A fascination with sports isn’t the exclusive province of the young. The next photos show some sports at high altitude. Think back to those commercials on TV; they’re selling a popular brand of sports drink. Various companies use craft ranging from Bell JetRangers to Eucoreil AStars, but the brand probably isn’t as important as having a craft that’s well-maintained and equipped with appropriate safety equipment, such as fixed floats or an inflatable flotation system if you’re going to be flying over bodies of water. And some drivers’ cars might be sponsored by insurance companies. Encouraged by the result, he laid plans for building an initial batch of 10 cars. Future GM cars promise to have dashboards free of control panels. For example, the small cowl lights on some cars are top-quality reproductions from California (Ford rebuilts have been used when available), and the door handles journey all the way from Hong Kong. According to the Early Ford V-8 Club’s magazine V-8 Times, he was forced to sell his pristine 1940 Ford V-8 Deluxe coupe to finance the venture.
Right alongside them, at near identical prices, were the bucket-seat Sport Fury convertible and a pair of two-door hardtops, as Plymouth now offered a choice of hardtop coupe rooflines: a conventional notchback (duplicated in bench-seat Fury III trim) with tapered C-pillars, and a new «Fast Top» style with the same profile but big triangulated quarters that made magnificent obstructions for parking and lane-changing. Within their boxy little bodies they carried the same spirited powerplant and superb suspension — not to mention the same distinctive grille shell — that delighted Sprint and Spider owners, and brought many of the joys of sports-car driving to those forced for practical reasons to opt for four doors. He also knew that original bodies would be hard to come by. The attrition that made 1934 roadster bodies hard to come by in the beginning naturally affected body panel and hardware supplies. There’s more to the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster body than meets the eye. The unique character and special appeal of the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster are easily understood once you understand how the car is made. In the next section, take a closer look inside the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster and also take a peek under the hood.
Timmis’s twin passions — authenticity and uncompromising quality — extend to the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster interior, which is virtually indistinguishable from stock apart from a dash that’s finished in body color instead of woodgrain. In the unlikely event you ever get close to a Timmis-Ford, the first thing you’ll probably notice is its flawless rumble-seat roadster coachwork, which faithfully duplicates every 1934 curve, line, and angle down to the last millimeter. Because the 1949s were the first Fords to abandon the firm’s old-fashioned transverse-leaf-spring rear suspension, use of their final drive assembly requires it be mounted on twin longitudinal semi-elliptic leaf springs. The first Ford to wear the Mustang badge was a sleek, midengine experimental created in 1961. Its spirit inspired the production pony car. The Roadster’s interior is pure 1934 Ford except for the non-woodgrain dash. As on any 1934 Ford, the flathead V-8 is mated in the Timmis-Ford V-8 Roadster to a three-manual gearbox with floor-mounted lever.
Steering wheels are supplied by Bob Drake, dash knobs and door sills by Dennis Carpenter, two names well known in early Ford V-8 circles. Those who have driven the Timmis-Ford V-8 Roadster — a rare privilege as you might imagine — say it performs better than even the best restored 1934. There’s also the pleasure of savoring the newness of a genuine vintage machine. The beautiful leatherette upholstery, which naturally extends to the rumble seat, is cut from a pattern made by Andrew Timmis himself, and the best solid brass is used for the windshield frame and A-posts. At the heart of it is a genuine Ford flathead V-8, remanufactured by Ford of Canada from «virgin» engines (unbored blocks) personally selected by Andrew Timmis. Body hues number 10, but you could probably get most any color — as long as Andrew Timmis agrees. Supporting the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster’s carefully crafted fiberglass body is a genuine 1934 Ford frame, which is cleaned, checked on a jig, reconditioned where necessary, and painted before any chassis components are installed. Accordingly, Chicago Bears Hats & Knits a number of these items are specially crafted for the Timmis-Ford V8 Roadster either by the company or by one of its 250 suppliers located in 10 different countries around the globe.