modernbeat
I'm Awesome
Is that weird? A Model T built for camping, off road trails and dirt roads?
Longish story, I've been doing long dirt road trips for ages, and the occasional hard trail. I've pestered my pal to go with me on these trips for 30-ish years. But, he's got two careers, a wife and a couple of kids and always turns me down. A couple years ago he finally said "yes", that he wanted to go on one of these trips, but with some stipulations. He wanted to do it in a vintage car.
We're no strangers to vintage cars. We've each had dozens. We campaigned a '63 SAAB 2-stroke in Rally America competition. We've driven '50s VW Busses all over North America, and I've driven on all over South America and Canada.
Well, I had a decently prepped TJ Rubicon at the time, and have had dozens of older cars, including a bunch of pre-war stuff. So I told him I'd buy a flat fender Jeep and we could prep it for the trip. NO, he said. He wanted an -OLD- car. Not anything post war. In fact, it had to be 100 years old! Ouch. That meant Model T. I begged him to relent and let me build up a Model A for the trip. At least it was a "normal" car. I have had a Model T before, a 1913 model. And they are weird and fragile.
So, I surveyed the various models and bought a decently running 1926 Model T Roadster Pickup in Denver. We went to pick it up and I gave my pal a driving lesson on the Model T and told him it would be similar in size and speed to a modern Golf Cart.
After driving it around for a while we both realized that using this body was not going to cut it. We were hip-to-hip in that car and it was just too small. That was easy enough to solve. We'd build up a custom wooden wagon body. And after studying all the ways the Model T fails, we made plans to address the worst of the mechanical failures.
Stripped it down and sold the body to a hot rodder in Houston.
Stripped off the two-speed rear end to rebuild it.
Decided to stretch the wheelbase 12 inches and add an auxilary transmission between the stock transmission and torque tube.
Designed a wood drop side body in CAD so I had a good idea of the wood involved and could build a cut sheet.
Stretched frame, rebuild two-speed rear axle and added disc brakes to the original drums. Converted to wire wheel hubs.
The rough beginnings of the body.
More adventures in wood.
Drop side gates taking shape
Finished most of the body. Still have to make the canopy.
Custom pistons I had Wiseco make after scanning my custom head. Trying to get the compression up over 6.5:1
Full counterweighted SCAT crank going into the engine.
Engine mostly finished
Building up the Model T transmission. The three drums are the clutch, reverse gear and low gear. They work through a planetary gear set.
Transmission and engine
Installing it in the truck
All the rods, levers and pedals. Most of them do not do what you'd think they do.
The build has been long and involved for the last two years, and we are still working on it. The engine was finished a few months ago and went into the car in November. We're plumbing and wiring it now.
Longish story, I've been doing long dirt road trips for ages, and the occasional hard trail. I've pestered my pal to go with me on these trips for 30-ish years. But, he's got two careers, a wife and a couple of kids and always turns me down. A couple years ago he finally said "yes", that he wanted to go on one of these trips, but with some stipulations. He wanted to do it in a vintage car.
We're no strangers to vintage cars. We've each had dozens. We campaigned a '63 SAAB 2-stroke in Rally America competition. We've driven '50s VW Busses all over North America, and I've driven on all over South America and Canada.
Well, I had a decently prepped TJ Rubicon at the time, and have had dozens of older cars, including a bunch of pre-war stuff. So I told him I'd buy a flat fender Jeep and we could prep it for the trip. NO, he said. He wanted an -OLD- car. Not anything post war. In fact, it had to be 100 years old! Ouch. That meant Model T. I begged him to relent and let me build up a Model A for the trip. At least it was a "normal" car. I have had a Model T before, a 1913 model. And they are weird and fragile.
So, I surveyed the various models and bought a decently running 1926 Model T Roadster Pickup in Denver. We went to pick it up and I gave my pal a driving lesson on the Model T and told him it would be similar in size and speed to a modern Golf Cart.
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After driving it around for a while we both realized that using this body was not going to cut it. We were hip-to-hip in that car and it was just too small. That was easy enough to solve. We'd build up a custom wooden wagon body. And after studying all the ways the Model T fails, we made plans to address the worst of the mechanical failures.
Stripped it down and sold the body to a hot rodder in Houston.
You must be registered for see images attach
Stripped off the two-speed rear end to rebuild it.
You must be registered for see images attach
Decided to stretch the wheelbase 12 inches and add an auxilary transmission between the stock transmission and torque tube.
You must be registered for see images attach
Designed a wood drop side body in CAD so I had a good idea of the wood involved and could build a cut sheet.
You must be registered for see images attach
Stretched frame, rebuild two-speed rear axle and added disc brakes to the original drums. Converted to wire wheel hubs.
You must be registered for see images attach
The rough beginnings of the body.
You must be registered for see images attach
More adventures in wood.
You must be registered for see images attach
Drop side gates taking shape
You must be registered for see images attach
Finished most of the body. Still have to make the canopy.
You must be registered for see images attach
Custom pistons I had Wiseco make after scanning my custom head. Trying to get the compression up over 6.5:1
You must be registered for see images attach
Full counterweighted SCAT crank going into the engine.
You must be registered for see images attach
Engine mostly finished
You must be registered for see images attach
Building up the Model T transmission. The three drums are the clutch, reverse gear and low gear. They work through a planetary gear set.
You must be registered for see images attach
Transmission and engine
You must be registered for see images attach
Installing it in the truck
You must be registered for see images attach
All the rods, levers and pedals. Most of them do not do what you'd think they do.
You must be registered for see images attach
The build has been long and involved for the last two years, and we are still working on it. The engine was finished a few months ago and went into the car in November. We're plumbing and wiring it now.