Roof head for $40 at Hershey

I've been waiting for someone to tell the story of the Roof head for a T they bought at Hershey for $40, but so far I haven't seen it. Two friends of mine that KNEW what they were looking at witnessed the sale. It was on the Green field on wed. They are much older and didn't want it, but saw the price and the cash trading hands. Now does anyone have a story they want to tell?? I sure hope a HAMBer got it.

 

Doug, I went through some of my literature and that head looks like it held its value very well. They sold for $45.00 to the dealers in 1926. The Roof and Laurel heads are one and the same, they were offering superchargers in 1925.

 

You should have seen the dumb look when I gave them hell for not buying it for me! They know I don't have a T------Yet.

 

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

You have GOT to be kidding me- MAN I miss Hershey!

 

For the T folks...I just picked up two T aftermarket parts catalogs from National Auto Supply, 1919 and 1922 editions...
Neatest unexpected parts find was a kind of Detroit Locker for a T!
I need to stare at the picture a lot more, but I believe the basis of the thing is two plates separated by ball bearings on ramps, kinda like those early disc brakes. It makes about the same promises as a locker...normal operation gennerally, complete lockup when you're spinning your wheels in the pig pen.

 

Those would be so cool to look through. I am envious.

 

These catalogs are amazing things...both OEM and aftermarket replacements for everything on the T, and hints of greater stocks not shown..."We can supply special bodies for any purpose", etc.
Not much speed stuff--some kind of wonder cam, a few manifold/carburetor conversions...but everything else to upgrade your T or fix it. One of the catalogs I own even lists frames and blocks---you could literally assemble a complete car, stock or deluxeified, without going near a Ford agency.

 

I really elieve that the Ford T was not only repsonsible for the creation of the aftermarket, but of hot rodding itself. Read an intro to one of Murray Fahnstock's (spelling?) books sometime and see if you agree.

 

Okay- I mean "I believe" (Fridays in an elementary school take their toll on one's sanity and abilities)...

 

Yeah--the T was a sort of blank canvas, like a roller purchased from a streetrod shop today...here's a minimalist chug that will get you to town and back...now, do you want faster? More comfortable? Powerful lights? A horn that will move a chicken out of the road? Here's the list...

 

In doing a patent search yesterday, I found this interesting one. They call it a "Supercharger" for a Model T engine, but it's really a kind of catalytic converter type of item. I'm not quite sure.

http://www.google.com/patents?id=9bZ5AAAAEBAJ&dq=1644870

 

Robert Roof of Laurel Motors had a SOHC T with a blower in 1925, these photos are from the September 10, 1925 issue of Motor Age. If you run a patent search the details whould come up. We need to start a list of speed related patents so we can share them here on the HAMB. .........is it me or is there something very cool about the look of a T race car?

 

Now 37- I know your hands are pretty busy with that new build of yours, but are you volunteering?

Take care, Bill

 

I have an NOS late '26 or '27 frame, with no number stamped on it. I figure it was probably one of these aftermarket frames. I don't recall if it had a makers mark on it or not.

 

Dang, now I have to clean the Dr. Pepper of the keyboard

You sir, are the "Humorist Laureate" of the HAMB. Love it.

 

I missed that one- LOL- the kiddies are wondering WHY Mr. Mac is crackin' up at his computer!!! Thanks Bruce!

 

now that is a contraption of an engine!

 

I'd assume some parts in the aftermarket catalogs are Ford parts bought in wholesale quantities and resold by aftermarket...they had the whole car in parts, really, and I doubt that anyone could have done stuff like the block or framr anywhere near Ford's price.

 

Bruce,I touched one of those lockers just last Saturday. I went to visit a private collection of the coolest stuff I've ever seen. Two brothers I met at Hershey showed me the best car day I've had in a long time. They had a picture taken in 1917 of a homemade tractor built from a T with 5 foot diameter wheels. It had the locker in it and it worked so good the tractor wouldn't steer, kept forceing the tractor straight. The locker was taken out, they have the tractor AND the locker. The ball bearings are about 3/4 or 7/8. They run in ramps machined in both halves of the hubs, similar to aCV joint. It would not be hard to duplicate. I might be able to borrow it for hard dimensions.

 

Wow! That is really cool ,that one of the things still exists! Next...I believe someone, probably Getz, manufactured a limited slip for the Ford V8 rear...never completed documenting that or found one. Just have half of a description accidentally left in a 1965 Honest Charley catalog...