I've been looking over my old T roadster thread; http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=426819 I want to get back to work on it this winter. I want the car low as possible without doing a suicide front spring perch. Maybe channeled, maybe not. I am considering building the frame with Model A rails; the '32 rails look a little massive compared to the small '26-'27 body. Anyone got pictures of some good examples?
Paul, is it the angle of the camera or are your rear wheels too far forward? I want to put a 26 coupe on am A frame, not making fun of what you have done, just trying to learn
Your's is what gave me the idea Paul. I'm thinking mounting the spring on the bones, somewhere under the grilleshell, and having just the axle in front of the grille. Maybe extend the grillshell so the radiator drops down, and the crossmember and spring are directly in front of it. There would be a fanshroud built in to this as well. I'm not crazy about the spring perch in front of the grille, even though a lot of cars were done that way in the 60s to get them low.
These mockup photos were taken 18 months ago I'm thinking, looking at the pic above, I could leave the spring where it is, and just kick the axle out and up and get the front about 6" lower. I would trim the frame horns at the grilleshell. I have seen a few cars with just the axle floating in front of the grillshell and it looked pretty good. In the picture above, I have the grilleshell in front of the radiator; I was planning on forming sheetmetal and extending the shell back to cover the radiator, and possibly molding the headlights into shell, 60s showrod style. The crosmember is in front of the radiator.
it's the camera angle, the axle is centered in the well. the illusion may be exaggerated by the relatively wide rear axle width, I am using uncut ’50 Mercury axles in a ’40 rear with the quick change center making it about 61” flange to flange..if I remember correctly. here is one almost straight on ..
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=596032&page=2 page 2,3, and 4 have some good photos.
after driving my channeled '27 RPU for a few years I would think twice before channeling one of these cars again there is so little room in them, I don't want give up any of it this time
My 27 is channeled 4 inches over a model A frame. It has a 4 inch dropped axle and Posies reversed eye spring up front, with a Model T spring on a stock Model A crossmember in back. Without doing some frame surgery like a kickup, this is about as low as you can get one on stock Model A rails. Don
Paul's roadster is the best example of a non channelled T on A frame, love the build. Hey Richard your mock up reminded me of Randy Shinn's T roadster Bob Wright - Rich Berg's Ernie Hashim Ford flathead 6 T no info C.B. Raymond T Studebaker powered
I forgot to mention one of the easiest ways to get it low in front is a '35 or later front end, it was quite common in the 40s-50s.
I have a 4" dropped axle. I may use a track or lakes style nose and mount the spring perch up front after all; I like the looks of the lakes roadsters. I don't know how it would look with a hot rod style big and little wheel/tire combo like I want to use.
Has anyone ever used one of these grilleshells from Speedway? I wonder what the quality of the aluminum grille is. http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Track-T-Rodder-Nose-and-Grille,1417.html
They look good proportionally. Personally that Speedway Motors grille and shell looks like shit. A cut down '37 truck shell like Hunter Creighton's T would look rad or you could use the old trick of using '46-'48 Chev front fender extensions This roadster is reminiscent of Dan Busby's T from the early 50s Roach Rod
Not bad, Richard. I'm only about 5' 9" so I kinda fit where a bigger guy might not. Mine is a stickshift, so there is even room for the clutch, brake, and gas pedal and it isn't all that uncomfortable to me. Certainly a lot more room than my 23 modified had. I remember years ago I think it was Tom Senter who was building a hot rod in one of the magazines and he was 6' 1" and he had trouble sitting in a 27 on Deuce rails, unchannelled, so he ended up with a 29 body for the extra room. Don
That is what I'd really like but I imagine a custom nose and grille would be very expensive; way out of my talent range.
It can be quite inexpensive I am currently building a buck for a track nose it will be done in 20 gauge steel. The grille surround only needs to be 16 or 14 gauge. grille bars can either be 1/8" or 3/16" round bar depending on number desired.
Wow, this is exactly what Im am going for. However Im using 2x3 boxed behind the firewall. I am also doing a blood 4-5" type sweep on the front rails. Wantn a little lower stance. Do you have some front suspension pics of this with the light mounts. I LOVE THIS CAR!! Is that john deer blitz black...
Four figures, final $ depends on the fabricator and material used. I will post a tech thread in a few weeks of how I do mine.
I was figuring at least a thousand. Barack Hussein didn't leave me any where near that to spend. I'm looking forward to some do it your self posts. Thanks.
Thanks, JTW, it's just an old hot rod, but a lot of fun. Here is a front shot, the headlight mounts are made from a 32 Ford headlight bar I cut the ends off of and welded back on to mount to the frame. The color is actually SEM Hot Rod Black, comes in a kit. Hope this helps, and I apologize to the OP for the hi jack. Don
'26 T on A rails. 2" sweep in the front, 6" z in the rear. These are old pics, the car is almost done now. I'll try to remember to take my camera to the shop and get some current ones.
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