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

George Gould's 22 T at the '62 Hartford, CT show. From the Feb '63 issue of Pop Rod.

 

Do you know how old that photo is?

 

Ah, minor technicality.....

 

More T goodness from the early '60s. George Hendrickson had his T on the cover (and inside) of the January, 1963 issue of PopRod.

 

When I was about 16, my Dad redid a "T" bucket that a local guy had bought. It was a complete running and driving car, but well worn, and no front brakes. My Dad redid the car with what was there, he did new paint and interior, but used everything else that was there. He didn't put front brakes on it. I drove it to Lodi CA. from San Lorenzo CA. to the Lodi grape festival rod run , and drove it back. It drove great, but in a panic stop it would have been a handful. Luckily I didn't have one of those. I did panic stop on the open road with no traffic just to see what it would do. It stopped straight, but not in a short distance. You could steer it with the back brakes locked up, but I agree, they should have front brake.

 

Chrome rear axle and a plywood firewall?

 

That wasn't all that unusual.

 

You have to remember the context. In the sixties and early seventies traffic and driving habits were way different than today, especially outside of the big cities. I grew up in LA, there was little traffic and people more closely observed the posted speed limits. Back then, my daily driven '33 coupe had no front brakes, a fact that I was unaware of until several years later when I changed the front end. The wheel cylinders were corroded solid. It was never a problem. With the big Olds rear brakes, it stopped pretty good, even from 110 mph at Lions.
The car in the photo looks like it might be a little later though and he sacrificed the front brakes for the sake of cool front wheels. These days, I wouldn't think of not having front brakes. If I owned that car now, I would machine those wheels to accept solid rotors and add some Airheart disc brakes.

 

The car in question, the orange "T", was built by the owners Dad back in the day. I believe it was built sometime in the 60's.

 

I was a little whippersnapper in 62 and at that show. Cried and whined until my father gave in and took me to the show. Made most of them after that.

 

Met George "Whitey" Gould on our Aussie Hot Rodders Tour of the US in 1966 as he was a mate of Fred Steele and Don Spinney in Boxboro, Mass. The T was gone by then and he was building a 34 Phaeton to carry the wife and family. Being a T Bucket fan/owner I was disappointed as I would have loved to check it out, being such a wild unit but I did get to hear some neat stories from Whitey about his escapades in the T while he had it.

 

That photo makes me wonder how many chromed impala axles are around.

The braketry on mine looks similar.

 

I know this post is a few years old, but I love this car. Is there more information on it somewhere?

 

roadwarrior, you quoted the post, but the pic doesn't show.
If you want the picture to be in your post for reference, you can right click on the picture, select Copy Image Link, then paste the link using the Image Icon at the top of the reply panel.
It's the one just to the right of the Smile Icon.
This is the picture link
https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/attachments/2c138868-7c9e-4838-b0e1-d10a17f60d94-png.5059410/
and here it is using the Image Icon

 

Didn't this T go to Japan?

 

A couple from the 1963 Rod & Custom Motorama at Long Beach. Barris photos:

 

Walt Kaline's beautiful Pontiac-powered T has been featured here a lot, but here's a shot of it on the cover of PopRod in 1963:

 

I have to laugh at the captions under these two pictures, I believe that was Doyle Gammel’s T and the one below it is Pontiac powered, not Chevy. Both beautiful, high quality cars. It must have been hard to keep track of the info for photos back then.
I never get sick of seeing Walt Kaline’s T, especially in full color…. Green California license plates??

 

Barris never let facts get in the way of his reporting. He did a lot of show coverage for PHR and every one had some glaring error.

 

I built this one years ago.

 

Ed Fredette's all-metal T with a 348 W-motor. August, '63 issue of PHR mag:

 

This book is super helpful for building one.