The Cream T

[hotrodfil]

So, some background. Scratched together my little modified T in the early nineties from whatever I could afford and parts nobody else wanted. A plastic '24 T tub and a 21 stud flathead from my friend Nervous Bob, sat on a narrowed A frame with a homemade X member. Some 1939 Ford axles and wide five wheels were set at 100" as I had a set of early T fenders I planned to fit, but they were sold off to fund the build.




It was an itch that never went away, so over time I gathered all the parts to swap the plastic tub for steel and have another shot at fitting fenders. The Puch is also long gone to I don't know where.







Except - I sold the modified as the windmill needed the funds.


Around 2019, I finally dragged the panels out again and busied myself having a go at knocking the collection of panels into some kind of shape. I measured up the wooden subframe of an original 24T roadster and had some 2mm steel folded into sections. I wanted 16G but the 2mm was free. Some things never change...

Once a square subframe was built I used it to attach some of the less frilly edges to. It quickly became apparent that the panels were not all from the same tub - I'd managed to interchange the scuttle with a Touring body I once had and lost the door. That was careless. They were also very rough. Cracks, bullet holes, flattened, stretched, and generally trampled by elephants.





Still - nothing much to lose except time and a mile of mig wire, I pressed on.





To stiffen this floppy mess up, I looked at tubing out the tub. Considering we make a mile of 22mm diameter thinwall annealed stainless at work everyday that shouldn't be a problem? Trying to form it to make the curves around the back of the tub soon changed my mind, so I decided to give hammer forming a go. Forms were cut from hornbeam that just happens to turn up in some of the pallets at work - very handy - and some sections were created in 0.9mm zintec (free...) to add a little rigidity to the evolving structure.













Gradually panels were created to replace the missing lower sections and attach the panel to the subframe. The missing nearside bun panel was beaten into a hollowed log to try and match the opposite side. Except. The trampled quarter was far too stretched for it to fit. Tappity tap. Cuttity cut.





As the summer rolled on, the floppy panels gradually became less lacy, and the tub began to look like a complete body. Full of dents and ripples, but much more solid.












Hmmm.

Hmmmm.

[hotrodfil]

So this was all during 2019.

A brief mockup that Christmas on an early A chassis left me wondering at what point I’d be old and wizened enough to fit within the confines of a T body and operate machinery. Would that I were an average height racing whippet and not an ever expanding six footer.



Limitations realised, spring approaching, and an anticipated costly visit from the millwright curtailed these thoughts.

Until the lockdown occurred. With nowhere except work to go to, the millwrights abandoning the rotting windmill cap, I dragged the sorry mess of parts out from under the bedroom (a less than five foot high darkened cavern within the workshop created by numerous planning violations over the years), attached a few parts, and began planning a dropped X member to provide engine, wishbone, and pedal mounts. In the hope of finding a precious few thou to plant my feet without major surgery.

The body was also flashed over with some tractor enamel to hide the worst of the repairs and stop the leaking workshop roof allowing it to return to nature. Creating the dreadful Cream T pun.

[hotrodfil]

Following this there was a huge gap in proceedings where building a fresh car for the hell of it became unessential.
The millwrights resurfaced from lockdown, which meant losing the workshop whilst planning to remove the windmill cap, which in turn meant selling my bus for funds and space, but water leaked into the air cleaner, which hydraulic locked the engine, so a replacement was sourced from a lovely fella living in a library van, installed over the winter, my father sinking into dementia, and generally everything spiralling away into a not particularly thin layer of chaos.

However...

[hotrodfil]

Sporadic updates did occur. The running gear was next in line for the decision making process. As in – what do I have that will cost me nothing to use…

Turns out quite a bit.

I used an A rear axle to position a ‘36 gearbox (one year only gears apparently but they look OK so far…) and attached an empty flathead 8BA to work out where to put the engine mounts using some brackets that Nervous Bob has in stock and tells nobody about…





Clear so far?

Once the engine mounts were positioned, I swapped the flathead out for a four banger using a Clings adapter, and modified a Model B front engine mount to pick up on the V8 mounting points. This tomfoolery happened multiple times as everything I made or fitted had to be checked with each engine option. Steering box? Eight in, four out. Pedals? Same again. Front axle on a 1934 wishbone. Need to make sure it misses both sumps. Cut-out in the firewall to miss cylinder heads? Hokey cokey commences. Obviously this also meant throwing the body back on and off the chassis. Every. Damn. Time.



