Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[stovens]

Eager to hear this engine take it's first breath!

[J. Robinson]

Me too, Steve. Maybe it won't be long now...

Here's a picture of the manifold after grinding the welds and applying a coat of high-heat silver. The camera's flash makes it look like bright aluminum in the picture, but it is actually a flat, dull silver that looks like unpolished aluminum. The second pic is the manifold bolted on the engine with the carb sitting in place. I need to get the carburetor rebuilt and get a manifold gasket to make it "real". Then all I have to do is run some fuel lines, hook up the pump, plumb the radiator, wire the distributor, replace the spark plugs, etc, etc...

[Dave Severson]

Neat lookin' intake Jim~!!!! Good seeing that you're back on the roadster and getting it finished up!

[34_40]

X2! Can't wait to see it in operation! Curious how it works!

[bluestang67]

X3 Jim since I started reading the coupe build , you are still at it with a neat Track T .

[J. Robinson]

Thanks, guys. I'm anxious to see how this thing works, too. I expect with that big open plenum that low-end response from idle may be sluggish, but it should be OK at cruising speed and up. I remember seeing lots of log manifolds on flatheads back in '58 - '62 and some of them were apparently pretty good performers. At least this thing should get me running; if it's crappy I'll build another one later configured differently.

[J. Robinson]

I cut a hole in the hood for carb clearance. Right now it's trimmed pretty close to the carburetor and the air cleaner has to be removed to open the hood, but I doubt I'll leave it this way. When I get back to this I think I will make a scoop or bubble to cover all of this or maybe a short reverse scoop that sort of blends the hood into the air cleaner. I guess I'll have to do some sketching to see which way I like it.

[firebird77clone]

I like it as is

[J. Robinson]

I've been working on everything else recently and the roadster has been catching all the cast-off wrappings, left-over parts, empty boxes, etc. Today I decided I would clean out the mess. After sorting all the parts from the trash and putting things in their appropriate places, I decided this would be an opportune time to mount the seats. About a week ago I picked up 4 small T-hinges just for this purpose.

Some time ago I did a preliminary fitting of these Kirkey aluminum seats. in order to get them back and low enough I had to cut holes in the drive shaft tunnel. No problem here as there is plenty of room underneath. I'll glass the holes shut when I'm done with the seats. Mounting was a pretty simple proceedure. I attached the hinges to the lower lip of the seats with large-head 3/16 steel shank pop-rivets. Next, I set the seats in place, drilled the seat riser, and attached the hinges to the riser with 1/4-20 pan-head machine screws, washers, and nuts. The seats are hinged so I can tilt them forward and access the space below. I still need to make spacers for the bottom to rest on, but I want to make the seat-belt mounts first.

Since Club Hotrod changed the programming I can never get the damn pictures to load in the order I want them, so hopefully you all can figure out what's going on in the pictures below. The first one should be last and the last one should be second... oh, never mind!

[J. Robinson]

Thanks, Firebird, but doesn't that lonely little air cleaner look kind of anemic? Maybe if there was two of them...

[stovens]

two would be nice, but it looks good as it sits, Jim. How are the seats for comfort?

[Dave Severson]

Lots of good work! Takes a lot of planning and fitting to get everything fit in a small car!

[J. Robinson]

Well, time will tell. It may have to go with one little aircleaner and no more modifications to the hood for a while. I have an English wheel, though, and I could make a nice bubble to cover it all...

Ain't it the truth, Dave! It's been a fight all the way to get 3 pedals in that diminutive foot well. For sure I won't be driving this thing with work boots on! Also, the space between the steering wheel, shifter, and seat side is so limited that I may have to go to a smaller diameter steering wheel in order to move my right foot from the gas to the brake! I've been tempted more than once to trash the 4-banger & 5-speed in favor of a small-block and automatic, but I'm bull-headed... so far...

[rspears]

Jim,
How did you mount the seat hinges to the riser? Any concern with them ripping out with an impact, or the hinges ripping from the seats? Just kibitzing - saw them and the thought popped into my head.

[J. Robinson]

Stovens - the seats are quite comfortable. A lot of T-buckets have a high seating position and that's OK for a "fad-T", but not for a pseudo-racecar. Therefore, I put the seats as low as I could get them. Also, I have ridden in some hotrods where you feel like you could slide right off the seat, especially when the brakes are applied suddenly. These lean back some, maybe 15 degrees or so. When you climb in this thing, you sit IN the seats, not ON them, so you feel pretty secure. If you are familiar with late-model stock cars - the seating position is similar to those.

Rspears - The seat hinges are just bolted through the riser with fender washers on the back side. The riser is made from 3/4 inch thick white spruce and it is fiberglassed into the body; it's very rigid. Hopefully I'll never hit anything, but if I do the seat belts should stop the driver and/or passenger and the seats from ripping loose. This car will be equipped with 5-way harnesses; the shoulder and crotch straps are optional, but I'm a firm believer in seat belts (A few trips into the concrete walls on a race track will make a believer of anyone).