Very sweet ride. I remember the build thread on it and it was "interesting" to say the least. My bet is you miss it as much as I miss mine, with a replacement in the works. I do think it looked way neater with the 2x2 setup on it.
Yeah, but it went to a super nice guy and it went out of town, so I don't have to see it running around locally, anyway. For some reason, this picture is one of my favorites. Don
The glass cars are fairly close. The drivers who's knees are above the waist are probably 5' 9" and taller or trying to sit really low. As mentioned before, seating in a Bucket is or should be, a major part of planning the build, IMO. I'm 6' 3" and my left knee was a little above the body edge, but my right knee was higher. Mainly because of the transmission hump and foot placement on the gas peddle. But, I'm skinny as a rail and don't have a gut, so I'm flexible in that regard. I've driven 200+ miles in that position with one stop for gas. I had a choice, I could have my knees in a "normal" position, but my seat would have to be taller and I'd look like I was sitting "on" my car, instead of "in" it. I'd be one of those guys, who looks like a monkey fucking a football. Not a good thing. Ridiculous? Hell yea! But not much better than the guys wedged into an overly chopped coupe. Being "cool" sometimes comes with sacrifice. Face it, in the end, we're attention whores, to a degree. No one builds a hot rod to "blend in". My remedy for that in my new build is a stretched body. The usual standard body is about 49" from firewall to the back of the body. The stretched body I'll be using is about 8" longer. It doesn't sound like much, but ask anyone who drives a T or any early car and they'll tell you that 8" of more leg room would be a game changer. The standard glass T is about 46" wide. My stretched body is 48" wide. Not much, but I'll be glad to have it. If I can keep my seat riser 4" or maybe 3", my left knee will be about even with the body edge and my right knee will barely show. Again, I'm going to have to play with seat design to get where I want.
No offense intended but just your reaction is enough to prove the point that there is some sort of stigma in the name T bucket that's too bad....as for the glass debate need louvers summed it up well. I should really have formatted my response differently those comments were just rhetoric not aimed at you but thanks for the education on glass cars it does make certain sense when it comes up I try to defend them even though I've never owned one lol.....btw your car is really cool whether roadster, RPU or T bucket even if my opinion don't count
Thanks The only real stigma to me is the Fad T's. I'm a car guy and like all sorts of rides. Of course like any other car guy I have strong ideas and opinions on what I like and don't like. I absolutely despise the over the top Fad T's. I think if someone gave me one I'd have to search out a good supply of C4. Now that isn't to say that I haven't seen a number of T buckets I like, but they are all before the brass and other wild shit guys did to them. Heck when I was just a wee lad I was forever dreaming over the little Bird T bucket kit ads in the back of my coveted rod mags. I do not dislike fiberglass, but I'm a metal worker so... Chips bucket of ugly thread has the right idea on that subject.
One thing I have not seen mentioned in the steel/glass discussion is having doors that open. They make a big difference over the years getting in and out of a bucket.
only if you have a canadian T.... prior to 1926 all american T roadsters had only 1 door passenger side... canadian cars had a driver's door
I have the same concerns as tfeverfred. My solution is use a '27 body which is approximately 60" long overall compared to the typical '25 style body which is about 52". They both are about 48" wide. The '27 is wider in the footroom area as well. I'm a fabricator and I'm still going to use a 'glass body just for cash reasons, ($800 with opening doors and deuce dash). I can't buy the aluminum to build one for that. If the car turns out to be acceptable to the little woman for some road trips I'll use the glass body to pattern out an aluminum one next winter. Somebody always wants a used T body and just swap it out. A real good example of this type of car is Brian Mackeys black roadster, which is a steel car. I'm not crazy about this car in particular but the stance and seating position are spot on. He did his homework on getting the look and in fact is really an inexpensive build although I understand they have a million hours into the bodywork as that black is flawless. Other than that, the car could be built by anyone. I don't know if Brian is on here but if he is perhaps he could post some pics of his build. I realize that T bucket is in reality the 1905-1925 cars per se, but I don't think that the '26-'27 body is really that much off base.
26-27 Ts can't be T buckets? Since when? Isn't it really more about build style? Like BlueOne argued that his is not. Look at it and you can tell it is not built in that style. Others have been.
