Hot Rods Have you personally ever built a T-Bucket

Built a Total Performance T in 1979.It was mostly plug,and play,but I did learn from it....stuff like wiring from scratch,building my own drive shaft which was SO short it didnt need balancing.It gave me the confidence to do a 32 Ford PU from scratch so I owe that kit car for getting me started.

 

Built one years ago. I found out being 6 ft. 4 inch and 250 lbs isnt the hot lick deal in one.They are fun ,just too small for me.

 

The closest thing to a T-Bucket I have built was a Tub, 2 Buckets laminated together, and had a hood. Hidden Morris Minor torsion bar front suspension. That was 1978.

 

You don't have to be 6-4 to find that out. I'm barely 6 foot and 250. Here's a picture of the thing with me trying it on for size??? I'll be a little lower and further back now since I have figured out how to make the support structure for the roll bar behind that ugly shiny thing in in front of it!

 

No, it was a straight axle. Just the angle of the pic, I guess.

 

After I built the yellow and red 34 extended cab pickups for Speedway they contacted me to do a T bucket. I had never done one before so it was a challenge. I didn't follow the exact Speedway pattern which pissed off Speedy Bill. I followed the pattern to a degree but added a cut down deuce grille and shell and a chopped windshield. Last time I saw the car it was in the museum. I never got any credit for the 3 cars I built for Speedway. They always told me once I was paid I was done.

 

Yes sir, here you go.

 

Yup.
I've completed five, and flipped a few more.

My first roadster was built from the plans in Car Craft Magazine in the '60s. They had a ten month build series. My dad helped me build the first metal body, later upgraded to a glass T body.
I also built three drag roadsters including my avatar car and The Last Logghe altered T, and a home built RPU and a home built tub.
I love open wheeled minimalist rides.

 

When I first joined the HAMB in 2018 I posted a picture of mine, Hallcraft front wheels, Littlefield blower, M/T sportsman rear tires, and so on. As soon as I pressed "post reply" it was deleted. Thats when I decided to read the rules.
Fun car though.

 

I always wanted one, until I sat in one. I decided a 23 was too small for me. Decided I liked the 27 better, especially the extended version. Thought about it many times, priced the parts in the Speedway catalog, counted the money in my pocket and figured it would have to wait. I'm still waiting....

 

Not yet, but bought a incomplete roadster at an auction last fall.

 

I was looking for an open car when I changed directions and built the Studebaker, the avatar picture was taken about five years ago, the car's done, not much to do..the wife asked me if I was going to build another car...so, I'd been doing a little "Craigslisting" and ended up buying a stalled project that a geezer like me had bought for his grandkids to build. They got into racing and the car sat for 25 years. Hope I can get it done before I turn 80 The steering column's upper part is 57 Pontiac and the lower part is 59 Studebaker, not a lot of room between the motor and frame, with a column shift there will be less to drag my feet over getting in....after I get a door cut. Lots of 80's street rod stuff to get rid of.

 

The cars in posts #42 and #43 are in the "early stages of completion".

Lynn

 

I haven't built one from scratch, but did a major face lift on one I acquired in a trade a few years ago...
Before:

 

My friend Bill built this cool inline 6 T bucket. HRP

 

That would be cool with cowl steering so anyone other than a small japanese girl can run the pedals

 

Yup, built two, the first, my first build, had it five years, five years it was a heat score. Small block, turbo 350, nova rear, 11 inch driveshaft, I kept refining the car till it handled like a go cart on steroids.
Sold it, never should have.
Many cars later, I kept thinking how much fun the T was, so, I built a 27, seen here a few times, and remembered, maybe not so much fun. Hot, windy, cold, windy, noisy, windy, sold it to a guy who drove it home six hours on the hottest day of the year, loves it to this day.

 

I was given a very cool bucket body that was a hot rod down here built in the 60's in NZ. Then I started getting parts together for it, early 283, dual carb intake etc. A good friend of mine has a daughter who is super keen on building a bucket as her first hot rod,,, so I gave it all to them. Now it is getting pieced together as a father daughter project. Cheers

 

Your friend Bill did an extremely good job.
Is Bill a HAMBer, and is there a build thread............... and if not, why not.

