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

I understand why you want to send the job out, but you also asked what we/I would do, and I would do it my self because I got skills/tools/time/material but limited funds.

But I think you should take the other part of my post more as the advice then the part about I would do my own frame.
Because that was the valuable advice, appose to what I wanted to do.

 

Does Chip post on his thread anymore?

 

When he has the time, his Facebook posts sound like he's pretty swamped right now. He's Hot Rod Central Louver Company on facebook if your trying to reach him.

 

When he isn't busy with work trying to get everything done before the heat of the summer keeps him out of the shop

 

https://www.facebook.com/louvering

 

Yeah, I think I've decided to go with my current body. It will be a lot of work to reinforce it. But I like the looks better, and in the end it will be better for me getting in and out. Plus it will allow me to get my frame soon, and start doing something with these piles of parts.

 

Great reasons to go with the current body, now get started so you can enjoy the maiden drive. Oh, and post some pictures so we can follow along, please?

 

Thanks, Nitrobrother! I new it looked funny this morning, but I'd only had 4 hrs of sleep and I figured that would get him there!

Welcome back, George and Fred! We've missed you both!

 

Zandoz,

I agree with the other guys, use the one that will serve your needs better! I only have one comment (on moving the i door), if your body has the raised body lines that outline the door, when you stretch / relocate the door move / stretch them as well. I know this is common sense to most people, but I've seen two cars recently where this wasn't done, and it looked BAD! Even though I knew why they did it, the execution still screamed I'm an Idiot and I can't cut between the lines!

 

My next hurdle is getting all my measurements finalized so I can have the frame built.

I've never taken an in focus pic in my life, but I'll try to get my wife to take some pics.

 

Bill

Please have your wife or any of your friends that can focus a camera take some photos of your pile of parts. We can help you. We love to build other peoples cars.
I know this sounds like a broken record BUT if all you need is a standard safe well tested 2"x3" T bucket frame Speedway can send you one for $4 or 5 hundred. It could save you much trouble from a builder that has two to three projects in front of you. Yes I know if you need something special that won't work. Again I will repeat myself when I say I spent many weeks of hobby time building the frame on my roadster when I could of at the time (early '80s) bought the same thing I spent all that time building for about $200.
Gary

 

I understand what you are saying, and I agree that moving the body line would be ideal, but I do not think I'll be able to. As the plans stand now, I'm hoping to do something I've never seen done before. I want to wrap the door opening under, almost to the frame rail. The opening will follow the forward edge of the raised door. The bottom of the door opening will actually be under the car. The trailing edge of the door opening will come out as close as possible in front of the rear wheel, and angle up to where the top of the body starts to curve around to the back.

With my mobility issues I need as much unobstructed access to the seat as possible. Just moving the existing vertical door line back would result in substantially less opening. I'm hoping that when folks see the wheelchair carrier or powerchair trailer on the back, they'll understand the goofy door.

 

When I get everything together, I'll have her take pics. As is parts are scattered between 2 locations. Right now the plan is to have a shed built to double as project warehouse and work shop. Once that is done we can get everything together.

When I started plans for this project, my first efforts were aimed at trying to make the Speedway frames work. But to get the wheelbase down to what I wanted, and to make them work with my unconventional rear suspension, it would take almost as much reworking as starting from scratch. The frame I want is no more complex than a typical T-Bucket frame, it's just shorter, and the rear proportions are crucial for mating with the suspension I have.

The other HUGE reason for going with the gentleman I know of is that he is the only one I've found who will issue a Manufacturers Certificate of Origin. Speedway used to, but I was told that now they only do MCOs for their complete kits. As far as the wait goes, things take the time they take.

 

Now that you have mentioned wheelchairs etc Bill I have a better understanding of your requirements in a larger door. Looking at your diagram, I would think you are on the right track as when the door is open, you should be able to slide from your chair onto the seat of the car and with the door going down low as you mentioned, there shouldn't be a sill panel for you to get caught up on. I will be interested in hearing about the rear suspension you are using as does that allow the car to sit down level for you.
I hope I'm on the right track here and sincerely hope I haven't offended you if I'm on the wrong track.

