Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

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Rob
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Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Rob » Thu Jun 06, 2019 6:54 am

My first drive with the Ford racer. My initial conclusion?
She's fast...... 8-)

Link:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/5tmay5vhten5w ... M.mov?dl=0

IMG_3452.PNG

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CudaMan
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by CudaMan » Thu Jun 06, 2019 8:53 am

Congratulations, great video! :)

Will you be bringing it to Hershey?
Mark Strange
Hillsboro, MO
1924 Cut-off Touring (now a pickup)

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Rob
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Rob » Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:16 am

Mark, I hope to bring it and the K or F. We'll see how things go this summer.

Another video showing the engine "barking" a bit:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/o8j9gob0dnskx ... M.mov?dl=0

IMG_3458.PNG


MWalker
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by MWalker » Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:23 am

Dayyyyuuummmm!! That's nice!

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Quickm007
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Quickm007 » Thu Jun 06, 2019 9:33 am

Great sharing this with us! Very nice car! ;)
Super Mario Bross ;)

1911 Touring
1914 Speedster


DHort
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by DHort » Fri Jun 07, 2019 12:41 am

A canadian teaching an american how to drive a new ford. Priceless. Car looks super Mr Rob. When I get to Nebraska can I touch it? :)


Wayne Sheldon
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Fri Jun 07, 2019 4:59 am

( I don't get "speechless" very often.)

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Rob
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Rob » Fri Jun 07, 2019 8:01 pm

We have our first speed record. This was on a curvy stretch, so not much chance to let her out:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/8alqxy0ct2tql ... M.mov?dl=0

IMG_3478.PNG


DHort
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by DHort » Sat Jun 08, 2019 12:03 pm

I see you didnt get a chance to get it out of low on that curvy road. Sounds good.

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Rob
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Rob » Sat Jun 08, 2019 4:08 pm

This motor has incredible torque. Even with 3:1 diff and 32 inch tires you shift to high at about 10-15mph. After that, you accelerate as quickly as the clutches allow. 58 mph on that road is now our highest speed.


Daniel828
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Daniel828 » Sun Jun 09, 2019 5:34 pm

Rob , is this car based on the fairgrounds racer with frank pictured in the drivers seat? If so how’d you get a pic of the exhaust side of the car ? This is a very cool build I’ll have to go back and read your build write up on it
Thanks and keep up the good work


Wayne Sheldon
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Wayne Sheldon » Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:14 pm

Daniel B, If you haven't been following this for the past year or so, you have missed a lot of fantastic history and discussion! That car is built up from one of two (Maybe three?) surviving Ford "Special" engines built by Ford for racing between 1910 and 1912. The exact number of such engines originally built is not known, but somewhere between five and maybe seven (could be a couple more?) of differing displacements were built. The only other one known to survive is in the Henry Ford collection/museum with its original 410 cid motor. Rob's is right about 300 cid, and the chassis is faithfully recreated from photographs of the original Ford Factory racers using original pieces as used by Ford on the original cars.

I highly recommend searching out and reading as many of the threads about this build and the original cars and racing history as you can find. It may take a couple hours to read it all. Easiest way may be to search by Rob's postings for the past year and a half.

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Retro54
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Retro54 » Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:18 pm

Rob... fantastic! Want to shake your hand at Hershey!

So, when does the book come out? I want to pre-order a copy!

Andy B

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John Warren
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Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by John Warren » Sun Jun 09, 2019 6:54 pm

Very Nice, so see you in Lincoln? I did get my engine back and am currently getting it back together.
24-28 TA race car, 26 Canadian touring, 25 Roadster pickup, 14 Roadster, and 11AB Maxwell runabout
Keep it simple and keep a good junk pile if you want to invent something :P

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Topic author
Rob
Posts: 1431
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First Name: Rob
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Location: Eastern Nebraska

Re: Back in the USA - my first drive with the Ford special racer

Post by Rob » Tue Jun 11, 2019 8:58 am

John, just saw these last posts. Yes, I'll be in Lincoln.

Wayne, as far as I can tell, Ford made 8 or more motors.

The exhaust manifold was made up, and based on drawings from THF, I think only one cyl should exhaust out the fake tank, the other three our straight pipes through the hood.

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