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

Isn't this one FRED STEELE'S

 

I believe so, built with a model A frame if I remember right.

 

I've had that eye peeled for over 2 years to no avail. Unfortunately, these things are just oddball enough that nothing really matches them. I'd even settle for a good matching pair, and do the "BIG N Little look totally with rubber...but on the rare occasion they turn up they are priced way beyond my means. The last single wheel I saw on the bay went for more than a whole set of borrani wires I was looking at for my Cougar.

 

Just got a new photos to post up.LOL one of my own hotrod I still drive that I built in 1959. Its really a bobtailed 28"A", VW's as far as I care could of stayed in gremany or were ever,but I didn't like the Beatle songs ether. I like TNT

 

Saw a Bucket with wires similar to yours (as in not motorcycle / skinny wires) on the front and Astro styled 5 spokes on the back this weekend. You can mark THAT combo off your list (couldn't get a pic because it was dark, but trust me on this!). We used to trick up Slot Mags with 3 bar spinners and Corvette knock off stainless covers (like the ones here)

that might look ok (but maybe not your taste).

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Couple of photos from the Paso Robles car/air show this weekend at the airport. I guess Volksrods are "traditional" now. Pretty kool photo of the Plymouth taken while entering. If any of you get a chance do this show it is a great one.
I've always kinda liked the white bucket above. I have the album cover hanging in my garage. Most T roadsters back then were put on A frames.
Gary

 

I'm not familiar with the astro 5 spokes. I've never seen those Corvette style covers before, but I like them. If I go with full wheel covers, the will most likely be either the Moon spun style or the Lancer 4 bars. From 1961 until his death in 1984, my dad always had Lancer 4 bars on his cars...so it's kind of a family tradition.

My options for wheels is very limited because of the bolt pattern...4x4.25. I found 15x8 steel wheels from Wheel Vintiques, steel racing style D-slots from Bassett, and various T-Bird and Mustang factory wheels. I like the looks of the Bassetts with the knock off centers you mentioned, but to me they look too modern...the same for the factory wheels. The steel Vintiques with caps or covers have the added feature of hiding the 4-bolt pattern that has gotten an endless stream of "Why don't you change to a 5 bolt pattern?".

 

Astro Supreme 5 spokes look like this....


Don't forget, 4 x 4.25" is also 4 x 108mm. A quick search on ebay came back with 53 pages of results (most of which are front wheel drive crap), but included several choices such as American Racing / Ansen Sprint slots & Outlaw II's,

Weld Racing in both 8 hole and star styles


and even a couple of cast wire designs (BBS) style of earlier Mustangs (74-78 and 79-82) that wouldn't be too objectionable with your wires (although of all the potential selections, only the Ansen Sprints are 60's T era appropriate).

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I'm going to have to look at my saved search...it seldom turns up much except the FWD and way too modern looking stuff. I've been under the impression that the aluminum slots would have been more appropriate for late 60s on style.

I think part of my problem is that I've never narrowed down a period for this car. I guess with the track nose front, and the bobtail exposed tank on the rear, that it would be in the timeframe of transition between the T Modifieds and track roadsters. I'm guessing from what I got going through this thread last week would be the early post WWII years...Correct? This gaping hole sieve of a brain also trapped the concept that post WWII wire wheels were a no-no for competition. But my 50+ year obsession with wire wheels is not going away anytime soon. Would the fantasy scenario of an old post WWII track car being recycled as a hotrod in the early 60s work?

 

Wow Gary, this is one darn excellent image of your Plymouth and I do like the down in the weeds stance. Very very nice.

 

Thanks Marc
They had a professional photographer taking that shot of every car that entered. It's a keeper.
I just cut one coil in front to get it to sit like that. It's getting pretty worn in front. I'll have to go through it soon and I think I'll put in new springs and lowering spindles as I should have done before.
Gary

 

Bill, I see nothing wrong with your reasoning on it being a post WWII re-vamp.
Gary, damn nice pic of you car and the T-28 Trojan is cool too.
Jeremy

 

Thanks Jeremy
Is that what the plane behind my Plymouth is a T-28 Trojan? It must have flown in Saturday the day before the show. Two other radial engined fighter/bomber WWII planes came in the day before. Last year they landed while the show was going. I speculated insurance wouldn't let them come in while all us were there. The runway was real close to where we were parked.
Gary

 

I'm not sure when their use became common, but Ansen released the Aluminum Slot in 1963.

Yes, this does change things! Going by your time frame and your axle bolt pattern, I think the only options are wheel adapters or steel wheels w/ either Caps (or caps and rings, and this option would probably require adapters as well), or Moon Discs (which I'm not seeing as a good match with the wires in my mind). The best answer (in my mind) would be to find the 4th matching wire wheel, but that appears to be cost prohibitive at this point. The one option that hasn't been explored yet is having your existing axles re-drilled to a different pattern. This is a 4 and 5 lug wheel spacer.

Looking at it, it doesn't appear as though the two lug patterns will actually interfere with each other, but I would still fill the 4 lug holes then re-drill.

 

OK, assuming the scenario of a post WWII revamp is plausible, would steels with baby moons fit with the wires on the front?

