Now that I've started on down the track of building an engine for my speedster, I figured I should get things in order around here, so yesterday I decided I'd tidy up and clean out my shed. So I started by removing the cars and for the first time ever, I lined them up and took photos of them all together.
I then decided to load all the engines and transmissions into a trailer and take them all around to my mates workshop where we could give them a good clean.
These three engines are all Canadian. The first, a 1920 I've owned for about 15 years and in my mind, has always been a basket case, but I loaded it anyway. Seized solid, 2 pistons missing, full of decomposing granite and clay from being left outside for several decades and dragged around from pillar to post. Engine number 2 was one I had bought for this project a couple of years ago. It is a 90% complete 1924 block and trans, but when I got it home and opened it up my heart sank from what I found inside. the bottom of the engine was fine, easily restore-able, but the top was a mess and told a story. Its been sitting upside down on the edge of a dam or a creek and has suffered severe internal corrosion, with valves welded into the block being the most obvious problem. Then, just a few days back, while speaking to a friend about this problem, he gave me a 1925 engine and even delivered it to me. Its a good block, best of the 3 by far, missing several bits but, I have enough other stuff here to make it complete. Now comes the good part......I was REALLY pleased to have the good 25 engine given to me, but I was also a little disappointed that it wasn't an earlier engine because the speedster project is based around a '15. When I arrived for the cleaning, my mate, an excellent tractor mechanic, had a look at them and quickly suggested that the basket case 1920 block was quite saveable. So yesterday we set about removing the trans and crank from it. Once they were out, we then filled the remaining two pistons with penetrating fluid, and will have a shot at pressing them out next week.
So, it was a BIG day around here yesterday. Clean shed, nice pics of my cars, good news about the engines and already part the way down the path to getting the engine build started. I'm feeling so chuffed I just had to write this. I hope I haven't bored you with it all.
Cheers,
Rob

I have a 21 and 23 Canadian Blocks and was originally use an American 1915 block, but ended up with a 16 Block. The two Canadian Blocks are set up, but I hope it is in the transmission.

If you need a Canadian head, let me know. If you need parts you might wish to contact Fulford Point Trading on E-bay. They are located in Brockville, Ontario, Can. Of course I am a bit favorable to them because I go there for used parts. They ( Twins, Sam and Charles ) are fair in their dealing ( at least with me )

John

Sorry I meant to say, that is a fine line up of transportation.

John

Thanks John. Much appreciated.

That's a great picture Rob. Love the grey colour on the T!

Hi Greg,
Thank you. Although its obviously new (11 y/o) paint, its the exact same colour as the original. Luckily for us, when the car was originally painted they had painted the back of the dashboard and we found large amounts of un-faded original paint that we could match.
Cheers,
Rob

Rob,

Good looking line up of cars! Also good news that the older block can probably be rebuilt.

Have you figured out what you want your speedster body to look like yet? One of the nice things about speedsters you can build them any way you desire -- because that is how they were originally built.

Good luck with your project and be careful, a clean garage seems to attract parts and cars!

Respectfully submitted,

Hap l9l5 cut off

Hi Hap,
I hope to build it just like the Rootlieb kits with the flat top fenders/mudguards. My/our planned colour is for it to be cream with red late T wire wheels and red seat facings. Thanks for your compliments.

I am amazed at just how much space I made with the clean up. Things are in their place, nice and tidy and although its rather space poor, its almost spacious. (I have 3 cars parked in a space for 2)

There is some workshop space too, so I'm not to badly off and you wont hear any complaints from me. I do have another area, 3 meters x 12 meters, where I run my N scale layout, Lone Wolf Railroad. So you can see that any lack of space is all of my own making.

I'd love to be able to say something like "Jay Leno, eat your heart out" but on my budget, that'll never happen.
Cheers,
Rob

It is always nice to read about things going well for forum friends!
Drive carefully, and enjoy, W2

I just looked at my previous post and must be thought of as some kind of idiot. I had three strokes 5 years ago right after open heart surgery. I was in the hospital for nearly five weeks in a med. coma until they got the blood clots out. During that time, I later learned I was completely paralyzed but could talk. I think my brain has adapted and takes quick short cuts,
faster than my key board speed, and hence the grammatical errors.

John