Got the T-Bucket with the 15x15 Torque Thrusts Home COOL UPDATE!! RARE Z28 ENGINE!

There are things I like about it and things I don't but it was still cool driving it home. You T bucket guys were right about the attention you get in this thing. Pulled in to get gas and I was offered a nice Harley softail for it even up, lol.

So lets hear the Hamb critics lay out what should be ditched and what should stay. I'm curious. It's an early 70's build with a few later touches. Oh, and no signature on the artwork unless it's under a sticker on the front cowl I'm taking off.

I am taking the wheels off and keeping them. They deserve to be on something more real.

 

Ditch the scoop and the chrome radiator flex hose. Other than that...I kinda like it as-is.

 

You didnt have to ask what needed to be ditched people on here will sure tell you without asking!!! cool car

 

Those rear wheels and tires suck balls.....IMO of course.

 

Make it mechanically safe, and drive the hell out of it, and please lose the scoop.

Ron

 

Yup, me too, well, the whole engine needs a time warp to about '73. And maybe a tunnel-ram

 

That thing is awesome! Not many buckets from that era have survived that well.Only thing I would change is take it back to it's early 70's glory and get rid of the 80's garb on the engine. Let me know if you decide to get rid of those rear mags. Sweet Ride!

 

I agree, the scoop has gotta go. A standard K&N or similar would be nice. Blower would be better. Also tuck in some of the hoses and wires so they are out of sight. Look into refinishing the rear wheels. They would be nice in original polish. Stocton Wheel I think does this.

The front brakes are race car stuff. I'd be a little careful with them. Wilwood has some nice replacements. Front wheels and tires are probably ok if in good shape.

 

A perfect itme capsule. Like most, I say lose the horrible scoop and flex hoses, the valve covers and the HEI as well. Maybe a tunnel ram or better yet a blower is what it needs

By all means KEEP the massive rear tires and wheels, they define the era!

 

Not a big fan of brass, get a radiator shell and match the Blue. Pull the Ford off too…
Air cleaner scoop belongs on an 80’s Camaro (sorry Chevy fans)
Carefully pull the stickers off the back. Warning, they are probably hiding chips.
Paint that trans cooler Black!!!
Gotta strip and paint the rear crossbar. Here’s hoping the rest of the chrome will take a shine.
What’s with the chrome tape on the frame? BTW, round tube main rails?
Valve covers, radiator hoses, other hose covers, vacuum advance cover, GONE!
Tuck the trans hoses inside and out of view.

The rest is polish and paint.

 

That about sums up what I was thinking too! I've got an original T radiator shell but I don't think that core will fit inside it. The steering rods are brass painted black. I just thought that was weird. I also decoded the engine block and it's a 1967 block. I'm going to see if there is a application code stamped on it tomorrow. It's going to be fun to play with for a little while.

 

Make a neat looking early sixties car.5.50x15" and 7.50x15" wide whites and steelies with spider caps, ditch the headers for ramhorn manifolds,cal custom valve covers four twos on top of the engine without the aluminum mailbox and trade all the upholstery for a nice clean pure white tuck n roll job. Leave the paint and you'll pull it off. You'll probably liek driving it with the new rubber too.

 

What should go: Whatever you think should go

What should stay: Whatever you think should stay

If it were mine, I'd swap out the rears for 12 inch wide Halibrands, put a tunnel ram on under a cast aluminum scoop, and then drive the hell out of it. But it ain't mine, it's yours, and don't forget it.

 

maybe its because i grew up in the 70's but i like it as-is , but a tunnel ram would be cool

 

It goes against all I believe in, but then again it has something in a strange '60s'70s way. But wasn't everything strange in that time. Can't believe I ever wore striped bellbottoms.

 

Fix the rear brakes, are the cylinders leaking? Is the frame a chrome tube frame? Front hydralic shocks, definately needed. Steering box Corvair? Ck. play. It would be nice to lift the body and have a looksee, sometimes you can see things that could be missed. Perhaps fresh wiring. Get a black cap for the HEI. Get rid of that SCOOP! May I be so bold to ask how much you paid for it?