Why? Seemed like a good idea at the time. When it came time to register it, a four banger Model A engine in an A chassis made sense. Plus, I had more of them running at the time. Now there’s a heap of variously challenged flatheads beneath the bedroom, I’ll have to revisit that particular dilemma.


Everything has to be done at least twice. Brake and clutch pedal positions roved around with abandoned attempts cast asunder. The dropped frankly utilitarian bolt-in cross members that I originally made to position everything were gradually eradicated by an X member that picked up on the original Model A rear engine mount holes, before swooping under the A centre cross member and reappearing as two long tapering legs picking up existing holes at the rear of the chassis. Amazed myself there. At its centre carrying the wishbone is a cast off piece of maybe '36 crossmember (?) that Clark (Enbloc) dumped outside my garage eons ago.







Yay! The centre X unbolts and springs out! Bonus...

Started making some dropped floor pans to cover all this up.







With the engine options covered, the A rear axle was swapped out for a 1935 axle, rebuilt with a 3.25 diff and mounted 3.5” forward to shorten the wheelbase to 100”. The torque tube was shortened by a friend Craig who runs RKE Engineering in Thetford. Twice – the lovely tubular ‘32 one we adapted to 6 spline coupler refused to fit inside the double tapered outer I had shortened.







I looked briefly at running the 1939 wide fives wheels again, but the axles gained a set of spindles and hydraulic brakes via from a ‘42 pickup and the look evolved again to using the steels I’d had in the loft since they came off my old Fordor Model A.





And suddenly we’re rolling. So – obviously time to blow it all apart again.

[hotrodfil]

There is however a leap between the last picture which was April 2023 - and the "blow it all apart" statement which didn't happen till September... I probably did something to it, but as I said - progress was sporadic.




I picked the wettest week in October to get the body and panels blasted. Which meant rushing the body back home in the back of the van for some vague filler work before hurrying it back to the blasters just before the rain stopped... Not to hide any of the dents really; more to stop anyone needing a tetanus shot if they got too close.



The blasters also primed and top coated everything in RAL 9001 apparently. My choice obviously, but mainly because they had it in stock…





I’d blagged some floor space over at Craig’s workshop to store the rolling chassis whilst I prepped the panels, so decided it would be churlish not to continue the blag by assembling the freshly painted bits at his.





Once it was back together, a trailer ride home (fingers crossed its last trip on a trailer…) saw the shiny white thing ensconced in the cramped workshop behind the mill waiting for things to drop on it from on high.

The summer before this, I’d attempted to contact the company making the radiator. It had been five years so I hoped they were getting close by now. Unable to get an answer, I decided to try somebody else. I took them a drawing, and some scrap tanks in the back of the Coupe and they insisted they could make it. Even better if they could copy one I’d previously had made. So a trip back home, and I purloined the one from my T Tourer and rushed back.

Just like that one please. Dunno why I’d rushed. Time p-a-s-s-e-d. Whoosh.

Christmas time, and with the car home, I decided it would be a good time to see how they were doing.

Hadn’t started.

A call a week later to say would I like to see it before it was painted. Excellent! Except. Oh. Beautifully made, but. Top tank absolutely nothing like the one I’d left to copy. The following week, Christmas Eve eve, another call to say they’d modified it and it was ready for collection.

Oh.

The misplaced neck had moved, but the main feature to copy was the scallop for fan clearance. There on the drawing, and there on the rad to copy. Missing entirely. A slow drive home in despair saw me pottering around Norwich when a call came to say they’d actually done it right this time.

‘Ray.

Except. In my haste to sort the top tank, I’d failed to notice the errors with the bottom tank within the bubble wrap until I tried fitting it. The bottom outlet was angled for no reason whatsoever, the tank had been made square bottomed rather than shaped to fit the cross member like an A one, and the mounting flanges were an inch higher.

Not what I hoped for it’s to be certain. A disappointingly expensive Christmas present to myself.

Hey ho.

Luckily, the new rad fitted OK-ish on the Tourer for now and the Tourer gave up its rad for the Cream T. More on that later...

[hotrodfil]

Ah yes, influences. Let's have a little diversion.

I've had a folder full of old photos for years. Plus I developed a number of "what if?" scenarios.

So let's start with Gabby Garrison's car. In fact, a later reproduction by the man himself of the car he built when he was in high school.




Now owned by Zach Suhr. Who also suffers for his art by being too tall to sit comfortably...

