Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club

November 2006: The Los Gatos High School Speedster Project is currently focused on two main areas; lowering the frame and restoring the engine. The frame-lowering design is complete and work has begun on both the front and rear frame lowering parts. A Model T engine has been purchased and is currently being disassembled. New main bearings will have to be obtained plus some work on the valves. A machine shop to do this work is being sought.

December 2006: The first photo shows Robert working on the brackets to Z (lower) the back frame. The brackets are finished and will be welded to the frame and cross-member. The next two photos show Joseph and Mike working on positioning the axle in front of the frame and making sure that it is aligned correctly prior to welding the lowering mechanism. The last photo shows Mike working on a combined Ruckstell shifting and parking brake mechanism under the guidance of Peder.

January 2007: Lowering of the rear frame has been accomplished by the students who made a Z box welded from sheet metal. In the second photo, Joseph is measuring to see that the front axle is perpendicular to the frame after installing the modified wishbone. Mike and Robert are testing the position of the steering wheel with a simulated driver's seat. In the last photo, Mike is determining the position of the modified hand brake mechanism. This mechanism combines the hand brake with the Ruckstell shifter.

February 2007: Effort has shifted to the transmission and motor. Here, Robert and Mike are disassembling the transmission. Everything was removed from the flywheel including the magnets. A second transmission was disassembled and the best parts from both will be used to build the final assembly. A 1924 Model T engine was completely disassembled. The next step will be cleaning and magnafluxing.

March 2007: In the first photo, Brianna is working on a PowerPoint presentation that will be given to local civic organizations to tell what the LGHS Speedster Project is all about and to seek donations to the project. Robert and Joseph are setting up the lathe to finish the bracket for the rear stabilizing bars. Robert is shown working on an intake/exhaust manifold for the speedster engine. Students are working with Steve to restore the Ruckstell.

April 2007: In the first two photos, Joseph is working with his advisor to determine and measure where the plates will be welded to box in the frame for additional strength. In the next photo, Robert is smoothing the ring gear in preparation of installing it in the Ruckstell. In the last photo, Joseph is installing the clutch discs in the rebuilt transmission.

May 2007: The first photo shows Joseph marking the rear radius rod for length. The end of the radius rods were cut off to attach to the tie-rod or steering rod ends. In the second photo, Robert is machining a block that will eventually become the rear Ruckstell shifting assembly. In the next photo, Joseph is removing the brake drums so that they can be used on the Chevy disk wheels. In the last photo, Mike is finishing a bracket for the hand brake/Ruckstell shifter.

August 2007: Progress has been made during the school summer break. The first photo shows a rolling chassis with installed motor. The next two photos shows Joseph working with Jim to make brackets for the steering column and coil. The last photo shows Joseph mounting the coil in its temporary position on the frame.

September 2007: With the start of the new school year, the Speedster Club has gained some new members. In the first photo, Tyler and Clayton (with some assistance) are attaching the radiator rod to the firewall. In the second photo, Austin and Joseph are applying grease to the wheel bearings. In the third photo, Austin is working on attaching the spark advance rod to the distributor. In the last photo, Mike is working on the attachment of the hogs head to the frame.

October 2007: After reinstalling the tire on the rim, Lynn is tightening the bolts of the rim to the wheel. In the second photo, James is adding ignition and charging wiring. In the third photo, CJ and Cutter are adding wood to the firewall to simulate the final firewall design. In the last photo Lynn is making cardboard sections that will define the body.

October 2007: The students are designing and creating the body of the speedster using cardboard. After several iterations, they feel that they have the body style that they want. Next step is to convert the cardboard to sheet metal.

November 2007: Although work continues on the speedster body, the focus of the students activities this month has been on the rear axle and the Ruckstell. Here the students are getting prepared to install the floating rear hubs, brake drums and hubs.

December 2007: As the year comes to a close, we find Mike marking a tire and wheel before removing the tire in preparation of painting the wheels. CJ and James are cleaning the rear axle in the next photo. Lynn is shown taping the brake lining and then painting the axle. The rear axle, torque tube, Rocky Mountain brakes and miscellaneous parts are being painted.

January 2008: The main focus of the speedster project is on the body. In the first two photos, Joseph is attaching the wood frame that will provide the bottom anchor of the metal body. In the third photo, a student is putting the final touches on the Ruckstell rear end. In the last photo Lynn is preparing the front axle for painting.

February 2008: In the first photo, Lynn is applying the final black paint to the front axle. In the next photo, Joseph and Robert are working on the wood base in preparation of adding the wood frame for the body. In the third photo Joseph and Lynn are painting the frame. And in the last photo, Joseph and Lynn continue to work on the wood buck off the T frame.

