Projects The bucket of ugly! A de-uglifying thread...

Yeah my sarcastic OUCH was meant to be funny. Your right Chip in the '50s and '60s everybody used aftermarket ribbed hoses. Not sure parts stores even sold molded original style hoses.

Don't know if you Chip are shooting for this too but what I am after is for anybody that really has studied old hot rods and never seen my roadster before isn't really sure if it wasn't built in the '50s. I know I have a modern electric fan and now a S.S. overflow but those things could have been added later. Their are a few others but I'll let you pick them out.

When I first saw Von Franko's klone at Oakland in I think '88 I did notice a few discrepancies from the original but not thinking klone I couldn't imagine a bucket looking that close without being it.

 

A sarcastic ouch was probably more appropriate than my response would have been.
Humor is a good response in any case.
If we start getting critical on small crap like radiator hoses that's just dumb.
Ribbed or molded, either works if they are well fitted.
Function is the idea IMO.
In case anyone missed it, I have ordered that Winters Nostalgia quick Change
Larry

 

Hi Kiwi.Congrats.I have 8 grand kids and about 2 months ago,got my first great grand kid.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

 

Congrats to all of you, I got my first great grandson a little over a year ago and can already tell he will be ready to join me in the garage building a hot rod, same as my grandson was 20+ years ago.

 

Hey, Chip;
You're correct about the ribbed rad hose use. But I don't think I could run one for very long (anymore) - at least not any longer than it'd take to find or make, a smooth hose. The ribbed ones really hurt my eyes. Kinda falls under the "What has been seen, cannot be un-seen". Although, it's quite often the small details that'll make the difference 'twixt : "Well, is it or isn't it, a gennie oldie"?
Marcus...

 

Marcus-you have it right. This thread isn`t titled `Building a T from a Specific Era`. If it was, both Gary and Chip would have it right. But Ugly is in the eye of the beholder, just as beauty is. Just as some guys tear their hair out over Generators mounted out and up (Ted Wingate`s roadster as in the August 64 Hot Rod feature) I can`t handle those hoses, Green stripe Gates or not. And Larry--I have thick skin. I have been building cars for a living for a long time. Opinions come to us from Passion. Your car has a neat Bay Area Roadsters/Dave Marasco look to it. Did you change your Rearend just to fit a period? I would bet that you couldn`t live with the rearend you had, even though it would function perfectly well. I can appreciate and encourage anyone building a car, but I reserve a right to my own visions, quirks and ideas. Forty years is a long time to be in this Hobby. Feel free to tell me where to put my thoughts. And Gary-- Your car would have/did function perfectly with the Ford in it. I saw it years ago and didn`t care for the early look/late motor. The Cad has de-uglify-ed it alot. Now let the Insults begin

 

We need a thick skin around here at times The Hamb I mean.
I decided to go with the quick change mainly because the idea has been stuck in my head from way early in my build.
The idea just wouldn't go away so I had to act
Not a period thing to me, just a really neat hot rod thing.
The Y block on the other hand brings me back to memories of my youth.
Carry on, us old guys all have our preferences and opinions

 

You know Tinbender I never felt right with that engine in it either. At least you were nice enough to not tell me what you thought. Some weren't. I remember standing line waiting for the LARS Saturday dinner one year and overheard a guy talking about my roadster. He said aren't those supposed to have big engines. Kind of hurt but he was right. Shit if we didn't say what we thought the HAMB would be a pretty dull Site and this would be a duller thread.

I do agree molded hoses do look more custom and finished but sometimes, some things need to be a little funky. And again you have to be careful with funky.

And Blue One We all know how it feels to get an idea in our heads that won't go away.

Gary

 

Wow. You guys do get it. Sometimes being on here is better than all that expensive therapy my wife seems to hint that I need.......Hose Therapy?.......Oh Boy........

 

They all seem to think we need therapy... 'Course they seldom like us when we are done with that either!

