What's a T bucket with V8 like to drive?

Fun!!!

 

Mine weighs 1840 , 960 on front and 880 on rear, damn near 50/50 weight bias. It was a real hoot with the 4.11 gears but not so good on the hi-way so I switched to 3.25's. I run the typical 350/350 with a 9 inch and it goes pretty good, always gives ya a smile when you're into the throttle.

 

FYI Speedway has the Total Performance T-Roadster Assembly Manual on the garage sale, 15 clams

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Garage-Sale-Total-Performance-T-Roadster-Assembly-Manual,54114.html

 

You will never drive anything more fun than a t-bucket! I had this 396 powered rig from 1989 to 1996. I put over 25,000 miles on it over those years, mostly on the highway going to rod runs. It was nothing to do a 500 mile trip in one day in it.

 

Like this...

 

Last year at the HAMB Drags, I ran a best of 12.50 @ 108 with the hard-assed 6" truck tires and no stall.
This year will be different...
r

 

I'm thinking of tackling this as my next project. How hard was it to get the 440 to fit? Did you run a 727 or 833?

 

In my 50s now. Bucket is a heavyweight & comes in at about 2500lbs. Then you need to add 250lbs for me.

Ran 9.95 @ 143 the other week with a 1.6 60ft time.

Blown 540 cube BBC can overcome the weight penalty.......

 

I know I'll get some argument on this but don't build a bucket if you value comfort. Especially a steel one. About radius rods just remember on such a light car (mine was 2,000 lbs. with the small block Ford engine) nothing moves much. As you can see in the pictures I'm pushing 70 but I don't take long drives anymore. Yes I trailer it. Paid my dues driving it for years. Twice from the S.F. Bay Area to Bonn. and back and more times than that to Pomona.

 

Steel Rebel, I agree, It's Fun BUT, not a long distance driver. I had a Chrysler
Transmission, but it was so wide it left no room for my feet. So, I used a GM 350.
It's a LITTLE better.

 

Surely I can't be the only one who thinks this T looked better before.

Bump for some more harrowing stories.

 

In the process of building this one. 324 Olds, 4x2 on a "Drag Star", roller cam, '39 box and 40 rear. Very old timey with decent brakes and good seating position. The car is so low the trans and torque tube are exposed in the interior. As far as I'm concerned, extra points for that stunt. I'll be back on my thread soon as I get caught up in the shop.

 

Interesting read.Here are a couple pictures of my good(and sadly recently deceased)friend Ken Frederick .The first one is the 27 he built in 1959-60 with a Latham blown 339 cu in stroker motor backed up with a T-10 and Olds rear..This car would seriously go and it wasn't light(around 2200 lbs.).He liked the 26-27 bodies because they allowed a bit more footroom than the earlier ones.
The second pic is his last T roadster.This one had the body widened 6 inches and lengthened 8 in and it rode on a 118 in wheelbase and it weighed nearly 2800 lbs..The porportions of the car still look good.
Power came from an all aluminum 572 cu in Merlin that had dynoed at just a shade over 900hp and was backed with a 4LE60 trans and a Curry 9 inch.It also had a 200 hp NOS system that mercifully was never needed.
To say that this car was fast was a gross misstatement;this car was a MONSTER! In the one ride I had in the car Ken managed to break the 18 in wide MT tires loose at about 45 mph.He finally sold the car after trashing 3 of the Curry rear ends.
His favorite motto(which applied perfectly to this car and his life):NOTHING is TOO MUCH if it is PROPERLY OVERDONE! Rest in peace my brother.

 

Mine has a
Chevy II 4 banger, drives like my Grandma's car.

 

i agree, i like it better before. the blue looks good, but the dueces and rims look better on it

 

it is liking riding/driving a motorcycle with 4-wheels
it is just a blast

 

What are those windshield posts in the first pic? You still have them? Are they for sale? PM me if so.

 

fun!!!

 

Six pages??!! Man, you are SLIPPING!

 

Now that my new engine is broke in....... freaking amazing! Now I know what I was supposed to be scared of and I enjoy it. I've only had one street race and it was over so fast, it really wasn't a race. So, what's a T Bucket with a V8 like? OMG

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=456745241110473&set=vb.100003250032534&type=2&theater

A lot like this...

 

Last week end I could see a T-bucket in the other lane a few cars back from me. I was doing 10-15 MPH UNDER the posted speed limit trying to let him catch up to me. I kept thinking, the SBC in that thing should be able to go a whole lot faster than he seemed to be willing to go. After several traffic lights, he finally got beside me. Guy in his 70's I would guess, and he's probably had it forever. It was a turquoise color with a white canvas top, and some wheels that really did't fit the car. But, he was out cruising on a nice day, and I'll bet fully enjoying himself. Butch/56sedandelivery.

