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

It's actually part of an old clamp on accessory mirror. It was on the posts when I got them, and truth be told it pretty much sucks rocks. I have a plan for something a bit better soon.

 

Great picture Chip, wish I was there!

 

Chip

Looking at the picture of Buddy Holley and Chumley sitting in your roadster (Damn you'll just let anybody drive your roadster) they seem to have plenty of leg room. I've often wondered if there is more room in a roadster than the front of a touring car. I measured mine from the the firewall to the back of the body just under the dash and it and without the height of the backrest padding it seems to measure 48". Take away the 3/4" plywood and carpet thickness behind the firewall on mine that measurement would be about 49". You say your body is a direct unaltered copy of a 25 T. I was wondering what the difference is. Then I guess I need to find out if an early T body is shorter than a 23 and later. This is the kind of shit that is important to me. Maybe I need to get a life. Anyway if you would measure yours it would be interesting to see what you come up with.

Gary

 

" Buddy Holley and Chumley".....took me awhile...

 

Rebel, that's what mine is, 49" and probably most glass 23's. The height from the lower edge of the body, to the top of the door/body edge is 22". From the bottom edge to the top rear of the body is 28". To the top edge of the dash/cowl is 24".

Also, looking at Louvers pic, I sit damn near the same, except I'm a little lower in the back. When he installs a webbed seat bottom, he'll sit a little lower too.

 

Hey Gary,

It's been awhile since I put a tape to this body, but I do have a steel '23 around here and this body matched within a 1/4" or so on every dimension. I'll put a tape on it tomorrow. I had always been curious too as to the space difference between touring front half and a roadster. I will have a customers steel '25 touring body here in the next week or two to do some measuring and compare.

 

Thanks Chip it will be interesting to see what you come up with.

Looks like Fred's roadster body measures about the same as mine.

 

The '15 / '22 roadster bodies are shorter from the front to the back than the '23 / '25's
In late '22 / early '23 Ford was transitioning to the new longer body. For a time, in that period, Ford produced bodies with the early "low" cowl on the longer body.
By mid '23 the bodies became the standard "high" cowl '23-'25 style.

Hey Chip, I've got all the parts laying around here to build a T-bucket. If you are comming to the GNRS, look me up, I think I need some counseling!!!

Pete

 

I would be honored!!! You are kidding right? You have to have forgotten more than I know about this stuff!

 

You know Pete that might settle an argument I had with Ivo about his roadster. I know what "ass hole" would argue with Ivo about his roadster. When he invited me over to his house to sign my roadsters dash he kept referring to his roadster as a '25. I (yes that ass hole) corrected him and said I thought his roadster body was '22 or earlier. It might be a late'22 or early '23. That way we would be both right.

 

Are T-buckets going to be the new black '32 highboy???

 

Wow Chip, what a complement! Don't be too surprised, you're well respected for your vision and execution!

My '27 T Roadster build: www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t= 734383

 

Hey, FG:

I fixed it:

T-buckets are the new black '32 highboy!!!

Marcus... .

 

Ya know, Chip:

You're looking a lot like "you're havin' too much fun!" . .

& I think your buddy looks like he'd prefer to sit where you are... .

"Life is good when you're you." .

That pic sure gives off some *good* vibes. Thanks for posting it.

Marcus...

 

We can only hope that enough T roadster builders will look at this thread and listen to Chip as Pete Eastwood has and start building their cars with some good judgement. Everybody should keep up with Chip's and some other of the other T build threads on the HAMB and keep the UGLY out of their roadsters. Maybe then we can put the "ugly duckling" of hot rods label behind us.

What a well deserved compliment to be asked by Eastwood for pointers on building anything.

Gary

 

I did not realize that Conan was on the board!

 

Fred:

Take a look at these mirrors;
http://www.ebay.com/bhp/hot-rod-mirrors



I had the windshield post mirrors and as louvers said, they suck. These move the mirror a bit away from the body and actually let you see whats behind/beside you and not the curb 3 lanes over.

