25 replies to this topic

[Bluzboy66]

A 'transitional' version of Roth's Tweedy from a photo I saw in a book years ago was etched in my mind. I decided to build the kit as THAT version......

Mike

[S10man]

I always loved that kit. You did a great job on it.

[Bluzboy66]

I always loved that kit. You did a great job on it.

Thanks. I've got a load of the Roth kits from years gone by. They've always proved to be quite a challenge to build......for me anyways.

Mike

[ramonesblues]

That was the sweetest T-bucket ever built, in my opinion.I started a Tweety Pie 2, a few years ago. Guess I'll have to start working on it again. Really nice job!

[Bluzboy66]

That was the sweetest T-bucket ever built, in my opinion.I started a Tweety Pie 2, a few years ago. Guess I'll have to start working on it again. Really nice job!

I agree. The Tweedy Pie nails the 'look', and Roth knew just what to do to the car. He purchased the car as a basket case, assembled it, and thoroughly messaged the 'look' up until '62 when unveiled it to Rod & Custom (I have an original copy of that magazine - March '62 - see below). I've seen pictures of the car with the shortened bed, different wheels, different intakes, etc. The headlights, I'm not sure of. I like the quads. I put the little white balls (heads of straight pins) in each velocity stack on the engine to mimic a display technique I remember from my childhood.....the owners of the street rods put ping pong balls, tennis balls, super pinkies, etc in the stacks at car shows to keep debris from finding their way into the carbs.

The real trick in building the kit is finding a shade of paint to go with! Every photo and article I have of Tweedy Pie shows the car in a different shade of purple/mauve/ultraviolet. I've decided that the metallic/pearl mauve looks best to my eye, so that's what I went with when I built my version of the car. I would have liked to reproduce the intricate pinstriping that Ed applied just before showing the car to the Rod & Customs guys........BUT........the version I based my build on didn't have the pinstriping yet, so go figure, I didn't have to reproduce it!

Mike

[cruz]

Hey Mike, great to see you around these parts man, nice job on the model, didn't know you were into those, hope to see more of your work man, Parsippany was great today :wink:

[Bluzboy66]

Hey Mike, great to see you around these parts man, nice job on the model, didn't know you were into those, hope to see more of your work man, Parsippany was great today :wink:

Oh yeah. Love the Roth rods. I'm a sucker for all of the Show Car stuff.......even the wacky 70's stuff most folks laughed at. I'll have to show you a pic I have from '73 or so.......Dad took a pic of me standing in front of the custom Bob Hope golf cart. It was a golf cart with a huge fiberglass Bob Hope noggin' as the cab.


Mike

[Mr. Metallic]

Nice build. I am ordering the retro transkit from rep and Min of Md for the TP2 kit. Wasn't the original version flathead powered? That would be another neat build idea, wouldn't it?

[bulldog]

8) that is one sweet looking ride, nice build

[Bluzboy66]

Nice build. I am ordering the retro transkit from rep and Min of Md for the TP2 kit. Wasn't the original version flathead powered? That would be another neat build idea, wouldn't it?

Just found this tidbit of Tweedy Pie info.......

According to the book, "Rat Fink - The Art of Ed 'Big Daddy' Roth" by Douglas Nason & Greg Escalante, Tweedy Pie was originally built by Bob Johnston of Anaheim, California, a car show acquaintance of Roth's.

As for the engine, the March '62 issue of Rod & Custom, Roth's Tweedy Pie had a 270cu.in. '58 Chevy small block V8. It IS possible, however, that Johnston's original car had the flathead. Good question.

More details - from the same '62 Rod & Custom mag....

The car had '51 Ford truck transmission, and a '48 Ford differential and brakes. If there was ever anyone who would appreciate those small details, it would definitely be you guys.

