History California T For Tennessee

Last week I picked up this cool little T Bucket project. I bought it from the original owner/builder’s nephew just 15 miles from my shop in Knoxville TN. According to the nephew it was built in the 60’s by Freddy Courtney the owner of Freddy’s Speed Shop in Apple Valley CA. He had built and raced similar T’s but the nephew said he never finished this one.

It has an original steel body with a shortened A or T bed welded to the back. The frame appears to be a much modified Model A. The rear end is 55 Chevy with a Model A spring and short 35/36 bones. The rear wheels are 15x10 magnesium 5 spokes with “new” M&H Racemaster 9.00-15’s. Up front is a V-8 60 axle with hair pins and 35/36 spring perches with the spring behind the axle and F1 shock mounts. It has spindle mount 12 spoke Americans with little 125-15 Perellis. The steering box looks like a Ross and it has GM duel master cylinder cause you got to run a 4 speed.

 

That will make a kool little car good find.

 

Sweet!

 

That thing is Bad A$$! Never seen reversed bones as spring hangers.. Kool!

 

You never looked at Kookie T

 

Very cool!

 

Cool find!! Love those older style buckets!!

 

The Kookie T, Ivo's T, and several other early buckets were that way.


That T is RAD!!! Perfect stance and excellent parts used in the build. I'm excited to see this go together!

 

Looks like a really fun project to me.

 

Wow!

I'm not usually a fan of T-buckets, but that thing is COOL.

Build it, Gene!

Rich

 

Gene, Gene, lend me your comb! Very cool!

 

A nice build for those days and steel !!

 

Not a big fan of that steering placement, but what a cool find!

 

I really like this T.

 

Great find! What's your plan for it?

 

Right on!

 

Not sure yet. I've got too many projects in front of it right now but I just couldn't pass it up. I've got a 1956 Pontiac 347 that was in a 40 coupe. I bought a 2x4 intake and some finned valve covers for it along with an adapter for an early Ford T-10 4 speed. That would make an interesting package.

 

Not sure the front lower shock mounts are a great idea. Looks like it would twist the lower hair pin. A piece of period history for sure. Corvair steering box just below the floor? Seen many like that "back in the day"

 

Gene McKinney retired several years ago,Henry Bennett is now the proprietor. HRP

 

Actually Charlie is the owner,Henry Bennet was Henry Ford,s personal thug

 

Cool~!

 

Nice find...'37-'40 tube axles are gettin' scarce. Wonder why nobody ever re-popped those! (yeah, I know...'Superbell'...'Speedway', 'M.A.S.'...but those were NOT repops of the standard V860 tube axle.)
Plymouth 'wigglys' are next best...

 

Way to go, Charlie. You said you might build a T and looks like you've got a real good start. Congratulations.

 

now that is cool!
Love it!

(but you gotta lose the brass radiator- it's too early for the body!)

 

Great find, awesome potential. Everything you need for an early-mid 60s T-bucket.

 

Any updates????

 

Charlie any progress?????

 

A genuine time capsule, wow. I can see a few things and safety upgrades that I'd do however in saying that it needs to be finished. How often would something like this turn up?