Hot Rods How about some love for the T-Bucket?

All I have at the moment. The guy driving is my buddy and thats my daughter in the first pic haha

 

Throttle linkage makes me SMH ! LOL

 

Is this the same car that I saw at Eagle Field a few times? The guy had a shop in Newman, Ca.?

 

Thanks for the pics…love it!

 

Was at show yesterday and saw this Ford powered 23 T Bucket

 

Our T bucket in the lights at Maple Grove last month

 

I always wondered what T buckets with the vertical steering column are running for a steering box?

 

VW bus.

 

VW bus, Corvair, Dodge Van. In my case, pretty much anything that was on the shelf...

 

Been oodling over the super low T in post 1205 for years now. Liked it best with the steelies and wide whites. I've built several along those lines over the years but never seem to capture the coolness of that one. One of my all time favorites!

 

I have to agree with Koz. But sure looks like the trans eats up a lot of floor space. I'm 6'4", so where would my feet go?

 

I had some pics of interior and mechanical details, ( lost in a computer fry), that showed some incredible engineering at work. Of note was how the pedals and steering worked. The white one I had a build thread up on a bit ago was very similar and there was plenty of leg and foot room with a Muncie and worked '57 Chev rear. Trick seems to be getting stuff to operate without much room under the floor. The ones I built used the space between the frame rails as foot room as does the pictured car.

My problem has always been getting enough radiator core as one of the things on this car is the body is sectioned, (bottom cut off) about 2 1/2"), which is what makes it look so low compared to other slammed buckets. I've always had heat problems. My understanding is the pictured one does too. It should be noted this one is a four speed car so the whole thing about no room for a clutch pedal is dispelled. This also helps with leg room as the stick box is smaller in diameter than the typical automatic. In addition I will note the car has an approximately 92" wheelbase, as I scaled it off photos. I know this makes me feel like Tommy Ivo sneaking into Norms garage but you'd be amazed at what is available on FB!

Perhaps the owner, 53Olds ?, can chime in here with some clarification.

My opinion on buckets has always been that you need to sit in them not on them.

 

When I was a kid I would look at that ad ^^^^^^^^^^^^ and dream. I wanted to buy one as I got closer to driving age, but it never happened. I'd love to find one stashed away in someone's attic that was molded in one of the metalflake colors, Violet would be a plus. AHH, more dreaming.....

 

Something you don’t see often a T Bucket cycle fenders front and wide fenders rear. Seen at Cruisn’ the Coast, Gulfport Mississippi.

 

A couple more T Buckets seen at Cruisn’ the Coast, Biloxi Mississippi. Both 302 Ford powered a bit different from usual small block Chevy.

 

Hello,

Ever since my brother and I saw the T-bucket on the cover of Hot Rod Magazine and Car Craft back in 1957, we have been enthralled with those open wheel roadsters. The wind in your face, the small bucket seats, the open feeling of being close to the ground when driving down the road, were all things we liked, but had different feelings in our sedans.

We started to notice that Tommy Ivo was a regular at Lion’s Dragstrip from late 57 to late 1960. That single Buick FED was quite some race car, even from the beginning. We never saw the actual T-bucket at the drags, but at car shows in LA and Long Beach locations. That guy was a cool hot rod builder and driver from the first time we saw him.

Jnaki

From August 1960 to January 1961, this motor was in a canvas covered stage in our backyard garage.
similar 671 Isky-Gilmer/Stromberg SBC motor

I had future plans for it, like installing it in our 58 Impala, a cool sedan delivery or just my friend’s 57 Chevy Bel Air Hardtop. It would not be a daily driver as we knew the power of the 671 292 blower spec motor for the drags. But, it would have been a show case, if we stuck it in a T Bucket for the weekend Bixby Knolls cruising.

Come to think of it, the headlines could have been tragic as there was so much Horsepower for such a lightweight T-Bucket Roadster. Lightweight, small roadster plus a SBC 671 motor powering it down the Cherry Avenue Drags location, only the surrounding area would have appreciated the implication. The only drawback is that the owner of the 1957 Chevy Belair Hardtop was 6’2” and I was 6 feet tall at the time, so it would have been a tight squeeze into a small T-Bucket…

If only????
very early drawing

2019 version
for our granddaughter's writing/drawing project

https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/friday-art-show-6-7-19.1152707/#post-13111331
2021 version
A 671 SBC for the street legal roadster with fender covers, Plus, a similar roadster with a McCulloch centrifugal blower.

 

ORLAN MILLER T

 

Look at the arms on that cat!!