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1925 Ford Hot Rod

The "Bridgeport Special"

On the McCutchen Trace at the Elk River, Giles County, TN. August 2016

Way back when the Bridgeport was pretty fresh. Photo by the one and only Spike Kilmer -- http://kilmerphotography.smugmug.com

Researching the Nevels homestead on the McCutchen Trace, Giles County, TN, March 2016

November 1, 2015 -- Carl Fox Road in extreme northeast Giles County, TN.

Researching the Benge Detachment of the Trail of Tears, near Elkton, TN

@ Decatur, Alabama 3rd Fridays Photo by Brad Lackey at Lookout Mountain Photography https://www.lookoutphoto.com/Galleries/Transportation/i-84BnfJz

Fall 2013 Pisgah Pike/McCutcheon Trace, Giles County, Tennessee

"The Birth of Hot Rodding" officially occurred on May 15, 1938. Muroc Dry Lake, that Sunday, saw the first race of the Southern California Timing Association (SCTA). There was a great assortment of hot rods assembled that day with motors from many manufacturers. By the mid-late 1940s the Ford Flathead was the mill of choice, and it enjoyed ample support from all sorts of aftermarket suppliers.

The Bridgeport Special, named for Bridgeport, CT (the machining capitol of the world) is a competent build, a great example of the WWII-era T hot rods.

- 1925 Ford Model T Roadster Body

- Chopped and flipped windshield

- 1927 Ford Model TT Frame, reformed

- 1939 Ford Flathead V8, bored .080 over

- Mercury 4-inch crank

- Stock pistons

- Early 50s Pontiac rods

- Edmunds dual intake

- Dual Stomberg 97s with Sharp-Pilkington tops

- 12-volt generator

- Edelbrock block-script heads

- 1939 Ford 3-speed transmission

- Ford V8 rear spring member

- Custom spreader

- 1946-48 rear spring

- Aftermarket front spring

- 1946-48 axles and drums, 3.25:1 pinion

- School bus seat

- WWII-era aircraft seatbelt

- Ross steering gear with cowl steering

- Sprint car pitman, Ford and custom linkage

- Aftermarket headlights

- Do Ray taillight

- 1935 16-inch Ford wirewheels up front, Ford V8 caps

- 1930s 17-inch Motorwheel wirewheels in back, 1936 Cadillac caps

At the barn in Limestone County, AL

Sugar Creek, Giles-Lawrence County line, summer 2011

On the ancient Ridge Road/Doublehead Trace/Byler Road of the Sipsey Wilderness, Lawrence County, AL

Thanksgiving 2012

Sipsey Wilderness, Lawrence County, AL

Thanksgiving 2012

Engine was replaced 'til I can rebuild the 59Y correctly :\ She got hot at some point(s).

Related

More Cars of the 1920s
More Ford Coverage

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Comments

Brandon on Dec 29, 2012 said:

I thought you raced on DRY lakes! Haha. COOL CAR!

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Anonymous on Dec 29, 2012 said:

Ha! Ha! Sadly, no dry lakes around here.

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ghpcnm on Dec 30, 2012 said:

Great car and great pics. I love those flats...sweet

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Anonymous on May 27, 2013 said:

the best of the best,a great piece of art. bob

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Buckelew on Jun 25, 2013 said:

Thanks, Bob :)

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Anonymous on Nov 21, 2013 said:

I love it ...drive it, it's a car !

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azmusclecar on Feb 12, 2015 said:

How funny, my stepfather used to drive our 1956 Buick into a stream to wash it. As a kid I wondered if he thought it was a boat since he was in the Navy. I'd love to go for a ride in this.........it has to fun. I love motorcycles but don't ride anymore. This could be a suitable replacement.

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Buckelew on Feb 23, 2015 said:

Thanks, azmusclecar. If I'm ever in AZ with the car I'll hook you up.

I was chasing a tuning phantom that day in the creek, and the cooling fan pulled enough moisture upward to irritate the problems.

The two-piece dizzy had a very hard-to-detect crack in the sidewall and lip, causing enough slippage to cause slight misfires and several subsequent pops, sometimes like a machine gun going off. Some folks thought the sight and sound of such a fussy old hot rod rather endearing, but I can assure you it wears on you very quickly.

Since then I put many thousands of miles on the car, and recently put a "new" 59AB motor in place of the 59Y that's now being refreshed. Compared to most other old-style hot rods (even those with new steering components and coils), the Bridgeport SPL is a pleasure to drive.

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azmusclecar on Feb 23, 2015 said:

HA HA HA..chasing a tuning phantom.....I think my stepfather was chasing "beer phantoms" when he took the Buick in to the stream. I'm holding you to your offer if you ever come to AZ. We can't drive your ride in to the streams, there's no water, but we can fake it. :-)

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ghpcnm on Nov 4, 2015 said:

Is there any special significance to the #8 ?

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Buckelew on Nov 4, 2015 said:

Not that I know of. Just commemorating the way cars were identified at the dry lakes back in the day.

The recognized birthdate of "hot rodding" was May 15, 1938. That was the day lake racing was first officially organized. In the early days, the number "8c" would have been designated for the 8th fastest car in the "C" roadster class -- the fastest car in the same class would have donned the number "1c". I think, later on, only the fastest car for each class got the number 1, and the rest of the numbers were first come, first serve. Or something like that.

I'll ask my 90+ year-old friend, Trader Jack, about that. He raced for a few years.

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ghpcnm on Nov 4, 2015 said:

I thought perhaps it was for 8 cyl.

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Dan_Stanco on Mar 9, 2019 said:

Flatheads Forever!! FORDS Forever

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