how to build a T bucket for under $3000 book

hey anyone remember that old how to book that was sold in the backs of old car magazines in the 80 s written by chester greenhalgh it hasnt been published in years and original copies sell for stupid prices , well he must be back on the t bucket forum there is and ad to buy new copies for $9 lol never would have thought that book would be published again heres a link in case someone is nostalgic and remebers the book im talking about http://tbucketplans.com/

 

I have a copy. They used to get ridiculous money on ebay.

I guess I should have sold it!

 

Sweet! I just plopped my $9.99 down! I've wanted to get that book for a long time but refused to pay what people were asking. Too cool, thanks for sharing this captainjunk! You rock!

 

I've got an original copy I bought over 20 years ago.
The book contains a TON of good information BUT some of the info. is really questionable.
For instance there's a section on shortening driveshafts showing how to cut out a section from the center of the shaft and sleeving it for extra strength...Not Good!

 

Chester's actually a traditional rodder at heart. Have you seen his flathead-powered T-bucket that used a '27 Essex frame and the newest part was the '52 Ford pickup instrument cluster. It was a 'glass body, though, but hard to tell.

 

I have one, bought it back around 86. It helped the first time builders on a budget.

 

That's a darn good looking bucket. I have the book also. Some good tips but some scary shit too.

 

I have a copy but its a photo copied edition!! I actually called up chester about 10 yrs ago.Talked to his wife who said the book was out of publication & told me hes living in fla.& designing golf courses!!She seemed really nice.
I'll buy a "real' copy.Got some cool shit in it like how to make a windshield frame out of EMT!!
Jimv

 

for the 10 bux is this soft cover book or a download?
jimV

 

On www.TBucketPlans.com it's specified as an eBook which is downloaded as a PDF file.

 

Buying the book this way was better, in my opinion, as I don't have to tear one apart to make copies of the templates in the book. If I want a hard copy I can either print one off at home, or better yet, wander over to Kinkos and have them make me one printed front and back and bound like a report...just my opinion of course

 

you could buy an entire T off speedway, have it delivered friday and be driving it monday lol

 

Just make sure you ignore the part about welding used tie rods into gas or water pipe. Then there is the part about mounting them without a matching taper.

 

I'd agree it's not ideal, but we all do a lot of makeshift shit to save a buck. It's my understanding the split driveshaft "sleeve" was done primarily to true it, rather than to add strength. To his credit, though, Chester offered it as a solution that had worked on dune buggies he'd built in Nevada and it was meant to be a "give it a try" to see if it might work for you before spending more to get a professional shaft shortening. Kinda' following his whole low-buck, do-it-yourself theme to the book.

 

Many of you that have one of the original spiral-bound editions are thinking "I should have sold it when I had the chance!", when you saw it for sale as an E-Book on PDF for $9.99. Don't be so quick to throw it away. What you have is a genuine, antique piece of Hotrodding history that can easily be identified as an authentic original from a forged copy because my fingerprints (a matter of public record) are on every page of everyone of those books. I personally correalated,cropped, and bound every one of them. There were less than 800 of them ever produced, most have been lost, cut-up, destroyed, loaned to a friend who never returned them, or 'accidentely' thrown in the garbage by a jealous female.
The book is timeless in that it constructs a rod, not from over-the-counter parts, but from raw materials available anywhere. It can be used anywhere in the world with what they have locally available. It will be as useful 40 years from now as it is today, and as it was in 1986. Wherever, and whenever there is a person who wants to build a car themselves, you're likely to find my book. This book, that became a legend in its own time, is the envy of many a hopeful author, who in an attempt to promote a work of their own, will pick it apart with nasty comments. It was, and still is, the source of countless debates, and right or wrong, it has made its mark in hotrod history.
I'm 65 now, and don't know how many years I have left before I fall off the fence, but when I'm gone, this book, that is already a collectors item, might bring one hell of a price! 3 years ago, one sold on E-Bay in Canada for $393, Like I said "Don't be so quick to throw it away!"
Chester Greenhalgh

 

She WAS nice - when she wanted to be. So was her mother, who could never seem to tear her eyes away from my crotch. The barracuda is a beautiful fish.

 

Chester! You really ARE alive! Glad to hear it.

 

...another reason this place never ceases to amaze me.

i've got the '90 copy myself. chester ain't lyin.

 

I've got the pages from a Street Rodder in the mid 90's saved that detailed how to build a bucket for about 5k I think. As a kid I had those pages nearly memorized....Missed Chester's book though, may get the ebook

 

i wore that issue out.
its still my favorite issue ever.

that was the one that made me think... "hey, i could build one of those."

and now i'm starting on my 3rd...

just bought chesters ebook too, just because i like to collect t bucket related plans and tech references.

 

Chester,

I'd like to say thank you for making the book available as an e-book as I wouldn't have been able to get a copy otherwise.

Thanks again,
Rich

 

when i bought my first copy from an ad in the back of a car magazine , i about wore the darn thing out reading and day dreaming about building a cheap t bucket ,always enjoyed that book glad to hear your still on the fence chester and kicking still

 

I remember that Street Rodder too, i rode it around in my work truck for years and read it whenever i was on lunch or taking a break, i probably read that article 1000 times. Does anybody happen to know which issue that was?

 

Chester is a genius! Besides his historic build book, ... Proof is in his writing also on post #15 of this thread. Read it and look at it, even stare at it. There is a cool circular pattern on the left side area that is done with the spacing of the words. Is it pure coincidence, or another true work by the author of a very neat book?

 

i'm pretty sure it was september '96

 

Neat publishing

 

I just bought the e-book, I am in the beginning stages of my model T so I am looking for all the info I can find.

 

Try & get a set of TOTAL Performance plans also.
JimV

 

Butch 27: "scary shit" I love it! That beats "sneaky features" for my all-time favorite comment. You want scary shit? You should have been with me when I launched a 500 ci cad powered VW bug in front of my shop, sitting in an aluminum lawn chair! That story (My wildest ride!) is in my upcoming book, but I'd share it on this forum if I knew how to post it. I can find my way across miles of back country but get lost on a 19" computor screen. Chester

 

Alright some of you computer geeks, show/tell him how to do it. I'd love to read it.