1926 Ford Model T

1926 Ford Model T Roadster As the story goes, the first Model T came clattering out of the Piquette Ave Ford plant somewhere around October 1st, 1908. The humble car for the working man literally put America on wheels and from 1908 through 1927, over 15 million Model T's were produced. So when our speed hungry forefathers decided it was time to invent the American hot rod, there were plenty of Model T's laying around just begging for some speed parts and a life of action and adventure. The rest is history. Speedwaymotors.com  For consignment, a 1926 Ford Model T roadster showing 29,321 miles, but the true miles are unknown. This is a wild street rodded version of a T and checks all the boxes of coolness with a little bit of sinister mystery mixed in.  Exterior The channeling on this ride takes hot rodding to a new level and that level is low, low, low! The overall palette is a smoky black beginning with the primer black body, the 15-inch black wheels, and from the headlight to the firewall, it looks like it drove through a wall of soot. Turn toward the face however, and we find a bronze stamped grille, bronze headlight rings, and a bronze firewall and it shows up on the interior as we'll find out soon. In back, the round tail lights are also trimmed in bronze while the frame around the upright windscreen remains matte black. There are few chips in the primer but overall, the exterior presents nicely. Interior Door cards display simulated diamond stitching in black snake skin vinyl with bronze hardware to keep it secure. Do you see where this is going? This same material lines the black bucket seats that lean against a bronze colored back wall with purposeful patina and a few holes. Wood dominates the interior covering the floor and serving as the dash which houses two white face Haneline gauges and it's a tidy and clean presentation. A Lokar shifter rises from the transmission tunnel with a bronze flange holding it down and then we have real bronze cover to the driveshaft between the seats. The trunk carries the gas tank and battery.  Drivetrain Up front is a 307ci V8 from 1969, wearing an Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor under a black air intake with a bronze pinstripe. Headers travel a short distance under black valve covers to their termination of outward directed tips. Red ignition wires pop with color on the engine which is backed by a 2-speed Powerglide automatic that routes power to the 10 bolt rear axle. Undercarriage Clean conditions prevail underneath where the brake system features new front discs and new rear shoes. Suspension consists of a transverse leaf spring up front and coil springs with ladder bars in back. We note that the tires have a late 2020 date code.   Drive-Ability You're out in the open, so there's no A/C and based on the blare of the engine when we bring it to life, the absence of a radio is not a surprise. Then, we move the tall shifter to Drive and roll this low buggy onto the test loop where it provides satisfying acceleration, straight tracking, and ground gripping handling helped by the uber low center of gravity. We note the brake lights are not working and the driveshaft is rubbing on the floor which can be visually observed from inside the trunk. Beyond these things, all functions operate as intended and we slide this roadster back to the mall. While Classic Auto Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working at the time of your purchase. Our first thought is that this is surely a bucket of fun, a T-bucket, that is! It's a cross between an amusement park ride and a serious street machine with minimalist construction and a mean looking V8 exposed to the world. If you want to make a dramatic arrival at the next car show or cruise in, look no further than this rod based on a 99 year old car.   Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and collectible vehicles for sa