 

My old speed shop "CompTech" never had adds of any type,,I got biz by word of mouth,race cars of all types, an some hotrods ::;
Of those hot rods, about 1/2 of them were T-bucket's with steering an control prob's.* in the 1970s n 80s.
A few, I fixed driver fit issues some times, but not* always fixable ,some real big guys,love there Buckets*
Recurring note* shows up often on nearly all "T-bucket thread's",about how"I'm too big for those"T"s "
Mostly is true* for much over 6ft. and around 220 n up. ,yet some in the little over size,can be helped!
The one's I was able to help out ,with adding some driver comfort{fit} too> Was most often from mistakes made,when rod was first built by another owner.
Only a few EZ to fix ,mostly hard fix's *of moving any or all of; steering column/ sometimes box too ,pedals, an seat redesign,and adding taller windshield.
Too many "T"s came in to shop ,with a tiny steering wheel,not good for anything but a small go-cart. = Common biggest poor control issues ,that driver is in full denial of***, is tiny steering wheel.< "Can't you just do alinement?"
Lots want the EZ n cheap way out . Things don't always get fixed, that can be fixed !! Rod just gets sold to next one.

 

Yep, my avatar car. I built my own frame, suspension, shortened the driveshaft, built my own windshield and steering column , etc. I used swap meet parts whenever I could. Front axle from a 1965 Chevy van. Engine, trans, and rear end from a Chevy Malibu. About $6000 total in it.

It’s been on the road just over two years now, and it has 9,600 miles on it. I too built my seat as low as possible. I’m 6’ 2” and I love driving this thing. I don’t see myself ever selling it.

P.S. As Dana mentioned, I put a large steering wheel in mine, from a 1963 Nova, and it drives really well. My steering column is almost vertical, that gives me extra foot room as well.

 

Dana's right. Most guys who build/buy these things give little thought to driver position or comfort, and a lot of them are difficult to drive. If you look back at my current project, you can see I did give it some thought this time. By using a touring body as a two-seater, I should have plenty of room for steering, pedals, and a luggage area behind the seat.

 

Many years ago, I’ve helped build this one. Running a y-block to boot.

 

Even as a young kid in the 50's I wasn't infatuated with the bucket T's. My buddies all seemed to be, so I was the odd guy out whenever they got wound up over them. I didn't dislike them, but I much preferred 1930's coupes, so those were the cars that really got my interest.

 

finishing this one up now. My first T build.

 

I had a T bucket for a couple years in the mid 90's. Such a fun car! I was going to build one but then got to heavy into Oldsmobile's and never did go back and build one

 

Spot on proportions and all...what’s the plan for the front brakes? I’m sure they are in the cards, right, Pete!

 

My steering column goes through the firewall , I have 3 pedals , My size 12 shoes on my 6'-200# body operate those 3 pedals just fine & have for 20 years & 50k miles , thank you .

 

@2OLD2FAST @Tman
i think trent was being sarcastic or sadistic, i get the two confused

 

I did two. I built one in high school metal shop 1967-68. Made my own 1 1/2”x3” tube chassis, old Ford tie rods shortened for four links front and rear, ‘58 Pontiac engine with a flat pan hydro and a ‘50 Olds rear end. I was going to use the Olds trailing arms but my teacher talked me into the four link with Corvair coils. My Dad found a cheap fiberglass body in the McDonald-Douglas company paper. I entered it, unfinished, in the Kiwanis contest for high school shop and got 2nd place - the winner was a ball peen hammer. The judges thought my T was built from a kit! I built everything myself and my shop teacher was pissed. The hammer was a standard metal shop project that we all did.
I got the hots for a gasser so a rich kid from another school bought my roadster. He finished it and put a blown 392 Hemi in it. I bought a ’47 Ford business coupe and built myself a gasser.
Years later, after a nasty divorce left me penniless and in debt, I decided to call in some favors and build another T. I had seen a bare bones T at a Johnies Broiler cruise and just had to build me another one. A cheap 27T ‘glass body and a Model A frame that my Dad found in the Nevada desert got me started. A friend donated an old Ford front axle and spindles and a 283/Powerglide, and I got an 8” on Pick-a-Part’s half-off weekend. The Long Beach Swap Meet helped fill in the rest. I had it running and driving for just over $2800. Later, another $2500 had it nicely finished. Can’t hardly do that these days.
I’ll post some pictures when I get on the other computer.