Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

HA!! Nice comeback, Mr Mac....Any more pics to share?

 

The owner of the bucket with the Hemi was Martin Ward, you remember the car in my avatar? JW

 

Ok, How about a bucket of ugly.

 

Oh, Boy....Mr Mac...Nice Job. Seeing what you started with makes the finished car a source of pride, no doubt. Hey....JW....Martin Ward`s name rings a bell with me...Was he a Hutt Valley guy? I`m also sure I remember your car, but the colour doesn`t seem right. Let`s face it--30 years is a long time ago......I`m getting like Gary....Can`t remember what I had for Breakfast.....

 

He was from Wellington, i will try and find a pic of it and we are all getting old !! JW

 

I see no ugly there Mac. Okay maybe the white steering wheel. But then you saw that too and changed it. Sixties stuff and yours is defiantly a fifties bucket. Just enough RADICALITY. It looks a lot like my build about the same stage. Ugly '60s steering wheel and all.
Gary

 

Gary...Those pics have to date back over 30 years, yes? I`m going to try to get a few things down out of the rafters today and work on the T this afternoon......CHIP...I SAY CHIP......CALLING CHIP.....I know it`s your busy time.....still curious about that Interior...

 

Paul

Your pretty close to right. I'm thinking middle '80s.

 

At 70 years old I have seen very few 26-27 "FAD T'S" that grab me, but I like this blue one,, can we have a lot more pictures? front views ?

 

Verde…I feel the same and we are the same age. You know what makes you feel young? Hanging out with 80 + year olds. One of my 80 something friends dropped a pen and asked me if I would pick it up for him because I was ONLY 70.
There was a nice short wheelbase light metallic blue 26-27 roadster out in the '50s with fiberglass bucket seats (Maybe somebody can post a picture of it) and I think flathead power. I remember seeing it at the 50th Grand Nationals at the S.F. Cow Palace.

 

Thanks, Verde how about this one.

 

Mac… I like it better with each picture. Sits nice too. Looked kinda high in the last photo. What grill is that, looks Chevy. It sits nice and low too. Not as low as Norms but about as low as mine. Isn't it great not building a klone. You can add your own special touches.

 

Rebel... I wondered when someone was going to ask about the grill. Your right 33 -34 chevy,found it and the dash which is in the car also at a garage sale here in town. Yes, I would never build a clone of anything.

 

That is so funny Gary....... " You are younger then me, so can you pick up that screwdriver please." Well guys, the way I am feeling today, all I can say is, " You all wait until you reach my age " then you will understand old.

Now I'm curious to know just when did guys start building the front ends with the spring behind the axle instead of on top ? With the spring behind, didn't it allow the whole car to sit lower without the high spring mount blocking the radiator ? I personally prefer the low down look of my car then what appears the norm. I will put a photo up but will have to apologize for " That Ugly White Steering Wheel " I have and like. Shit, see I must be old as for the life of me, I can't work out how to post a picture as I keep getting the message that there is a fault. Oh well never mind, and yes I did shrink it.

 

Hey guys, Looks like you are clucking along just fine without me! I was supposed to be almost completely un-busy this week, and then, well, suddenly I wasn't! Just rolled in a bit ago from the latest, installing automatic door openers, solenoids, billet door handles and multi pin door jamb switches into a Coast to coast type '37 (remember those?!) that is already painted and finished... Oh, and to up the difficulty points, it has been through 3 different "builders" who have lost the directions and hardware for all the Auto-Loc and Spal Chinese goodness... I can feel my hair thinning...

I haven't forgot the upholstery stuff gang. I have the lower seat cushion done and photographed, but as you may have noticed I have been a bit spotty around here the last couple of weeks. If I have time before I run out to the wrecking yard tomorrow, (time to pull a Jag XJ6 Front end and rear end out for another customer's '56 F100 big window truck) I'll post the first phase of what I have done... It's mildly awesome if I do say so myself!

Oh, might as well share last weekend too!
So, Thursday, I roll into my buddy Ronnie Olmstead's compound to pretty up some brake lines I had been promising for ever to do for his '60 Ford 2dr. wagon. I find Ronnie completely under the hood of a nice original/slightly restored '29 "A" special coupe, that is kinda partially disassembled. Seems a buddy of his had just got the car from another family member, and it had been in his family since '53. It hadn't gone more than a mile or two since '65 though, and he wanted to re-commission it in time for his Horseless Carriage Club's annual Christmas tour, last Sunday. Terry the owner was over whelmed, and asked Ronnie for help, and by the furrowed brow on the top of Ronnie's head, he was in the same boat!

Time to jump in! From Thursday afternoon to Saturday evening, we/I did a Weber progressive carb and manifold, header, exhaust, 12 volt conversion, electric fuel pump with a relay, (what got me roped into this deal in the first place!) re wired headlights, set the ignition wiring up like a late model car, put the front fenders back on, got it running and tuned, rewired the tail lights and probably 200 other small things that need doing after a fifty year rest. He drove it home on Saturday evening... Despite his helping.

