Features Traditional Track T or Bucket Build Cost Under $5000??

I like that home built body! I'm sending a pm to you.

 

Did he say how much longer he makes the frame?

 

10" is added I think...

 

Thats good to know and I wonder how much more is charged with that body. RPM is really good in prices. I think they are $399 on a normal day and I do know shipping prices was good. Ron even told me how to get the best deal on shipping and pick it up at a sub station, bad part is I had no way to get home after that lol.

Ron is a good dude.

I'm still looking into making a steel body for myself and I'm stuck on a T bucket. I got an idea in my mind and I need to do it lol.

Keep us posted on the car and the build and all the parts. Do you have any good yards in your area? We used to have a lot of good ones but most have clossed or crushed everything and if they had or have things its put back for that some day that will never come deal.

I like to find the skinny wheels and some swept headlight buckets.

 

He said there was no extra charge for the longer frame. I'm hoping to order it within the next week or so.

 

I would like to see the longer body/frame when done. I know I can't have it both ways, but it would be interesting to see how the proportions look.
This thread is getting me pumped!!!

 

I'm kind of curious about the proportions also. I like the idea of a longer wheelbase for stability, but 10'' is a lot. I think if anything, it may make it look better. Especially for my build because I'm looking for a long, low look anyway...

 

To me those stretched bodies have always looked a little strange and out of proportion.

If you need a little more length, the front half of a '27 roadster or touring is bigger and makes a good looking "T" bucket.

Another alternative if you like the earlier style body, would be to shorten a
touring, move the front seat back as needed and put a tonneau cover over the back.

Take a look at the January '74 issue of Rod & Custom for some more building tips especially Tom Daniel's article "T Bucket Etiquette".

"T" buckets can be good looking cars when built right; but I see quite a few of them where the builder missed the boat.

 

I really llike the 26-27 track type bodies...any pics/builds of those? I have looked a little at the Speedway site...lots of choices depending on where a guy wants to start.

 

I built a traditional T for under 5 grand, but you have to do everything yourself and use old parts and score great deals.

 

Wow! THAT is killer awesome!! Did you build that frame? That is beautiful!

 

I love that car and that is the look I want. Wish finding old bodies where as easy as it used to be.

The one at Speedway that is all black with chrome bomber seats taht is the one that got me to looking back at T buckets. I really love that look.

I dont like T's with the steering wheel up in the air I like them through the firewall.

 

pete-love the roadster, looks great! Anymore pics?

coronetrtguy-I think you are talking about the Tribute T...The look is cool, however I have sat in one and it is cramped. My knees were literally in my chest. Neat concept but it would be tough to drive for anyone 5'10 plus.

 

That is the one and there goes my dream lol. I dont want to be cramped so I may have to go with a stretched body or a different project all together. I'm not looking at driving hours and hours but I'm also not looking at being so cramped I would hate it.

I would love to see more pics of that T and have more info on that build because it is burning an image in my head that I cant get out. I love that T.

I would also love to see more of the roadster from the post above.

 

It’s a model A frame.
My suggestion is to buy and read this book from cover to cover and then hit the swap meets. That’s what I did
http://www.amazon.com/How-Build-Traditional-Ford-Revised/dp/0760309000/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363270386&sr=8-1&keywords=building+a+traditional+ford+hotrod

Here is a road shot in fact there are traditional cars as far as the eye can see!​

 

Thank you on that book info will be looking that one up and going from there. I have been looking for some good reading and this might just be it.

Also great looking cars!

 

5G or 500G
The only difference is the rarity or price of parts and finish. What does NOT cost money is taste, style, sense of proportion and frugalness.

 

What I think really makes these cars look really good is skinny tires front and back. I also love the white walls with steel wheels.

I'm new to the traditional side of hot rods (Been more of a Muscle car guy) and this thread has been a good learning thread just as so many on the HAMB.

I think the book posted above will have the info that I'm looking for as well in it and will help out a lot in any build I do.

I do know that when I've been to car shows if there is a rod there that has been done to a 50s-60s style I have always walked over and looked at it longer then any other rod there.

Hey OP did you look at the other car today and see if it was a chevy 305 in it? What else is going on?

I see Spirit is running a sale right now over on Tbucketeers com for frame and bodies. I think they had them for like $850 plush shipping you might want to check that out.

 

That's not good (for me at least)

I'm 6-1 & 230

 

Saw that at Detroit and loved it. My kid wants to do something similar now.

That's a great rod.

 

Thanks for the heads-up! I will definitely check that out.

 

The Camaro donor car was delivered yesterday. Not in terrible shape, but not a "clean, one-owner" either. It'll do for a donor. It definitely needs a carb rebuild though. I couldn't get it to stay idling, then it backfired through the carb and it runs good now lol. I did a few laps up and down the driveway, so it runs, drives and stops. That's a good sign. The interior was pretty nasty though. I've never seen so much mouse crap in my life! Yikes!