This pair had me going. The top car was Bob Estes' T. Pretty damn special with a Warford 3-speed auxiliary gearbox, plus a Ruckstell two speed back axle, (12 forward speeds and 6 reverse!) and an overhead engine with a Wills St. Claire forged V8 crank. He topped 100 at Muroc with it, and once beat Clark Gable's Duesenberg in a race. He wouldn't sell it to him but built Clark a replica - perhaps it's the lower car because despite the similarity it's a different car.



I've not been able to find out much about Sterling Garage who by all accounts were in LA modifying what were then pretty new Model T's. A particular look building very low, full fendered '24/25 roadsters often with the back of the tub cut down.



This one pops up quite often - cropped from an photo showing it parked outside a dealers.



This also had the Sterling look. Possibly pressed into action on a farm with the turtle deck swapped for wooden pickup bed.



A long lived Sterling Garage T that met a sorry demise. Frank Pommer's T started life as a Sterling T.

[hotrodfil]

This is the Pommer T in it's first diversion from being a Sterling T when it was owned by Hi Halfhill



But it's a fenderless diversion, so back on track with Bill Statler's T. Of which I know nothing but it looks like it need a fair crew to get it going...



And oh - Gaby Garrison and Ed Winfield complete with a set of GOW cans on the running board? Gas/Oil/Water?



Anyway - before we move on, here's another shot of the later Gabby car.



Somewhere around the start of this project, I had a fair exchange with a friend of mine about colour choice.
As a synopsis - would somebody have bothered changing the colour of their car if it was being built in the early '30's? A mid-20's T would have been only a few years old so chances are it'd stay black... But, as a slightly later build, assuming they did change the colour, what would they have chosen? We pondered national racing colours. British racing green, French blue, German silver, Italian - well, burgundy in the 20/30's. And America? White. White, eh? Hides the dents slightly better...

Which reminded me of my other favourite early T. Duffy's Eliminator. White, fendered, and a later pure race car build.




Which led me to my what if.
What if Duffy had built his car pre-war? And started with an abandoned Sterling Garage car? How would it have evolved? Seeing my car outside on steels skewed the build from a faithful GOW job. I still planned to fit a set of 19's to see how much it changes the look later. But for now? Options, options.

[hotrodfil]

So where were we?

With inspiration from Sterling Garage T's, Duffy's Eliminator, my old Modified, but most importantly what bits are in stock, after five years the little cream T was coming together.

2024 arrived. With some parts of it now a century old, I decided it would be a good idea to get it on the road. With the big lumps bolted together, it was time to start making the whole thing look more complete and apply for a registration.



The steering box was a frankenstein F1 pickup/Model A construction with the column shortened, re-tapered and keywayed by Craig to fit my old string bound 1932 Model BB truck steering wheel. Nervous Bob came through and rebuilt the box, adding a seal, and for once I remembered to put oil in it...



I'd fitted T fender irons to the A chassis to mount the front wings. Headlights were made by fitting early Model A buckets to some T headlight brackets from the scrap pile.




I decided to have a go at tig welding, using a cast out welder that only worked with scratch start. As luck would have it, we were bending some 60.3mm stainless tube at work. Even luckier a length was accidentally bent at 45° so I disposed of it ethically. This was cut into a taper and then cobbled to a stainless header plate more by luck than judgement. Next time. Next time it'll look better...







After crowing to anyone that would listen about how good the RKE Engineering Rotoshim lever arm shocks are, I couldn't really fit anything else. Fronts had to be moved slightly aft to avoid the T headlight brackets.





I'd planned to fit a complete interior from an early T, but a new (!) pair of buckets spotted at the NEC classic car show made for a far quicker and comfier solution that showed off all my repairs for good or bad. Spoiler: mainly bad.

With it looking more complete, photos were taken, the VHRA issued a dating letter based on the age of the frame and engine, application was made to the DVLA and- a sense of foreboding draped over me.
How long would this all take? An inspection date duly rolled round at the end of March. Not too bad, but would they be happy with a still unfinished non-running collection of parts? Inspection took all of ten minutes.

No. That wasn't it. It was something else. A rumour I'd heard. Something about the current numbers being issued.

Yup. curse word. I'd painted a car not black as they all have previously been, but Armitage Shanks white.

[hotrodfil]

Ah well. Registration in hand at the start of April meant it was time to pick up the pace and get this contraption road ready before considering the drive to Wales for the VHRA Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races. With 90% of the build done, there was only 90% left to do.

