I've never been a huge fan of T-buckets, but if there's anything that this board has taught me, it's that HAMB folks can make just about anything look incredibly cool. I can think of plenty of cars I didn't like before seeing them "done right" on here. I'd like to see some pictures of what you guys consider great examples of traditionally styled T-buckets. It seems the only ones I ever see are sorta dorky and have some queer oversized stuffed animal sitting in the passenger seat, or the Tazmanian devil painted on the side. Anyway, thanks a million. Stacey
"Really Cool T-buckets" is sort of an oxymoron. RF built one a few years back that had nice proportions. He wrote some low-buck build-up features on it in SRM. There's a good photo of it at Muroc in TRJ #6.
I'm not too familiar with T-buckets but I thought this one had a good stance and an over all look. The second pic taken at Oakland a few years ago.
I dug my T out of the corner this week and am in the process of making it road and strip worthy again, after a three year rest. Mutt
Here is my '23... I dont care that much for the Cut down T Bucket style either, and the 1st pic is as close to as I would get to building that. But now I'm lenghtening the Car so it will have a 4' PU Bed. ( off an old Cushman ) When I'm done I hope it will be more of a T RPU than a Bucket...
I've never been a huge fan of 'em (except Ivo's), but I thought I'd give it a shot and see what I could do with one. Its not "really cool", but I like it.
I thought mine was really cool! It was my first car, me and my dad started building it when i was 12 years old! and I finished it when i was 18, ahad a blast with it, then sold it and built a 31 tudor, so i used it as a stepping stone! JEFF
Action- I think the "oxymoron" statement is generally true - at least in context with the "HAMB philosophy. Once you get past Tommy Ivo's car (and even he couldn't resist the "cutesy" crescent moon rear window - ala the classic outhouse door) - and perhaps Norm Grabowski's "Kookie Car", the field of "cool" T-buckets thins considerably. In fact, it was Norm's car that appeared in a LIFE magazine article in the late 50s that turned all us pimple-faced boys on to the T-bucket phenomenon. Unfortunately, very few of us had Tommy and Norm's eye for proportion and style - nor were we at their level of craftsmanship. Actually, there were a number of decent examples built in the late 50s and early 60s, but for whatever reason they eventually morphed into what are now known as "Fad Ts" and continued to get more and more goofy. For the most part, they were adopted by sort of a fringe element that lived by the "more (and more, and more) is better" - damn the overall look - creedo, and they unfortunately continue that way to this day. Too bad, because they can really be stylin' if handled right - and they still make great-looking race cars. BTW - Don't be fooled by the "lakes modifieds" (narrowed bodies and oval gas tanks) - they're not the same thing. While there is the occassional "round tank" T-bucket, the shorty pickup bed (and full-height windshield) is really their "classic" feature.
I've got a pic of a pretty cool T if anyone could tell me how to load it on here. Maybe I could Email it to one of yall.
Here's one that is probably just the opposite of what you are looking for, just for comparision sake. Rather tacky I think. pigpen
Here's a pic I dug out of a 1955 R&C.Guess who? Second one is a neat little narrowed 27 with a 2000ccPinto and 1/4 elliptics
The Jalopy Journal