 

Blowby

Maybe we can get together sometime and ride in mine. I sometimes get mine down to the Bay Area. Or if your ever up my way give me a PM. Mine weighed 2000# with the SBF in it. Maybe a little heavier now with the Cad. engine.

As for how they ride, the early ones '50s to early '60s with the A or T rear springs give a pretty rough ride although mine with two people does ride a little better. The extra weight must make the rear T spring move some. I suspect the later ones with coil overs ride better. As for power to weight think early Cobra. Again I say early because they were smaller than the later ones as are the steel and early fiberglass T bodies are.

I do admit when I first started driving it when I got it together in '89 I did drive it like an old man. I gave a ride to an long time hot rodder and he blurted out "It's a fuckin hot rod drive it like a hot rod" I took that like good advice and try to follow it now.

Gary

 

back in the 70s we lived in So MN, fellow down the road at the tractor dealership had a t bucket, 427 Chevy power, with the narrow tire spoke wheel front end that was popular back then. He gave me a ride one day, you could see the frame rails torque when he got on it and you definetly steered with rear wheels because it would snowplow in the turns. Didn't ask for a second ride.

 

Like a Hotrod Lincoln, like a rocket sled on rails, a well built T roadster with a working suspension, seats with coil springs like a stocker, a windshield that shields, and pretty much any engine with over 100HP makes a great fun piece that can be driven on long trips without fatigue. A long trip is 500 miles or more...ONE WAY!
My old roadster weighs 1750# and, once I corrected the way too stiff suspension, became a joy to drive, fast and faster with the PowerGlide behind the 12.5-1 hot cam single 4bbl 283 punched to 292 and a 4.11-1 rear gear. Can't wait to get it back on the road.
Used to really enjoy making the run around Houston on the 610 loop then up 59N from the west 610 loop to the north 610 loop at speed around 2AM.

 

You guys are contributing to the delinquency of an adult.... If I keep reading stories about how much fun these cars are, I'm gonna start working on one whether I can afford it or not!

 

I just went ahead and got a motorcycle with two wheels. 385 horse ZZ-4. It scoots along pretty well. More leg room than a bucket

 

But on the same day the almost year old thread was brought back from the dead.

 

So I read all these semi horror stories about bad handling and such, yet when set up correctly, these things literally ARE as nimble as my go kart. My current car above is FAR from what I would consider slot car handling at this point, (and that will change, give me a break, I've only been driving it a month!) but is reliably "glued in" and brakes nice and straight. Coming down 27th Ave in Phoenix having left ElPolacko's shop on Thursday, I came over the rail road tracks at the Thomas road crossing at a typical Phoenix surface street clip of about 45 or so. As I crossed the tracks, I made eye contact with the gal in the silver Jeep S.U.V. thingie that was contemplating a left turn... Except, after looking right at me she decided that her left turn was far more important - Then panicked and stopped in the middle of the street! I quickly searched my options which were indeed few, and saw the wheel chair access ramp on the side walk. Tagging the brakes and flicking the steering wheel right, I put the right two wheels of the bucket up on the side walk, cleared her bumper with the left wheels with a good 6inches or so to spare and thoroughly freaked out the guy in another S.U.V. thingie behind her who was just obliviously about to follow her out into the street! Merged back into ALL of the right lane and continued my way down 27th Ave swearing at the top of my lungs!

Now, the point is, few other vehicles are well prepared, and nimble enough to do goofball stuff like that in an emergency situation. I have only pulled that dodge off before on a bike. Done right these cars can really be a lifesaver in an emergency! Just make sure ALL of your basic suspension geometry is right.

As a quick post script, all of this happened right next to two Phoenix Police cars waiting in the left turn lane. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw red and blues come on, and they backed her back into the gas station she had come out of. I turned around and rolled back in and asked if they needed anything from me, and the younger, crew-cutted officer told me to shut my car off and give him my license. He continued that I drove on a public sidewalk and he was going to find a way to "get" me for that.. As I loudly informed him that it was far preferable to my point of view than scattering her, my car and myself into their cars, his older more sensible partner broke us up and suggested I leave.... So much for being a solid citizen.

 

Even if you don't like them everyone should own a T bucket once. They are a blast. As close to original Hotrodding as I can imagine.
My car with about 250 horsepower has plenty of go. I didn't expect the reaction from non rodders, they all seem to love it. I've never been at a gas station and not had a conversation with somebody looking at it.
Sadly I had to sell it to finance the next project, but the new owner has the same fun I did and loves it.