Hot Rods How about some love for the T-Bucket?

that last one is wicked. i'd like to see the other ones just out of the shot.

 

I think that car is from Nashville, Tennessee. Built by Tom Sanborn in the late 50's or early 60's. He rebuilt the car a few times through the years. That's a late 60's version in the picture. The car is still around and still in the family. The last time I saw it was red. Tommy help start the Mid South Street Rod Round Up in Gatlinburg, Tennessee in the mid 60's. This was a must attend event for hot rodders in the 60's and 70's in the southeast.

 

thanks for that, primed34! it's great too that the car is alive and well and with the family.

 

That was one helluva car show. Check out the deuce 5w in the background, the Kellison, the B/SR pickup and the Olds (Chevy?) way back against the wall.

 

And my vote for the worst paint on an otherwise nice car.

 

I agree but the car is cool as is the stock 40 Willys pick up. JW

 

I'm pretty sure that show was Oakland back in the late 60's, early 70's. It sure looks like it. I'm pretty sure I remember that "T". Those early shows were the cats meow. I'm sure someone here will have the correct date and location.

 

bought this in 2000 from the family of the guy who built it in the 60's, the tank was copper or br***. guy was an Early Ford V8 member and there were flathead parts in the garage so I ***ume that's what it had in it back in the day. came with black and yellow CA plates and a Model A ***le with a non op.
made the error of trading it minus the ***le, SBF and rear end for a running 51 Chevy Truck to a guy who built 2 "T-Bucket" kind of cars ***uming he would build it and he parted it out... I'm sure for far less than I got when I sold the truck, the motor and the ***le. somebody here built a race car ? out of the body, the axle went on Franco's Kookie car, saw the tank in a 57 chevy pick up.

 

Late 60's or very early 70's. You had to be there.

 

that part certainly went to the right place!

 

I was there… and it would have been the worst at any SoCal show. Not only the color choices but the execution, uneven panels and fades. Ugh. Far cry from a Winfield or Watson job.
(Watch, it’ll turn out to be a Watson… lol)

 

Gymkhana?

Lynn

 

i believe so. it seemed in the late 60s and into the 70s hot rod-type mags were doing this around the time street rodding got big. someone might even be able to place this one picture; looks familiar to me.

 

I was a p***enger co-participant in some of the Gymkhana events with a good friend in his '27 T roadster in the mid to late 70's. We had a great time and one year won the Mopar championship in his DeSoto Hemi powered roadster at the NSRA Nats.

Can't say the background in the photo looks familiar and don't recall seeing that T but it looks like he was pushing it pretty hard!!

Lynn

 

that must have been a blast! i was just a kid then reading about it in magazines. feel like i kinda missed out.

 

That's Bill Brutsman in the yellow T. Don't recognize where however. Bill wrote articles for several magazines partnered with Rick Eccli. Bill was from Colorado, and Rick from Wyoming.

Mick

 

Nope. Built in Tennessee. This may be a shock to you, but not all hot rodding was in SoCal.

 

Probably an NSRA Streetkhana as they called them. First one I saw was in Detroit in 1972. A T-bucket lost it's brakes and went into crowd. Everyone was able to scramble and no one was hurt.

 

Yes....Streekhana....that is the term NSRA used. Thanks.

Lynn

 

Sorry you took it that way. Just a comment on how I thought that paint job would have gone over at our local shows. There have been plenty of amazing cars built east of the Rockies, no disputing that. Just about anything built in Alloway’s shop for example.
I’m not usually one to post negative comments but every now and then something gets posted that just makes you wonder; what the hell were they thinking? It’s a nice car but I’m pretty sure, back then, anyone who bought it would take it home and paint over that baby sh!t green and white. We painted my buddy’s T bucket Candy Apple Red with Cal Custom spray cans back then. It was blotchy to be sure, but it looked way better than that paint job. I’ll reserve the right to comment on stuff the way I see it, and I guess you have the right to feel insulted.

 

thanks for the 411. really neat to have a story to go with these pix. i appreciate the many folks who were actually there in the day and other knowledgeable types.