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

Yes, I still have the coupe, thanks. I’m just a dreamer and like Model T’s. I have a’27 RPU project that might never be finished. I’ve been wanting a torsion bar suspension. I mainly wanted to take this one for a test drive, ha, ha. I was waiting for a break in the thunderstorms.

 

I'm a bit big for Model As, so you know I'm a dreamer when I keep thinking about a T bucket!
I've got a '40 Plymouth project that has been stuffed away for over a decade, so I've got that part down too. Really hoping that recent life changes will get that back on track.
No rain here in AZ, unlike so much of the country with dams breaking and all.
I keep seeing neat old places in the midwest, but can't even keep up on the car projects so I really shouldn't be looking at stuff like these in AK.
https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2020/03/14/1901-mammoth-spring-ar/
and
https://www.oldhousedreams.com/2020/03/23/1922-bank-in-new-blaine-ar/

 

I hope you're not implying that you can only have one car! Everyone needs the option of going topless.

 

Looks very cool!! JW

 

it may not be hamb friendy but it is his and he is the one building it. not everybody likes traditional style cars. i for one do but i also like other styles as well.

 

What kind of Home Depot shit is that?

 

New seats and windshield on mine. Seats are replacement restaurant chair cushions. $6.75 each...

 

This tub probably has more than normal leg room! Wonder who manufacturers the body?

 

I like it but it looks odd with no rear door outline. JW

 

There was a co. On the east coast selling those a few years ago , think he went belly up ....
Update : extended body was sold by Wintec , they left some folks high & dry , no body , no refunds ...

 

I've held off posting this one here for years because it's not strictly traditional, but I've tried to keep it in a 50s/60s vein without obsessing over small stuff. VA DMV just recognized it as a real car and gave me a VIN last week so I'm super excited about legally driving this thing soon!

 

Awesome. Getting the blessing from the Registry is a major milestone, congratulations. I'll bet that car is a handful on the road.

 

What ever....doesn’t bother me!

 

OK, doesn't really bother me either. JW

 

That tub body, laid out like it is as a 2 seater, really makes a lot of sense for a hard driven Hot Rod T.
You get leg room, storage for small stuff out back like a cooler and folding chairs for a car show etc.
A crafty person could easily lengthen the front doors and even disguise it by careful use of the front and rear door beads. (I know this car has none...but thats neither here nor there. It COULD.)
The fuel tank could be fairly large and formed to fit between the seats and the rear kickup...offering protection and added range, while still being mounted below the floor pan...(if you think that might make a difference safety wise.) With the right parts it could be very traditional looking too.

 

another that is priced about the same as a full kit

https://phoenix.craigslist.org/evl/cto/d/mesa-23-bucket/7177887669.html

23' T Bucket - $8,000
23' T Bucket, Chevy 402" Big Block, 350 Turbo Trans, Ford 8" Rear, Edelbrock carb, 13 gallon gas tank, automatic transmission no hassling with a stickshift, just cruise and enjoy.





and that Blue one in the Los Angeles area is STILL listed. Seems like a good deal, don't know why it hasn't found a new home yet.
https://orangecounty.craigslist.org/cto/d/newport-beach-23-bucket-hot-rod/7175083038.html

 

This one has interesting bones!
https://fresno.craigslist.org/cto/d/fresno-1923-ford-bucket-roadster-hot-rod/7176281746.html
1923 Ford T-Bucket Roadster Hot Rod - $10,500
One of a kind 1923 T-bucket built with sprint car suspension, sprint car power steering system, four wheel disc brakes and more. Unlike a regular t-bucket, this awesome roadster handles like a race car. Powered by a healthy 454 big block backed by a power glide automatic transmission, this car is extremely fast. It still needs wiring, gauges, a windshield and some finishing touches but all of the hard work is done. Finish it your way and make it your own. Open to interesting trades.