Now the T above, (Simplissi-T), has it down to an art! Items of note are the cross mounted shocks, dropped tie rod ends, (love to know how that was done?), to set the steering up for correct Ackerman and excellent stance. An exceptional example of period building practice. Extra points for the exhaust through the tailgate. Unusual to use channel for a frame. I've only seen one other done this way.
lot of great cars on here , this is my car, first car, started building frame in 1973, when I was 12. (dad big help,and influence) been driving it since 1976. been through lots of changes through out the years.. my dad's friends donated all kinds of parts for me to build it with. been driven everywhere , daytona beach from st. louis, 2X and to las vegas in the 70's when i was a kid 17 ..
So I paid a visit to Jim Gordon @ Antique Auto/PSI in Rosemead which to me was the first/foremost place of replacement Hot Rod Parts back since 1959 as a stand alone business to the point that they had much of the tin in the LA area sewed up by even having to have a junkyard in Irwindale/Duarte. Gene Scott built that business since 1944 working at the local Lincoln Mercury dealership in San Gabriel. Well the Riley powered Boss T was Halibrand and American Racing Equipped along with a grip of PSI one off parts, but what I remember most about Bob Hines T-Roadster was its 4-bar front end and it's torsion bar suspension. Notice that there are 2 very famous T's that had a 4 -bar set up in 1954-55. Then there is Bob's which was built awhile before Pete & Jake's Temple City or Jake himself used one on the 34 3W. Bob I believe was a fireman at the 6th Street fire station in Alhambra. Hence the reference in red in front of the station-which is still used to this day. The suspension in the images show what PSI sold and what appears in my previous post re:Nick and his 23 T. The funny thing about the lil Red T above is that Jake bought that T and last I knew still had the Riley power train in his shop. I used to know the story about who ended up with the rest of it, but man that was decades ago so I forget... It's funny that the 4-bar that derived from sprint cars ended up being a really great seller for P& J's, the Deuce Factory, TCI, and even Speedway along with PSI as well.
Growing up, I despised T Buckets (which really are Fad T's as someone mentioned early on). As I got older, I find myself loving T-based hot rods. I thank a recent build (Mr. T I think the HAMB member is) for making me see the light. I loved how he used many of the original parts but made it look sinister. A T-based rod is now on my short list.
More on the Bob Hines T. It was originally owned by John Kaizer, and appeared with John, on the cover of Rod & Custom in the early 70's. It was built by Mike Hoag at M&S Welding in Irwindale, & I don't believe it had any PSI parts on it. M&S also built a lot of great drag race cars. Jim Ewing, who founded Super Bell Axle also had an M&S built T. Bob Hines bought the T from John Kaizer. He later painted it black & installed a Jag rear end. Bob later sold the car, less engine, to Jim "Tennesee" Stone & sold the engine to Jake, and Jake still has the engine. Jim Stone had me put a small block chevy in the car. Jim drove the car some, He passed away quit a few years ago. It's a bitchen car, I'd like to know what's happened to it.
P-wood, Cool info on the - Kaizer/Hines . Its great to see the story in Blk/Wht. The PSI parts that I was citing was the images that are in the Boss T catalog, that shows the Corvair reversed steering box and the master cylinder, brake/clutch pedal placement. The pedals look like they are from the K/H Boss T. Didn't know the M&S welding connection, but didn't Mike Hoag do some work for Gene as well? Thx for the heads up in it, I agree, such a bitchin car!!!! El Hueso, I didn't do a build thread on it as I built it in 97-98. I built the T as a roadster 1st, then put the bed on about a year later, it looks just like that still as I freshened it up a couple if years back. PM me your email and I can shoot you off more pix.
Thanx Banjorear, now I'm going to have to look up Mr.ModelT's ride-(I did and remember it well= A Timeless T!). I appreciate your kind words. CK.
Cyclone's RPU made me think of my old '23 RPU ( I never called it a bucket either...) Inspired by Hot Rod Shoptrucks you sometimes see in old grainy pics, and the RPU the first issue's of HRM were transported in ( Larry Shinoda's?)
The Jalopy Journal
