The lives of road cars and race cars can be vastly different. Where a road car can soldier on for decades, a race car will usually only serve as a useful tool until the next “latest-and-greatest” machine takes its place. That means that many of these cars are discarded to make way for these inevitable upgrades. They usually see out their days in sheds or barns, or they will be dismantled for any useable parts, with the remains being sent off for scrap. However, this 1923 Ford Model T Altered has avoided that fate, and its owner has returned it to active duty. He has decided to part with this remarkable classic, so he has listed it for sale here on eBay. It is located in Fairview, Oregon, and while the bidding has reached $11,900, the reserve hasn’t been met.

The owner of this Ford is pretty candid about it. He says that it is not perfect, but even though he refreshed the car in 2015, it retains all of the feel and character that it would have possessed when it first hit the strip back in the 1960s. Its history is not clear, but the tubular steel chassis is original. The owner says that while some of the welds look a bit rough, the car is rock-solid. He uses it for regular competition work, and it has never had any issues passing tech inspections. That means that eagle-eyed scrutineers have had no problems with the build quality of the car. Draped over the chassis is a fiberglass body, and apart from a single crack in the rear deck, it is in good condition. The owner has laid on a deep shade of green paint that contains lots of metal-flake. It looks good in the sunlight, but I suspect that it would look spectacular under lights. In a bid to retain as much of its nostalgic appeal as possible, all of the signage has been handpainted. This was the most common way things were done when this car was initially built, and while recreating that look in vinyl is possible today, the owner has chosen to be as faithful as possible to the look and feel of the 1960s. The Altered rolls on a set of vintage magnesium wheels, which are in excellent condition. These are fitted with a relatively new set of M&H slicks on the rear and Goodyear Super Eagle tires up front.

Sometimes potential buyers can find the thought of purchasing any race car to be daunting. We’ve all heard stories about how these vehicles can become bottomless pits of time and money and of old jokes about how the best way to make a small fortune in racing is to start with a large fortune. This prospect drives many potential owners away from the sport before they can even begin, but that shouldn’t be the case with this Altered. The drivetrain is about as bulletproof as they come, and it offers the promise of plenty of enjoyable competition miles without the need to apply for a second mortgage. It is powered by a 327ci Chevrolet V8 that is backed by a manual-shift Turbo 350 transmission and a Tri-Five Posi rear end. The owner has equipped the V8 with Hillborn injection, Zoomie headers, and an electric water pump and cooling fan. The transmission features a functioning reverse gear, and the owner says that the car can be driven to the line under its own power. Thanks to the water pump and fan, it can also sit and idle without cooking itself. The owner has recently had the injection system rebuilt by Hillborn, and he says that this is not a demanding racer. Potential buyers shouldn’t be worried about hours of tweaking and tuning before each event, as the car is a low-maintenance turn-key classic. It also offers exhilarating performance. It easily clocks 6-second passes on the ⅛-mile at 110mph. That doesn’t make it the fastest thing on four wheels, but it is still impressive for the type and age of this classic racer.

The interiors of race cars are not designed with long-term comfort in mind. These are practical environments that contain only the essentials. Forget carpet and air conditioning. Anything that adds weight or saps performance is deemed surplus to requirements by the builder and is consigned to the trash. What the buyer will be getting for their money is a body-hugging race seat, a racing harness, some essential switches and gauges, and little else. The interior of the Altered appears to be period correct and is in excellent condition. The owner says that he has no issues with squeezing under those hefty rollbars, even though he is 6′ tall. He has also managed to get taller drivers in there, so potential buyers should find that reassuring. I can’t see any problems here, but I will say one thing from experience. Race cars can look tempting from the outside, but your perspective changes once you slip into a seat surrounded by a network of bars. They quickly transform from tempting to addictive, and owners find themselves longing for the next meeting where they can get their next adrenaline “fix.” Those who have done it know what I mean, and those that haven’t need to experience it for themselves.

While so many cars like this 1923 Ford Model T Altered were left to languish, historic racing machinery has become more desirable over the past couple of decades. Once considered as fit for scrap as technology overtook them, these cars have now become highly-prized by enthusiasts. This Altered isn’t the first classic racer that we’ve seen here at Barn Finds, and you can be sure that it won’t be the last. If you feel like you would like to recapture the feel of the swinging 60s, this could be a car that is worth a closer look.