Last updated on March 20, 2024
Today’s car is a 1923 Ford Model T-Bucket owned by Bill Young. I photographed this car at the 2024 Muscle Car Show at the Zimmerman Automobile Driving Museum, located in El Segundo, CA. The car is finished in yellow with a chocolate brown interior. It is powered by a Ford Flat Head stroker that has 285 cu in with big valves and a big cam, Offenhauser heads, and a S.Co.T supercharger with twin Stromberg 97s carburetors. It is mated 3-speed Cruise-O-Matic transmission with 4.11:1 rear axle. Slowing this beauty down are Corvette disc brakes in the front and early Corvette drum brakes in the rear. The front suspension is a dropped solid axle with a transverse semi-elliptical leaf spring, while the rear suspension solid axle with coil over shock absorbers..
Bill, bought the car in 1970 as a basket case. He attended the Roadster Show came home and finish the car on that Thursday in 1977. I do not know if he found some needed parts at the flea market or was inspired by what he saw at the Roadster Show? The car was pin stripped by Steve Feinberg who was well known in the area. When Bill was building the car he needed U Joints, he was at Rosecrans Auto Parts and they told Bill, they had a pair of u joints that were guaranteed for life. Bill told them there wasn’t a pair of joint that he couldn’t break! Well, they are still in the car today!! The headers were built by Rose muffler on Rosecrans as separate pipes since they did not build headers. They were originally on the car they’re still there 45 years later, and they have Kawasaki motorcycle baffles inserted and have been re-chrome 4 times.
The Ford Model T’s were produced from 1909 to 1927 with a total 0f 14,690,510 being built with 2,011,125 being produced in 1923 and of those 246,817 were trucks. 1923 was the Model T’s best year and is still today the highest annual production figure ever achieved by a single model!
I just love the detail that Bill put into the build of this car. You can see that the extra effort has paid off after 45 years. What a great car to take to custom car shows, Cars and Coffee events, or just cruising around Southern California and taking it to the LA Roadster Show. Thank you for riding along. Frank
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