Thanks to Dave D. for emailing this. A great video showing "ole number 4" and the owner. Many of you know the owner and car. I had the pleasure of riding in this racer two years ago, and it was a wonderful experience.
You have to get through the advertisement to get to the video:
http://www.usatoday.com/videos/money/cars/2013/11/01/3171833/
Nice video!
He lives a couple of miles from me. He came to visit when I got home from having open heart surgery about 2 weeks ago.
The old Chevvy truck behind the car is there because that's his car carrier. He uses it to haul the car to the races.
When he goes to the speedster celebration in Nebraska he and his wife drive it there all the way from Ca. and back..
He's driven it to Michigan twice that I know of and once to the Atlantic ocean.
It's not unusual to see the speedster or the old Chevvy truck on the street here in Hayward.
I sold the Chevy truck to Ed about 20 years ago. It came out of the Harrah's collection in the first auction. Harrah did not display it but used it to haul parts to and from his warehouses and the restoration shop. It was also seen hauling trash from the facilities. I didn't much care for the wicked cone clutch but the cab was built like a Victorian house with curved glass quarter windows. Ed stretched it with a Rocky Mtn. trans to haul his racer. Good to see it being used and cared for.
Erik
No comment on how he cranked the car. That car sounds; WOW!
Wow, I really like Ed Archer! He said several things that are so similar to my own appreciation of Model T's, and the Model T hobby.
His car demonstrates how a speedster / racer can be built with period correct parts, thus making an accurate presentation of a Model T and its history to who ever sees it, touches it, or owns it in the future.
The way that Ed cranked the car is fine. A couple pulls with the key off, then turn the key on and pull up on the crank. Any Model T will start that easily if it has a decent tune up.
Ed is a great guy, I have seen that car many times on the SCVMTFC endurance run and yes the sound is great.That Rajo head and exhaust is a nice combo. His muncie transmission and rux rearend gives him lots of options.
Ed's speedster is among the nicest you will ever see. As for cranking, I think everyone on the Santa Clara tours has helped push start it at least once.
Andy
#4 has been my over-all favorite model T speedster/racer for a long time now. But if you look behind Ed and #4 in the video, you will see a green T racer with the #2 (I think) on it. That is also an incredible T racer that happens to belong to Ed's daughter and son-in-law. One of their kids, Ed's grandson, also has a model T speedster now. A true model T family. I also knew Ed's father many years ago. He was also into antique automobiles and a wonderful gentleman to know. He had a 1927 Falcon Knight he toured with for many years. A wonderful family.
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2