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

I was in Lancaster California this past July, pulling some parts for my Dart wagon. 108 in the blazing sun, sweating like a pig. LOVED it. but maybe not for several months in a row. However, probably better then several months of snow.

 

All I have to say is it snowed here last night.....when I woke up the ground was white...I wish I had the problem of it being too warm!


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I do feel sorry for you guys in the South. It's hot enough in the area where I work in, in summertime. 90+-->105. But I can leave at 10p. I don't use ac at home, rarely in the car. But 90->95 for a couple of weeks w/o letup is wearing. Phft, 8 hrs is enough. Still... better than the damn snow/ice/cold. 57Fargo, while I feel sorry for you too, all I can is is: better you than me - 'cause that Miserable White Shit from Hell is supposed to hit here (lightly) tomorrow night --- well, I'll be d_mned! Sighhhh...

Marcus...

 

Chip, you may appreciate this since you seem to like tri power setups.
Got me some new Stromberg 97s for the 573 Edelbrock to top off my Y Block.
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/threads/uncle-max-is-the-man.945662/
Larry

 

Time for some more mid-late sixties T-buckets from Jack Stewarts LA Roadsters book. First, another shot of the Dick Thompson car. WB is about 3" too long. and the cowl lights have gotta go, other than that, perfect.



Heres one I dont recall seeing before, and its pretty tasty, says it was lime gold, SBC with a ram log, belonged to a Joe Vukovich. I'd like to see more of this one...
I'm not certain, but I think this same car may have been in a B&W feature in Street Rodder around '74/'75 with a few changes. It just seems familiar. I'll check that out later.

 

neat turtle deck bucket with a full-width tail-light, this is as sixties as it gets. Says the pic was taken in 1969, associate member from Des Planes Illinois, Bob Horvath. Theres a flaw on the negative right over the engine, but looking at the headers and valve cover, I think this is SBF powered.


Theres a lot of t-buckets in this book, I will follow with more pics in the next few weeks.

 

Somewhere in the 60's-70's this style flourished for a little while. Had to be hell in hilly country.

 

And I'm back! ;-) George, I knew I should have grabbed a copy of that book at the Roadster Show! Actually, I had planned to go back in the hall and get that and a copy of Duece of Spades as well, but I never made it back in there. For those who have never been to the Roadster Show, it's REALLY not a one day deal (Well, maybe if your young, but for middle aged people on, it's rough! I highly recommend going two days, one for the show, one for the swap meet.) Last year we went through the buildings first, and I had to lug a large bag of crap all over the show (The phonebook sized Dennis Carpenter catalog was the worst!), and I wasn't gonna make that mistake this year! Normally, Bill would have the Magicar there, and we would have a place to stash our carp, but he was away on family stuff this year. So anyway, I just went on Amazon and bought one!

Blue One,

I haven't forgotten my homework assignment, but with the El Cajon cacklefest last Wed., Escondido's Nitro Night last night, and the Antique Drags tomorrow, I haven't had much time to look. We had a pretty good time with the Magicar in Escondido (Well, El Cajon too), but the "Bone" (Bill's 1964 Ford Wagon Push/ Tow car) broke down on us, the fuel pump gave up the ghost. I didn't find the link for them in several Google searches, on my Kindle, or on my work computer, but I've still got three more to check.
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Well, I just saw the tail lights of "endlessearth's" '64 Chevy truck slink and disappear down the street (How does something as big as a mid-sixties Chevy long bed look cool enough to "slink"? Don't know but it does!). That's the end of the air conditioning install from hell! It wasn't too bad, but due to last spring's engine build and detail, I ended up remaking most of Vintage Air's sure fit kit.

That means tomorrow is to be my first "day off" in a long, long time. See, fellow H.A.M.B.er Nick Flores and I have a plan.... Jump in the hot rods early A.M., point them east and don't stop driving until it's time to turn back home! So I'm not sure if my destination tomorrow is Superior, Globe, Thatcher-Safford or New Mexico, just that I have to be home by 9:00am Monday for another round of customers. Tuesday I'm taking a bit more time for me too, and the goal will be to get my Finned drums and holed backing plates on the front, and possibly the roll pan grafted to the grill shell. Let's hope it all goes to plan!

 

Ya know, after years of truly disliking that type of look, it's kinda growing on me a bit. It is awfully goofy, but I do have one of those buckets with the flip on the back that is almost prerequisite for this style of car. I believe that coupled with a low rise type rear spring such as a '35-'41 type and sun small "C" notches in the frame it could be set low enough that it wouldn't look too bad.

 

I am the same way, Never really liked 'em, but what we used to call "bob-tail T's" are really starting to grow on me. Not enough that I am gonna run out and start another parts pile or anything, but they are starting to grow on me. I really like that lime gold one in the blow up I posted, I'd REALLY like to see more of that car.

