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

Thanks Moose! I appreciate it!

 

Here is a diamond in the rough. I passed on this car last week due to the fact that I haven't managed finished my Tudor yet.... amongst other reasons.

 

I often wondered what happened to all of those buckets built in the 60's. It seems a lot of them were tucked away to be sold off now as the owners pass away or downsize.

 

A lot were parted out and all the old engineering etc got trashed. JW

 

I thought the car had a lot of potential but it was a project, also there was an "issue" with the paperwork aka there was none. Check out the front shock mounts and square tubing for the rear wishbones, still the thing is bithchin.

 

That has some serious potential, wheel/tires, paint and exhaust, loose the cowl lamps and the top of the windshield and go over the chassis and suspension. Its looking good in my head. JW

 

I have been noticing more and more lately that my air cleaner stands out color wise. It still has its original paint but feel it now needs to be part of the overall scheme of the car. I have four options, 1 is just leave it, 2 is paint it black with an accent from another color on the car, 3 paint it the same as the firewall with a accent as above, 4 body color and also as previously mentioned. I would love to repaint the body a darker blue but for now that's what it is.
What do you think? Your opinions are valued. JW

 

Option 2, paint it black

 

I vote #2. Black will go with the ram horns and script valve covers.

 

I don't know about an overall scheme of the car; but in my view of your mill's scheme, which seems like a "stock new sbc motor dropped in a hot rod to upgrade from a flatty"; I would paint it solid black with no accent.

Not that you asked; but I would also switch to black plug wires run in the stock style 283/327 behind the head and under the exhaust manifold clips and lose the lift eyes of the intake.

I better quit now; I get too nit-picky on engine detailing, especially on open engines, although there several more things that could easily be done to neaten it up.

 

Chrome.

Sent from my SM-T350 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

I would go black or silver.
Black to make it look like a stock engine swapped in place.
Silver to match valvecovers and ignitioncoil to give it a "hotrod look".

 

Thanks, I will try it black.
Rich, I value what you said and I have been planning on changing the plug wires to black for a while just not done yet. It had a Red Ram Hemi before I got it and a 331 before the S/B. Chrome will be a pain in the sun.
Cheers. JW
Rich, if you want to ad more about the engine please do and you were spot on with the S/B - Flattie thing.

 

Not Rich, but I bet he's going to mention the rubber fuel hose between the pump and carb, and the bare heater hose block-offs. They both jump out in the pic.

You can get really OCD on getting it looking "stock take-out", to the point where it becomes a Gold Standard restoration, which really is not the point in a fun hot rod. Example:
https://www.classicparts.com/1967-72-Vacuum-Advance-Tube-Hose-and-Clip-Holley-BB/productinfo/IG-7623/
With the oil bath air cleaner, you are probably shooting for a late 50s style look. I don't know when they changed to filters, but a quick search showed some trucks had them thru 1966 or so... (maybe only st. 6's). It wasn't really laid out that I saw doing a quick search, but I'm sure the Corvette and other resto guys have it nailed down to assembly plant and month/year.
So pick a year and style (truck or car) and make it match as well as you can without breaking the bank on correct vintage stuff that the restorers are pricing to crazy levels. Repop stuff is often fairly priced for SBC applications.
It's kind of like block sanding - First pass shows waves and roughness all over. Second pass shows only a few spots that everyone can spot easily, since the rest is so smooth. Third pass gets it 'smooth enough' that most people don't see the stuff that causes you to do it again.
Get it so most people's eyes just slide over it and you don't NEED to have a correct dated generator with proper year brackets and matching vintage harness held on with the 'thick' nut....

 

Kinda asking for trouble, there.

Yep, the fuel hose. Run a steel line from the pump to the carb, or at least close to the fuel inlet.

Another thing I noticed was (unless its the camera angle) it looks like the vacuum advance is pointed too straight forward and maybe the distributor could be clocked another tooth clockwise.
A steel vacuum line from the carb as RSR mentioned above; but some 3/16" brake and a simple clamp work as well as that fancy kit. Could tie the PCV line down so it flows back smoother.
Probably some stockish looking silver grey paint on the vacuum advance can and starter solenoid.
Paint he lower head bolts and put hex bolts on the exhaust manifolds.
Turn the motor mount bolt around so the nuts on the back (ya I know the fuel pump is in the way).