 

Hey, KT;
I get what Chip is doing - & like it. I'm not knocking anything he's doing. Actually, this thread is capable of teaching how to build from a specific era - if we are paying attention. Part of my non-love of ribbed hoses, is from when I *had* to run them, as nothing else was made, & the factory didn't support that year car anymore, (not to mention the quality was crap - only lasting a couple of years, maybe). IIRC, 10 years was the # they'd cover backwards. Same deal for me w/drum brakes, generators, bias tires, etc, blah-blah - I didn't like the stuff when I had to use it, & time hasn't improved my outlook on that stuff. Those are my issue(s), not slamming what someone else is running. Might hurt my eyes, but as long as it's on someone elses' car ( ), I don't care, & in fact like looking at it - sometimes.
Your wife is suggesting... ??? Hose therapy... ??? I'm thinking I'm not touching that - at least for awhile... . & yes, here is better than probably 99% of any therapists. Certainly more useful... .

I don't know, Gary, define "large" engine. The sb ford mill just would've placed it in a different era than the caddie. No big deal... Also define "happy" ... .
Marcus...

 

I just picked up this 350/400 combo and a diff for my T truck project. Anyone put a date/era on those rocker covers?

DSC_0111 by k1w1rodder posted Nov 23, 2014 at 3:49 PM

DSC_0113 by k1w1rodder posted Nov 23, 2014 at 3:49 PM

 

Late seventies and early eighties on the Holley valve covers, Kiwi.

I gotta say, putting that flex hose on my car was kinda tough for another reason. See, back in the eighties, I worked in a small but HUGELY busy radiator shop here in the Scottsdale area. I did lots of hose repairs and tons of tank work actually rebuilding and re-coring radiators. You mention the use of flex hoses to a radiator repairman that has repaired about 3,000,000 hose necks that have torn out of radiators, and you might get hit. Flex hoses are considered the enemy for that reason.

But again, I have an amazing collection of everything in print from when ever, and what I saw as a common theme with cars from that '60-'64 era was the corrugated flex hoses... So be it!

 

Well, Chip, you justified and questioned your choice in a way. (More Therapy, Doctor?..) The smooth wound universal hoses were first seen in Hot Rod on a T in about `67, I think, but those corrugated hoses were seen on cars way up into the seventies. And yes, the radiator problems caused have been made known to me as well. I also went through all my Mid-Sixties Hot Rod mags today for reference. Where is George when you need him? He usually has all that info to hand...

On another note--I have been mocking up some pieces for my build today, and would like opinions. I have a chassis length from front round tube to rear kickup of 80 inches, a 10 inch kickup, and then a 16 inch rear section with a Model A rear crossmember to complete it. With the angle of the kickup, and about a 6 inch spread out to the front axle, I will have about a 105 inch wheelbase. Steel body, sit down inside the thing, with an A rear spring. Is the wheelbase too long? I will mock the whole thing up, but am curious to know what those dimensions are on the various cars that you all own....

I can`t help it. Those hoses.....Marcus--maybe you can be my Sponsor for the 12 Step Hose Therapy programme.......Sigh.....

 

I checked through my latest car pornography purchase (Argus Rodding Trends, Summer 1971, Vol. 1, No. 1), and of the 17 buckets, 5 tourings, 2 C- cabs, 1 coupe, and 1 modified, and of
all that had visible radiator hoses (which was all but 4), only one didn't have a ribbed upper radiator hose, so the trend was steady through '71. And the one car that did have a smooth hose only had a 6" long upper radiator hose that ran straight from the outlet of the radiator to the early hemi's water crossover manifold.




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mine sits at about 106

 

Quote: I will have about a 105 inch wheelbase. I will mock the whole thing up, but am curious to know what those dimensions are on the various cars that you all own....


