Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

Louvers, maybe you could do the Deuce grill like Roth did and mold in a bottom section and add a grill insert.

 

I really like the look of that shell.

A much more "finished" look than just lopping the bottom off a deuce shell and mounting it.

A hell of a lot more work though too.

 

Ya, ya know, the Tweety Pie's grill shell really never did it for me. I much prefer the chopped off '32 on the lightning bug version of Grabowski's car with a small horizontal pan to finish stuff off. It's kinda moot right now, 'cause my deuce shell is gonna take more time to fix than I have time to deal with right now. So, it gets a "T" shell for the moment with a clover insert like the one Bill Roland added to Ivo's car while he owned it. I will also do a small pan for the front as well, simply because I hate the negative space at the front of the average T-Bucket. I'll dig now that we are coming back into the season of living here in Phoenix. I seem to see several Deuce shells that have been cut or dicked with in the quest of "rat rod perfection" on the swap trail around here, so I'll make that "phase two" when I find one.

 

I'll one up you I don't even like the bar on the bottom of the Lightnin bug grill. I just let mine run out. I too like the Bill Roland version of the Ivo car after Ivo moved on. Go with the T grill shell with the aluminum insert.

 

Well I'll be go ta hell.....gonna have to look into this a bit more...
check the grills, hmmmm

 

Whats really cool about the grill insert is some of the conversations it will start...

 

Only thing I like about Tweety's grille is the black background.......

 

Chip, tell me all you know about that "wavy" ford axle on the blue car above.. Usually reserved for Chrysler products..

 

Looks like '42-'48 Lincoln.

 

Yup, Lincoln... Matt beat me too it! I'll introduce you two this winter if you don't know each other yet.

 

has anyone build a full size version of "Big Drag" except with seating for two?

 

Well, funny you should ask! The last T-Bucket I started for myself I literally took apart a badly built "Big Drag" and scaled up to real size. Unfortunately, as with most of the stuff I do for me, someone came over to pick up they're louvers and decided they needed it far more than I did. I saw it completed up in Cottonwood, Az., with a full height windshield, Mickey Thompson 16" wide Pro/Street tires and convo pros not too long after, meaning they lost the plot on that deal...

 

Loved this one...sorry to hear of it's fate!

 

I doubt it will start any conversations. T's seem to be flexible when it comes to grills and grill shells. The only thing that might come up is the fit. As long as the insert and shell fit the build, it will be okay.

It's funny about the Tweedy shell and the Kookie shell. That finished section on Tweedy seems to do something I never noticed, until I looked at them together. The Tweedy shell looks "dumpy" or too short, while the Kookie version gets away with having the grill shell fade away into the darkness underneath.

I'd like to know the measurements of both. They both LOOK very short. As something to compare against, I looked up the height of Speedways chopped '32 shell and it's 28 1/2". That's 2" taller than my front tires! So, was a real '32 shell cut in half or more to make the kookie shell or is it an illusion?

 

Well put Fred. "Fade away into the darkness underneath" Without knowing it that is what I tried to do.

 

My thought was that someone would probably recognize it as being the same insert material that was on the former Ivo car when when it was on the Jan 1960 hot rod cover, and comment on it, and Chip would immediately know he had found one of the t-bucket faithful. Sorta like a mechanical Masonic ring. In retrospect, you are probably right, and the only guys that would pick up on it are on this thread right now. But hey, you never know...

 

Louvers, on your '32 shell, you wrote this:

"I got another surprise today. I told you my glass half a deuce shell was rough, right? I hadn't told you guys HOW rough. when I started sanding and cleaning it up, I uncovered a seam running straight down the middle of the shell through the nose. A call to the buddy it came from got me the number of the friend he got it from, and I found out this... He narrowed it 1"! CRAP! That explains why it won't fit down nice and snuggly over the radiator and sticks up so damn high. It also explains the mass build up of fiberglass on the inside of the nose, too. Bummer!!! Bummer BIG TIME! So it looks like for at least the near future it will get it's "T" shell and patterned insert. I'll keep my eyes open for a deuce shell or get little less busy and fix this one later on down the line. BOOOOOO!!!"

