Short But Sweet: Jack Runner’s 1923 Ford Roadster Pickup

If you talk to enough car guys and gearheads at shows, you start to associate certain cars with certain people; they just seem to match or “click”, if you will. We talked to such a person at the Goodguys Del Mar Nationals a couple of weeks ago: Jack Runner, a retired engineer living in the San Diego area with all the build skill and time some of us can only dream of.

Runner brought to the event his short but sweet little ’23 Ford roadster pickup, nicknamed “T-REX” (literally, “King of the T”). With its fiberglass body, aftermarket tube chassis, big motor, and quick-change rearend, the car was built as a tribute to the early 60s racing technology that Runner was so fond of.

The engine is a 59 AB flathead V8 fitted with a GMC supercharger and four Stromberg 48 carburetors, all working in sync and modified to work with alcohol fuel. Runner made his own adapter to fit a 200R4 transmission to the motor, and the power goes out to the quick-change rearend with 3.23:1 gears. It all comes together to make for a decent highway cruiser, albeit one with some high-performance glamour as well.

“It’s street-legal, but it’s not something I would drive very often,” joked Runner. “It’s more a race or show-type car to me. A little over the top, but that’s just the way I like it.”

The pickup took Runner from 2012 to just before the Goodguys show to complete, but he confessed that it was still a work in progress. “With all this stuff from the 1960s on here, it is by definition used,” he said. “So when I get a chance to get a better hose line or gauge or whatever, I try to use that instead of the part I have.”

Given that explanation, you can imagine that Runner’s to-do list is never lacking in tasks. The next one won’t be all work, however: “Next up is to take it to the drag strip!” he stated.

With his experience and unique perspective, we don’t think Runner and his ride will be a disappointment on the blacktop. Here’s to hoping it all goes well and the man has more stories to tell when we see him again.