Definately fix the brakes and remember that the fronts (Hearst/Airheart) are next to useless. Drive accordingly. As Ted Brown would say, ride safe. John

 

It's scheduled for all new brakes including MC, wheel cylinders and shoes out back. It's a shame because the original MC was smoothed and chromed and I don't think I'm going to get another like that on exchange from pep-boy. Yes brakes are leaking in the RR wheel. Paid $5,000. It steers very well. Bounces around a little over bumps but I expected that.

 

Get rid of the scoop and go....... I like it!

 

The scoop and the radiator hoses for sure, the hei dist. is marginal at best but the red cap and blue vacuum, gag. Those front brake calipers look to be early airhearts, they are junk just send them to me. Is that rear end a olds? it's hard to tell in the pics, i like the car though run it.

 

I'm not sure what the axle is. I thought it was a Chromed Ford.

 

You will have to do a gasket comparison to ID the rear end for sure. I don't think it's a 9 inch Ford. I'm thinking 55-64 Chev. It doesn't look large enough to be an Olds. My son has one in his dragster so I'll get a picture tomorrow and see what can be told.

Be sure you poke around the suspension and look for cracks. It looks pretty well done for the era so it should handle reasonably well.

 

Cool ride!

I have an 80s camaro, what do you want for the scoop?......

ROFLMAO!!! sorry i couldnt resist!


Ain't no Skool like Old Skool!

 

Yeah, I agree with most of the guys here. Loose the scoop and the goofy radiator hose crap. Other than that run it. Oh, and put a new front spring on there, that thing has seen much better days, lol. I like it, not bad for 5K

 

Your front spring is a "suicide" waiting to happen! It looks to be cobbled together with chromed Model A and 5-6-7 Chevy stuff. That should be high on your agenda for replacement. Also, that front mounted tie-rod gives you incorrect Akerman (toe-out on turns). You have probably noticed that your front tires scrub considerably when you turn your wheels sharply during slow speed maneuvers. Run shock absorbers!
That tall top was not pretty back in the day, and time has not improved its looks. There is really nothing nostalgic about the car as it has elements of several eras built into it. The basics are there for a good looking and safe bucket. BTW, at 5 large you definitely got a good deal.

 

Ya, the deal was sweeet. I also noticed the rear panhard bar looks to be mounted "differently". Maybe a taller mount on the axel would help.

Just a thought, John

And still I ask, is that a round tube frame? If it is, very unusual for that time (actually, for any T build).

 

The front of the frame is round tube, yes. I have not been under it yet but I'll take a few pics tomorrow if anyone is interested.

And no, it does not scrub or act funny during tight turns. It steers more like a dragster.

 

^X2^

Tunnel rams just loos soooo right on an open-engine car, and don't believe what the 'it's not streetable' pussies say; they work great on the street.

Also, one reason (out of many) that I like the H.A.M.B... the Mr. Gasket 'geek scoop' is treated with the derision it deserves.

I'd go over everything in the wiring, steering, and suspension (what did you say about brass rods? sounds hinky to me!) and then pick off the later additions to the car.

But, like the previous posters said, it's your car; your choices.

-Bill

 

Even though they were popular in the 70's, I've never been a fan of the spoke wheels on the Ts. I like spokes on dragsters and cycles, and that's about it. If it were mine, I'd set the wayback machine for just a few years earlier and change the things to make it a circa 1967 fad T. Say, 8 or 10" wide 5 spokes on the rear with either piecrust cheater slicks (which were still on some things, but admittedly on their way out) or redlines and then have the cast 12-spokes on pirellis up front. Swap out the manifold for a crossram with two fours and the small Cal Custom paper element air filters on top. I think by '67 the wilder paint jobs were coming in, so chaging the details would tone down the excesses and highlight an era you don't see many traditional rodders go for- that '66-68 period right before the whole "resto rod" thing started. It was a big cross section of what was mixed with what would be.

 

So the frame is joined in the middle, and you have not been under it yet, and you drove it home with leaky brakes, no front shocks and that scoop on it
This is why we have certification here in N.Z.
You Yanks are crazy

 

I say change the top or remove it and clean up the engine