But in the pic it looks like it fits just right. It looks like if it was 1" wider, it would have been too wide. Am I missing something?

 

Nope, the tabs on the back are smashed flat against the sides of the core in this picture, and that's kinda why I didn't photograph it from the back side. At that point I was in "WTF" mode trying to figure out what was up, and a couple minutes later I made the call that reveled what had happened. This shell had come as part of a friend's "kit" from Rod&Race fiberglass that became a rather neat car called "The Liberace". He built a very Rothesque nose for the car and gave this shell to another buddy of ours Blown Green T-Bucket, who in turn widened to fit over what ever radiator he attempted to make fit, and when my buddy got it back there was only so much material left to patch back together. Hence the 1" narrowed shell. The problem really wasn't so much the width and the mounting brackets, those I can change. (I have an awesome set of tools!) The problem became the depth of the grill shell. narrowed up like that it got awfully tight at the front two corners under the shell, and the only way I would have been able to use it was with it positioned way too far forward to fit the radiator. Like I said earlier, I'll keep looking for another deuce shell now that swap season is finally back in town... It's so nice out people are starting to ride motorcycles and drive open cars around again. Hell, it was only 97 today!

 

Okay, got it. Well, like you said, either one will work.

 

I really can't wait to see this one out on the road Louvers. You guys still have me wanting a T and wanting one soon.

 

Well gang, If there is anything more wholesome on a Sunday afternoon than gas welding some ancient headers back together on equal doses of Nyquil and Dayquil, then I don't know what it could be...

Yup, by waylaid the last couple of days with my traditional late summer cold. Same time every year. Just about the time it cools to less than the temperature of the surface of the sun in Phoenix, I get sick. This time it dipped to 89 on Friday and my immune system said, "nuff".

But, that said, I got up this afternoon and walked out to the shop with itenetions of laying out a louver job for tomorrow, and softly, almost quietly the 'Bucket was calling my name. Roy and Kurt dropped off the severed header flanges on Friday when they stopped by to look at the touring, and my soul needed something to do besides watch "Repo Man" on Encore TV again this after noon. Long story short, they came out pretty fair, they fit and now they tale a trip over to ElPolacko's one day this week to see if I can bribe the use of his larger blast cabinet than mine.

I finished up the grill shell and insert the other day as well, but not yet the pan for the front. That will be fore coming soon. It'll all look many times more finished when it does happen. I still wish I went a bit lower with the radiator than I did, but it's acceptable.

Evermore, Mr. Rocket Chan wonders why in hell I spend so much time building, and not much driving... Soon buddy, soon. Your a dog that needs some T-Bucket time.

 

please Chip THOSE orange things, refrain,


I really like the grille/shell !!!

 

Chip

Like it all. Even the dog. Ugly coming out. Can't wait to drive through Gate 1 at LARS with you 2014.

Gary

 

Those orange things being the turn signals? Yup, they are out of there pretty quickly. Hopefully this week I can get this thing legal and ready to drive, 'cause it's going to be a daily for a bit. My wagon crunch has left me without transpo at the moment. Anyway, once the inspections are done, the turn signals switch and all are out of there, and a clean non drilled pair of headlight stands will fill the holes. Soon , sir, soon.

 

One of the best compliments I have received to date sir! Although, I'm not sure I'll be gate one ready by L.A.R.S...

 

I thought that might be the thoughts,,,

'68 to '70 MOPAR turn signals indicators, ONTOP OF front fenders. They face towards the w/s, will fit yer frame facing forward,,discreet and work well

 

But do you want your turn signals to be discreet? I'd take what he has and mount them on the frame somewhere.

 

I was REALLY happy how bright the are in use.. especially at night..

used on several cars, still using em..

 

I'll look them up. Are they the ones that are on the old Satellites?

 

yes. one wire. chrome look like a wedge.