<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--> I am not one that usually posts things like this so you will have to bear with my ramblings. As some of you know I went on my first long (1000+ miles roundtrip) trip over the last few days. During this trip I finally realized why I built it. I have been on a few trips of 100+ miles but those only last a couple of hours and you don’t quite see the range of people’s reactions during those trips. It started with the delivery van guy smiling giving me a thumbs up and yelling “Freedom” “Freedom” as I drove down the road near Toronto. From there I got a wide range of reactions, from the smiles and thumbs up, to the distain and sneers from the folks who think themselves better. From being photographed and videotaped by every second car, to the wonder on the kid’s faces as I went down the road. From coming out from the gas station and having an older gentlemen tell my about his old roadster, to the older lady telling me about the 9 second track T roadster she will be racing this weekend. On and on the reactions and stories came and went. I took the advice from some of the folks here and just enjoyed the ride. I did not need windows, wipers, a radio, or even a roof. As I drove along the highways most of it under gray skies, I found that I did not care. All I needed was to sit back and enjoy the ride in the car I built and laugh at those shaking their heads at the “crazy guy driving a roadster in the rain”. But it all hit home when I saw the look on my Father’s face when I showed him my roadster, the roadster that I spent the last 5 years building, the roadster that did not miss a beat on the 500+ miles it took to get there. That’s when I realized the joy of driving a roadster. So get out there and drive them!
Nothing like it. Last two years me and Fitz drove his T back and forth to the Atlantic Nats but its sold now so no Roadster running this year. I'm not gonna rest till I have my own. Gathering the bits and pieces now. It's like a good, clean drug...
Just had the BEST Fathers Day ever.The wife and I logged over 80 miles in the roadster today. The weather was beautiful..Went to my daughters for a cookout,let her drive it to the gas station and back. The grin on her face was priceless. Then we visited our son-in-law and got to hold my new granddaughter for the first time.. While we were driving we were constantly returning thumbs-ups,horns honking,waves, and some of the best smiles.. The car just damn makes me grin every time I drive it...I get a real kick out of the feeling of hauling around in a small,fast,openair car..Its great to get a whiff of some restaurant, a bakery,somebody cooking out,flowers,honeysuckle vines,etc The whole experience just clears my mind and for a while makes the everyday grind kinda melt away I spent 8yrs building the car and its been worth every dang minute.. Stan
Turbo26T "The whole experience just clears my mind and for a while makes the everyday grind kinda melt away" Yes, I get into the bucket and forget about the day!! about half way into the twenty mile drive. It's, lets go a different route or get some ice cream and cruise a while...
I once had a hard core biker buddy of mine, tell me than when he had a real shit day at work or with life in general, he'd open the door to the garage and his bike was just sitting there, with a "It's about time, lets go for a ride and forget about all this crap" look on it's motorcycle face. I'm not a biker---it's just not in my DNA. But when I built my first T roadster I swear it did EXACTLY the same thing. You get in, hit the key and EVERYTHING that was getting to you, just went away. I've been building and running hot rods for over 50 years but nothing has ever "lit me up" like my first T. Maybe it's time to do it again, some things have been just "getting to me" and I think a little fresh T might be the cure. BILL RINALDI
Very cool man! I can't wait to hear more stories of driving it! Also what is the steering wheel? I like the wood wheels.
Sounds like you had a great outing, Keep. I drive mine everyday and I'm still not used to it. But then, I'm not trying to be.
When I first finished my 27 roadster years ago I would sometimes jump in it after the 11 oclock news was over and just go for a nice long drive around town. It was so cool to be out in the open night air. In a roadster you get all the smells from around you like trees and restaurants as you pass by. Even today we sometimes say, "let's take the cars out and go get something to eat" and we go play in traffic for a few hours. It is like a little mental vacation and as you go through the gears you forget life's little aches and pains. The reaction of other drivers is fun too, flashbulbs going off, horns blowing, and thumbs up. We roadster guys put up with some inconveniences..........I have driven in temperatures so cold I couldn't keep my foot steady on the gas pedal, and have been drenched in downpours so heavy I couldn't see the cars in front of me.........but there is no other feeling like driving one. Don
Its Grant 3 spoke wheel, 14 diameter. Nothing rare, I found that anything over 14 inches made for a PITA to get around when getting into the car.
....reading the above is simply why roadstermen are roadstermen....the rest of the world just doesn't get it and it's their loss....
Keep, the only thing better than a trip down a highway in a roadster is doing it with friends. This is somewhere in Montana on US200
That is very cool. I am hoping to do the run to the Atlantic Nationals in Moncton this year, some of the guys from my club are heading out. Going to be a long ride, but should be fun.
Yesterday (Fathers Day), We were supposed to go to a show in Kokomo, IN about 40 miles away. Weather report said the rain was over. It didn't look like it. We hopped in the 27 T roadster and left anyway. It sprinkled on us for the first 10 miles. No big deal, we've been rained on worse, alot. I always tell my wife that if your going to have a roadster, you gotta be tough. The sun came and it turned into a beautiful day. At the shows, I like to ask every little boy or girl who stops to look if they want to sit in the car. They always say yes. After they get in and pretend to drive, I always dare them to push the little black button. (Its the ahh-oogah horn). Their little faces light right up and they keep wanting to honk the horn. I must have had 20 little ones in the car yesterday. It makes my face light up! I enjoy that more than all the attention the T gets on the road. We went from the show right to the sprint car races at Kokomo Speedway. We came out after the races, and the T was absolutely covered with dust from the track. It was a beautiful drive home at midnight through the country. Now begins the cleanup. It was all worth it. A wonderful Fathers Day.
That's a great story and a great reminder for those of us who have had T's in the past of how much fun they were. My wife still talks about how much fun we had with our T bucket that we had 38 years ago and while never making a long trip did a lot of Sunday drives in in the time we had it.
I think the suspense factor is important here. Just imagine... Pretty neat the way he hung the Jag butt...chassis is nicely executed, well planned.
I've been following your stuff on here for quite a while. You nailed the "attitude" perfectly. I can't get my old bucket out of my mind so I'm back at it and hopefully I'll make the Fall reliability run with my buddies to the shore. Weather be damned, it's just too much fun!
I feel the same way. Crappy day, just yell to the wife "going for a drive", hour later and I am recharged. Hard to explain to people who are more concerned about getting somewhere or the gas mileage it takes to get there. Sometimes it is just about the experience of getting there.
The Jalopy Journal
