So... Can a Fiberglass T-Bucket that's 40 years old get some respect??

guess I am out of touch on those.. but to me $1500 would be about right for one

 

I think they represent an important part of hot rodding tradition...GO for it and be proud!!! I just can't fit in one! They look like some fun to drive, but I would not want to be hit in one!

 

Bought an ancient one that was a roller, sold it, then bought some model A roadster pickup sheet metal and parts to build something I knew I personally would be happier with.

To each his own, though. If you like it, buy it, build it, then drive the **** out of it.

 

I bought my Old Roadster from the guy who built it in 1968-69. It has a Cal Automotive body with ducktails on the back panel, a short pickup bed, a full height 23-25 windshield, 57 Chevy rearend, CAE sprint car front axle and hairpins with 40 Ford spindles and brakes, Hollywood Wheel Disc company 5-spoke mags with 3 bar Cragar S/S spinners, F100 Steering box, a 27 Chevy fuel tank(10 Gallons) in the bed with a 3EE battery sitting on the back crossmember in the bed. The transmission is a air-cooled PowerGlide with early Nova floor shifter. The engine was a hot 283 with solid lifter cam, 12.5-1 pistons and a single Rochester 4bbl carb. Sadly the engine died and was not rebuildable, nor were the early hot heads.
The car is dismantled and waiting for my lazy **** to get it back together. I wish it luck.

Any early build bucket that is well-built, and safely built is worth owning as a piece of history of that genre of early hotrods, so buy it and enjoy it. When done right they can be comfortable on long distance rides, and fast too.

 

So respect equals what the car is worth?

 

Fibergl*** or not,who gives a ****.
Show us some pics!
I got a gl*** bucket and i like it.

 

Yeah, you caught me... but in my defense, I was looking at Hondas.

All ******** aside, I'm not really into that particular style of car (T bucket; vertical steering column, style of paint, SBC, etc), but that looks like a really nice 'survivor' car. I probably wouldn't buy it (except to flip to someone who'd take care of it), but I'd sure as hell be happy to go for a putt in it sometime. I'd say, buy it if you can get it at a good price, and flip it (keeping the rear wheels) if you find it doesn't really set you on fire.

IMO it's still a pretty cool car and deserves to be saved as it is.

As opposed to a Glenn Pray 8/10 scale Cord, which should be immediately destroyed for the general good.

-Bill

 

I'm in the same boat. Car built in the 60's, owner never really finished it, but drove the piss out of it. Stored in a garage scince 1984, I bought it after he p***ed away. Fad T's or T Buckets are'nt my thing, but it was cool, with a lot of old timey parts.

Decided he had his chance, now to make it mine. Didn't consult with any of the gods, because it's my car. It's coming along.-MIKE

As found in 2003;






Still a work in progress, 2008;

 

I would drive it proudly, that looks cool after all the years of setting. Mine was stored for 15 years then brought back to life, by 3 other owners before me, I'm slowly turning back to what it was before all the chrome and paint. Get it road ready and drive it, it's your ride who cares what other people think, you will be surprised what people will say when they see it.

 

Of course if it's a deal you can justify then go for it.
T-Buckets tend to be the Rodney Dangerfields of hot rodding for a few reasons:

• --Invariably, they get the most attention at car shows.
  
• --Usually when a****st other rods whose owners have spent several times more on their cars.
  
• --T-Buckets are most often driven -- and not just to rod runs -- so others envy T-Bucket owners who have so much fun without being paranoid about a rock chip or whatever.
  
• --As for T-Buckets all looking alike, that's simply not true given that every one contains many personal details.
  
• --What's often perceived as disrespect of T-Buckets, though, is really kind of a seething envy. In the 60s, fibergl*** T-Bucket bodies could be purchased for about $100-150 (or even less) and they, therefore, became popular and were looked down upon by guys with real steel. With today's aging hot rodder demographic having access to more dollars I would venture that at ANY car show there are many more fibergl*** '32 Fords in attendance than T-Buckets -- most attended to by guys who are really pissed that everyone is genuinely more interested in checking out that cool little T-Bucket than their now numerous Deuces with $10k bodies and look-alike builds.

