Hello all, I have been a stalker of the Model T forums for a while. I signed back up as of last week because I bought a Model T Racer or Speedster depending on who you talk to.. My plan is to make it street legal so I need tires, headlights, a tail light, and get it licensed. That should be fairly easy but I will take my time and do it right. Headlights can make or break a car looks wise so they need to be right. I also want a small windscreen for the driver.. Lastly the yellow needs to go... I am not a fan of it.
I really like the car. It is very comfortable to sit in and has a 3 speed Muncie transmission, which I believe is similar to a Warford, so it should keep up with slow traffic .. The Winfield SR carburetor is in need of a rebuild which is easy enough except for parts.. I have a couple of gaskets and I can make some as well but I need a new diaphragm. I found one place that has a complete kit with diaphragm for $185.00. That seems a tad high but what do I know. I figured I would ask here first to see if anyone knows of any other options out there before I spend $185.00 .
Apparently this car was built in the 90's. From what I read the builder found a set of original Phelps wheels and built the car around them. Sounds fun..
Thank you for any help and input, Mike
Model T Racer
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1932 V8
Topic author - Posts: 2
- Joined: Sat May 06, 2023 10:39 pm
- First Name: Mike
- Last Name: Buegeleisen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1922 Speedster
- Location: Windsor CA
Model T Racer
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Last edited by 1932 V8 on Sat May 13, 2023 10:39 am, edited 1 time in total.
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RajoRacer
- Posts: 5171
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 12:18 pm
- First Name: Steve
- Last Name: Tomaso
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Touring, 1919 Centerdoor, 1924 TT C-Cab Express, 1925 Racer
- Location: Longbranch, WA
- Board Member Since: 2001
Re: Model T Racer
Yowza !!! Nice looking ride !
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Shannon_in_Texas
- Posts: 186
- Joined: Tue Nov 05, 2019 10:40 pm
- First Name: Shannon
- Last Name: Helm
- Location: Arlington TX
Re: Model T Racer
Maybe a Brooklands-style windscreen or similar would give the look you want. For headlights, you could make mounts from cut-down front fender brackets and use black-era headlights and they would be easily removable for when you want to go racing!
Like this (may be cheaper elsewhere):
https://mossmotors.com/224-100-racing-s ... n=shopping
Like this (may be cheaper elsewhere):
https://mossmotors.com/224-100-racing-s ... n=shopping
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Wayne Sheldon
- Posts: 4249
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 3:13 pm
- First Name: Wayne
- Last Name: Sheldon
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1915 Runabout 1913 Speedster
- Location: Grass Valley California, USA
- Board Member Since: 2005
Re: Model T Racer
Headlamps, and a lot of other things, are of course up to you. Personally, I like open wheels, no windshields, no headlamps on "racing" cars. Whether a T speedster is a "racing car" or not is largely a matter of semantics and opinion. However, to be thought of as a "racing car" it should have some amount of "go" beyond just the looks. It does not necessarily have to have overhead valves, although that does help. A lot of local fair circuits seriously raced flatheads!
You should decide what era you want the car to represent. If the car is registered as a pre1920ish, you may not be required to have headlamps.
I have had and sold five different model T speedsters. Only one of which I considered to be a racing car! It was registered as a 1919 (the base year of the chassis. But "as sat" it represented about 1926 with engine and chassis modifications (era original) to enhance performance. Although it had a flathead, the block was an original era heavily modified block with the largest valves and ports that could be stuffed into a model T block!
As a 1919, it was not required to have headlamps!
All the others had basically stock engines, some with overdrive transmissions and just a little extra to handle highway speeds. But they were all great fun!
You have a great looking car there! I hope to see you on the open highway some day.
You should decide what era you want the car to represent. If the car is registered as a pre1920ish, you may not be required to have headlamps.
I have had and sold five different model T speedsters. Only one of which I considered to be a racing car! It was registered as a 1919 (the base year of the chassis. But "as sat" it represented about 1926 with engine and chassis modifications (era original) to enhance performance. Although it had a flathead, the block was an original era heavily modified block with the largest valves and ports that could be stuffed into a model T block!
As a 1919, it was not required to have headlamps!
All the others had basically stock engines, some with overdrive transmissions and just a little extra to handle highway speeds. But they were all great fun!
You have a great looking car there! I hope to see you on the open highway some day.
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Susanne
- Posts: 1119
- Joined: Sat Apr 13, 2019 6:06 pm
- First Name: Susanne
- Last Name: Rohner
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: Late '15 touring, "Angel".
- Location: Valfabbrica, (central) Italy
- MTFCA Life Member: YES
- Board Member Since: 1999
- Contact:
Re: Model T Racer
Yowza!! What a pretty car!!!
Headlight-wise, you're up in the air with what to do... it looks like you could run a set of stock headlight mounts, if you can find the forked ones that opens up a lot of possibilities. The taillight(s) / brake light(s) are easy... hang under the body. As to a windshield, I would be almost tempted to run something like what they do on Morgans, only because I don't like getting a face full of rain and bugs... The cool thing is you can rig mounting points to remove the parts for all out racing, or put them on for endurance runs, tours, etc...
IF you have to get it inspected for plates, It kind of depends on what the CHP officer doing the inspection says about lights, fenders, windshield, etc... Some of them are pretty cool, some ccan be real pieces of... um... work. If it already has plates, then you're pretty much golden.
