Off to visit Total Performance

[Mike]

I'll be leaving for CT, early tomorrow morning. I've been exchanging e-mails with Brian for several weeks and it is now time to go satisfy my own curiosity on the differences in body styles and seat options. Good Lord willing and the creek don't rise, I'll be meeting Brian on Saturday morning and plunking down some money before I leave to head back this way.

 

[Mike]

For any of you that have yet to visit Total Performance, let me urge you to take the time to do so.

We were there on Saturday morning and burned up a lot of Brian's time. In addition to him absolutely gut-hooking me on a kit, we also took a tour of the shop. Having spent a bit of time working for McKinney Corp. Race Cars, I have a pretty good idea of what goes on in that type of shop. Total has got a LOT going on, in a very small space. I was impressed.

And yes, I left a deposit on a kit whilst there. Unfortunately, my meager budget wouldn't allow for me to fully pay for a kit, but I'll get there a step at a time.

I'll try to post some pictures, in the next day or so.

 

[odie]

i have seen alot of the total,ccr, and spirit cars, and don't know which i like the best. they all have their strong points. i did meet bc that owns spirit last year at the ntba nats in mountain home, he's a really nice fella, they where showing alot of their new stuff like the 27 roadster they got going. they have also started a new fiberglass top for the 26/27 t's too.

odie

 

[Used]

I have seen a lot of different buckets. I've never had any problems with Total, everything bolts up, and they usally have good directions to help you along. Their "Assembly Manual" Is GREAT and worth the money! You can even save some $s by making some of the brackets yourself.

 

[Mike]

What have you fellows used in building your cars? A mixture of parts, home-brew parts, a single manufacturer, etc.?

The part I really like about Total is that you can fabricate what you will and purchase from them what you will. And you can depend on the components purchased from them fitting as they should.

There is always the 'pitfall' of building a cookie-cutter car, by using a packaged kit, but I can see a lot of places where individual personality can be built into the details of the cars.

I saw a couple of areas on the Total house car that had what I personally feel to be safety shortcomings, so those will be areas I will address on my own. It's those types of changes that introduce individualism into a car.

Will everyone see those changes? No and neither will they necessarily appreciate them. There will be those that will know and understand and there will be those that will never know and never be able to understand. :toast:

 

[odie]

i have built most of mine home brewed. i bought a 26 roadster body, some 2x3 box tubing and started building. i'm a member of the national t-bucket alliance so i had a place to ask questions. i used a pinto frontend and a 8" rear. still got to get the steering colum in, brakes, fuel tank, and wiring to be a running car. i have both the ccr and total manuals but have not use them till now to make the brake peddal setup, but the total book does not give you all the messurements (spelling) either so some of it you will have to guess, the ccr does not have the brake peddal pattern in it at all.

odie

 

[Mike]

Sounds like a slick project. I take it you are using the IFS and the rack and pinion steering?

And you are correct - brake pedal geometry can be confounding.

 

[odie]

yes i do have the ifs and the rack. i rode in a 27 roadster that belongs to a fellow member at the mt. home nats, and belive i made the right choice for me. i burned out a tp style brake peddel out of 1/2" plate and i am going to extend the rod like the spirit setup so my master cylinder will not be under the dash it will be in the open part of the cockpit. now for a model t seat spring.

odie