Technical What did I get myself into... 23 Bucket

Thanks for the replies,
I'm just happy to have identified the front end. As I stated earlier, the bucket wasn't on my radar. I've wanted a early 60's "muscle car" for as long as I can remember. The plan right now is to make sure it stops. There is zero resistance on the brake pedal, so I'm starting at the brakes and working my way in. As advised above, I just want to drive the thing around a bit to make sure this is something I see myself investing time and money in. I enjoy doing the work myself, and have no issues drinking beer in my garage.
The Grabowski-kookie T looks cook as hell, so I may look into getting the P/U box aligned with the rest of the panels. I couldn't figure out why it was done that way, but I'm going to look and see what can be done. What ****s is that I got it at a very busy time. Spent the last 5 days in Vegas, this weekend will be in Charleston SC, and next weekend I'll be in Richmond VA. I think I won't be getting around to sorting it out until mid-fall. But, such is life!

Thanks again!
Mike

 

It is. I was trying to use the double rails to help identify who manufactured the kit.

 

Traveling like that for work is a great opportunity to chase down cheap, used parts for your T. Start looking on the HAMB, Craigslist, etc. a few weeks prior to your arrival in the city. You can meet up, view/buy the parts then take them home with you or drop ship them yourself if they're big or if you're flying.
Update your profile to show your location. Their may be members here that are local and have parts you may be looking for.

Pist N Broke has the right idea of getting it driving first for a reality check. Then dump the coffee table top bed cover, update the front suspension, etc.
Neat entry level Rod on the cheap! Love it.

 

I'm in the same boat! Got an "ugly " bucket that needs some sorting out. Gathering parts to get rid of the "rack and pinion " steering, gonna replace the **** ugly box on the back with a cylindrical gas tank, steel wheels and white walls etc... a little at a time when I can afford it. This thing is a "hoot " to drive and will be worth it. I would love to see some better pictures of your frame. That could make your car unique a**** "T's"!

 

You have the right plan for sure. Looks aren't everything. Car's like yours make me stop and look hard to find out why. Norm's T is a high water mark when it comes to T's and if every one of them looked like his we'd get tired of seeing them also. I'll bet the way the Bed is mounted to the Body has something to do with what's under the bed cover. You haven't mentioned anything about rear suspension. Is it as unique as the front? I see an odd mount just ahead of the rear tire and behind the Body.

 

Drive it with the VW front suspension, and see how it works.....it looks like it has some miles on it, so it might actually work pretty good! With the double tube frame rails, and the double tube VW front suspension, it sort of goes together. A lot depends on how much fun it is, and how much time and money you want to invest. No matter what, remount the pu box correctly!

 

Pretty confident in saying it wasn't a kit. Some enterprising hot rodder bought himself a 'glas body and fabbed the rest. I'm with the others here wanting to see more pics of the ch***is.

 

The VW front suspension wasn't common, but wasn't unknown either; Tex Smith used one on the front of the XR6 AMBR winner, and I've seen more than a few others. Just not the right choice for this style of car...

A track nose would go a long way in hiding the suspension.

 

I was actually thinking the ch***is may have started something more like this in a U-Weld kit form.

I did several versions of these in the early 70's and we could buy the pre bent kits cheaper than you could buy just the strait tube from the steel supplier. Delete the roll cage and what do you have? Nothing wrong that.

 

When the acvw front suspension is cleaned up n smoothed out, doesn't look too bad at all. I agree, it's worth a run to see how well it does. Beefing it isn't hard, just need to be aware of the limitations. Marcus...

 

My thought too...you have an unusual car there, apparently all together and close to driveable. Something designed at a time when almost all T rods were cookie-cutter jobs. As an outlier, is it an improvement or a horrible mistake? It might be a worthwhile car, or it might be a victim of using odd parts because they were free. Owner was either a bright experimental engineer or an idiot who welded together all the s**** from behind hid garage.
See how it works! So much of it is unusual that building it into a conventional fad T amounts to building a new car using nothing but the bucket...

 

^^^some of us resemble those remarks!