This is all little stuff, pretty much no effort or cost to do; but it is also the kind of stuff that makes the difference between "that looks good" and "that looks really good".

On the other hand; a lot of people just don't see these kind of things.

Now if you want to get OCD; you could find an early water pump casting (without the stupid straight up fitting) and rebuild it, they really do look better. Maybe along with a pair of straight down exhaust manifolds. Last two ideas are getting into time and money; but still.

Better quit before pissing everybody off with my ideas.

 

Thanks Rich and Rod. I do really appreciate what you guys have to say and will take a lot on board. Its not a period perfect piece at all in my mind and I do like those that are, it is simply period inspired and yes, late fifties and with a few simple things being changed it will look a whole lot better. The car was at Bonneville in 1950 (as a support car) as a roadster or pick up and I plan on taking back there in the next few years. JW

 

An hour in the garage with emery cloth and a rattle can,the air cleaner has its 1st coat of satin black. JW

 

Factory wingnut would be more fitting than that chopper spike, just sayin'

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That jumped out to me too - too many years as a tech catching the DIY dist. installs as a warning sign!
I chose not to mention that one because it is OCD for most (it runs fine...waah).
26T, the Black is a big improvement! Just keep cleaning, painting and tidying things up.
Here's a resto pic for an example. Obviously, yours is hopped up with chrome accessories and the intake/carb which is all part of the story...

 

There was a reason why its set like that but I cant remember what it was. I will correct it as that is the sort of thing I notice too. JW

 

The exception that proves the rule!

 

Meh... it’s a circle. Point it whatever direction you like, as long as the rotor points to a wire heading to #1 at TDC you’re good. Everything else is just convention and appearance. That said, i can easily believe the vette engine compartment was tight enough that they had to aim it in a specific direction to allow enough room to adjust it.

 

I have re positioned mine and have made a steel fuel line and im about to make a steel vacuum advance line and make up the new black plug leads.
I love this thread !! JW

 

Its amazing how this little things can do so much difference in the apperence.
And most of the time its first aftervards you really notice it.

 

So right Anders. Its done and what a difference, I could do more but where do I stop! I will freshen up the exhaust manifold soon.JW

 

Much better with the black plug wires! More cleanup: new plugs, ditch the engine lift tab bolted to the manifold, paint the starter and solenoid (black?), paint the motot mounts...

 

I just finished reading through all 350+ pages of this thread. Wow, and thank you. It has definitely gone through some changes of form but remained pretty consistent in spirit. The original intent of Chip's thread to be a guide to T-bucket proportions was a great education, and now how it's become a communal build thread is really entertaining. I have a better understanding of the evolving styles of the bucket through the era's and now I kind of want one.

Fred, your bucket is coming along really well. I hope you find a good job that will allow you to continue it's progress. Good job on sticking to your vision of what you want to see built.

Blue One, I really like your RPU and am looking forward to seeing it wearing paint. You're also close enough that I bet I will see it out and about once it's finished, and that's exciting to see a car finished in person that I've followed being built.

Nobux, Your T is looking great, good call on adding the pickup box to the rear. What colour are you thinking of to finish it?

Chip, Sucks to hear you're having trouble accessing the HAMB. Good to know you are well and that maybe one day the ugly bucket might be orange.

Everyone else, because there are so many people here sharing their cars and opinions, thanks again. Keep up the good work, I'm looking forward to seeing all the progress.

 

Cool words indeed. JW

 

Good NIGHT, this thread! Paint the thing white primer. It'll make the damned VHT pipes disappear. (sorry, but those damned pipes were screamin' at me... I've been around Norm and Tommy too much...)
But I told the truth.

 

Paint it black, or paint it blue;
The choice is obviously up to you.
But whichever one you choose
will be an improvement: Black and Blue looks like a bruise!
One thing I don't understand: Do you guys get a 'deal' on Model A radiators?
The '28-'29 shells on '27s just look out of place. Was there something that drove you to do that?
Sounds 'harsh', but that just wasn't done in the late '40s thru the '80s. Maybe I've been in California too long... (since '42...so I apologise. (sp.!)