1922 Model T Speedster

[Joe Davis]

This "speedster" is a close replica of the Alfred Moss's car which ran in the Indy 500 (Ford Racing Century p57). Ford chassis were easy to find and modify in the early 1920's. They were raced extensively and professionally all across the country. This chassis and engine were built by Don and Larry Azevedo, the chassis was lowered about 6" and various improvements have been made to the suspension and steering. The car handles quite nicely and has participated in over a dozen pre-war rallies on the West Coast. It has gone wheel to wheel with a Bugatti type 35 in one rally. The body and coach work were done by Aries Restoration in La Honda, CA. All custom made using pre-War technology. There are no modern parts on this car, nothing made after 1927 (except the battery and a hidden fuel pump). It is licensed and registered as a 1922 vehicle and certified 100 years old by the Horseless Carriage Club. The workmanship and authenticity, won the car a "Best in Class" award at the Burlingame Concours de Elegance. All of the signage and numbering on the car are hand painted, using original signs of the day for patterns. 5 on each side of the body plus the racing number on the fins of the radiator.

The engine is 177 ci, with stainless steel valves, modern aluminum pistons, 3/4 race cam, high compression aluminum head, belt driven water pump, custom headers and an original Winfield Carburetor. The drive train consists of a new modern version of the Warford over/under transmission, made by KC Industries in Kansas City, MO. Also, a Ruckstell Two Speed rear axle and the stock Ford Transmission. A total of 12 speeds forward. It is an all-steel custom made body forward of the rear bulkhead just behind the driver. The boat tail contains the gas tank, two storage compartments and is covered in a modern fabric as used to restore antique airplanes. This keeps the weight of the car down and is helpful in handling. These fabric covered bodies were popular in the 1920's, the most famous being the Bentley race cars where the entire body was fabric, only the hood and part of the cowling were metal.

The radiator and radiator shell are from a 1922 Whippet, it is a honey comb radiator, which provide more cooling than conventional radiators. We had to install an internal thermostat to keep the engine running at the proper temperature. The unique shape of this radiator sets the car apart from the original square Ford radiators. The car has a hidden turn signal system, operated by a switch under the dash.

The speedometer is driven off the right front wheel and powers a completely restored 1920 vintage Steward speedometer with odometer and trip odometer. The odometer shows about 2300 miles, logged in many rallies. The bucket seats are custom made and staggered to allow more room for the driver. The steering wheel is a "Fat Man" wheel, which folds to allow easy entry into the drivers' seat. The electrical system has a hidden regulator, this keeps the hidden Optima battery, evenly charged. Fuel pumps of any kind were not available until the late 1920's. These early race cars had a manually operated pump, to keep about 2- or 3-pounds pressure in the gas tank, so the fuel gets to the carburetor. This car has the manual pump and pressure gauge located on the right side of the dash board, but it has been bypassed by a hidden electric fuel pump that does the job nicely. The car has performed very reliability with not one breakdown since new, it has never come close to overheating in spite of some very difficult rallies. Once in Northern New Mexico we had a 22% grade down 6 miles into a national park, then back out, with temperatures being over 90 degrees. Another climb was the "Going to the Sun" Road in Glacier National Park, then a 100 miles loop around the north eastern side of the park. The car is fun to drive and handles quite nicely. With only 2300 miles on it, it is just broken in and ready for fun.

This is a one-of-a-kind vehicle, it is like driving a piece of history, as it is truly as a race car of the day.

 

go to: https://amuffler.com/forsale.html

 

for complete details,  asking $37K