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

Heck, stop by and I'll throw you the keys to the Bucket of Ugly! I spent Sunday at Good Guy's last weekend passing it around shamelessly. Hot rods should be fun!

 

When I was a young guy, we shared a car that went farther than that. One friend owned the body shell and 4.89 9", another guy owned the toploader, shifter, clutch and scattershield, and the windsor head, 11/1 solid lifter 302 was out of my pinto. Won a lot, lost a few.

 

I just read all 80 pages. I should say I finally finished reading them. I don't normally say much, here or in person, however... This thread is great! Everything has been entertaining and/or informative all the way. I don't know why I stopped here, I'm not normally a "T" kinda' guy (I too, am pretty particular about what I like to see in one) - I've read, watched, and loved every bit and I'm looking forward to more.

 

like the thermos bottle: It keeps the hot stuff HOT, and the cold stuff COLD" How do it know?

 

Heck yes, such true words spoken and then to be followed up from Chip with a invite and a possible drive of the famous T, heck I will be packing my bag real soon. As I mentioned before and like Devilleish I have too found a group of like minded folk that are welcoming and as we say down here, just damn good blokes to chew the fat over a cool beer while sitting around the workshop holding up the work. Now where is that beer ???

 

if your looking just for a vent to the tank I know that you can use a PCV valve we used to use them in our street stocks before fuel cells became mandatory .It wasn't all that long ago(early 70s) we raced with factory fuel tanks or jeep cans for tanks ,We would just put a nipple on the tank or even the gas cap itself that a stock PVC valve would fit.

 

Happy Thanksgiving everybody.

I guess our worldwide friends don't know what we are talking about. Or do you? Am I the only one that logs on no mater what day it is? Actually it will be warm enough for a roadster ride here today. Might take my photographer daughterinlay for a ride after dinner if she wants to go.

Gary

 

Getting ready to roll my car out here in Houston. It's a nice crisp 50 degrees!

 

Fred I want to extend the same welcome to you as I did to Chip to join me Fathersday June at LARS. And anybody that follows this thread and drives a "finished roadster" is welcome.

Gary

 

That would be a heck of a drive, in a T Bucket with 3:73 gears! But if I can make it as a spectator I will. Thanks! I've got relatives in La Jolla.

 

If Chip doesn't mind I'll post my Cell # before Fathersday and maybe all that attends can get together.

Gary

 

If you guys make it, we'll have the swap meet space with shade and beverages for a central point to drop stuff off that you've bought, rehydrate, and BS.

 

Post your space # and I'll take you up on it.

 

Yeah, I know, look up Goggle earth and do the research but I would rather just ask you all, What are we looking at time wise and in mileage from Houston to the Lars show, LA city I believe ? As for Thanks giving, not sure what the celebration is about but do know it has to do with turkey and where possible all the family gathering together for good times.

 

Happy Thanks Giving one and all!

Fellow H.A.M.B.er and buddy Nick Flores put together our second annual Turkey Day cruise to South Mountain Park this morning, so we are just getting back in now. We left at about 8:00 at about 48degrees and were the only people stupid enough to be in a roadster. It turned out to be a beautiful day, in one of the largest city parks on the planet, beautiful too! My favorite picture from the day.... Miss Judy braving the cold.
One of me too I guess...

 

I would say between 1,200 and 1,400 miles from Texas to Pomona Ca. Don't know what that is in Kilometers. Pretty much hot desert traveling all the way in June. I'm not bragging but I'll be towing my roadster the 500 miles from my home there. I've paid my dues in my younger days.

Our Thanksgiving is the mythological day our founding fathers shared food with the native Americans.

 

And blankets, dont forget the blankets...

 

Don't worry about kilometers. It's the same as driving from Sidney to Cairns, but east to west instead of south to north. Everything about going through the long desert just imagine getting to Ayers rock from anywhere. Regardless, I still want to make the trip someday. Gotta get a roadster first I guess.

 

I've made the trip in an open car from Phoenix to LARS SEVERAL times, and it is not for the weak of heart. Although it's really only 350 miles or so, It's about as extreme a drive as you can hope to encounter. In 25 years of LARS trips, the coolest in an open car has been 102 degrees, and the hottest has been a water pump change in Indio with the time/temp across the street from where the work was performed showing 125! Even the guys that have just driven from the east coast, (3000 mile or so) look at the guys with a bug splattered car with Arizona plates in a bit different light than others. It's kinda fun! Ya gotta be very conscious of heat stroke and hydration though...

 

I told you that I would show a picture of my gas cap vent solution the other day. I managed to remember to sneak out to the shop yesterday before loading all the cruise photos and capture a shot of this little gizzie... Stainless outer with a sintered bronze inner core that passes just enough air the equalize the tank inside and out, and really shouldn't be a major inlet for water. Also looks like stuff that I have seen in lots of sixties sporty car type caps over the years. I'm going to grab a second one in the next couple of days, as the stainless was a bit softer than I thought it would be and the corners of the flats 'dragged a bit as I cranked it pipe threads tight...

 

The aftermarket tank I mounted in my roadster came with a rollover vent. Not sure if you could use something like it.

 

Actually the trip on that route almost killed Norm Grabowski from dehydration several years ago. He had to spend a few days in a hospital.

I've made the trip from the San Francisco Bay Area there a few times but the weather down California Highway 5 or even 99 isn't that extreme. Maybe in the low 100s max.

 

If you drove a T bucket to the LA roadster show from here, you would be more likely to drown...

 

Mr Falcongeorge, is Surrey BC a Canadian City ? The other thing also that I wondered about is fuel for the cars as like Chips T, the fuel tank wouldn't last long when traveling at 80 to 90 mph across the desert and there wouldn't be service stations like in the old Route 66 days where motels and service stations appeared at the right time. Of course I don't promote speeding and breaking any laws but hey, out on the road again with the sound of a healthy V8 rumbling along one would be foolish not to easy up on the horses and let the reins loose.

 

Yup, and if you were rolling along at 80-90mph on I-10 with me you'd be surprised how often we'd be passed! Fuel stops out here are at 80-100 mile intervals, so that's all the range you need these days. With my new ten gallon tank in place soon, I'll have that with no problem what so ever. There has been a resurgence in the last decade of truck stops on this route, so it's much better now than it used to be. Still hot though.... Can't do anything about that!

 

Or at least get a good bath in...

 

I remember hearing about that when it happened. I do think that was the year of the water pump change in Indio when it was soooooo damned hot.
Heck, I'm good right up to about 110, but mid 120s?! That was nuts! We left Indio after the pump change that year, and rolled into Beaumont and stopped at Ron Mangus' interior shop for a bit of touch up on the car's trim. While they did that, Ron offered us the use of his pool for a cool off dip and that was the sweetest swim I've ever had!

Actually, the sane among us dessert dwellers leave in the dark of night and arrive in the cool early. Those of us less intelligent that go in the day occupy ourselves with mindless stuff like car to car water gun fights and precision cooler dumping techniques. All good fun as long as you remember to keep enough water on board to rehydrate.

 

And just imagine if you have a lovely young lady in the Bucket with you, the conversation could go something like this..... Hey can you remove your toe from there please...... Hey pass the soap will you..... dam what happened to the hot water.....


Chip I would be one of those that drove through the night but I would hook up temporary driving lights on top of the roll bar too light up the road ahead. The joy of having the headlights in " right position " at the front of the T they are only good for looking for earth worms directly in front of the car.

 

Yes, we are about 200 miles north of Seattle, right on the SW corner of Canada. We dont get much snow, but we do get a little rain...

 

I'll see what my June plans are! The grey on my roadster is paint, not primer.