 March 2008: In these photos, Joseph, Lynn and Robert are adding ribs to the wood buck.

 April 2008: In the first photo, Joseph calculates the size of the gas tank based upon the area available in the boat tail. Joseph and Clayton begin cutting the aluminum sheetmetal for the boat tail. Clayton is shown in the third photo beginning his apprentise on the French wheel to form the boat tail. In the last photo, Robert is working on installing the new intake manifold.

 May 2008: In the first photo, James is removing the burrs from part of the exhaust manifold. The next photo shows Robert smoothing the surface of the exhaust manifold that attaches to the block.

 September 2008: The 2008 - 2009 school year has begun and the Speedster Club is back at work with some new students. In the first photo we see students working to clean a newly acquired block. In the second photo Robert is welding the exhaust pipe. In the third and fourth photo the students are shortening the length of the wheel bolts.

 November 2008: In the first one student is using a punch to provide a lock for the hub bolts. In the second photo one student is adjusting the tow-in. In the thrid photo students are adding cotter pins to castle nuts and in the forth photo, CJ is adding a bracket to support the tail pipe.

December 2008: This month, the students focused on putting in all cotter pins, greasing all fittings and cleaning the chassis. Work has restarted on the body aluminum. In the last photo, one of the students is annealing the aluminum to make it more workable.

 January 2009: In the first photo, Sean is making a cardboard markup of the battery box. In the next photo Joseph is restoring a carburetor for the speedster. CJ is making boots for the tie-rod adjustments. And in the last photo Mike is preparing the Ruckstell shift lever for adding the knob.

 February 2009: The boattail is finally taking shape. It is made of several formed sheets of aluminum. In the second photo, Robert is practicing his skills in welding aluminum. In the third photo, Joseph and Sean are designing the gas tank which must fit in the tail section. In the last photo, Sean is making the Ruckstell shifter rod.

 March 2009: Joseph and Sean begin to cut the thick aluminum for the gas tank. In the second photo, Sean is preparing part of the as tank for welding. Robert is welding a bracket on the rear frame that will be part of the structure to hold the gas tank. In the forth photo, the group is working on the additional parking brake assembly.

 April 2009: The first photo shows Sean putting the finish touches on the cowl frame. In the second, CJ is welding the table that will support the gas tank. In the third, Robert is welding the gas inlet to the gas tank. In the last photo, CJ is adding an aluminum plate to the firewall.

 May 2009: In the first photo, Sean and Joseph are fabricating the hold-down straps for the gas tank. In the second photo, Sean is applying rubber to the tank table in preparation of adding the gas tank. In the third and forth photos, Rishen is working on the parking brake linkage.

 June 2009: In the first two photos, Sean is heating a gas pedal linkage to form it and then he assembles it to the speedster. In the last two photos, CJ is cutting and filing one of the sheet aluminum panels for the hood.

 July 2009: Evan is fitting the hood panels in the first photo with the piano hinges. In the second photo, he fits the assembled hood to the radiator and firewall. Here's a photo of the speedster as of July. In the last photo CJ attaches the panio hinge to the top part of the hood.

 August 2009: In the first three photos, we see Sean, Miles, Joseph and CJ installing the master disconnect, starter solenoid and switch panel. In the last photo, Joseph is filing down the welds on the inside of the body.

 September 2009: Due to the catastrophic failure of the fiber timing gear during a test drive, the motor has been removed from the chassis. Here the students have removed the crankcase and transmission to clean them of timing gear debris and to replace worn parts.

 October 2009: Work this month focused on disassembling the engine and cleaning all the parts. Replacement parts have been ordered. Work continues on smoothing the tail section of the body.

 December 2009: In the first photo Sean is placing the keepers on the new valves. Miles is removing a little brake shoe material because it causes the rear wheel to bind. Rider is applying shrink tubing to the starter and solenoid cables ends. In the last photo, the guys are installing the transmission to the motor.

 February 2010: In the first photo, Joseph and Ryder are fixing the throttle of the carburetor. CJ tightens the screws on the hood. The third photo shows the speedster nearing completion with the students and Mr. Muntz. In the last photo, Joseph is putting the final touch on the wiring.

 On June 13, 2010, the Los Gatos High School entered the 41st Endurance Run hosted by the Santa Clara Valley Model T Ford Club. The speedsster was driven by Doug Muntz with mechanics Joseph Hsieh and Sean Powers. They completed the 200 mile event without any problem and received an award for an high school spreedster participation.