There's a lot to be said for the "kiss" principle when it comes to hot rodding. The keep-it-simple approach has been one I've personally practiced for years, primarily due to the fact that simple still tends to stretch the limits of my personal expertise, but I digress. Here, we focus on a cool little T roadster that harkens back to the roots of rodding-an A-powered T roadster with refreshing simplicity.
Dave King is a lifelong hot rodder and the lucky new owner of this cool Ohio-based '26 T. A fella named Tom Thompson over in Arcanum, Ohio, originally built the project back in '04 using a swap meet A frame and a '26 T body given to him by a friend. Tom sold the roadster to an acquaintance not long after its completion and proceeded to build a Deuce to replace the T. The new owner enjoyed the roadster for a while, but then in less than a year traded it to Dave for a '60 Chevy Biscayne. Dave, who already owned a V-8-powered '27, fell in love with the '26 for basically the same reason it stopped me in my tracks-it was just a cool, simple hot rod that reflected the early days of rodding.
Shandon, OH's Ron Miller handled...
Shandon, OH's Ron Miller handled the rebuild on the '30 Model A 'banger. This little 200-cube dynamo puts out more than enough beans for around-town cruisin'.
The roadster's foundation is a Model A frame that's been kicked up 7 inches in the rear and fitted with a raised suicide front spring perch. The stock front axle and rearend assembly have been retained, but a pair of hairpins replaces the front wishbone and the rearend housing fitted with a quick-change-style differential cover. A quartet of '35 Ford 16-inch steel wheels and Firestone bias-ply tires round out the rolling chassis, while a Ron Miller-prepared '30 A banger provides motorvation.
The original steel roadster body was massaged back into shape and treated to a coating of PPG Vanilla Shake urethane to which Dave added some cool period graphics. The Spartan interior matches the bare-bones theme, utilizing the stock seat assembly, the bare minimum in the way of instrumentation, and a Model A steering gear, column, and wheel. And, although the little roadster is by no means a fire-breather, it sure is one heck of a cool little hot rod that sees more than its share of road time. Cool car, Dave-thanks for letting us snap a few pictures to share with our friends.
A Moon Equipment tachometer...
A Moon Equipment tachometer and an amp meter are the only modern amenities in this cockpit, other than some fresh rolls 'n' pleats by Elmer Reese and Tom Thompson.
Dave got down to business...
Dave got down to business and let his artistic side hang out once the T was nearly road-ready.
This neat little roadster...
This neat little roadster is so simple it's refreshing, with just the right rake and all the goodies you'd expect on a period-perfect hot rod-from a warmed-over 'banger to mechanical brakes.
The roadster's raised suicide...
The roadster's raised suicide front spring mount and heavily Z'd rear 'rails bring this baby a bit closer to the earth, while the big 'n' little tire and wheel combo give it a nice bit of rake.