 

Funny, I just was reading the December 1963 HOT ROD magazine last night and this T was featured. It uses a VW front suspension on the rear. Seems the owner, Ed Eaton was enamored with a car called the XR-6, which was mentioned earlier, and wanted a similar suspension. Apparently after driving it some they realized the rear end seemed to bind up on maximum deflection so the VW torsion bars were replaced by a more conventional springs.
So, it is traditional, but not common.

Sent from my SM-G950U using The H.A.M.B. mobile app

 

Those had multiple leaf torsion bars ,there was no ability to re- clock ....

 

Ghia & VW bug of that vintage sat on virtually the same floor pan

 

There was a lowering kit that welded in, and rotated where the center 'bosses' were in the tubes. 'Infinitely adjustable'. ('Select-a-drop')
And, hey: Tex Smith couldn't be wrong...

 

WOW !

 

That's stretching the term re-clocking just a bit don't ya' think ??

 

Been a while since I have fooled with VW’s, forgot about the weld in kits, so I was halfway right. I was probably thinking of the rears, pretty sure they were splined bars....

 

Yes, rears were splined bars, (more teeth on one end, for 'infinite height adjustment')
They were adjusted in 'minutes', (1/60*) Degrees, not time.
The other mechanics hated 'em...but all it took was some arithmetic, and a little familiarity. Porsches were the same.

 

Track nose? I had to Google it Looks nice, but I have way too many things to get done before I get the pleasure of designing it my way.

 

^^This^^^

Don't get caught up in the "Karmann Ghia" detail, it's meaningless for the front suspension. In fact I'd question how anyone decided it was a Ghia front end and not from a Bug. As mentioned above, Ghias are virtually identical mechanically. IIRC the Ghia has slightly wider floorpans and obviously the body is entirely different (much more like a Porsche 356 then a Bug) but the mechanicals are the same as used on a the Bug. They are both "Type 1" in VW lingo ,

 

Karmann-Ghias were designed by the Italian designer, Ghia.
Wilhelm Karmann GmbH was the body mfr.
Karmann-Ghias were definitely wider, as were their respected floorpans.
(ask any frustrated Dune Buggy home-builder when he found out he had a Ghia pan!)

 

I know a lot of guys are focusing on the front suspension but for a lot less money you could clean the car up and finish the interior and enjoy it for what it is... If you start tearing into this thing to change it, you'll be left with very few parts of the original vehicle in the "to-be-used" pile.

 

I agree. Just enjoy tinkering with it, get it running and safe. I'd have it the way it is, boogie on down to the speed shop for parts or as a grocery getter. Stop thinking that everything has to be a Kookie-T clone. Personally I think that car was overdone and probably impractical to drive. (Bracing for impact. Incoming!!!)

 

I've built 3 T's and worked on several. All were tons of fun and none were even close to Norms T. It does however take a different kind of person to prefer a T over other open Roadsters.

 

Right now, ugly VW front end or not. A low buck T bucket that you can jump in and drive with not a lot of work beats the **** out of a stalled project that one wont be able to drive for a long time.
I'd leave it as is and drive it. Someone might even fall in love with it and make a decent contribution to your kitty for the car car you want.

 

That's exactly what I'm thinking of doing, but I'll know once I get some seat time. I still have to file for a ***le, but once I have that I'm sure I could move it at a price that would be mutually beneficial, since I don't really have no cost to try and recoup.

 

Okays guys,
Everyone has been asking for rear and ch***is pictures. I coach youth football during the week and haven't had a chance to get in the garage. Here are a few pics of the rear end. I'm wondering what kind of water-head would let the brakes get this bad.....

As with the front, any information you can provide on the rear is needed and appreciated. Although it's going to be several months, I'm actually looking forward to getting this thing out. Even a tired old 302 should push this little thing quickly! Speaking of quickly, where do I start my search for wheels and tires? I'm not trying to break the bank, but the old rusted mag's aren't doing it for me.

 

Interesting to say the least. It is Ford. Go to any good parts house with the shoes. Give them drum dia. and shoe width. I'd look at Mustang or Fairlane and odds are real good you will go home with what you need. Also it looks to be an 8" not 9" unit. Drums should be over the counter also.