Current T has a 101" wheel base which I feel is way too long. Previous ones I built were around 94"-95", no excess space. Current car has SBC, long pump, fan spacer, wide top radiator tank, and still about 4" between the radiator and front crossmember. Old one SBC, short pump, no fan spacer, flat back radiator, and no space between radiator and front crossmember. Both cars points distributer right close to firewall. Body location in relationship to rear axle centerline can affect wheelbase; but if not close to "normal" it starts to look goofy too. Shorter wheelbase drove just fine.

 

My roadster Tinbender with the UGLY as sin ribbed upper radiator hose has a 96" W.B. because that is what my Bible said it should be. But then I might worship a different God as you. Yes the false idle I worship is the late '50s Kookie Kar and my Bible is the April '57 CAR CRAFT. (Just kidding guys. I'm sure god has a sense of humor). The earlier black version of the same car, the one that Ivo copied had a 101" W.B. because it had a Model A differential with the spring directly over the axle. Then in about the year that it took Ivo to build his roadster Norm had installed a later diff. with the spring behind shortening his W.B. to 96".

 

My T as it sits is about 108" in the wheelbase. That's because my front axle is 3.5 " in front of the spring, and I have an extra 4" in the body behind the doors to sneak in a little leg room.
The rear axle is centered in the length of my PU bed which is 34" long.
I think that it all works proportionally.

 

My car is 102", If I wasn't relying on it as a daily right now, I'd take 4" out of this thing in a heart beat! I really don't like the extra 3"-4" that most more modern built buckets have in front of the grill shell, personally. I do have a theory though. The length of the frame on these and what looks good is directly a function of what engine is sitting in it! See, Ivo's car is at 101" or 102", and that length really works on his car because of the longer Buick Nailhead. A short pump Chevy? Not so much.

One of the many things that has been picked apart on my car is that I have a long pump on my small block. Yes I know that is wrong! But, I left it there back when it looked like I might get that 4/71 combo I was yammering about earlier this year. I wanted the possibility of having enough room for the 3 V-belt drive. Now I'm going over to a short pump soon and an under slung alternator mount, and I'm sweating running an 1 1/2" fan spacer, 'cause I just don't like the way they look. I guess it's all a question of balance. set the body where it looks right in regards to the rear wheels, set the engine in place with about 3/8"-1/2" of space between the fire wall and distributor, and mount the radiator with about 1" of clearance to the fan. Anything else is sort of wasted or unnecessary space, right?

 

This is how i did when i did my blueprint for my frame.
Hopefully it will look right when i can testfit the body on the frame.
And the reason is that i often dont like to much stretch in the front.
But T:s need some stretch in front to look good.

 

One of my friend Marcus Edell's latest buys. He pretty much does the same thing as the Ass Monkey's guy's do. Buys fixes and resells old cars.

A '60s steel body Cad. engined build. Pretty kool car in my opinion. Engine is kinda overdone but maybe not for it's timeframe. Sits a little low in back for my taste though.

 

Neat! Yes, a bit low in the back.

 

I actualy like this car. Not a huge fan of the blower. Not on a T bucket. It puls a little away from the small simple and light look.

But all in all a Nice rod. But is there a reason for that I dont See the bucket?
I dont need the Ivo style rake to be impressed.
All though steal rebels looks good.

I like em simple and almost level, and If it has a rake, let it be the whole car and not the body.

Different strokes, for different folks

 

My wheelbase is pretty short it seems compared to you guys.... I've got 88". Guess it makes sense now why it feels like I'm trying to cram 10 lbs of stuff into a 5 lb bag lol.

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Hey, I think I've heard that somewhere.

 

Stock Model A 103 Stock 32 106

 

That's simply 'cause you are! Awe, the damn smilies aren't workin'... You get the idea though!

 

88" your talking Tweetiepie or The UncertainT wheelbase. Which isn't all bad. I'm not a big fan of the UncertainT's body but nobody can fault the quality of either build. And they both had a kool look.

 

Howdy gang!