 

...So the FIRST time I was ever asked if I was Conan O'Brian, was at a parts store in northwest Phoenix one afternoon about ten years ago. The alternator on the Plymotuh took a dump when I went to lunch that 120 degree August day, and I had to fix it to get home from work. This was back in the corporate suit and tie days, so pulled the tie and coat, and yanked the alternator out of the Plymouth in the parking lot right in front of our business location... Ten minutes later I'm standing in line at Autozone, sweat dripping from every pour, smooth clean button down looks of the day LONGGGGG past, and I become aware of a bunch of people whispering. "Probably just laughing at Mr. Businessman all messed up" thinks I, but I'm pissed off and done with this day so I chose not to let it concern me. About a second later and the guy behind me in line tapped me on the shoulder and says nervously, Senor, are you Conan O'Brian? I spin around and shoot a glance and respond "Do I F**kin' look like Conan O'Brian?!!" Ci senor, you do....

 

I figured you had heard it before, but man you really do look like him in that pic!

I am just jealous you can be out running around in the bucket, -35 up here with the wind chill, when the snow squeaks, its fricken cold!

 

Conan O'Brian - no...(but I don't watch him, either), but you seem a real good ringer for a friend of mine. I did a dbl-take when I saw your pic the first time... .

Marcus...

 

Just sprayed coffee outta my nose!!

 

That's a good spot, keep. I like my stem, but in the pics, louvers looked better. I broke the glass in my mirror putting the new engine in. PLEASE! Don't ask. Anyway, as a quick fix, I double sided taped an auto parts store mirror over the cracked one. It's working for now, but I'm looking to replace it before the weather gets good.

The replacement mirror I have stuck in place is one of those optical lenses that lets me see EVERYTHING on the side AND behind. But it's just a temp thing and kind of goofy looking.

Here's mine. It's in about the same spot.

 

mine are in the same place, they work really well there.

 

About cockpit size,seems to have a lot to do with your fit and what your fitting.
There are times that nothing looks better then a 23T with all the parts in the right place.

 

Hey gang!

Small update today. It was a morning of runnin' around with the Glendale swap and the once yearly Motorcycle swap up about 20 miles north of here. I almost came home with Bodi's truck full of early sixties Honda C50 stepthroughs, but that is a different story altogether.

After the bike swap, fellow H.A.M.B.er Nick Flores and I along with Bodi paid a visit too Paige from Astro Auto Body. Paige owns one of the only tire truing machines in Arizona, and graciously allowed me to cruise by his place on a Sunday. See, something I haven't shared with you guys is the fact that my "temporary" Firestones and Halibrands are ultra cool and all, but not exactly round. This solved my woes!

Just to be sure, I stopped off at Ramjett Racing and grabbed some Dynabeads. If you haven't used these yet, they are awesome! They are a bit of a pain in the ass to install but I have found a method that works very well for me. First, you go to the dollar store and get a 1.00 set of plastic funnels. The smallest will just thread itself over the stem. Pull the valve stem out, thread the funnel over and start pouring... If it clogs, stick wire down and work it. About ten minutes per wheel and life is better!

 

Oh, one last very important update for the week... Last weekend fellow H.A.M.B.er JERRY made SURE I was at Central avenue, 'cause he had something to show me! I got there and he presented to me this... It's a Cal Custom scoop from '64 or '65 or so, and although I don't have a picture of it on the car for you guys yet, it's just about perfect! The chrome was way past saving, and at some point Godzilla had indeed stepped on it as he rampaged, but a quick walk through the bead blast cabinet and some care full leverage have erased most of the bad stuff. Hugger orange and pinstripes soon!

 

Haha, last pics look like some other kind of how to from Columbia.

 

Huge score!

 

Chip! I tried that brand of cigar just last weekend! I kind of like them.
A change from my normal Macanudos...

 

Ya, that was my first go 'round with that brand too. Not too bad, but a little rowdier than I am used to. I'm the guy that walks into the cigar shop and says "cheap, big and mild, please...".