OK. I admit it. I correct folks all the time when they say t-bucket instead of t-roadster, but it's because the car doesn't look like a bucket and it isn't a bucket and my recent encounter with a bucket owner was less than pleasant. Much like the stereotype 'vette owners from the '80s, I had been warned that there were t-bucket owners that didn't follow the basic law of JC Whitney. You know: just because it fits doesn't mean you should bolt it on. So, two weekends ago I go to a great car show that benefits deaf kids and I am parked next to an incredible hemi-cuda. A cross-rammed, aluminum blocked hemi-cuda. Yeah, wow. Then, a BRIGHT red '23 bucket parks on the other side. Lots of chrome, lots of billet, lots of diamond plate? And yes, a guy who proceeds to tell me everything about his car (ok, he's proud) and mine (none of which was accurate) and the hemi (he called it a Buick) and all the other cars. At this point I excuse myself - cut to an hour later - when I return to my car he has some sort of Mr. Microphone that is doing a wolf whistle as girls walk by (half, no a 1/3 MY age) and various sounds including Dixie and others. Loudly. And he does this for hours. Is this every T-bucket owner or did I just get lucky my first time out? He didn't make the show very pleasant for anyone within 10 cars and they all expressed it when he left (an hour prior to the show's ending).
it's not necessarily T bucket guys. There's a guy here who drives a late 70's Nova coupe (square headlights) with a drawer knob grille and a few other gee- gaws, that will talk your ear off about everything off topic you can't think of, and then start in with the wolf whistle, etc. The guys who know go running when they see him coming
I think you ran into Mr. Nudnick, the guy who just got his little T bucket from an ad in the paper and his graduation papers from the School of the Dumb***. Most T bucket owners are nice guys who enjoy their cars just the half-arrogant guys who insist they aren't driving T buckets when they actually are. Most of the folks who get their feathers ruffled about this nomenclature of the Model T Ford drive 26-27 Ts, many of which are roadsters with turtle decks or roadster pickups, many of which are also deckless and bedless, but whose owners still insist are then Lakesters rather than T buckets. Give it a rest, there are alot of 32 owners and Model A owners and 40 owners and 52 Chevy owners whose public behaviour is a little silly too!
so what? so some know it all loudmouth parked next to you at a car show. your just as bad as him for trying to say all t-bucket owners are like that.
I guess it's because most guys I have run into (IE:HAMB dog n' duck meetings) are FAR from this type of crowd. And you don't have to call me half-arrogant - that was the whole point of this thread. To get feedback on whether this type of behavior was found primarily with one crowd or just a personality trait. You and I have already shown ours. And Thrasher (nice name btw) did you actually READ the question?
I'm enlightened. not discouraged. I just sold my 26 T high-boy roadster, and will now finish my 27 T RPU. I've seen some truly scary **** in t buckets lately, but most of thes guys are ok and friendly. the Fad T group usually have no use for my ideas: RPU, high-boys, etc; but I just keep on keeping on. I drive the hell out of mine, and they can do whatever they wish with theirs. end of story.
as far as the microphone goes, I'd have asked him to see it, then taken out the batteries. As for the loud mouths and know-it-alls, I just tell them to shut the **** up. Cars shows would be really nice places if it wasn't for the people.
While I wouldn't sterotype all T owners like that, T's are often the cheapest turnkey hot rod or show rod, which attracts people who aren't your typical HAMBr, often somebodys first venture into custom car culture. There's alot of parallels to sportsters in the harley world. Not trying to knock Ts or sportys, like em both. Those guys are also spotted driving huge, immaculate 4 door barges that are 5 years too new for the gathering. Cars that appear extremely inherited.
The annoying nut should have been promply dealt with by the folks running the show. When my club puts on a show, this type of thing is firmly, but politely corrected. If you're raising funds for charity, you want the participants to return next year. On any giving weekend here you have your choice of 5 or 6 shows. If they get irritated they won't be back. Car show participants are an interesting bunch. They may or may not remember a good fun show but, they for sure will remember a bad one...........FOREVER!!
This is my chance to get a little education here. What is the diff. between a T-Bucket and a T-Roadster?
I went to a local show last month, the friendliest guy there had a T-Bucket talked like he was fresh out of the hills of West Viginia (made me homesick) and I got a few ideas from him for mine. The rest of the folks there had the Bandit trans-am's, muscle cars etc. You get all types at all gatherings
I had a guy come to my grilfriends door yesterday and ask to talk to the person that owned the red late model Mustang in front of her place. (my car, not a HAMB car, but the story resonates) So I go outside and he asks me a couple questions which I answer because anytime I can help someone out I'm happy to do so. Then he launches into a diatribe about how many crate engines he's put into things and a Ranger with a V8 he's doing and how he has two hands full of high end Mopar muslce car's and after a few minutes I can tell he's just full of ****. Then he says he's putting a Lincoln 6 speed behind a 302 and I'm thinking wait a minute is he talking about a T56 and confusing it with being from a Lincoln? Then suddenly it's a Lincoln 6 speed automatic. OH ok he's full of ****. That's the answer. Moral of the story, you don't have to go to a car show to be verbally accosted by this kind of person. Now back to the first post...how did the event sponsors NOT shut this guy up? That is just a terrible foot to put forward. As a spectator and/or a participant I think I would have had to complain to the events orginizers and if he had cat-called my girlfriend I would have had to bust his Mr. Microphone over his head.
I think it's a funny story, thanks for sharing! In any big enough crowd, you can find a jerk or two.... to answer Yo Baby's question, I think it has to do with having a long or short body, a bucket stops right behind the seat, a roadster extends back and you can reach under the body from in front. this is a T bucket this is a T roadster then when you get into the roadster pickups (rpu) strange things happen to the terminology
In the winter ,we run around and check the hock shops a lot for oddball bargains & stuff. There is one in Council bluffs that the owners son has to thrill us with his stories of overhead cam Olds experimental engines and the mul***ude of Hemi cars in his barn at home. He can't even drive them anymore ,as he has trouble keeping the front end on the ground (must be lightweight Hemi option). There is another guy we know who has a 74 barracuda with AAR stripes. It is not an AAR car ,does not have the motor, rear end ,spoilers,hood, or anything AAR but the tape stripes. He continually calls it his rare AAR. I knew a guy once who insisted he could take a set of stock 350 pistons and profile them to where they would be 13 to 1 compression.I always tried to buy a die grinder like his ,I never could do it though.
People are can be annoying in every facet of life. Some people just want to stand out or be accepted so they will spill ******** all of the time. I once knew a kid who had himself a 7 second 5 window 32 Roadster. yeah, WTF?
It's funny. I'm guilty of stereotyping myself. A few months ago when I first moved to Austin, a guy drove by my garage in the most vomitous looking fibergl*** bucket I've ever seen. ***ymetric pink, yellow, and purple stripes all over, Purple vinyl interior, and some hideous billet wheels with raised white letter tires. Of course square headlights with the oil lamp rears. Anyway, as he was coming towards the garage I prepared myself for the onslaught. Turns out he was a really nice dude, and invited me and my girlfriend to dinner with his wife. And he had more jokes about his car than I could ever think of. He wasn't really a car guy, but didn't pretend he was. He got the thing for a few grand and thought it would be fun. I wish I got pics of that car...
Technically, isn't a T bucket really a T roadster since it doesn't have a roof? This hobby is getting so confusing.
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