In 2017, my family & I were having lunch at my friend Justin Walsh's Danville, CA bar & restaurant: ... and I inquired about the project car that he, his wife Cindy, and his father Tom were building in his parent's Danville home garage/shop ... a '27 T roadster that could be driven at future T.R.O.G. events. I later asked Justin permission to do a H.A.M.B. "Build Thread" on the their project ... he agreed ... and I began gathering progress photos from his (and his mother's) social media posts. A little background on the Walsh family: The Walsh's are long-time family friends ... we met in the '70s when the Walsh's joined our car club: . At the time, Tommy had an orange '29 hiboy on Deuce rails ... here it is on the cover of the December 1975 issue of ROD Action magazine: In 1978, Danville hot rodders; Gary Meadors, Bill Burnham, & Tommy Walsh started an "Un-Car-Club" (i.e., NO rules, NO dues, NO meeting minutes, etc. ... and every member is the club President) called the: The detached garage/shop at Tommy Walsh's house became "The Duke's Clubhouse": In 1982, Tommy became a member of the ... and now is a BAR “Lifetime Member”. The Walsh's are no strangers to "Traditional Hot Rodding" ... In the '50s, Tommy's older brother John campaigned a flathead-powered Deuce highboy (see this POST). In the '60s, Tommy & John "Lefty" Hay campaigned the "WAILER" AA/FD up & down the west coast (checkout this VIDEO). In the '80s, Tommy, John, Tom Cusack, & Dennis Varni teamed up to run the "333" Roadster at Bonneville: The "333" Roadster has set numerous records in the SCTA Street Roadster and Gas Roadster classes throughout the '80s, '90s, '00s & '10s ... and put Dennis Varni, Tom Walsh, John Walsh (see this POST), & Justin Walsh into the prestigious 200 MPH Club. In '06, the "333" Roadster was named one of the "75 MOST SIGNIFICANT '32 FORD HOT RODS" and was displayed in the "DEUCE ROOM" @ the '07 GNRS. Justin has also had some seat time in George Poteet's Blowfish '69 Barracuda (in an attempt to get into the 300 Chapter of 2-Club) and in the Mariani Racing #346 A Gas Roadster. Over the years, Tommy has built and/or contributed to the building of dozens of Traditionally-styled Hot Rods ... including a Ridler contender, several AMBR contenders, and the 2005 AMBR winner. Fast forward to February of 2019 ... the Walsh family was finishing up their '27 T Roadster (aptly named "The DUKE" since it was built in the Danville Duke's Clubhouse) in preparation for the 2019 T.R.O.G. Santa Barbara Drags ... and I let Justin know I was finally going to post the "Build Thread" on the H.A.M.B. ... unfortunately, Justin asked that I hold off on posting it. I honored his request ... assuming the car was going to be featured in a future magazine article.
My assumption was correct: The Right Stuff: Tom Walsh’s 1927 Ford “T-V8” Roadster September 11, 2019 - Written by Rob @RF Fortier with photography by Michael Christensen The saying “the right stuff” can be applied to practically any topic you throw at it, but when it comes to traditional hot rods, “the right stuff” isn’t always easy to come by … in execution as well as preparation (that being the initial collecting of the stuff). Anyone can build a Deuce roadster and call it traditional; but while the 1932 Ford may just be the most iconic hot rod of all time, it’s not the only fish in the traditional waters—not by a longshot. For me, you can’t get much more right than a properly built Model A on Deuce ’rails—the good ol’ A-V8. Or can you? Tom Walsh has provided the right answer for that. With the help of his family (son Justin and wife Cindy), Tom Walsh has proven that a T-V8—a 1927 Ford Model T on Deuce ’rails—can indeed fit that above mentioned bill. And the Walsh T roadster definitely has all the right stuff. Purpose-built for Justin and/or Cindy to drive to (and compete at) the West Coast edition of The Race of Gentleman this past year in Santa Barbara, the car not only had to have the look and be reliable enough to make the journey from their home in Danville, but it had to do so using entirely period-correct components. That meant no running gear newer than 1953, no wheels smaller than 15 inches in diameter, and no modern equipment, such as disc brakes and whatnot. With the exception of the engine—a Flathead V-8 circa 1947 built by the late Ron Sterbenk—the chassis in its entirety is pre 1940: a drilled and Deuce-sprung 1937 Ford V8-60 axle leads off the 109-inch platform that also includes 1940 Ford brakes, steering, split wishbones, 1939 toploader, and Halibrand-equipped 1940 banjo rear. Rolling stock is minimum requisite 16-inch 1935 Ford wires wearing “non-whitewall” Firestone Deluxe Champion bias-plies sized in 500 and 890, respectively. The roadster body, purchased back in the late ’90s from Jim Stroupe and resurrected by Jim Hendricks and Guy Ruchonnet, features a British Racing Green paintjob by my old buddy, Marcos Garcia, at Lucky 7 Customs in Antioch. Other exterior amenities include a full belly pan and custom-fabricated hood, chopped windshield, and custom tube rear bumper. Headlights are B-L-C, while the taillights are 1937 Ford. The interior is what you’d expect from Sid @Hotrodstitcher Chavers—with a perfect traditional twist, that is! Chavers covered the rear hemisphere of the cockpit, bomber seat bases, and door panels in brown leather, while the flooring was done in a rather contrasting dimple-die’d aluminum paneling. Gauges are Stewart-Warner, steering wheel’s a flipped Model T item. With all the right stuff, Tom, Justin, and Cindy Walsh successfully made their intended The Race of Gentleman trek and back—in true traditional (family) style!
Holy crap! Everything about it is gorgeous. I especially like how the occupants sit down in the car, not ON it. Too nice to take out on the sand and salt IMHO...wow!
Here's some pics of "The DUKE" taken March 7th 2019 at the TROG Santa Barbara Drags: photographer unknown image by @R&C RON Brooks image by "LBCD" image by Lexie Brotty
Here's some pics of "The DUKE" taken March 8th 2019 at the TROG Santa Barbara Drags: image by Ashley Montoya image by Bruce @paintslinger805 Lee images by Derek Campbell images by Dick DeLuna image by Walker Kemp images by Michael Dorman image by yetirydr_fx image by Joey @J.Ukrop Ukrop image is a still from a video by BRISCO images by Roy Sorenson
More pics of "The DUKE" taken March 8th 2019 at the TROG Santa Barbara Drags: images by Brandon Walsh
Fantastic car. Love everything about it! Outstanding write up! Those are some epic old group shots. Miss the Hungry Hunter restaurants. Good food and a great atmosphere for a dinner date.
Love it, especially in green. All but the unpadded seat backs, that is. I can bring a blanket if offered a ride. Thanx for the thread! Gary
WOW!!!!! A lot of HR history here! I always liked the DUKES and their style of hotrods. I lowered the seat in my 26 coupe years ago with my shoulders below the belt line and have always liked it. This is so cool...…...
Thanks for sharing this collection of Vintage Hotrod Spirit @HEMI32, pretty close to Home for you...and always great to be able to legally wind these out and make some noise and feel some of that racing spirit...
Outstanding! I've seen pictures from SB TROG but getting the story makes it so much better, thanks for taking the time to compile Todd.
Dang - British Racing Green.....and I thought I was the only one that liked it ! Nice job right there !
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