 

Bill, if people don't understand the larger opening........screw them, do what you have to do to make it work for you and enjoy it.

 

About the "goofy door"... in my view, it only looks goofy because of the straight line from the top rear to the bottom. If that concerns you, you could make that cut a bit more aesthetically pleasing (to me) by doing something like this...



Glen.

 

I think one of Ron Pope's t-buckets had a large door that wrapped around the rear panel to hide the jamb.

 

I see nothing to take offence at. You are on the right track except for I have regained some ability to stand and walk short distances...but being totally wheelchair bound will be something I have to deal with eventually. For now what I'm trying to accomplish is to be able to sit down, and raise my legs to the level of the floor. Another feature I forgot to mention...I hope to adapt generic trunk hinges like below for the door,, so that the door opens completely out of the way.

The suspension is kind of hard to explain. In general it's a triangulated 4-link with air bags and conventional shocks. The configuration should allow the car to kneel down about 3"-3-1/2".

To accomplish that I have an '88 T-Bird Turbo Coupe rear end, with the factory 4-link bracketry. I have a set of Granatelli Motorsport tubular control arms, to replace the factory stamped steel ones. The control arms are configured to work with the factory anti-sway bar. They will connect to the frame with 2" Currie Johnny Joints. The air bags will mount outboard of the frame, directly over the axle tubes. The airbags will be Slam Specialties with internal bump stops. The shocks will be chrome PRO SM600s. The only bad part is the bracketry for attaching the Johnny Joints will be unconventional and will have to be fabricated.

 

I had considered that configuration, but it makes the reinforcing ribs for both the door and the body much more complex...and possibly less sturdy. With the straight line, I'm hoping to use one piece of ash cut to the contour of the body, running all the way from the body lip down to the frame. That piece would be fastened into the body and cut when the door opening is cut. With the curved opening the framing would have to be pieced or made from a HUGE piece.

 

I don't recall that, but the silver extended door bucket he used to have on his home page planted the seed for what I'm planning on.

Actually Ron is the one I'm hoping to have do my frame. My current plans are based on a 6" shortened version of his standard plan.

 

Bill,
I also believe I now have a better understanding. I suspect your in much the same situation as my friend here. I see where your going, and I like the modification Glen made to your rear door line, The cars I saw were cut like this (I modified the drawing, with no regard for the body line (they literally cut right through it!). The car would have looked better if they just ground the body line off! Have you seen the Wintec Roadster bodies? They might be very well suited to your needs. Kind of a shortened Tub / lengthened Bucket hybrid.

 

This "might" be taking it too far, but with the body mods your talking about, you could even have someone fabricate a swing out seat mechanism......

 

Make the entire side of the body open up. Hinge at the firewall, figure out a way around the windshield, and hide the jammies wherever you can.

 

How about having the side divided into something resembling french doors and splitting at the body line for the std door? One hinged at the firewall and the other hinged at the rear corner.

 

I wish I had a body that did not have the ribs. Unfortunately the ribs on mine are hollow on the back side...if I ground them off I'd end up with a giant jigsaw puzzle.

I like the Wintec Roadster, but it is way beyond my meager budget...and it would end up being too long. For winter storage I need the overall length to be 10' or less. As is, with the right size tires, the current configuration makes it by 1/2".

 

I had not thought of that for the bucket, but just the other day the wife and I were discussing the eventual need for that on my Cougar. We may have to try for a quantity discount...LOL

 

A friend and I jokingly tossed around the idea of doing something like that using the Lambo style hinges.

Seriously though, if there were a simple way to do that, I'd be game.

 

That's another idea my friend proposed. Neither of us could come up with a safe and secure way to latch the two doors together.

 

Ok Bill, I couldn't find Graham but I found his T modified. I think this is very close to what you have in mind and would work on the earlier T bodies.
Jeremy

 

Sorry mate I was head down, arse up, all weekend with the swop meet, sorry I missed you