Has anyone build a frame from this plan? http://www.tbucketplans.com/the-youngster-free-t-bucket-frame-plans/ I'm looking to use this plan but shorten it to 90" wheelbase. Any photo's or suggestions would be appreciated. thanks
I'm assuming you mean 90" wheel base? 90' would be awfully long! Youngster was a frequent poster here and someone I talked to on the T-bucket threads quite frequently before his passing. I didn't download the plans to look, but it looks like pretty standard T-Bucket stuff. I would probably caution against going to a wheelbase that short on a 'bucket, as you run out of room for things pretty quickly with that little space, especially with a spring behind front end. Spring over and a dropped axle might work well, but you would want at that point to limit your choices in the back to a 14" short bed, or nothing at all and just a tank. A better choice in most cases for a bucket would be right at about 96".
Stock T's had 100 inch, and A's had 103-15/32" wheelbases as a reference. Every so often at speed, I wished the A's was even longer!
96", magic number...if you want it within proportions that are 'sane'. Forget the idea of an 88"-92" car. Some of my customers bought unfinished examples of 'shorties', believe me, these things are scary at speed...I made efforts to stretch every one less than 96"! LOL Take care in setting it up, step the frame in rear sensibly. (20" step is excessive) Stand back and look at it often, set it up so you can roll it outside for proper perspective. Setup tires should be cheap temporaries the same size as you will end up with. Ts are small and light. Similar to building a big model! Get it right the first time, it's taxing to change the major stuff later on.
Oh, yeah...That's one to copy... Look at it carefully. (also the steering wheel position) Compare it with Tom Ivo's.
If you would have seen the project those plans were based off of, you would have understood the 20 kick. When Ron passed, someone from the HAMB bought that unfinished project. Never heard where it went from there. But it was a sweet build. Pretty sure there is a build thread around here. I will have to track it down. On another note. If you want the plans without giving out your email, they have been hosted here since day one. http://www.netquickposse.org/tbucketeers/Youngsters_T_Bucket_Frame_Plans_V1_0.pdf
Here is part of that build: http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=556518&page=2 Sorry wrong build. Let me look some more.
my $.02 never had a T soooo... But seems to me longer wheelbase is always better. An consider, and I've seen this in the old mags and some later, use a banjo from spring behind car and flip the bells side for side. This adds wheelbase, and I think looks cool and also can give you low without as much rear step cause the banjo doesen't interfere with the crossmember. I'm sure Roth's Tweety Pie handled like crap, and he looked really dumb driving it. Just my $.02
I'm looking at using a fiberglass 23' t bucket body and a 14inch t pickup bed. Want to shorten to 90" wheelbase because the motor will be a ford 2.3 with c3 auto trans and 7.5 rear end. Rims and tires will be 15x5 165's front and 15x8 255's. Rear suspension will be coil over's and hairpins. I want to apologize for my mistake on the measurement. I didn't even see it till "need louvers ?" pointed it out. I have edited it already and now is correct.
The Jalopy Journal
