Features **Model T buckets/RPU's/Roadster/Tourings official photo thread**

Aaaagggh! I'm blind!

 

Ok, if I'm not hogging this thread too much, I'm going to lay some of my favorites on you! When I was a kid up in St.Paul, My dad owned a company called Racing Unlimited, and T
buckets were a big part of the deal. I spent the first ten years of my life or so riding in my dad's green nailhead powered bucket, or mom's purple flake Chevy powered bucket. So I have a bit of history with this stuff. His molds and parts live on to this day, After our business closed, they were purchased by M.A.S. When they closed they're doors, an independent purchased the molds, and is now selling the same bodies on e bay! I wonder if he knows the history of his stuff?
Any way, here is another one I've loved all my life.

 

Cool! What is the name of the current owner of your molds, if you don't mind me asking?

 

Okay, I've got two more for tonight. This one belonged to Bud Lakeman and was in the February '65 issue of ROD & CUSTOM. Neat, simple, clean, cool, and short.

 

Heres mine and my initial inspiration for a long wheel base Roadster T
"Thanks Ed"

-Don

 

Sheesh,,,Roth thinks he can get $2300 for THAT?

 

Last one for now! (sorry, been wanting to do this forever, just learned how to use my scanner) This one is not as cool as some, but very significant. This car is the end result of a series of articles that ran in CAR CRAFT from November of '64 to July of '65, and chronicled the build of this car from a chunk of tubing to a finished car. I said it before on the last sixties T bucket thread, if you really want to see what an early sixties T looked like, pick up any issue of Car Craft or ROD & CUSTOM between '61 and late '65. They were the latest, greatest, gotta have hot rod during that era. Allot of people don't know that Doyal Gammell traded his T bucket for Dick Bergren's Chopped '32 three window AND Triumph show bike in late '62 to get that iconic car, that has forever been associated with him. Could you imagine trading a T bucket for a deuce today? Sure....

P.S. If you guys would like to see that whole series of articles I mentioned on building a T bucket in '64 and '65, If won't be cuffed and carted away, I will scan and post it. But let me research the legalities first.

 

You have some illustrious signatures on your "T." Blackie Gejeian caught in the act. "Big Daddy," Ed "Kookie" Byrnes,& Norm Grabowski...cool!

 

Few more

 

I'm not entirely sure to tell the truth. I saw them on ebay a couple of times in the last year, noticed they were from just north of the Twin Cities and clicked on them. In his description he mentions they were from the M.A.S. molds. I thought about contacting him, but for some reason didn't. I probably will next time I see them. Myself down here in Phoenix, I have built a T chassis jig, and have been doing what I call "small cars" (t buckets, a couple of bantams, and Altered type stuff) for awhile now. I have been talked out of doing complete kits a couple of times now, and I'm about to stop listening! The only game in town any more is Speedway, and they look too seventies to my eye. Maybe soon...

 

...just a few T pics I've found and saved here, there, and everywhere

 

I noticed that with the Speedway bodies as well, but at 6'4" if I were to build a T, I'm tempted to go with a 'lengthened' body. I know of a (real) touring body close to home, missing the rear doors, but the old boy thinks his son/grandsons are going to want it (it's rough and hasn't moved from behind the barn since the early '50s, I don't think they want or care about it) that I could build my own T out of...

A man can dream...

 

Dang it! I just got over wanting a T and then somebody has to go and start this thread.

 

...a few more:

 

Byrnes and Ivo signing it while I had it out for the rebuild a couple of years ago.

 

As soon as this Bantam leaves, (next couple of weeks he says with his fingers crossed!) the same owner has a Steve Archer glass '23 touring body that he wants me to build a chassis for. I will do a complete build thread for that one as soon as I start. I'm trying to sell him on the idea of building a life sized version of Monogram's " Big Tub". I don't know if you have seen that reissued kit in the hobby stores, but it's bitchin'! The last T bucket I started to build for myself was scaled up to full size from the " Big Drag" kit that was shown on page one of this thread. I have to dig up pictures of that one too. I sold it as a roller to a guy that bought it from his son.


For right now, here is a picture of the Bantam, (it's on a T bucket type chassis).

 

Here is my banger powered RPU at the Antique Nats 2009:

 

Speedway is far from being the only folks in town. Do not forget, Spirit, CCR, Wintec (former total performance folks) and others. I am in the process of building mine mostly using the ccr plans and a local body.

Not sure if you are on the tbucketeers forum but Norm Grabowski, Ted Brown and many of the others are members and post often. You should head over and take a look.

 

Here are a few shots of my awlsteel rpu what a blast to ride

 

I did forget about CCR, They're presence in this has been waning for awhile. They are still very much in business, though. Spirit I don't know to much about. I do know that they built bodies for a couple of manufacturers of kits at one time. I have never heard of Wintec, Total performance was sold to Speedway, but I did wonder why some of their cool stuff never showed up in Speedways mix. I'm not on that forum, but I willgive it a shot here soon.

 

love the sixties T buckets, keep em comin!

 

I like this one...

 

One I've been messing with for the last three months. Built in 1977 and shown at the Western Nationals in 1978. Everything that was on it was original to the build except the rear tires and intake.

 

A friend built this in mid 60's. Flatty was bought for 99.00 on clear out sale back then.

 

Turkeyjerk's, he just put the 6x2's back on, pics of that soon...

 

Here's mine built in 1962 then redone some where in the mid 1970s.

 

Here is my old trooper...

 

Mine..........