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

Fixed it. Yea, I think my final decision will come down to "look". For some reason, the longer rods seem to look better.

 

Got 'em.

 

Sorry guys. I had the album set to private. I was in a hurry to go to bed.

 

This is CCR's set up for a regular body. The rear radius rods are 37.250". When CCR builds a T with the stretched body, they don't stretch the frame, they move the engine and trans forward about 8". That eliminates the gap you usually see between the radiator and front tube on regular bodied T Buckets.

 

Just messing with you Fred
I see the pictures now.
Except for the last one.

 

NOW, it's fixed!

 

I always thought that for a manufactured chassis they did a nice job.
A basic T chassis like that is pretty simple.

 

IMO, T Buckets are simple cars. It's the builder who tries to "reinvent the wheel", that makes them complicated. Stick to the basic formula and you can't lose.

 

Well, the 'Bucket got a new/old look back again this week, as one of my slicks decided to pack it in last week. the Halibrands were taken off the RPU, and duly bolted down again.

It's funny, I slowed down posting over here a year or more, not because I didn't like the way the thread was going, not because I was mad at anybody, but simply because the demands of my business took my time elsewhere. And truthfully, I hadn't gotten that much done on the car to report. Then i took a look at an old photo from the last time the Halibrands were on, and I realize that since then, I've - Chopped the windshield, made, louvered and molded to the grill shell the front roll pan, built the grill shell insert, mounted the big tank with the center fill spinner from Halibrand Steve, made the teauno cover, properly mounted the license plate and club plaque, did a bunch of wiring, etc. Lots of stuff really. Sometime in the coming week I need to finally get the finned Buick front drums and F-2 brakes installed and tuned, too.

Been busier than I thought on this one...

 

Problem solved!

 

Chip- I love the Halibrands on your T. Many times it's had me looking at the imitation Rocket Solid or Fire wheels thinking, hmmm.... Anyway, keep fighting the good fight!

 

Wow, Chip! You have been busy. She's looking great.

 

Ya know, since the Rockets have come out, I have thought seriously about selling my Halibrands and getting a set of Rockets. Sounds sacrilegious, but I do worry about vintage wheels worth a lot of money on a driver type car.

 

And , you are still looking for that damn steering wheel that the little green men take when ever you park the car aye Chip. You must have a sore palm of your hand from gripping the steering shaft hard ?

 

You know Chip I don't use my Grabowski skull shift knob anymore for the same reason. I could never walk off and leave it out of my sight.
Gary

 

Sadly, I was also a victim. Mine was just a billiard cue ball, but it came from a good friend. Came up missing at a show, so I went back to a plain knob, then later a parts store cheap knob. Thieves suck.

 

So, I decided to go with a 40.00" center length on my rear radius rods. What I discovered was length is relative to location and rear vehicle weight. Ideally, the two radius rods would run from the axle bracket and join in the middle near the transmission yoke. As we all know, this would be rather difficult in a T Bucket. So, as has been done for years, the rods are split.

While being split reduces over all effectiveness, that reduction is minimal, as long as the rods achieve some angle from the rear bracket to the frame rails. As long as there is an angle of placement, coming from the axle and going inward to mount on the frame, geometry is maintained. In designing my rear suspension, I'm using CCR's setup as a guide. In this picture, you can see the angle and length of the radius rod.



So, after I reconfirmed what I had found on angle and placement. Desired length needed to be determined. On average, 36" (final length of the assembly), seems to be the norm for T Buckets, with CCR's set up being one of the exceptions to the rule. I wondered why there was a difference. What I discovered was that front placement of the radius rod bracket was ideally as close to the trans yoke as possible. So, even though the rods don't meet at the yoke, they can run parallel to the frame rails, as long as they are mounted in close relation to the yoke. This is where the triangle effect is created and maintained in the rear assembly.

Therefore, since my engine and transmission assembly is moved forward, in my extended body application, then a longer radius rod should help with axle movement with minimal binding. Minimal weight on the rear end is also a factor. It'll also look good. So, I'm going with a set up that will have a 40" center to center length. I found some good reading that folks may find useful. If anything, it gives a brief education on how the rear components work in a car using wishbones, radius rods or ladder bars.

http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/i...-2011_Rear_Suspension_Radius_Rod_Geometry.pdf

 

I'm not sure now if I like Tom's or Norm's T best. I kinda took a little from each.

Gary

 

In my case, looking at Tom's and Norm's "Lightnin' Bug", it would be hard to make a choice. They're both cool and painted in two of my favorite colors. I'd probably go with Norm's. BUT.... for speed? Tom's was definitely quicker.

 

So did I.

 

Tom told me he and Norm only raced once and both of their engines were pretty stock and he inched out out Norm at the finish line. Yeah Tom liked to win. Of course after that Tom started hopping his engine up and Norm concentrated on car shows. Tom said "we went in different directions". Norm ended up the showman and Tom done with all that started racing. Funny.

 

I like what Speedway did with that "Tribute T"

 

It's the inspiration for my project. I wasn't sure an all back T Bucket would look good, then I saw these pics. Other than the Flathead, this is what I'm shooting for. With quite a few changes, of course.

 

I always liked Norm's the best.

 

Just an observation. I've received a few likes (gawd, I hate that feature), from that photo of Tommy Ivo, rippin' the hell out of that T Bucket. A photo that has been shown and posted a gazillion times. And I said to myself....... that moment of speed, captured in primitive film, is what keeps us, T Bucket guys, smiling every time we go out for a drive.

That feeling, that, unless you run into the baddest mutha fu*ka' in town, you've got everyone else beat before the light changes. And sometimes, that bad mutha fu*ka misses a shift. GAWD! I love these cars.

 

^hoping to feel that soon with 1950s technology spanking the shit out of anyone in town.... Or scattering parts all over the road... One of the 2...

 

Preach it, brotha. Preach it.

 

Remember the Tom Ivo interview, when he tried to buy the radiator ornament from a restored stocker. Seems guy wouldn't sell, so he admits, he came back later and took it, and put a $50. in its place? Now THAT sucks, or is just plain chicken s--t. Happen to me kinda, I lost a beer draft knob, I would have rather had knob than the $10.00 left in my roadster.