I'd already booked a week off in March that work subsequently cancelled, but eventually I managed to take four days of at the end of April. Evening tinkering became full days for a week and over the bank holiday weekend. By the end of my holiday, brakes were plumbed, starter rebuilt, exhaust made, bonnet catches devised, wiring run, and lights mounted. And an endless stream of little just jobs that took up whole days.





One bit of fun was my third attempt at a throttle pedal. Started life in a Triumph Dolomite...




A couple of dilemmas to overcome obviously. Pinning the hood down placed the carb too close to the throttle linkage which was resolved by getting Craig to mill the manifold flange down by 4mm. Also, somehow the engine had ended up 1/4" further forward which put the water pump to close too the rad. I rebuilt a pump with the impeller pushed further on to the shaft which puts the fanbelt slightly out of line but it doesn't seem to care too much. One problem that couldn't really be resolved is that the borrowed radiator was built for a 1927 body, and a later A front crossmember which has lower radiator mounting pads. The fit of the hood is something I'm going to have to live with until I get another rad made or modified. Boo. Hiss.

As the engine I'd mocked the build around wasn't actually a runner - it came time to bite the bullet and steal the engine from my T Coupe. With less than a month to Pendine, this didn't leave too much time if a completely unknown mess of parts would actually enjoy functioning together. Or even function individually. Or whether I'd have to beg another day off and reverse the engine swap?





With a couple of weeks to spare I finally found out what it was like to drive. Just in case you were wondering why all the monsoon rains and floods occurred at the start of summer it's because I disabled a perfectly adequate, comfortable, closed car, abandoned it in the drive, blocking the entrance to the garage meaning the new roadster is now stuck outside getting used to the rain. Starting as it means to go on.

With a bit of extra brake bleeding I finally made a maiden voyage out in the rain. A little bit of fettling, and I nipped out to a local bike meet in a thunderstorm that night too.
And it felt like it was gonna be OK... I'm possibly wizened enough to drive it after all. And the shakedown commenced!

[Ralph.Wrecked.It]

Super cool looking thing!

I was at Pendine, but can't say I spotted the car, hopefully you made it!

[hotrodfil]

Sept 3, 2024 15:31:33 GMT Ralph.Wrecked.It said:

I was at Pendine, but can't say I spotted the car, hopefully you made it!

Had to. I’m out on the track setting up the timing trap…

Yes. The first big drive was indeed clear across the country on the Wednesday before Pendine - 300 miles door to caravan door. 

Picked up my son in Milton Keynes. Met up with some fellow club members en route. 







Picking fun backroads meant the travelling time was up to a record 14 hours this year! With plenty of stops - thankfully just for fuel and a stretch…


Nipped out on the Thursday to have the front wheels balanced as they hopped a bit above 65. 

Friday is scrutineering day. I’m not allowed to check my own car over, but luckily it passed OK! Even though the Clerk of the Course objected to my bingo dabber race numbers. 



With my son helping out with the timing, we’re normally first on the beach on the Saturday morning searching for the best place to set up the timing trap. 

[hotrodfil]

And how did the lil’ Cream T do?

Well, I managed three runs on the Saturday in between duties at the timing tent. With a best speed of 77.3mph. Dunno which run it was but here’s my daughter sending me off down the track.



The weekend was a game of two halves however. The early morning drizzle on the Sunday turned into a sea mist that never lifted all day. No racing but plenty of moody pictures… my own personal flag girl stole my car a few times. In fact they both had a drive.

[hotrodfil]

[hotrodfil]

The relaxed Sunday finally gave us time - after 12 years- to take a club photograph.






The journey home was equally enjoyable and trouble free, and the following day was spent washing as much sand out from… everywhere.











And finally I had time to fit up the skinny wire wheels for that Sterling Garage look.

[DarrenW]

A thoroughly enjoyable read and a fantastic looking car. Excellent!

[redratbike]

nice ride and a great write up

don’t be scared to write about the windmill as that sounds like it’s been a project too (millwrights!)

[horrido]

That's so cool. 77mph in a car that could manage - what? - 45mph originally?

[jimi]

Sept 3, 2024 18:42:24 GMT redratbike said:

nice ride and a great write up

don’t be scared to write about the windmill as that sounds like it’s been a project too (millwrights!)

Jan 2, 2023 18:36:07 GMT hotrodfil said:

We’re in Caston Mill.

[kevins]

love the car, also interested in the windmill.

[igor]

Love this, especially the way the whole family joins in on race day.