 

I agree about the Moon discs. I've been keeping my eye out it the pic threads, and I've not seen very many with discs only on the rear, and none with wires on the front.

I also agree that the best would be to find 2 more of the Lincoln wires, and I will continue to look for them until I have to pull the trigger on the steels.

I really don't want to get into adapters or redrilling. The biggest reason I got this axle is it's width so that spacers would not be needed. Plus I have a very frustrating history with adapters. When it comes to redrilling, I don't trust my ability to get it perfectly centered, and I have no idea who around here could do the job right.

That leaves my favorite solution thus far...the steels. Actually, the 4-bolt 15x8 steels, baby moons and trim rings for the wheels, are all available from Vintiques. They also have the same wheels available with chrome rims and painted centers, that are surprisingly cheaper than buying all-painted wheels and separate trim rings. Right now I don't know which I value more...the cheaper wheels, or that reveal of painted color between the trim rings and the tires <shrug>

 

Here's some food for thought. How 'bout an 'A' bucket? I don't recall if we covered this one earlier in the thread (my age betrays me again, stupid memory). Arnold Avila's rpu from the Jan '63 Hot Rod has all the major bucket styling cues. It even has goofy lanterns on the cowl, which honestly, I don't mind on some T's, but look really out of place on an A to me. As some of you know, I have an A rpu waiting in the driveway when the Pontiac is done. I tripped across this one while looking for inspiration. I think it's pretty cool, although not at all what I'm going for with mine. I'll float a couple of "idea cars" later if you'd all like, but they're pretty OT for this thread, so you can tell me to piss off if you don't like

 

I have always liked that car. A plus-sized bucket!

 

I too actually like the overall look of that A Bucket. I would de-uglify it with removing those lights including changing the tail-light and fit front brakes as the thought of driving that knowing that the only wow is at the rear with those slicks is too scary. Now I am suffering a wee bit of Brad's disease, forgetfullness, but have we talked about this before, registration plates ( Tags, I think you guys call them ) having to be on the front of the vehicle as although the guy has mounted his to one side, it still spoils the front view of the car.

 

All vehicles in the U.S. with a few exceptions need to have front plates BUT I don't run them on my old cars and haven't been hassled about it. In the past when that car was built police were bugging everybody about everything. I too like that little A roadster. Anybody building a short W.B. rod can take lessons from this guy.
Gary

 

Agreed. He absolutely nailed the proportions. We here in Alberta no longer require front plates, they dont even issue them. It wasnt always that way, I used to get tickets regularly. When it changed, it caused much grief at the U.S. border. The days before a million cameras telling the guard more about me than I know about me before I get to the window.

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I've always liked the A rpu bodies except for the squared off rear corners. Before I got my expanded '23 body, I took my best shot at a custom made glass A-Bucket body on the bay. It had rounded corners with the top accent ribs continued all the way around the back. Unfortunately for me it went for about double my budget.

For those needing a front plate, I just purchased from CCR a nifty front spring plate that has an inverted T-shaped bracket that extends out and down over the axle, for mounting a front plate. From the pics I've seen, the results are not bad looking. In my case, I'm repurposing it to hold a hinge that will fasten to the chin of my track roadster nose.

 

I built my "A" bucket if u like that name,in 1959 an drove it to highschool,don't care what ya call mine,its a hotrod to me and I still drive it. I was 6ft even in highschool,so the bit roomyer "A" roadster body was good,but really it was just what I could find as a teen to build a hotrod with,ended up like a bucket cuz the hole trunk part was crushed badly,so just cut her off and used the fairly good part. Built a lot of other rods over the years too,but my first baby is still my fav.

 

Yours was the first one I thought of Dana, when I tripped across this one.

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Had that Hot Rod Showcase image stapled to my bedroom wall growing' up...

How 'bout this shot:

 

always liked yours Dana. I don't run a front plate at the mo, I havn't been stopped yet, the plate sits under the carpet just in case "sorry it fell off officer, I'll put it back on as soon as I get home"

 

I have never had the plate on the front and when I did get pulled up at the Beach Hop one year, the cop asked about it being missing then before I could answer, he decided that there was absolutely no where it could go, so I haven't bothered since. The car even past WOF inspections through VTNZ without it too.
I really like the roof line on that A Roadster too.
I think if we are seen to be sensible drivers etc in our T's the law looks the other way and sadly, Gary, both you and I are past our teenage years of stirring it up for the local police.

 

Good evening Marc. I have been pondering the front plate issue and I don't want to run one but I will make a mount for it on the track style nudge bar im going to have to protect the radiator and lights from reversing cars, etc. They (plates) can really spoil the frontal lines on these little cars.
Jeremy

 

Graham

A friend of mine used the same excuse when he was pulled over. The cop said "I believe you" as he finished writing the ticket and handed it to him. See you at LARS.

I really like that red A bucket except for the cowl lights and the license plate. It just sits so nice and no "ugly gaps" between the firewall and engine or engine to grill.

Gary

 

Here is the CCR Perch Plate / License Plate Mount that I mentioned.

Even though I'm repurposing it, I still think it is a cool solution for plate mounting.