T Bucket Bodies Question "Who To Use"

huh???

 

The guy is asking 300 for the motor. I changed up my search on craigslist and just typed in engine block and I'm finding more motors then just blocks its crazy how things are listed on CL.

I found some early Hemi motors one is a 392 and 330 I think was the other one hemi and the last one is a newer hemi. The 392 is 1200 and needs a sleeve put in the one chamber and maybe one of them had something wrong with the bottom end also.

The heads are rusted too.

http://winchester.craigslist.org/pts/3899834184.html

Wow just typed in Hemi again and saw another add too.

 

Here is an old bucket body for you- it is supposedly an old Speedway body but who knows. This has changed hands many times over the years and has never been put together. Another project full of potential for so many and just never gets started, or finished. Time to leave my garage and go to someone else's!


See video @

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nBytynKq_M&feature=youtu.be&hd=1

 

Thanks PaRatRod, If that body is a Speedway body it's an old one from the late fifties. I would guess given it's proximity, it's an Almquist like mine. The little flip at the back of the body for the turtle deck is a tell tale sign.

How ever, The only thing in that batch that would be of value to someone building a T-Bucket would be the body. The frame maybe, but simply building a correct frame for what you need out of 2"X 3" stock would be cheaper and less time consuming that trying to box and "Z" a stocker these days.

 

Ohhhh yes! Bob Knaack's badass Modified!
Twin sister to Cotton Werksman's tube framed Mod.

Has an Ardun now by the looks of it.
Truthfully I prefer the Flathead that was in it originally as its more proportional to the car, but if ya gotta get un-proportional, an ARDUN is about the ultimate way I can think of!!! LoL

Thats a dream ride right there for me.

 

Sure must be loud without the headers or has sombody invented clear-steel?

 

I called Kenny's today. They are still making them. $800 bucks.

 

That is crazy high! Wow talk about sticker shock. I think at that price I would just with a roadster body from Speedway or spend the extra have an almost full kit.

I'm also going to add I'm really digging wire wheels. I saw a bucket on ebay for 6K not finished and it had wire wheels. I sent a messege asking the owner bottom dollar and its located in TX.

 

If you saw one and handled it, you wouldn't feel that way. They are not low end bodies. They are heavy duty. About 1/4" thick. Molded in floor with trans and drive shaft tunnel. Also have molded in channels for the frame to drop the body down on the rails. If you rap this body on the side it doesn't deflect.

Like most things you get what yo pay for. When I buy mine later this summer, I'll post detailed pics. In the mean time at least one other guy has one and maybe he can highlight the qualities they have. There is also a green car I've seen here on the HAMB with one of their bodies.

 

Sounds good I would love to see pics and hear more about them. That is a lot of money but would really like to learn more about them. That is the biggest reason I started this thread to learn about the companies and if someone else out there is thinking about doing a T might be wondering as well.

Thanks tjm keep me posted and the thread posted as well.

 

I'll jump in on the Kennys' body.... I don't build a lot of T's but I will say the Kennys body is the best T I've ever seen. It's built like a Wescott Deuce body as far as quality goes. I've used the Total bodies and Speedway, along with AI bodies, Polyform, Ravon and some independent manufacturers bodies and this is one of the best. The body will finish with just a removal of the parting seams and a decent blocking. I used an old MAS body for a build and ended up cutting the cowl into about six pieces to get it straight. There was another one in here for a remake and completion a while back, unknown make that had at least 3/4" of filler on the cowl to straighten it out. I did the same thing to that one.

In my humble opinion the extra money spent will come back several times over in both time saved and quality of build. One of the toughest rows I have to hoe here in the shop is convincing potential clients that money spent on a decent body, whether it be glass or steel, is well spent. Your time is worth something even if your not billing it. The pics I posted earlier in this thread show the Kennys' body. If it weren't for the parting lines I could easily run it as is and most people would think it was painted gloss black.

I'm opening both doors and it will be a piece of cake on this one. I'm also going to build a steel structure inside with .250 plates let in to tap and fasten hinges and latches etc. It's not hard to do and results in a beautiful and stable shell with no rattles or pinches. By doing this you also provide good mounting for your steering and an excellent grounding source throughout the body. Another thing I do is add a swedged band around the firewall like a Model A, steel, bonded to the body, (the roll that retains the welt under the hood). I know Ts' didn't have this but makes the body real hard to believe it's not steel. Some cheep bodies don't have the recessed area to take this.

