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

yes the top has a hindge spot half way between header and the next bow,you can see a shiny factory rivet hinge pin half way?,when folded all bows touch each other all lined up next to each other.
The metal part that goes from the header to the next bow has an overlap where the stock two pieces snap into each other when folded.Not very sturdy and left that point to sag a little,I am sure they all did that so to make it stiff for driving the speeds we do I welded in two small bungs drilled for a ball quick release pin to slide thru. when I want to fold I take out that pin you hardly see when it is in and then it folds easy.
All parts are stock t except I had to shorten and tweek to make a touring top fit my t. I also had an old timer make new wood bows to make the height and angle I wanted. also where ends make the tough tight bends I fiberglassed with fine cloth to prevent the inevitble wood splits that occur as time goes on.
Hope that helps and I will take some close ups some day and post.

 

Larry, I think it got a bit OT and may have crossed the line somewhere or somehow. JW

 

Ironic. That actually describes Fred pretty well.../\....
Gary.....Did you post any detail shots of your car anywhere on here?
Chip....What happened to our Interior Lesson?
It`s Monday.....Just booked my flight back to NZ to see my Mum....Will be gone March 3-17. Don`t think I have time to stop in and see anyone much while I am there, though

 

You didn't call in and see me before !!!! JW

 

Well if you vacated the premises leaving the lights on so many years ago, I only hope the chap that had to pay the liclintrisit bill ( electrical ) has forgiven you and lifted the Non Re entree clause from the border patrol people. Which Airport do you fly into ?

 

Yeah Paul their is a lot of pictures of my roadster on this thread. I'm sure Chip is getting tired of seeing them.

You can see some of the best photo's ever taken of it in this magazine.

Gary

 

Mark...Flying into Auckland, then a three hour wait (sausage rolls, here we come...) then the hop to Nelson. Mar 5th, early morning of........Yeah, Jeremy, I know.....I yam what I yam......

Gary..I must be losing it. I saw that copy when it first came out, but didn`t buy it. I was curious as to frame work and plumbing, etc, under the body...Just came from the Eye Doc, so am squinting......Out to the shop to try to finish some bits....still squinting.....

 

Paul, this T-Bucket body is the same as used on Project T. As can be seen, it doesn't resemble a T at all but over here are marketed as a 23 T replica . I think the Speedway sticker on the firewall is a bit misleading. JW

 

You know Paul nothing on my roadster is mechanically or design special. In fact whenever I post a photo of the suspension or other design things all the feedback get is "that isn't right" "It can't work like that". I think the best part of my roadster is the overall look. I think I got "the look" right. As for the rest of it, it all (hasn't) been working for almost thirty years and probably as many thousand miles. The things I am most proud of are the parts. Ross, Horne, old chrome 97s, V8 60 axle, banjo, Tornado headlight brackets, '30s Ford truck headlights, T rear spring, Plymouth front shock brackets, '40s Ford brakes etc. A lot of which were old chrome hot rod parts off of other peoples past builds. Oh and of course early steel T body. That is the stuff that took ten years and more (still looking) to accumulate. Old deep baby moon's and the list goes on. I wouldn't do it any other way. But that's just me.

Hope your eye procedure goes well.

Gary

 

That body is a Koop De-glass body or one from that mould Jeremy . I believe Robin told me that they are more the early pre '23 type bodies, eg. 1920 sort of era. The body on mine is a Glass Reproductions one from Christchurch and is more accurate to the '23 shape. You will notice that the body you have put up has flatter sides and a totally different around the cowl area especially where the screen posts attach.

 

Mark, I think these buckets were the first offered in NZ and for some reason are still available. They are also a few inches longer and in my mind have always looked very wrong.
Paul, I ran into an old friend on Sunday, Dennis McAnerin and he says high. Had a good catch up chat. JW

 

Bloody Hell, Jeremy!! I haven`t seen Dennis in Eons!! Always remember him and Crusher having a `Hectic Social Life`. They were old hands when I joined Roadrunners in `76 or77...Also remember his old `40 Standard Coupe, and then when Simon (Scary) Burnie from the palmy area raced it at Thunderpark. Man, that`s a long time ago!...I think that style of body originally came from Leiftings old Greenlane Speed Shop mould. Maybe that was what Rob used on Project T. Can`t remember, and don`t have any of those magazines any more. But I know where they are, and I`ll be doing a bit of sleuthing when I go back to NZ in March...

Gary....The Eye Doc wants to see me in 4 months. Says my pressure is still too high. More Eyedrops. Glaucoma is a bit of a problem, but we`ll get it....Also...The more I look at Bud Shannons T in the Dec `64 Hot Rod, the more I like it. The only things I would change are the Headlights (they are too small) and I`d do the Interior a bit different. Other than that, I really like it. I am still looking for parts, too. Latest thought is a pair of Old Chrome 15x4 or 5 Early Ford wheels for the front....