 

The book is a little light on text, and its VERY basic, all B&W and the pages almost look like photo-copies, but if you are a history nut like me, its interesting, and as you go through it, you find all sorts of connections with stuff you have read elsewhere that kind of fill in blanks if you know what I mean. I bought mine used (its been out of print for a long time) and it has a bonus in it, namely autographs from a few pretty well known hot rodders. The coolest thing is on the Tom Medley page, theres his autograph, and a little hand-drawn "Stroker" cartoon in black ball-point pen. I'm not a big autograph whore, but I thought that was kind of cool, as I had no idea it was there when I bought the book, I only noticed it when I sat down to read it.

 

Chip,

Isn't that the front half of a touring? I thought the "flip" was the forward jamb of the rear door? Was I confused?

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Yeah, I picked up mine used as well, but I'm sure they had new ones at this year's show. Maybe a reprint for the 50th anniversary? Chip or Gary, do either of you remember seeing them in the LA Roadster's booth. They'll probably have them again next year to commemorate Jack Stewart's passing.

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Spend a year in Iraq or Kuwait and then see if you'd complain about Texas heat...

 

Dawn Patrol.....zero dark thirty'

 

Nope. That little flip down low on a '23-'25 car was where the turtle deck blended to the body. Almost all of the 'glass buckets have done away with it. Some of the very early glass buckets like Almquist and Speedway had it, so it kinda marks the car as a real deal vintage 'glass car.

 

Yes, its actually missing on the touring bodies. Fred, man I LOVE that feeling! Being up at dawn for a road trip is a real buzz.

 

Falcon, sometimes I day dream, well actually a lot, that I'm the member of a WWII Fighter group and we're headed out for an early morning raid. I get on an open stretch of road, I'm all alone and all I can hear is my exhaust singing a sweet tune. NOTHING beats an early morning drive in a roadster.

 

It was on the roadster PU bodies too.

 

Yeah it was 41 degrees for my early morning drive, so all you complaining about the heat can kiss my ass....lol

Had a little car show for a local Cub scout group, could not pass it up. Pretty cool seeing a bunch of 8-10 year old kids climbing all over the bucket.

 

Chip, how was the drive? Hopefully you got a lot of sun on a beautiful day like today!

 

Oy, don't even ask...
Truth is, I didn't get to go. Truth is the bucket took a 2 mile ride home from downtown on the back of a AAA rollback because it decided to let out the mysterious blue smoke from the electronic ignition module. There I was, on 2nd street, ready to take a right on Washington, club row on a Saturday night... And it stopped running.... Blocking traffic....

Friday night it was having a hissy fit with starting poorly, and a quick check of a few things showed a weak coil. I got a ride home and grabbed my MSD coil off the Plymouth, which has an ignition system you could weld with, and stuck it on the 'Bucket. It fired right up and ran better than it has since I have had it! I kinda suspected the output of the coil might be a bit much for the Pertronix though, and that takes us up to last night at about 9:00. What could a quick cruise through down town hurt...

 

By the way, that coupe needs to get running, like this week, as the cruise on Central is next weekend! Call me if you want a hand some night this week.

 

Chip, as the resident source of knowledge on T's, would you consider this 50's build as a transition between track roadster/gow job to T-bucket? They probably Z'd the frame on both ends and with the cycle fenders it kinda has a sport car flare to it. Also looks like a tri-powered Olds and firweall mounted master cylinder, so a fairly refined car.

 

Is this the book?

 

Yep, that's the one!

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Hey guys not sure if that book was on sale at LARS this year but would be surprised if it wasn't.
I really don't go far from my roadster at LARS lately. Every time I do and come back a friend tells me "as soon as you walked away" somebody I would love to talk with showed up. And to all my HAMB friends if you see my roadster and need a place to stash your stuff just let me know. I or a friend are almost always around my roadster.
Gary

 

I definately wouldn't call that car a T-bucket, but a bunch of guys are going to disagree. Looks like a typical late fifties hot rod to me. Cycle fenders, channelled, full wheelcovers all the things that pretty much define late fifties hot rod. Not suprising, it was on the cover of March '59, along with John Rasmussens Model A, which also had, wait for it, cycle fenders and full wheelcovers...
If you start building something like this, be ready for 98% of HAMBers to tell you you shouldn't run cycle fenders, the chopped Desoto grill shell isn't traditional and looks "rat rod", full wheelcovers are "gay old man" stuff, bobbed frame horns are unsafe, and channelled cars arent drivable. I, on the other hand, will subscribe.





FWIW, I have a "someday parts pile" desoto powered T-coupester that has all the standard late fifties hallmarks, short bar lancers, cycle fenders, channelled, swing pedals ect. First guy who calls it a "t-bucket" within earshot will get a kick in the nuts....

 

My 28 rpu that I'm still in the parts gathering stages on, is to have cycle fenders, and quite possibly full wheel covers. Even if the "experts" tell me it's not traditional. And agreed, that lil T rpu is not a bucket, but it sure is neat.