 

and a strange pair
https://abilene.craigslist.org/cto/d/abilene-1924-model-bucket/7164152111.html
Selling package -1924-Ford model T convertible-soft top included and a 2nd set of 4 new wheels and tires for legal driving. CLEAN TITLE 550 mile on motor and Transmission the car runs great and will out perform tires are new / in the process upgrading fuse box need to re-install electrical for break light and turn signal.

-1929-Ford model-A 4door NO TITLE (Does not run)Complete body with original chassis rear axle /motor and transmission. original wire wheels-tire dry rot/ there are rust on parts of the body but will be great project for a chop top hot rod. Selling both $10000 obo serious inquiries/ cash only

 

To me,that would be a over priced pile of parts,to use to build a "T" maybe,sell the rims,front axle stuff an steering back to some racer,give the seats away an see if windshield could be fixed some how,or start over. Ok,I don't care for any of it !
One below that comes with a 4 door sedan .is pretty nice,but I like front brakes an better front tires with tread on road [ not MC tires] for me. I had not checked in,for a bit.

 

Dana, I have a feeling that the dirt track one rides like a dirt car, too!
Unless you are Ken Block and can keep it sideways thru corners, it's probably too stiff.
It is unique and priced less than 90% of them. I imagine that lighter torsion bars can be found.
The lil Red one really looks nice. I know that here everyone prefers the early to mid 60s version, and this is firmly in the 70s Fad-T style, but a brake change and some wheels would bring it right back to a more HAMB friendly style. He even says in the ad "and a 2nd set of 4 new wheels and tires for legal driving." although there are no front brakes...
Taking it over the Mingus mountains to Jerome as equipped would probably drive home the need for that change, but parking it at a show field, then cruising it home would probably be fine in it's current state.

 

Been seeing this one at swap meets over the last 20 or so years. It used to run a Chev BB till recently and now a 348. It has some cool features like 37-38 Ford headlight lenses but is no beauty in the build stakes. JW

 

The fact that Chip does not post on this thread anymore, nor care proves it has jumped the shark and gotten so far off track about early T buckets says a lot.

 

Chip stopped hanging around the HAMB two years ago - he thought this thread would be shepherded along and if it petered out, it was fine with him. He's been super busy with his business and a steady stream of rods to be updated (pushing back my A coupe's revitalization several times!). He doesn't drive the T much any more - he's got a '63 Chevy longroof and a late-model now - but it still looks pretty much the same as it did in 2014!

"Bucket of ugly" applied to Chip's acquisition - he wanted to point the finger at himself and his efforts to put a positive spin on his car. Later on it evolved into a "let's show what's wrong with everyone else's car" thread, which isn't what Chip wanted, especially since he's a humble and self-deprecating sort of guy.

It's not that he doesn't care, it's that the focus is so far from what he had in mind when he started the thread.

 

(Wow, went back to post #1...it's almost exactly seven years ago that Chip first started this thread! )

 

I talked to Chip via facebook messenger, and he lost his password or something but he can't get logged in here on the HAMB. He's keeping real busy with a lot of projects and he posts a lot of updates on facebook.

 

Chip and I stay in touch

 

Tman, I understand that my input into this thread is not "how to make your bucket beautiful'.
I certainly won't begin to hold myself up to Chip in knowledge or experience on these cars.
I'm not a builder or owner, so I can't provide step-by-step details the way Chip and others have done.

What I had hoped to accomplish with the shark jumping is to keep the flame alive in presenting either some history in the form of old ads for kits, or more commonly posting cars that are cheap enough to buy and wipe the ugly off and make your own. Hopefully someone who is interested in these cars finds their way here and reads all the great info in the beginning of this monster thread.

As Chip himself said in his first post, paragraph 4
"It seems so many buckets get so many unfortunate things done to them during the build, then make the Craig'slist cheap. What I'm going to do with this thread is attempt to show how to take a cheap bucket with good bones and make it something to be enjoyed and "cool" as inexpensively as possible."

 

Since i joined in on this thread i now view it as a bit of a social group for the T's. I still like all the input and the focus (even watered down now)on T Buckets etc with Fugly stuff. I do still miss Gary and hope that Fred is OK and makes it back here soon. JW