Mike

[bsoder]

Great job on a very cool piece of roddin' history 8) ...B

[Dragon7665]

Tweedy Pie was one of the cars I was Lucky enough to shoot the breeze with Big Daddy about, back when I was 18 8) (Rest in Peace Big Daddy! :cry: )
He stated that he bought Tweedy from Bob Johnston of Anaheim and proceeded to remove the Flathead, and Modify it his Way(Chevy Motor Quad Headlights,T Gas Tank out back to replace the bed, Chrome, and Larry Watson Paint and with Roth Striping).

[Dragon7665]

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Tweedy Pie
Tweedy Pie runs as good as it looks. Engine,tranny,rearend, brakes, electrical, lighting, steering, suspension - everything - is in fine working order.

Year Built: 1962
Body: 1923 Model T Roadster
4" channel over shortened '32 rails, 84 inch wheelbase,forward rake, narrowed rear
'32 Ford grille shell, chopped.
'24 T Fuel Tank
Chrome smoothie firewall
Roth Tubular Chrome Nerf bars
Chromed oil pan
Rolled and pleated white naugahyde interior
Burgundy paint with Roth pinstriping

Engine: 1958 Corvette V8 270
Carburation: Chromed Stromberg 97 6-pack on polished Offy manifold.
Instrumentation: Hand formed dash, four Stewart Warner guages
Transmission: '51 Ford Truck
Differential: '48 Ford Truck, chromed center
Front Axle: '48 Ford
Exhaust: Custom, chromed, interior Maxim-type baffles.
Brakes/Steering '48 Ford Truck, aluminum Ross steering box
Wheels: Chrome reverse with Baby Moons.
Weight: 1700 lbs.

[falcongeorge]

LOVE the rear wheels/tires. There is a nice pic of it before Roth bought it in Andy Southards book, Hot rods of the fifties. GREAT book, by the way.

[falcongeorge]

By the way, The GTX in the background looks a LOT like the one I am building.

[Bluzboy66]

Tweedy Pie was one of the cars I was Lucky enough to shoot the breeze with Big Daddy about, back when I was 18 8) (Rest in Peace Big Daddy! :cry: )
He stated that he bought Tweedy from Bob Johnston of Anaheim and proceeded to remove the Flathead, and Modify it his Way(Chevy Motor Quad Headlights,T Gas Tank out back to replace the bed, Chrome, and Larry Watson Paint and with Roth Striping).

You're a very lucky man. What I would have done to have a moment with the legend himself! I did get to meet George Barris, a living legend in his own right, but Roth really was the king.

Mike

[Bluzboy66]

Man, thanks SP much for that post! The pics are incredible. I may have to add the Roth pinstriping to my model.

Mike

Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Tweedy Pie
Tweedy Pie runs as good as it looks. Engine,tranny,rearend, brakes, electrical, lighting, steering, suspension - everything - is in fine working order.

Year Built: 1962
Body: 1923 Model T Roadster
4" channel over shortened '32 rails, 84 inch wheelbase,forward rake, narrowed rear
'32 Ford grille shell, chopped.
'24 T Fuel Tank
Chrome smoothie firewall
Roth Tubular Chrome Nerf bars
Chromed oil pan
Rolled and pleated white naugahyde interior
Burgundy paint with Roth pinstriping

Engine: 1958 Corvette V8 270
Carburation: Chromed Stromberg 97 6-pack on polished Offy manifold.
Instrumentation: Hand formed dash, four Stewart Warner guages
Transmission: '51 Ford Truck
Differential: '48 Ford Truck, chromed center
Front Axle: '48 Ford
Exhaust: Custom, chromed, interior Maxim-type baffles.
Brakes/Steering '48 Ford Truck, aluminum Ross steering box
Wheels: Chrome reverse with Baby Moons.
Weight: 1700 lbs.

[Bluzboy66]

By the way, The GTX in the background looks a LOT like the one I am building.

Here are a couple of pics of the GTX......one of my favorite modern kits.......




Mike

[Matt T.]

I like it! Well done.

[Bluzboy66]

I like it! Well done.

Thanks Matt!

Mike