'23 steel T-bucket, original?

Hey guys, I've found this car locally that the seller believes to be an original 1923 T-bucket, or what's left of an original one. This will be my first car this old, so all I know about these cars I have learned in the last couple of weeks from forums like this one. I am not sure if the frame is original, but the body appears to be the real thing and in pretty good shape. The front end is missing, but he is including a '40 ford front axle assembly that hopefull I can make work. The rear suspension looks strange, not what I'm used to seeing, and the body looks like it is too far back on the frame but i'm not sure. Here's some pics, help me out guys, what have I got here? Besides a pile...lol. Oh, the motor doesn't come with it, notice the headers tied to the stock manifolds, hahaha...it's just sitting on the rails. I guess he wanted to visualize the car put together.

EDIT: I decided not to buy this car, but i've learned alot here, and am still searching for the right one to build. See last post.



( The front axle is just sitting on the ground here )

 

Looks Like a 23 to me..Thats a cool find! I dig the steering wheel...NOT!! lol

 

either way cool find

 

It's a '23, but not a roadster. It's the front half of a touring.

 

how much $$$


that thing needs a LOT of work...

 

Yea nailed it. I can't put a year on it but it is a touring with the back half removed.

Nice or fair starting place any way. If you don't have to sink to much initial cash into it.

 

nice find. If you need the pass door i got one, just pm me.

 

It's the front half of a touring car, see the flat part where the rear doors mounted? I can't see much of the rear, but something looks very wrong in the pic. It looks bent or out of square. Maybe an odd angle. I wouldn't use any suspension work that was done to the rear of it, start fresh and better. The body is mounted much further back than normal, you are right on that one.

 

To want to start with something like that you must have a lot of Hart. Needless to say there are only a few pieces laying there you will actually use. Not to mention the work your un-aware of that it takes. Still it's a good body to start with if you like it and I see good chassis pieces come up here that would be right at home under that Tin.
Good luck to ya, The Wizzard

 

It hurts my eyes, please fix it.
Lots of potential , It needs some love.
Any pics from the front what is it running for a grille Shell?

 

The body is the front half of a 1923-25 Model T Ford, the tail light pan has been added. What does the grill shell look like? We all have to start somewere, that isn't a bad body by New England standards. Good luck with it, post chassis photos when you get it home.

 

Sorry, this is not a first project car, it needs everything, including years of experience.

Jack

 

I think it might be an earlier body maybe 15-20. Kool find. Looks better than mine when I got it. Take a long look at Gragowski and Ivos T's before proceeding.

 

lots of work

 

Sorry here, too. Remember when people built rods? (well, we did here in Calif)
This was considered an 'entry level' car, and by any standards there are reasonably priced chassis kits and printed plans (!) to start with.
If the interest is there, this is a simple project. But it has to be attacked in a reasonable manner...

 

Thanks guys, definately a touring body...that's cool. I'm thinking I could make a bed to match up where the old rear body fit and have a truck. I grew up in a body shop, sanding primer by the time I was 8. It's all I've ever done since, and if I do say so myself...i'm pretty good at it. So this is my first car this old...not my first car . I've restored old pickups, built choppers from scratch, and restored old vw's for the last few years actually. There is a '87 Iroc Z Camaro sitting in the garage right now as a donor for this project. It was bought with a 383 stroker and 700R4 with less than 500 miles on it...lots and lots of race goodies all brand new, dynos a little over 600hp. The camaro is rusty and a repaired wreck, and not long after it came home it was decided that a cooler shell needed to be found. The body on this car isn't that bad compared to the messes i've fixed before, and the frame is boxed and appears very solid after a long look on the ground where it sits now. The '40 front axle seems to be a good candidate after some initial research, so these 3 pieces are probably all I need from this pile. I'll post more pics when we get it home, hopefully next Thursday.

 

Those steering wheels were made so you could drive with handcuffs on HAHA !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

That's an old joke..I wont go there though...lol

 

The grill shell looks straight and not too rusty...only a shell over a radiator tho.

 

i disagree completely here. common sense, mechanical ability and a desire to finish is all that is needed for any project. its a bit overwhelming when you look at the thing as a whole, but not beyond the kin of someone who has good hands and basic skills. especially when you take into account the fact that its a simple T modified. as projects go, this is the kind for a good first ground up build

 

If you get that at a good price its a fantastic start. The body looks pretty good! New chassis, maybe a motor if that things shagged out.
This Is a great first project. Why does everyone think you HAVE to use everything that is here for your build? Use what you want or need, make new stuff for the rest. Easy.

Some people are just spoiled I guess.
Doc.

 

dont see why not my 34 i built wasnt much more than a cab and i built it from the ground up and i was only 18 (19 now)

yeah theres work there and not much more than a body but if you want to build it go for it it looks great to me

 

First thing you do is call for a parts catalog from Don Lang!http://www.modeltford.com/ A Model T is a great starting point for a first Pre WWII car, stock or Hot Rod. Having a real steet T body to start with puts you in a different league than a glass T bucket IMO.

 

Thanks, that's what I was thinking...the steel makes it a little special. I've allways liked doing things differently, so this is going to suit me well being a modified model T. I found another one similar, this is also half of a model T...

 

I hate to say it but grab the '57 instead.......................

 

um... fuckin why?

 

I like it! Buy it. The battery is in the wrong location, it should be mounted within the perimeter of the vehicle, not on the rear tire. It would make KOHL yard art, or even better, neat garage art, ..that is until you collect the engine and other parts to complete a T-bucket. Inspiration, man, inspiration into the world of real hot rods.

 

once again, i have the engine, transmission...a whole donor car. I found a pic of the radiator shell..is it the original?

 

Not sure what the grille is but its not Ford.

 

Lifted from the welded pitman arm thread:

I may have to steal that for my signature.

The proportions are goofy, the bucket needs to move up closer to the motor and get a shorty bed or turtle deck added, but what's there doesn't look too terrible, especially if you're going to buy or build another frame for it. T-bucket stuff is as easy as a CC # and a 1-800 call away, really they're not that hard to build if you have some common sense and aren't afraid to ask questions.