I'm hoping to yank the engine & trans and sell the roller to try to recoup some cash. Or maybe part it out. Aside from a dent on the passenger's side door, the body is very clean, so I'm almost tempted to clean it up and try to flip it.

In any case, building the hot rod is going to be the easy part. Registering and titling it in NY is going to be a huge hassle. They make you jump through so many hoops, you have to have the patience of a saint to get through it with your sanity intact.

This is a quick photoshop of sort of what it should end up looking like...

 

Spirit helps you get a title once you have a full running car ready for the road. Look over on tbucketeers they have a thread on their part of the page talking about getting a title.

You might be able to sell that camero to someone building a drag car. Also does it have the hide away headlights? I know a few guys building Superbird clones and you can use firebird flip up headlights for the nose so it might be worth seeing if anyone needs them.

I also love that T bucket looks good man. Spirit has a stretched T and they told me they stretch it in the cowl I think 2 inches and the rest in the body and its hard to tell just looking at it.

 

The first rendering I did is what a RPM stretched (10" added to the cowl) body might look like. This is more like the Spirit body where the 5" is added to mostly the passenger area.

 

I have stayed out of this so far, but after quickly reading through I have to interject one quick thing - Jeem hit the nail on the head with his last statement, "and proportion". The biggest thing guys miss out on these cars is just that. And, I can tell ya right off, starting with a stretched body you throw that very important ellement right out the window.
Ya, these cars are tight. But where most mess up is in seating height and padding. he seventies standard bucket has you sitting on a 9" tall riser up above the body of the car in the wind and looking goofy. The Speedway Tribute "T" goes too far the opposite way. Ity puts you down in so far you bent in half. Somewhere in the middle is where i put my stuff. And don't over pad the seating either. The more back padding you have, the less leg room. Keep the lower pads shallow with webbing in the bases instead of 10" of foam. It's all in the packaging to get you comfortable in the car. The other thing I see with the Speedway stuff is the brake pedal they use is made for a 45 degree toe board like you have in a stock bodied "A" or '32. It wastes a good 5" of legroom in their cars. I get their kit, cut the pedal off and have a straight vertical pedal water jet cut and pickup lots of legroom.

I guess what I'm saying is, skip the longer bodies, go with a stock proportioned bucket body and work at where you fit into it. It isn't hard at all to make it all work, and it doesn't cost a thing to do either. I'm 6'1", 190, and a very creaky, beat up 48 years old, built like some sort of weird space alien / Swede cross with long arms and legs and fit in these things damned comfortably. Consider giving your car the leg up of starting with a stock shaped body proportion wise.

 

Thats good info and on the pedels was something I was wondering if they could be hung further in the car like up on the firewall or something?

Do you have pics of what you mean on that?

I'm sure I'm not forming my words right in what I mean here. For my build I will be using an automatic so I wont have to worry about a clutch pedel.

 

Hey OP,

Here is a T bucket facebook page that I follow and they post up some cool rides.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/TBucketPlans?fref=ts

 

I don't have anything apart right now to show what I mean. I can slip back into the shop later and shoot a picture of a cut off Speedway pedal and my Paper pattern that I take to the water jet or plasma cutter shop. Firewall hanging works great too, and I for one MUCH prefer having the master up here it belongs so it can be checked. Just find a cool old racing master like I did last time I did that. Used an old Airheart magnesium unit from the sixties.

 

Good deal man that was one thing I was wondering on the T's if they could be hung on the firewall area like that.

Do you have it on the outside the firewall or on the inside of it?

I think like you said the further in we can go with the break, gas and if we run a clutch to the farwall it would be that much better with the room. I also want to run my steering colum through the firewall and not through the floor.

This is something that has been on my mind and I feel bad cutting into the OPs thread like this but maybe I might ask a question he isnt thinking.

What about early Corvette bucket seats 55-60s and also early Mustang buckets 65-68?

I thought about using bomber seats but also got to thinking about early corvette and mustang seats. I might even be able to find 62-65 Mopar buckets or van seats.

I dont remember if the 68s where a higher back in the mustangs or not, but I have a mustang parts company (Auto Krafter and Virginia Mustang) in my area that I could find this stuff kind of easy.

I also want to run a bigger steering wheel then I see in most like from a 50s-60s car. I do have a few B body Mopar steering wheels that are broken up that I could redo myself. I also have a few old B body steering colums.

 

Okay, I didn't get to finish this one, but it has allot of what I'm talking about. I only channeled this car 1 1/2" rather than the depth of the frame for one. I used both cowl steering and a hanging pedal for better foot room and more ability to stretch out. Unfortunately it doesn't have it's cool Master cylinder up and the firewall in the pictures. Set up this way with a pair of simple '60s style fiberglass bucket seats in it I could stretch my long legs out and comfortably reach the pedals and steer all while being down in the car.

Anther massive, huge thing to do with a "T" bucket I almost NEVER see is to use a racing style quick release on the steering wheel. I've built several of these cars over the years and nothing else makes it easier to get in and out than that.

It's all packaging, guys...