 

..that thing is cool, I like the way they raked the bows in the top....and that old chrome rear is the cat's pajamas !




.

 

After I get my 56 done, I'll be getting a T-Bucket Been wanting one for years.

 

James, That little rod is bad ***. I have an A frame in my garage and I have been thinking it may get a gl*** T Bucket. I can't see how you won't have fun with it.
I also like what Lost Angel has. That thing is very cool.

Oh yeah, I am no expert on what is accepted or respected. I just like what I like!

 

Hey. if T Buckets are your thing then T Buckets are your thing. I personally think they look like a rolling jukebox but so what? Respect? Ok, it beats a Honda.

 

Do what you want, I like it.

 

raised up in a '32 5 window, ran around in a '50 Merc, started driving in a '64 Falcon Sprint - 1 friend has a '32 3 window w/ blown BBF & a T bucket - another friend has a '34 coupe - guess what? everybody likes & wants to ride in the T buckets - even the friend w/ the '32 3 window puts twice the miles on the bucket - it's just more fun & no other car compares to the open air feeling, close quarters, nothing there - just cooler than sh!t going down the road

 

Buy that futhermucker, wax it, polish the chrome, and have fun with it!

(Oh, and make sure there are tubes in those rear tires, as someone else mentioned.)

 

I started a 60s bucket thread here on HAMB that got alot of cool pics.
Sadly some people just had to put in some pics of their 70s and 80s **** and it got closed.
Check it out!

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=272376

 

I am going to buy it and drive it around for a little while. At $5,000 I'm realy only wanting those 15X15's. I'm sure I can have some fun with it and when it gets boring send it down the road minus the rear wheels. I've got a pair of early 15X12 Cragers I'll throw on it and send it down the road. It runs fine, sounds mean as hell and is fast so it should sell no problem for more than what I paid and I'll have had a blast driving it in the mean time.

 

just don't try and sell it here after posting that, it's worth 5 grand all day long the way it sits, surprised you waited to buy it.

 

I'd love to have it. I don't have 5K or the money to fly out and drive it back (didn't think I'd ship it, did ya?) but it's sure worth that even without the wheels.

 

Guy was going to sell it to me last year but decided to keep it cuz he was going to drive it some more. Well, it hasn't had much use since then so he decided to sell it afterall. He's out of town till Monday otherwise I'd already have it home.

What's the best way to gently clean magnesium wheels?

Here is a pair of these same wheels on a McKee Formula one car. The article says that AR made the wheels to order for the McKee racing group. http://www.britishracecar.com/PaulDudiak-McKee-Mk12c.htm

 

Got my respect.

 

Go to www.roadsters.com and look at Magnesium wheels link, great artical on cleaning and restoring. Todd

 

Anybody that does not respect a T-bucket simply does not "get it", and their opinions should simply be discounted.

They were built beginning in the late Fifties, so when built right they can be just as traditional as any other hot rod (and a whole lot more traditional than many that p*** as "traditional" even on the HAMB).

I've never owned one, but I would given the right opportunity!

 

I never knew they made steel T Buckets.............................................

 

I'm an all steel kind of guy, but I bought a 40+ gl*** T-bucket with turtle deck an lid from a s**** yard about 2yrs ago with a complete steel inner structure (the thing weighs a ton) an can't wait to build it, nothing like the thin gl*** "kit-Ts" of today. COOL car man, get it and enjoy!

 

You would expect me to like fibergl*** T-Buckets, as I probably laied up a couple hundred of them over the last 45 years!

 

Yep we know!! You've been there and done that!!!

 

Works fer me......roll that baby !


"**** 'em and feed 'em cake" if'n they don't like it.