Best part of the deal, Sunday I dropped in on their tour starting point about two blocks from my place just as Terry was conducting his driver's meeting. See, he hadn't told me that HE was the grand Poobah of this little chingo! And, his Model "A" was the lead car! He made a big deal of me and my skills to his club members, and it looks like after the first I'll be messing with the likes of a '07 Stearns-Knight and a '24 Studebaker to name a couple! They also re arranged the tour to go past my little 1912 bungalow on Hoover Street... A good thrash is the greatest thing of all sometimes!

 

Love your 'Bucket Mr. Mac! I am a big fan of '50 Merc caps on hot rods.

 

Chip did you know you have to have Mercury wheels to run those caps???

 

Yup! Hence the fact that I have never had a set of my own!
At one point I had a set of wheels, but after much begging and pleading, I sold them to good friend who needed them. Two weeks later, I picked up a set of 'caps at a swap! I held on to those for four years searching for wheels until another friend begged, pleaded and basically made a spectacle of him self over them, and I sold them. Two months later I found three wheels...

They just aren't meant to be with me.

I have toyed with the idea of a set of the Drake re-pops that fit the 10 1/8 outie style wheels that are common as dirt, though. Just not sure how different they look as nobody seems to cop to running them.

 

Cool work on the stocker! Being too busy is a good problem to have.

 

Wow, Chip...You really are a busy guy. Nice to know that you are appreciated, too. Hey Gary....Got my Christmas Present from Clearlake today. I even read the Pennysaver you wrapped it/them in....I managed to get my good set of `48 drums and best set of kingpins and put my front axle together. I am now going to run the dropped 28-34 axle I have, along with the split Model `a` bones. I have a mismatch with the perch length, though, so it seems I have a 2'' perch depth front axle and some 2 1/4 wishbones, and too much length on the 35-40 perch bolts. I`ll be addressing this during the week, as I have a plan to make this work with some alterations. Then the spring and mount, finish the brackets and hang the front end. I dug out my 15x7 old Chrome reversed wheels for the back today, just need a pair of narrow ones for the front end. I`ll be looking at the width for the rearend when I get the housing down and axles in (along with my junk 3.70 pumpkin ) on Monday.....

 

keep at Tin man, before you know it you'll be driving it to LARS

 

I have to get the chassis rolling over the next couple of weeks--I have an empty bay in the shop at the moment. That won`t last as I have three cars in line for that space in the next couple of months. I`m still hoping to be able to firm up the engine/trans/repair trade deal in the next week or so, I need to place that so I can be sure of the wheelbase and body placement. I`ll have to enlist Tim`s help for pics soon, or Gary will have me excommunicated.....

 

Chip…Merc. rims and those caps are what Ivo had on his roadster. Great look. Lincoln rims also fits those caps. I bought a '51 Ford P.U. in the later '60s. Of course it had 16" rims and of course I wanted 15s. Went to the wrecker and asked the guy at the desk if he had any Merc. 15" wheels. He said no I don't but there is an old Lincoln out there. I bought all 5 for $25. Not each $5 each. The good old days.

Paul…Merry Xmas. If the axle bolts spark your interest in your bucket build (and it looks like they have) I've done my job. We need more mid. '50s to mid. '60s style buckets out there. Looking forward to Tim's pictures of your roller. What diff. are you going to use? For everybody who doesn't know what a "PENNYSLAVER" is, it is our local Lake Co. flea market sale paper and I used it for packing on purpose. Thought you would enjoy reading it.

Oh and Whip…The spring behind the axle like Norm's and Ivo's rods have is what I've read was an old racing roadster trick although I've never seen a picture of that setup on one. Your older than me? Yet another day of feeling a young 70.

 

Gary, I feel just as young at 71 as I did at 70, so just enjoy feeling good as long as it lasts.

 

Gary---I have a narrowed 9 inch with Bronco axles I will probably use. I`ll mock it up and see if I like it. If not, I have to remember which of my customers said they had an open drive early ford rear I could have....

 

Paul...I'm sure either one will be kool with that A spring.

Sorry guys in cold climates but it was 70 and clear here today. I took the roadster for a ride and had coffee with my homies this morning.

Merry Xmas everybody.

Gary

 

Found this June 1960 issue of CAR CRAFT with the Bill Rolland '24 T. It has all the right features in my book ,plus it must be one of the first with Mag Wheels. is the car still around? Merry Christmas everyone. Bob

 

Yes, that was actually the second build of Tommy Ivo's famous car. just visited the NHRA museum at L.A.R.S. this summer and spent some quality time talking to it.... Yup, you heard that right.

 

Yes Kid it is still around at the NSRA museum in Pamona. To Bill Rolland's credit his update looked great. I can almost see Chip babbling.

 

The NHRA museum at Pomona is on my bucket list of places to visit next year
Merry Christmas everyone, be safe , don't drink and drive.