MTFCA Forum

Is anyone driving a speedster style T that is running a stock engine, no multiple transmissions and using a standard or Ruxtell rear end? Your just out for enjoyment not speed.

Mine is somewhat close to what you are asking except for 3 items. I have a dizzy, 3:1 rear end, and no magneto.

When on a tour I like to be last because my car is red and I feel like a caboose. (Train nut you know). If anything goes wrong on a tour, I am the fastest to run up to the front to let the leader know there is an issue. There are times when I like to go fast and other times I drive about 25mph and just enjoy the scenery.

Looking around at the high performance parts for a T to make it a "fast" speedster,it would cost a mint to really go fast! Mine will be a normal speed T "speedster".

Mine is built for fun not for speed so it is a Funster. It has a Muncie but only gets used to load and unload and reverse so I can use the low pedal to go backwards.

Mine is a stock T speedster, No aux trans, No ruxstell, standard bore on cylinders. only thing I have is a Z head.

Tim Williams

Your question got me to thinking. Suppose someone made a "speedster" out of a TT. Low speed rear end gears, Ruckstell, and two auxiliary transmissions. In low, low, low, low the driver could take a lunch break, leave it going while gone, and return to about the same position as he left it.

How slow can you go?

Would the dang thing even move?
I think the longer frame would be a benifit because you could use a car axle,and the aux transmissions and may not even have to cut the car driveshaft.

Henry, thats funny! I dont drive my TT to work because it may show up after I do! I have a high speed gear set in my TT with a Chicago 3 speed and got beat in the slow race at OCF by a touring.

My speedster is the opposite, everything is modified.

Andy

I have had and toured five speedsters over the years. All of them had stock heads, three of them had cast iron pistons. A couple began with stock rear ends, only one did not eventually get an overdrive. Only one was a real racing car. It had an original heavily modified block with hugely ground out intake and exhaust ports, valves so big they touched the edge of the cylinders! Cut down to about half flywheel, carburetor for a much bigger engine. That thing could beat some overhead valve Ts going uphill! Clocked it just short of 80 mph on a two lane highway, before backing off because I didn't want to risk a ticket. It was still accelerating when I backed off.
The rest all had nearly stock engines. With a good overdrive, most would do 55 or better all day long. (Back in the days when we had real gasoline, top speed was closer to 70 mph in overdrive with a stock engine.) Mostly stock chassis speedsters are fast enough to be lots of fun! Practical top speeds for distance around 40 to 45 mph. They don't need to be expensive. A Ruckstell or auxiliary transmission is nice in hills. If you do not do a lot of hills? Stock gearing is all you need. With the lighter weight, 3 to 1 gears would be okay, but without some sort of intermediate gearing? One would likely regret the gearing occasionally.
Drive carefully, and enjoy! W2

Hi Dennis,

I'm glad you asking that question. I'm actually building a speedster and it is a stock engine, no multiple transmissions and using a standard rear en. I would like to keep the spirit of the guy in the past who he removed splash apron, fender just in the goal to be light.

Here a picture of my actual project. My best friend Wasabi is always arround the garage with me.

Not sure about your definition of "slow", but I have clocked my '27 Speedster at 50 mph. Frankly, it's a little scary when you consider how inadequate the stock brakes are at stopping at that speed if you had to.

Uhh.....shouldn't these be called slowsters? And I've had a few over the years and currently have one and I think they're great. Nothing better than hearing the buzz of four coils and clipping along at 45 or so.

Ed aka #4

Love your ‘Funster’ Dennis. Now that’s a true boattail speedster...