone guages for the meanwhile, but the speedo is 36-39? ford. Shocks are Pete and Jakes short shocks in front, mounted off the split wishbones. Rear shocks are SoCal.

This little hotrod is a blast to drive. I will order my gears tonight. My goal is to make it to GNRS at the end of the month.

Ill post more pics when I put the motor/trans back in.


Here's how it looks today

 

Im going to upholster the top of the cab once its up and running again.

Here it is on its first long trip to VLV. It made it with no problems except the generator.





here's how it looked when I got it.



Turned over smooth, so I hot tanked the heads and bought the intake and carbs.

 

Cool! I really like the colour.

 

Yep! That is awesome. Fits the era perfectly!
Congrats!

 

Here's my handicap seat. LOL



Heres the vintage sprint car steering box. Dont know the brand..



Here's the steering wheel, and the little panel I made in metal shop for the light switch, ignition, choke, horn ****on..




More pics to follow!

 

I like it.

 

Beautiful car and I think that you nailed with respect to the period. I saw quite a few cars built in the '50s still running around in the '60s and your car would fit in with them. The only noticeable difference I see is that your car looks better than most of them did.

 

The steering box might be from a Franklin.

Please keep the updates coming.

 

Thanks for the compliments guys!
thats a good one coming from you Jimmy B, your car is spot on.

 

Thanks. I did a photoshop request. I thought The green and gold went well together too..



rootbeer looked cool too...



I also toyed with the idea of black and gold and a hood, but i dont know if ill get to making the hood..although i like it a lot

 

Here's the 41 chevy tailights. They work well on model A beds since they are flat..


The bottom of the bed had some rust holes. Just gotta finish the welding and spray the bed.


Heres a shot of my guage panel on the open road coming back from vegas.

 

Right on, that's a "sweet T"

 

Man that is one kick *** T. Good job. You're finishing it out REALLY nice.

I bet you would really like this music compilation - http://ax.itunes.apple.com/gb/album/dream-girl/id285194047?i=285194127

And I tell you what man, this might be the very best group of music I've ever heard right here - http://www.amazon.com/Blowin-****in-Little-Walter-Harmonica/dp/B001B3L5FE - and you can get it for $18 at Half Price Books, if you have those in California.

Keep us posted-

 

Nice T ,steering box probaly the highest dollar part huh.Ive found noone giving these away.cool ride,awsum

 

looks like a whack of fun...

how tall are you?

 

Man, I dig you car!

I've been following your posts about it for years, haha.

It looks SO good in paint!

Norton

 

Nice! The colors go together well.

 

I love the color

 

Thank you! I can't wait to have my roadster at a similar state. I have been out of work myself since March '09 so know what it's like.

What is Jimmy McCord doing these days? His modified is one of my fav builds of the last decade.

 

Like the car DON'T like the name seems Kinda girly

 

Sweet T

 

sweet! color is perfect

 

I really like the hood idea, as long as it cools OK.

 

Cool T, great color.

 

w***up man ! damn your ride looks f$%$%# bad***! big improvement, i like the color

 

not too big on the name

 

What was that windshield ***embly made from? It isn't a 23-25 setup.

 

I dont know? I never really thought about it. It came with the car.

The holes on the stanchions line up..so
Maybe some sort of aftermarket chrome windshield? The chrome looks pretty old though..

 

Im like 5'-10"...........ok 5'-9-1/2"

Its actually not that bad for an hour or two, but then you gotta get out and stretch.

My knees are bent when Im driving almost fetal position, but its not that bad because I rest my arms on top of my knees.

 

I havent seen him in a while. Last time I saw him he had a beard and a broken arm. He was selling off his hot rod stuff and getting really into those fixed gear bicycles that all the hipsters here in LA are riding. He did a good job on the frame of this car.

I was thinking of writing it "Spl. T" it was either that or "23 Skidoo" but there was already a drag car named that.