Another build thread? Yep, my track-style T

[Dave Severson]

Looks great Jim!!!! Perfect for the car!

[J. Robinson]

Since I've had this little gem on the road it's had one lifter that knocks and has been carrying 20 pounds of oil pressure at highway speed and 15 at idle (after warming up). Today I installed a new Melling oil pump. Before I put it in, I boosted the pressure relief spring with a couple of washers behind the pin (approx. .060" thick total). Now it's idling with 35 pounds of pressure and holding 40 psi at highway speed. Also, the lifter is no longer knocking. This engine has about 125,000 miles on it, but it burns clean and doesn't use any oil, so I may have just extended its life indefinitely. Only time will tell...

[stovens]

Sounds like some nice simple improvements there Jim!

[J. Robinson]

Wow! I didn't realize it's been ten months since I was on this thread. I've been doing everything else and not spending much time in front of the computer. Anyway, I'm here to let everyone know that the roadster is for sale...

Between the time I started building this car and finally finishing it, my wife had to have surgery to remove a cist from her lower spine. Now, with the nerve damage in her legs, she has to have assistance climbing in and out of this car. So.., I have decided to sell it and build something with doors. She loves riding in it (it's our first open car) and I love driving it, but it's just too much difficulty to go anywhere and we end up driving the coupe almost exclusively.

If anyone is interested, or if you know someone who is, PM me through this site for details. I'm asking $19,500.

[J. Robinson]

Oh yeah, a pic might be helpful...

[stovens]

Sorry to hear about your wife Jim. What kind of roadster with doors are you thinking about? Same bodystyle and year, or something new?

[J. Robinson]

I'm not sure, Steve. I may go for something a little larger in regards to leg room, maybe a '27 or '29 body. If/when someone buys the Track-T I'll go hunting to see what "rings my bell". Whatever it is, I will do a build thread on it here on Club Hotrod.

[stovens]

Looking forward to that Jim

[OFT]

Sorry to hear of your wife's physical issues.
Been a while since I was last on this bb. Your roadster looks great!!!!!, I'm sure you will not have trouble selling it in your area.
Earl

[J. Robinson]

Well, I haven't sold the Track T yet; I decided to wait until after the holidays. Now I may wait until Spring is a little closer. It's tough to get people excited about an open car when the weather is crappy and cold. However, I have taken the first steps toward my new build. Thursday I put a deposit on a Deuce frame at Clarke Hot Rods in Ormond Beach. I've had a lot of time to think about what I want and I remembered what got me interested in hot rods as a child. My first hot rod toy was a little blue plastic fenderless roadster that my mother bought in my grandmother's variety store when I was about 5 years old. I think it cost 39 cents which was a common price for a kid's toy in 1953. I remember asking my dad what kind of car it was when he got home from work that afternoon - he told me it was a '32 Ford. I don't know the exact fate of that little car; I probably played with it until the wheels wouldn't stay on it or it may have been broken somehow, but I remember what it looked like. So.., I have decided that my next build will be a Deuce highboy roadster. At my age, this could be my last build, so I am coming "full circle" by building the real life version of what started it all in my mind. I will start a new thread for that build when I get the frame home and actually begin. Meantime, if anybody knows someone who wants a pretty little Track-T, contact me!

[stovens]

Hey Jim that sounds like a real cool build. Looking foward to seeing the new post. In the meantime good luck on the sale of the Track-T

[Whiplash23T]

Hi Jim and I too will be keen to follow along on your build thread as I remember back when I first joined this site enjoying reading Don's thread on his T Roadster for under three thousand dollars built and then given the link to your build and enjoying that too. I'm sure the '32 Hi-boy will be an interesting story to follow as you are a great writer and use heaps of photos to help explain what you are doing. All the best for the coming year.

[J. Robinson]

Thanks to everyone for the encouragement. I'm looking forward to getting started. I have built 21 or 22 frames since 1968, some complete rollers and some just bare frames, but this will be my first Deuce. I had said in earlier posts that I wanted to build a Watson Indy car replica, but after much thought I changed my mind. As much as I love those old race cars, I realized that it would be a car that I would only get very limited use of; a nice hotrod I can drive anywhere any time and take a passenger. Also, when I finally leave this earth, a nice hot rod will be easier for my wife to dispose of than a car that has a very limited following.

On a sad note: Way back on the first page of this thread I introduced Ron Ennis, the guy who gave me my very first ride in a hot rod back in 1961. Ron passed away in early December after a long and tiring battle with cancer. He was 77. Ron will be missed around the Indiana rodding scene. He has been a fixture at many events since the late '50s. He is survived by his twin brother, Don, also an avid rodder. R.I.P. Ron.

[J. Robinson]

IF anybody is interested, here is the link to my new thread on my '32 build here on Club Hot Rod:
Another Build Thread - My '32

[J. Robinson]

I sold the Track-T, so that ends this thread. It is on its way to San Antonio, Texas as I am typing this. I have ordered a new fiberglass Deuce 3-window body and will finally get back to work on the '32. See my other thread (link in post above).