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

I too like the red T nitro posted. But then it's a lot like mine.

Gary

 

Well, I've been moving my test drive spiral farther and farther from home, and no huge issues so far. I did put some new rims and tires on it. I like them more than I thought I would.


Hard to believe that that most of the parts came from this car that I threw together 11 years ago. It was ugly!

 

That is a job well done. The proportions are waaaaaaaay better. That exemplifies what this thread is about.

 

Looking good, Nobux!

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My buddy took this photo out on the salt in the early 2000's

 

Wow nice roadster

 

Steel Rebel, Your car is #69 ---> http://www.hotrod.com/features/1603-the-first-hot-rod-ford-t-bucket-100-plus-photo-gallery/#photo-69

Couple of more HAMB cars in the list.

 

Nice photo. Yours nobux? A few years ago at LARS. The flathead powered A roadster parked behind me in the swede41 photo had to tow me out that year. Kinda embarrassing. Adjustable fuel pressure regulator swelled up. I had it set on 4 lbs. and when I put a gauge on it, it measured less than 1#. Never run a pressure regulator without a gauge. rebel advice!

69 has always been my favorite #.

Some nice shots. I went through all of them. You found some nice looking Ts.

Gary

 

Also enough fodder to keep Chip awake nights.

 

Nice find! Photos #55 and #59 kinda call out to me.....

 

I too perused all the photo's and have to agree, lots there that would make one think " What, Why and Oh No ". One thing that I realized though is how the wrong set of headers/exhaust can really alter the finished look of a car. Also, I think I have been hanging around here to long as I am now in the same mind frame of Gary and others on the radiator surround height to the rest of the bodyline and if wrong, it screams, looky at me.

 

The article popped up on my Facebook feed a couple of days ago. I spent the rest of my break going through the pictures. I'm still trying to decide on a color, so having over a hundred t-buckets in one article was neat.
When I came across Steel Rebel's car at #69, I couldn't help but smile.

 

Damn nobux! That looks great! EXACTLY what I envisioned when I started this thread. It is possible to wipe the ugly off stuff and turn it into the simple and sleek! Well done sir!

 

now that there ^^^^ is praise of the highest order

 

I've been following this thread since Chip's first post. The early '60s magazine pictures and articles encouraged me to start doing some research of my own and nail down a cohesive style instead of trying to cherry pick and combine cues from 50 years of t-buckets. Unfortunately, now I've got a big collection of early '60s car magazines that seems to keep growing and growing!

Thanks guys.

 

Exactly what I had hoped this thread would do. Quite honestly, to me, exactly this is what I have always seen this thread being more about than the actual build of my particular car. I really did want everybody to see where these cars came from, and to get guys thinking about what they were building when they made the decision to put a 'bucket together. Too many have been built over the years that have lacked this thought process, then furthermore, tinseled like a Christmas tree when the actual construction is done. Seeing your car emerge in it's second life as a well thought out, good looking car is as high a compliment as can be! Thanks!

As far as the early sixties magazine thing, and the madness that will eventually take over not only what ever space you have, but probably your own sanity, well your welcome!

 

Thought I'd show you guys this one from Hot Rod Deluxe's picture gallery the other day. I first saw this one on a Car Craft 1962 cover, and in the 1962 Hot Rod yearbook that I purchased in about 1977, so I have stared at it allot. I didn't even know that it still existed until I saw the gallery the other day! The nailhead, the 6 97s, the rake, all the cool stuff!

I mean really, LOOK AT THIS THING!!! Oh, the Hot Rod article was entitled "Rakesville".

 

Oh, I'll just drop this here. Panda and I leaving Good Guys last weekend... Ya think he is happy in his element?

 

That's a beauty.......but those cowl mounted lantern lights are, well, ugly.

 

Pssssssssst. Car Craft used a dirty word......called it a "Street Rod" (in 1962)

 

That car still exists.

 

So does that mean Street Rods are now traditional since it was used pre 65 ??? JW

 

Chip, glad to see you're back.
What opinion do you have about this altered "T". Probably not a Ford, but from the "T" era.

 

Holding my comments on this powder blue one. Chip seems to think it's pretty perfect. What does everybody else think. Fred thinks it would be better without the high set cowl lanterns. I tend to agree.
As for the one a boner just posted above. I kinda like it. Probably a couple of things I would change but all in all pretty kool.
Gary

 

The powder blue T....I like it now, and I liked it in 62. Would take the cowl lamps off, except for the fact that they were on it when it was a cover car. I usually think a cover car should not be changed, but that's just my opinion.

 

Hmmm.....Overall, I like the blue car, with the exception of the broken back look,but I assume that's due to the rake. The body to engine angle doesn't bother me as much as the difference between the body and the radiator. I'm pretty sure it would look worse if the radiator angle was changed, so it is what it is. I agree with abone, as a former cover car, I wouldn't change a thing! Now, the black one I like a lot (one look at my car will tell you why.....but it's definitely cleaner than mine! I really dig the curved dash, and the wheels and tires (strangely enough, I already have those rear wheels for mine, just looking for a good looking set of bolt on 10 spokes for the front (those wouldn't work for me because I have the larger GM A body front disc brakes), and I don't really like the new bolt on ones.

Kurt (Blownfuel)

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"The First Hot Rod…Ford T-Bucket" Thanks, nobux, for posting that link. I just looked at all 113 cars there. Since I'm building a bucket at present, I was interested in many of the details on the cars. I got lots of good ideas from the traditional-style cars, and lots of "dont do's" from the fad-t's. And thanks to you, need louvers, for starting this thread. (I guess your name is Chip, since that's what all the guys are calling you. ) Anyway, thanks Chip, because I've been getting lots of good lessons from this thread all along.

As for the blue one pictured above? To me, it has too many fad-T cues. The cowl lamps are one (two actually), the tall windshield and top, the shiny gas tank up high with no turtle, the too-vertical steering column, and too much rake to the body. I like the nailhead though.

 

I have a whole flock of magazines from the mid '50s that use the term "street rod" to differentiate them from the race-only "hot rods."

 

The Car Craft cover car only serves to prove that nearly anything can be considered "traditional" if you look hard enough!

Early-style four-bar, odd scrub radius, great positioning of the shell, carriage lights, V8-60 axle, drilled backing plates, way-cool exhaust, windshield rods, 6-2s on the nailhead, and button-tufts. It's all part of a sweet ride! I wouldn't expect everyone to like everything about it, but it's still qualifies as...A Cool Car.

 

Ya, I would have to agree on the cowl lanterns. On the upside, if you look at the '62 cover, it had 13" front wheels that were a bit ungainly. The restored version has 15" ers and 5.60s which are much better looking to my eye. Not saying this one is perfect, but there is a lot of cool going on there.

The little altered inspired Dodge 'bucket is bitchin'! There are things I'd change were it mine, nut that's sort of a given. I'd like to see a bit more stance rather than just dumped low, headlights are a bit small, etc. but damned cool!

Late to the Party, thanks man! Ya, the "real" name is Chip, so that's me. Glad you have been able to take something away from this thread that you can use for your own project.