 

Yeah I think you are right on the Greenlane Speed Shop body and then Arnie Parker owned the mould. Robin of Koop de Glass purchased the moulds. I tend to agree with you on the styling.

 

Paul
Not sure if I have Dec.'64 Hot Rod. I'll look as soon as it gets light outside. In the meanwhile if anybody has photo of it please post it/them. Can't help you with any chrome rims. I did pick up some aftermarket wide 15' punched rims off a Ford truck that fit's the small hubcap. Thought I might use them for mounting some pie crust slicks. Still might.
Headlights. Don't know if we've covered headlights here yet. That might be the only part of Ivo's build I didn't like. Really though mounted in the right place small headlights look okay. Looking at mine in my avatar photo the headlights do look big.
Gary

Okay I dug it out and I agree. I never got into (liked) diamond-pleated upholstery. I do think the headlights would look better mounted a little higher but overall a really nice looking bucket.

 

Yep, Gary...that`s the one. I know there are heaps of other, shinier, maybe even neater cars, but this one rings my bell. Maybe because of it`s simple lines and `the look`.....Back to Work now.....
Man, Gary....You`re up early! I thought all you retired Gentlemen slept late,ate lunch, took a Nap, then went to bed Early....

 

Gary, your head lights may only appear large due to the shortness of the grille shell. Looks good in my eye. JW

 

Thanks Kiwi 26 T you are one of my greatest admirers. You just don't find fault.

Paul there is something to be said for simple understated clean rods. That's what Chip's (getting less ugly all the time) T is turning out to be. I hate Ts with everything chrome. Those guys have no emagination. Another thing I noticed about the Shannon T is how wide the backrest is. He must stand 5' nothin. I used to be 5'9" once measured 5'10" last time at the Dr's. I was 5'7" (don't know what that is in MM or CMs) and still am cramped in by T. Of course I don't bend quite as well as I used to though.
As for getting up early after retirement. The older you get the less you do you don't sleep as well as when you used to get tired.

 

No fault to be found and 5' 7''=1702mm or 170.2cm JW

 

Okay then cm is ten times mm. You know I'm sure Metric is again ten times easier that what we in the U.S. use. Fuck I even forgot what we call it. 12" to a foot, 3 feet to a yard. Who made that shit up?

 

2.54 cm is an US inch.

So you are saying that it would be much better to do like we do it, 10 mm to a cm, 10cm makes a decimeter, 10 Decimeter to a meter, 1000 meters to a kilometer.
And it works all the same with liters and grams. A thousand gram is a Ton.
That's the first time I heart an American guy saying we did something better.

No need for Stones and ounce, or lb. And how complicated is your the temp you use. We have 0 is freezing point and 100 is where water cook, and Woods flash point is about 1000-1200.
We are simple, not to be confused with stupid.

 

See also this for more info:

http://www.mille-soeren.dk/18_maal_vaegt_measure_weight/side18.htm

 

1,ooo kilograms makes a tonne, close to a ton. JW

 

The US started the process to adopt the metric system in the mid 70s but it was abandoned in the 80s and as far as I am concerned that was a mistake, the metric system makes a lot of sense and is much easier to work with once you learn it, not to mention the US is now the lone holdout in the world to use a different system than the rest of the world. 2.54 cm per inch or .03937 inches per mm

Sorry for hijacking the thread for my rant

 

Now Volvo your really confusing me.

Your right Dick we should have kept pushing metric at least had everything measured in both and maybe the young people would have caught on by now.

 

Pushing the metric system on the US would be like trying to get the stubborn SOBs to give up the $1 bill LOL
Or getting them to adopt a universal healthcare system.

 

The 1$ bill isn't so bad, it is the penny that costs 1.7 cents to produce that doesn't make a lick of sense to continue using. Maybe we should be happy they reduced the cost from 2.4 cents just a couple of years ago.

 

Yep, Canada ditched the penny last year - everything you buy gets rounded to the nearest nickel now!

 

we don't have 1,2, 0r 5 cent coins any more, we have 1$ and 2$ coins, the first paper note is a $5 and everything is priced to the nearest 5 or 10 cents saves a lot of mucking about looking for change.

 

Hi guys, while we are off topic so to speak, in our morning newspaper I have just read that America is having it's coldest time for many years with the wind chill factor taking temps down to -50 degrees cel.. Heck I hope all of you fella's and families are safe and warm ? I also believe that schools are closed in Nashville due to the dangerous driving conditions which raises a question for me, when the snow and ice is like that, how does the normal work day happen, like are you all expected down at the local office or workshop and what about the farmers or those who work outdoors ? Shit, I don't know how good we have it here in New Zealand at times...

 

How's that? I try to keep it simple. Except the first part is my first car, the second is my middle name.

Can you see my signature, if you can, I add my name too.