I will note that the Kennys' body is set up for SB and an auto trans. My '39 top loader behind the Olds 324 gives me so much room down the middle that I removed the tunnel and am reworking it for a smaller size for the extra leg room and the driveshaft tunnel will be about 2 1/4" lower as well. Every inch counts in a bucket. This car sets 5" off the ground, (damn low!) on a pretty standard swept frame. I just finished up the I'll have frame pics up later this week on the chassis. If you want to get it really low and save a load of bucks, consider sweeping the frame as it costs nothing to do and allows you to use a cheap Model A axle undropped and still eat weeds. I happen to like the looks of this as well because it makes the car look like the engine is "in" the chassis and not sitting on it. Proportion and function is everything on a T and so few have it, which in my opinion is why Ts' have a bad rap.

I'm following this thread and will add some pics if you like.

 

I'd like to add, Bob Knaaks car is just about the nuts! I did like it better with the regular flatty though. It sets perfect. If more T's looked like this there'd be a lot less bitching.

 

We are having a T bucket cruise in Pigeon Forge TN July 25-27 If you have a T or just like Ts, you are welcome. We would love to have you. If you have any questions feel free to give me a call!

 

Hey Ron thanks for popping in and I wish I was closser would love to see all the buckets!

 

I have a 27 coupe i still planning on.
And i have thinking alot about channeling and how much if i do.
But i gonna have sidepipes under the body and they will hide the frame.
So i problaby dont channel at all.

 

My son and I started building his T bucket in 2001 when he was a junior in high school. We used the CCR plans and body and it worked out great!


We finished for is Senior year! He made a lot of points with the girls, but non with the principal! He was also the class president, the two never got along
That was worth the build by it self

 

Cut my floor and picked up a trans tunnel from Wintec today. Starting to look like a car. Trying to decide if I want to cut a door or not.

 

Nice Bucket! What brand of wheels are those? They look like Centerlines with moon caps?

 

Try searching the RV section of Craig's List. Many times the campers came with 440's in them. If they have been sitting a long time and are rat infested or leaky, they can go for as cheap as $500. Of course, all we care about is the drivetrain. You can sell the rest for scrap metal - $200 to $400.

Examples:

rv for sale - $300 (mckinney)

http://images.craigslist.org/00o0o_4d33vQIdJ1t_600x450.jpg

I HAVE THIS 1983 RV NEEDS A WATER PUMP MOTOR GOOD JUST HAS 66000 MILES ON IT NEEDS A LITTLE TLC BUT VERY GOOD DEAL WONT LAST LONG....... CALL ME AT 903-910-1643

500.00 RV Come get it today(NO TITLE) (Little Elm)

http://images.craigslist.org/00u0u_eF5KxZzZHoz_600x450.jpg



READ THIS AD REAL GOOD
NO TITLE
NEEDS WORK
WILL HAVE TO BE TOWED OFF OUR PROPERTY


Hasnt been started in 4 years. It ran when it was brought here. 500.00 for this RV is a steal. Its liveable. A/C works. With some restoration it could be very nice

My Dilemma is I need it off my property TODAY!
You could Scrap it and sell the Dodge 440 motor for 1200.00

 

Doing a check in to see how everyone's projects are going and whats new?

I also need to look back through the thread and see what HAMBer is using Bears body's from eBay. I really like that one and feel the lines are the best to go with.

 

Has anyone used Up22.com T body or Roadster body?

 

Pic of a Marty Strode track "T" at LARS 2014.

 

Thats a great looking bucket. What frame? Looks to me like an A frame but I could be wrong.

I do dig the track cars.

 

The body is probably a Speedway.....the frame is a Strode special. Don't know if he is still building those frames. If not, maybe he could post some dimensions, or better yet some blueprints. I know he built a few track cars, as there is a feature article in Rodder's Journal. Some of his cars were channeled, and some the body sat on top of the frame. They both look cool, but the unchanneled ones probably have a little more interior room like this blue one.

 

Thanks a boner, the chassis I built (9 roadsters and 1 touring) were 4x2 rectangular tube. Here are some construction shots.

 

The majority of the bodies were from Speedway (high quality).

 

Wow, really cool Marty! I loved those cars back when you were doing them, and had some very serious hopes that the race series would take off and spread out down to this neck of the woods. I'm not tied to circle track stuff anymore like I was back then, but it makes me wonder what the climate today would be like to try to launch that same sort of deal.

 

Marty, were you running any sort of "torque arm" type assembly on the rear wishbones in these cars? I think I might know the answer, but there is a general anti-split rear wishbone hysteria these days that these things will kill you instantly without...

 

Chip, Three of the cars had torque tubes, I used 35-36 arms on most of the rest. However there are a couple with open drive, using 42-48 arms, lots of miles, some dirt racing and they are still running without any torque arms. Here is my latest "T" project, using a Speedway body.

 

That's the answer I sorta figured, Marty! Been "dressed down" a time or two by those that "know more than I do", though...