Got the T-Bucket with the 15x15 Torque Thrusts Home COOL UPDATE!! RARE Z28 ENGINE!

If it was mine I wouldn't change much as most of the ts from that time line are thashed, or gone. I was going to change mine when I got it, but after talking to some Hot Rod Shops owners and some old Rodders telling me not to destory the history that it had. I'm still looking for the person who painted it, can't find one person who ever seen any of his work other then my car. Just my . JMO

 

After reading the Camaro Forum thread and reading about the whining about the VIN stampings I gotta wonder why they would think it was a restamp. Who in hell would would ever bother to find out what Camaro Z28 was missing it's engine then restamp another motor with the correct MP designation as well as the cars VIN? Jesus those guys are either highly suspicious of conspiracy or extremely anal.....

 

Well the engine IS real, it is accepted as real by the Camaro board and the car owner wants his engine back. It looks like th eengine will sell for a coupe of grand more than what I paid for the whole car so I'll be doing just fine!

I brought this car to a cruise in last night and TWO different people climbed all over the car and wanted to buy the FRAME! Why?????????????????????? It is all made of round tube the same size as what you see next to the engine. Both the guys wanting to buy it were driving T hot rods, one real and one fiberglass but very old build. Another thing I noticed was that this T rides WAY lower than any of the other 8 "T's" that were there last night. Anyone know why this frame would set them off like that?? They also both wanted to buy my knife handle oil dip stick, lol.

Oh, and check out the original color of the interior on this car!! This car must have been one WILD looking ride when it was all fresh. This car is just full of suprises and I'm having a blast with it!! I've never driven a car where I could watch my front brakes and suspension work while I was driving!!! I like it!! It's getting me real fired up to tear ass into my steel traditional build I've got going on now.

 

LOL, not only that, but you would have to fnd an engine with the correct date codes and first match it to a CAR with the correct dates that was missing its engine out of only 602 ever made!! Interesting though, one Camaro guy PM'ed me and said that what I had was the single most rare and valuable small block chevy production engine in existence. I thought that was pretty cool. The engine is selling for way more than the running 427 side oiler I sold and bringing 426 Hemi type money! That is just crazy!

 

That Dragmaster frame looks like it has two round tubes running down each side. Mine is just one larger tube. I'll snap some god pics of it today and post them later.

 

Damn James! I would have loved to see this bucket in its prime! That interior is wild! I love buckets... one day!!!!

 

I totally dig it and wouldn't change a thing hamb friendly or not!

 

Love the 70s wackiness and the engine story is amazing. I have been searching for my dads old/rare racecar, I think I understand how that Camaro owner must feel to have found his Holy Grail

 

I really want to see those pics of God. How did you get Him to sit for you?

 

What an ass.

James, I read that whole Camaro thread. I'm not a muscle car guy, and certainly not a Camaro guy, but I respect how important this is to them. And I commend you for being a stand up guy and wanting to do the right thing. Unfortunately the world is full of jerks like the above post and it's refreshing to see genuine kindness and respect like you just did. Kudos to you and good karma coming your way, I'm sure.

 

Pretty amazing not only to find out what that engine is, but to find the car it came out of and reunite the two.

I'm not into restored Camaros either, but I respect what they're doing. I'd like to think if a restorer got a hold of some car with old speed stuff on it, and was putting it back to stock, he'd sell off the speed stuff instead of just scrapping it, so it goes both ways.

 

Liking this story. Keep posting up pics of the unique features.

 

This is an awesome story and it is great that you found the car that your engine belongs in! Also, I have to agree that it is great that you are making a deal with the owner of the Z28 to get his engine back in the car it was originally in. I think your T bucket is great and hopefully you will have a lot more fun with it.

SpeedAddict001

 

Seems to me the same sort of thing happened to Craig Jackson of Barret-Jackson for a hemi car he had. The engine was found in Europe.The owner contacted Galen Gouvier I think and the engine and car were eventually reunited thanks to the hemi registry....

 

James, hats off to you for not snapping it off in the Z owner. That car is a gem and I hope you get a line on the history. I'll buy that scoop and screw that thing firmly into the hood of a buddys truck! I am glad that there are still guys like you out there. I have a set of factory 427 headers for a lightweight galaxie. I could e-bay them for bank but I would rather get them to an active resto ford guy.

 

What an awesome story... I'm glad to see that Z/28 get it's original engine...

It would be like an old famous hot rod being reunited with it's engine... only better.

Sam

 

Here are a few detail shots of the Frame on this car. It is all steel Tube. Try and look past the spider webs and dust as this is still in As-Found state. Check out the detail where they added mounts to the rounded tube for the Headlight stantions and engine mounts. Can anyone tell me anything about the frame's origins????????

Again, I'd REALLY like any help anyone can give spotting the old girl in any old magazines or the builder.

 

You sold your car's original engine?

 

Since you put it that way, yeah, I guess I did. It was the first and only engine this old T-bucket ever had! lol

 

Great story, Jim. And you are doing a really cool thing there.

I read the whole story over there on the Camaro board. I'm not sure I followed what happened to the Z from when the engine got pulled to when the current guy got it. Storage in CA or AZ? or bounced around to different owners?

Frank

 

Pay It Foward : James, You Doubled the value of his car,But thats just a small fraction compared to the Equity you earned at the Karma bank!(plus a little coin to fund your rod projects). Good for You!

 

The car left California with no engine and wound up in Arizona on an indian reservation where it sat outside from 1979 until two years ago. The indian man gave it to his son who promptly sold as a plain Camaro body. The next owner moved it to Michigan and then sold it to the current owner in California whi is in the process of restoring it. It is currently just a shell on a rotiserrie but the resto is progressing at a good pace.

 

Is the panhard bar coming in contact with the rear end? Maybe its' me. Just doesn't look right.

 

LOL,thats a famous Australian,sad but true! Yes he would agree about the wheels & scoop.I really dig what you have done & that car is way cool. Deadbeat

 

man sell that motor and put another 350 in it then you can have extra cash to do anything you want to that sweet ride

 

If you want to run the wide pro-street type tires, and want good hiway stability, go with the Hoosier or M/T steelbelted radials. Stable well into triple digits! Have heard lots of stories of tires like that bouncing like a basketball !

 

I just had to give you a little crap. You're doing the right thing, I guess. So did you get on it good at least a little before you pull it out?

 

If you are happy then drive it and to hell with everybody else!

 

Now to find a solid lifter 327 for the car and a tunnel ram. A DZ engine should be worth at least that much...

Bill

 

my grandpa says the chromed tube frame, wheels and harley front brakes are how they used to do it. He says he had the same rear wheels (sans the tires) on his fiat gasser before he got into his hemi dart. we both think the chrome 3X3 rear chrome above the diff is probably full of lead for weight over the rear tires, he says on the fiat it added 200 pounds and without it he just blew the tires off. I say keep the aircleaner gramps says velocity stack. stilla bad ass ride dude