Hey Guys- After a good find loccally I now have a 27 Roadster fibergl*** body....... Now, I need to put it on a frame anyone got a link or ideas on that? I know A rails are popular but I dont know if I could build them on my budget......... Also I want to run a track nose and full sides, since a 27 is bigger than a 23 will a SBC V8 tuck in there and how will it cool with the track nose, it wont be built but pretty much stock...... What other power plants are you guys using in track t roadsters.....seems the 2300 ford motor is pretty popular, may be able to pick up a running ranger truck around here cheap........ Anyway thanks guys.....
make your own rails out of 2X3 tube. How about a Ford inline six? SBC's are for people who can't think for themselves. 289/302 Fords would fit much better than a SBC also because they are narrower. No offense to those who have SBC's; but if you are building a rod to have something unique and different, why put the same blah motor every other guy has; in it? No, I'm a Mopar guy.
Jcook : I have a 26T/RPU tub Track roadster project underway ..I'm using a Ford Turbo2.3 EFI/T5 drivetrain...for 2 reasons...It was free & its narrow (although kinda tall) ..it really fits into a narrow frame well ,especially if you're using a tracktype nose...If I had my druthers,I would go with N/Aspirated instead of turbo...theres lotsa manifolds (intake & exhaust ) available on the cheap for N/A 2.3's....besides there's just something about a 4-banger in a trackT that just looks right justa coupla pennies worth of my opinion ,Good Luck with your project Stan
Yeah, the banger or six option gives a better balanced; lighter car which is generally more pleasant to drive. I had an old 2.0 Pinto engine, in a Pinto; and it was quick. Beat several v-8's heads up in the quarter with it (stock ones). I always thought that would be a great mill for a track T, and they are well built; lotsa goodies still available for them.
Here's mine. I'm still looking for a radiator that fits or one to chop (it's gotta sit on top of the crossmember ). I am using a 302 only because it came with the car. Good luck!
Hey CRH you should look at willys jeep radiators. They are real short, have a curved top tank and look real nice. I am running on in my T coupe, ontop of the crossmember (notched it with some rectangular stock). Mine sits a little higher than the cowl, but I have a 4" z in the front. A 29 A shell won't fit, but a 30-31 will. J-
Thanks for all the advice guys, I could go with a 2.3 becuase I can pick up a running 2wd ranger around here for about $500 that would be a good start, I also have a ford 300 inline six although it needs a rebuild, I here they can be built to deliver a lot of torque.......
JCook: Here's what I have so far...since this pic I have changed to a s/s tubing exh. header, & fab'd a 3 1/2" side pipe
Here's my 27 roadster. I did it a little different. Raised the body up a little and did it as a sort of fake hiboy...
you can make an A style frame for roughly the same $ in materials as a T style frame, but more in time and consumables. like i said in the other post, before you get started on ANYTHING in the way of fabrication, you need to be SETTLED on what your drive train and front and rear suspension will be. it would **** trying to fit a ford six in where a small block is supposed to go. Build your car around your components. it goes much smoother. most of the 'formula' ch***is and plan sets are based around the small ford or chevy V8. if you know how to use a measuring tape, and i ***ume you do, it shouldn't be hard to make any necessary adjustments. i'm strongly considering an early ranger drivetrain (85 or so) for my 27 roadster. you get a sturdy little motor, a narrow-ish rear end, and a great steering box for cowl steering. as said before, lots of cheap performance bolt ons and a 4-banger powered track t is just the cat's ***. that little 2.3 with a 5 speed in an 1800 lb car can be TONS of fun!
Jcook, I agree with alteredpilot, using the 2.3 will give you plenty of power for such a light car- I'm looking for a 2.4 Quad4 for the same reason.
I built a Track roadster a few years ago. First I used a 2 liter Pinto in it. Had a couple of side draft Webers, cam, aluminum cam cover. It looked great! It also ran nicely. When I rebuilt the car later, I used a 229 V6 Chevy. It was a much nicer driver with it.
The Jalopy Journal
