Track T Roadster- Head-Turning Track T

When Larry Charette decided he wanted to build a Track T-style modified roadster, he did what many of us do in the 21st century when it's time to start a new project: he began perusing the Internet in search of a good foundation. What Larry found was a rough start for the right price in Des Moines, Iowa. The roadster was definitely built with a "no frills" attitude, but the steel Ford body was in decent shape and the components to turn it into a simple little hot rod were all there. He loaded up his pickup, and with his eldest grandson as his co-pilot, the two headed out, leaving their Helendale, California, home in the dust, embarking on the 60-hour roundtrip ride to pick up the roadster. The trip turned out to be a great bonding experience for the two, especially since his grandson had recently enlisted in the Navy and was set to ship out to boot camp shortly. Upon returning home, Larry handed the roadster off to his two eldest grandsons, who proceeded to drive the wheels off the T throughout the summer, until it was time to hand the keys back over to granddad so the real business end of the deal could begin.

Rod Carson at Rod's Body Shop in nearby Barstow, California, had built a '41 Chevy for Larry in the past, so there was no question of where to send the roadster to get the job done. Rod started by tearing the car apart and modifying the frame to suit Larry's needs. They took a pair of 6-inch 'rails and tapered them to 3 inches up front with custom crossmembers fore and aft to accept the quarter-elliptic springs. Hairpin radius rods were used to locate both the Halibrand quick-change and the dropped tube axle, while Wilwood disc brakes were installed at all four corners to provide ample stopping power behind Cragar Star wire wheels shod in Firestone Indy rubber.

The original car that Larry bought over the Internet had a Buick V-6 installed that had a tendency to smoke a bit so, suffice to say, that was scrapped in favor of a Chevy package taken from a Z28 Camaro Larry bought from a wrecking yard. The 350ci mill and 700-R4 tranny was trucked over to Russ Garrison, who worked over the pair and restored them to new with a mild cam and Edelbrock speed equipment. The drivetrain was then mated with the chassis at Rod's Body Shop, where it was found that the block hugger headers didn't quite hug the block enough to clear the hood sides that Rod had fabricated. Rod turned to his son, Josh, at Roseville Rod & Custom, who fabricated a pair of hood blisters to clear the headers as well as a custom air cleaner to mimic the lines of the scallop paint. A custom driveshaft from Bob's Driveline in Victorville, California, finished off the drivetrain and mated the overdrive automatic with the quick-change rearend.

With the majority of fabrication complete, it was time for the roadster to begin the arduous task of bodywork and paint prep. The body was handed a few modifications, including the deletion of the cowl vent and the reworking of the upper lip of the body to better match the doors. A track nose with a Speedway grille was mounted, along with the aforementioned three-piece hood, completing the sheet metal appointments. Once blocked out nice and straight, 2006 Corvette Red DuPont paint was applied at Rod's Body Shop, accented in white scallops and pinstriped by Mike and Paul Shartel, who also did the lettering on the spun aluminum fuel tank.

Larry wanted a traditional tuck `n' roll upholstery job, so the red roadster was sent over to master trimmer Ron Mangus who stretched red leather over the door and kick panels and highlighted them with white piping. Ron also built a custom bench seat for the Track T which he upholstered in matching red leather tuck `n' roll. Black wool carpeting ensures the modified can be driven without too much worry about looking dirty. A Lokar floor shifter topped with a skull knob, LimeWorks four-spoke steering wheel, and white-face Stewart-Warner gauges complete the interior.

Once assembled, it wasn't long before Larry's roadster was receiving plenty of attention, including that of Blackie Gejeian, who extended a personal invitation to his famous Fresno Autorama (the first car show the Charettes attended with their car). Larry reports that he's made plenty of cherished memories since purchasing the roadster, from the road trip to Iowa with his grandson to working in the shop with the crew at Rod's, but he tells us he plans on making many more while driving his little hot rod Track T to car shows and events. It's all part of the ride that keeps us holding on and wondering what lies around the next corner, and what makes this hobby so enjoyable for so many people.