Speedster Kit

I built a speedster using the kit from Rootlieb which I bought through Bratton's. I have had it on the road for three years. My wife and I have a great time with it. It is a crowd pleaser. Not many speedsters in this part of the country. Howie
 

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Some questions for anyone who has done a Rootlieb speedster...can you buy the modified spark and throttle controls you need to install?
What is involved in repositioning the pedals?
Where do you get the resized steering arm?
 
Skrain said:
Some questions for anyone who has done a Rootlieb speedster...can you buy the modified spark and throttle controls you need to install?
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I have a little homemade bell crank linkage that is attached to the top of the engine.
What is involved in repositioning the pedals?
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There is no need to change the brake and clutch pedals. For the gas I am using a Fulton pedal with a linkage about four inches long.
Where do you get the resized steering arm?
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Cut the original and weld in an extension section as required.
 
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Sparky said:
I have a little homemade bell crank linkage that is attached to the top of the engine.d
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That is what I did to, I turned a ring that fit over a head nut, made a small divot in the nut for the head of a screw to fit into, and made a Bell-crank that attached to the ring to transfer the linkage over the head. Locknuts and loctite seem as though it will keep in place.

I guess you can simply bend the Spark Advance rod. Most sane folks do,:p but I really do not like the looks of the bent rod. I used a throttle rod set to each side of the Bell-crank.
 

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howie123 said:
I built a speedster using the kit from Rootlieb which I bought through Bratton's. I have had it on the road for three years. My wife and I have a great time with it. It is a crowd pleaser. Not many speedsters in this part of the country. Howie
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Howie, that Speedster is very nice! What color is it? I am leaning towards Sage Green for mine.
 
The color is called Cactus green. It was a Ford pick-up color from the 70's. The fenders and splash aprons are black. Hood, fenders and trunk are pinstriped in red to match the wheels. Ford script on the gas tank is also matching red. I extended the spark and throttle linkage by cutting in the middle and making a sleeve to go in between. The spark linkage had to be bent for clearance. I was not able to make the pedals work by bending alone. I had to cut them and weld in a piece to extend them. The drag link was cut and a piece welded in to extend it the same amount the steering box was moved.
 
Thank you Howie for the additional information. You did a nice job on it, feel free to post additional photos or a photo album. If possible, I would appreciate seeing more of it.
 
Bill O'Brien said:
Please keep the pics coming!!

Has anyone build a Speedster and lowered it for a better center of gravity??
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Note the dog leg put into the chassis by the foot step on this speedster at Model A Day in Sharon, WI a while back. It did a nice job of lowering the car by 3 or 4 inches.

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Is there a reason that speedsters are mostly all 28/29. I have been having an urge to build a 31 speedster. Maybe with some 32 parts and a B engine and trans with later gears. Has anyone suggestions or pictures?
 
It is because Rootlieb is the only one currently building a kit, and their kit uses the 28~29 Radiator. I am building a '31, although it uses an A engine and Chassis it is probably crossing the line into a Hot Rod, but I think that line is pretty thin where Model A Speedsters are concerned.
 
I have silently watched this thread, not wanting to interfere with the sale and enjoyment of the speedster originally discussed, until it was stated that there was only one builder of speedster "kits". I still don't want to interfere, but there is certainly more than one builder. For your enjoyment have a look at www.olympic-speedsters.com and call or email them if you want more pics . BTW, somewhere in the website there is a statement indicating that for administrative reasons, the shop is closed. Nope, the shop is very busy. Also, BTW, the reason the '28/'29 radiator is chosen is because it sits more than an inch lower than the later ones and makes the whole body lower.
 
Thank you Jim, I had forgotten about Olympia. Although I did not know that they built a "Kit" as. I indicated that Rootlieb does. I have not seen kits for sale on their website. They gave me the impression that they are a contract fabrication shop.
 
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