Either way - I'm pretty jealous. The SCVMTFC's endurance run is next month, so your timing is excellent...
Headlight-wise, you're up in the air with what to do... it looks like you could run a set of stock headlight mounts, if you can find the forked ones that opens up a lot of possibilities. The taillight(s) / brake light(s) are easy... hang under the body. As to a windshield, I would be almost tempted to run something like what they do on Morgans, only because I don't like getting a face full of rain and bugs... The cool thing is you can rig mounting points to remove the parts for all out racing, or put them on for endurance runs, tours, etc...
IF you have to get it inspected for plates, It kind of depends on what the CHP officer doing the inspection says about lights, fenders, windshield, etc... Some of them are pretty cool, some ccan be real pieces of... um... work. If it already has plates, then you're pretty much golden.
Either way - I'm pretty jealous. The SCVMTFC's endurance run is next month, so your timing is excellent...
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Jerry VanOoteghem
- Posts: 4082
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 4:06 pm
- First Name: Jerry
- Last Name: Van
- Location: S.E. Michigan
Re: Model T Racer
Very nice! Let's have a look under the hood!!!
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AndyClary
- Posts: 835
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:15 am
- First Name: Andrew
- Last Name: Clary
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1914 Runabout 1926 Coupe. Mercury Speedster #1249
- Location: Usa
Re: Model T Racer
Awesome looking speedster Mike. Can’t wait to see it in person. Now the pressure is really on to finish the Mercury.
Andy
Andy
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Craig Leach
- Posts: 1906
- Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 12:22 am
- First Name: craig
- Last Name: leach
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1919 Firetruck/1922 Speedster
- Location: Laveen Az
Re: Model T Racer
Hi Mike,
Super nice racer, I have pics of it in my speedster ideas file. I realy like the body on it. You have two speedster runs coming up in CA. Santa Clara
I think is in June, super cool event & San Diego in October. Also a great event. I try to never miss San diego and hope to make it to Santa Clara a
couple more times. Next April Sun Country Model T club will have a speedster run in Arizona also. Congradulations.
Craig.
Super nice racer, I have pics of it in my speedster ideas file. I realy like the body on it. You have two speedster runs coming up in CA. Santa Clara
I think is in June, super cool event & San Diego in October. Also a great event. I try to never miss San diego and hope to make it to Santa Clara a
couple more times. Next April Sun Country Model T club will have a speedster run in Arizona also. Congradulations.
Craig.
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Rich Eagle
- Posts: 6895
- Joined: Fri Jan 04, 2019 10:51 am
- First Name: Richard
- Last Name: Eagle
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 1909 TR 1914 TR 1915 Rd 1920 Spdstr 1922 Coupe 1925 Tudor
- Location: Idaho Falls, ID
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Dan McEachern
- Posts: 1400
- Joined: Sun Jan 06, 2019 11:08 am
- First Name: DAN
- Last Name: MCEACHERN
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: too many. '14 touring, 2 depot hacks, 2 speedsters
- Location: ALAMEDA,CA,USA
Re: Model T Racer
With regards to the Winfield and the pump diaphgram- until you solve the part problem, you can disable the pump by removing the screws on the bottom of the float bowl and rotate everything. Then just disregard the accelerator needle and the carb will pretty much operate as a Model S Winfield.
There are a few very knowledgeable speedster folks in your local Redwood Empire T club- you should consider joining the club if you have not already done so.
There are a few very knowledgeable speedster folks in your local Redwood Empire T club- you should consider joining the club if you have not already done so.
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Kevin Pharis
- Posts: 1558
- Joined: Thu Jan 10, 2019 3:54 pm
- First Name: Kevin
- Last Name: Pharis
- Location: Sacramento CA
- Contact:
Re: Model T Racer
There’s some common confusion about how the accelerator pump needle works too… screwing the needle down into its seat sets the pump at its highest setting. Backing it out about 3 turns will pretty much disable it. The diaphragm return springs are known to get assembled on the wrong side of the diaphragm too
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kmatt2
- Posts: 655
- Joined: Wed Jun 17, 2020 1:41 pm
- First Name: Kevin
- Last Name: Matthiesen
- * REQUIRED* Type and Year of Model Ts owned: 26 T Coupe, 16 T Open Express, 21 TT Flatbed. 15 T Roadster, 13 & 25 T Speedster’s,51 Mercury 4 door sport sedan, 67 Mercury Cougar
- Location: Madera CA 93636
Re: Model T Racer
You have a nice car and it should run well with that Rajo. I once owned a speedster with a similar type Rajo and it would do 80 MPH.
In your picture it looks like the SR carb is a little close to the generator terminal, I would add some insulation between the two locations. You asked for ideas on other wheel and chassis colors in place of the yellow. Both black or red would work, also silver / white , like your number is , would work. But on an era race car the yellow could have been used in order to draw attention to the car and most importantly the car’s sponsor.
In your picture it looks like the SR carb is a little close to the generator terminal, I would add some insulation between the two locations. You asked for ideas on other wheel and chassis colors in place of the yellow. Both black or red would work, also silver / white , like your number is , would work. But on an era race car the yellow could have been used in order to draw attention to the car and most importantly the car’s sponsor.