T bucket questions

Hi everyone,
It's starting to get cold up here in Bawston and I'm back to the garage to work on the T bucket. Does anyone know where I can I find info on a round tube T bucket frame from 70's ( I'm guessing) ? The only numbers I can find are on the front spring perch, but havent been any help. Looks too perfect to be homemade. Its two tubes that come together into one around the radiator. Also does anyone have an idea around what year Harley spokes starting being used on the front of T buckets? I want to pick an era for build and like the spokes on the front.
Thanks for any and all info

 

photos might help if you've got em...

 

Heres one I can find on my phone. I think i have more of the frame. I know its kind of 80's style, but I'm trying to rescue it to an earlier style bucket.
Thanks

 

Here's a few more of sections of the frame. oops they came out sideways. First one is under driver's side header, second is under drivers side bucket, third front end and last up over rear end.
thanks

 

if you want an earlier style car, i suggest building a new frame... not to be a dick, but those things NEVER looked worth a pinch, and for sure dont fit a trad car

 

I know it will never be a traditional style hot rod, but I was thinking late sixties, early seventies style. I was hoping to be able to ID frame. Besides I kind of dig the dragster-style look of the long frame.
Thanks

 

Nice old car, if you keep it detailed like an altered, or comp car, maybe with a turtle deck and roll bar of an early sort it would be pretty neat as well.

 

Thats what I was thinking, but havent had much luck finding era pictures of T buckets. I like the front wires but hate the rear rims. I was thinking chrome steelies with pie crust bias but not sure how it would look. Anyways just trying to get my plan down for the winter months.
Thanks

 

I think it would look great as a comp style car with rollbar and chrome steel wheels maybe a moon style tank mounted in front longways between the rails

 

I think the first few years of Total Performance kits had a round tube frame option.

 

To me it looks like it might have been originally built as a 1/4-miler with those round tubes. Kinda cool actually

 

Over the years, several mfg's offered a round tube T bucket frame.

 

I think it could have an old roundy round car feel if built that way...

Kinda like this one.

 

lol I was going to point you to a post on tbucketeers about this frame, then I realized, its the same car!

 

here's one from the 60's. its an unrestored relic that my buddy's dad built as a street/strip car. ran at lions. car has been parked for almost 40 years. the first drive was to our show in june...

 

To answer your question about wire wheels, The first car I am aware of with them was Bill Booth's "Twister T", and that was about '65 or so. From what I can see, I believe your front wheels are probably Hallcraft.

 

Thanks all. Yeah I posted the question on tbuckteers about the frame but never really went anywhere. There seems to be much more activity here, I figure someone has seen one like it before. I love both of those buckets. alteredpilot, thats how I remember them as I kid when I got the bug. I thought they were the coolest things I'd ever seen...all motor..little body. need louvers? you could be right about spokes, the original owner told me they were Harley spokes, but he wasnt too sure about a lot of things. Bought it as a roller a few years ago and been chipping away at it. Been driving for about a year, now its time to refine.
thanks all

 

If your looking for suggestions, here goes. Shorten that frame down as much as you can in front of the grill shell. It looks like you have 10-12" that everything could be moved back. Go a bit taller and skinnier on the rear tires and a bit taller on the windshield. That would give some very nice proportions to the car about as easily as you can do it.

 

I am with need louvers on this one, to me the car is very savable. I would just cut some of that extra frame off in front of the radiator and then lower and lean the grille shell to match the firewall angle. Aside from those two items it really isn't too bad of a car at all.

Don

I would move the crossmember back like this:

 

I used to run wires on my T Bucket. They were Hallcrafts. Mine got crushed in an accident and sometimes I miss them. I don't miss cleaning them and mine were powder coated. I've never heard of Harley wheels being used, but that doesn't mean they weren't. I believe Hallcraft went out of business, then were reopened, but they don't do wire wheels for cars anymore. Again, things could have changed.

I do know that Dayton makes the wires, but they are kinda costly. So's the brake setup for them. Most folks use Wiwood brakes for front wires. Yours look like Daytons from the pics. Hallcrafts were a tad thinner than those. I think my Hallcrafts were 18" X 2" or 3"? Looked cool, but traction on a wet road was an adventure in itself.