T buckets

[NealW]

Today the local Experimental Aircraft Association chapter had their annual airplane/car show. While there I saw this nicely done T bucket made from a 23 runabout. It made me wonder how many how many of the runabouts that survived the scrap drives of WW2 ended up as T buckets versus being restored as runabouts.

[ModelTWoods]

Was the body, "real steel" or fiberglass? Did you ask? If you don't tap or place amagnet near it, fiberglass bodies can fool you.

[Norman Kling]

Many of the scrap yards didn't want Model T's because they had so much wood in the bodies. And just about the time the war was over, the Model T clubs were started. By that time, they had become collectables and many younger adults remembered them from their childhood. Some people even kept them running because they could get gas rations for them.
Another thing about Model T's that kept so many running was that just the time they were becoming "old cars" the great depression came about. Many people could not afford to buy a new car so kept their old ones running, and they were easy for "do it yourself" mechanics to repair. Then just at the time the depression was coming to an end, WWII began and new cars were not available until after the war. It took some people 2 or 3 years to get a new car because there were priorities on who could have first shot at a new car. I remember my dad had orders in for Ford Chevrolet and probably others. I also remember looking at a Tucker and a Davis as well as Kaisers and Frazers. He finally was able to get a new Nash in 1948. It was during the 1950s that Model T clubs were started. I remember the first person I met who was a member of the club was Walt Rosenthal who lived about a mile from me. That would have been around 1956. I had a Model A at the time and Walt helped some Model A owners to start the Model A Ford Club of America. There was already a Model A Restorers club at that time.
Anyway, those are some of the reasons I think the Model T's were not scrapped.
Norm

[NealW]

Was the body, "real steel" or fiberglass? Did you ask? If you don't tap or place a magnet near it, fiberglass bodies can fool you.

That's a good question. The owner wasn't around to ask, and I didn't want to touch it. There was no openable right side door, which makes me wonder if it was fiberglass. He had an old Kansas 1923 license plate with it in a glass display, which led to my assumption that it was a 23. It had a T frame, but I didn't see much else that still looked like a T.

[John Codman]

I have actually been into hot rods longer then antiques. I have owned a 1928 Olds coupe, several Model A's, a '35 Chevy EC (standard) coupe, a 1938 Chevy coupe and a 1933 Buick 4 dr sedan, not to mention my present 1927 T touring car. I never hot rodded any of them. I also built and own an '82 Chevy C-10 that is powered by a 1966 Buick "Nailhead" that is bored to 431 cubic inches and has enough torque to stop the Earth's rotation. I don't apologize for any of that. I also have hotrodded a 1955 Ford 2 dr hardtop (264 Buick Nailhead) a 1956 Chevy 2 dr ht (also 264 Buick Nailhead), 1953 Mercury (also 264 Buick Nailhead). FWIW: the Nails were three different engines, I just liked that engine. I hate to see a good restorable antique turned into a 'rod, but I would rather see that then to see the antique junked.

[NealW]

If the owner had been there, I'd like to have asked him how well the engine cooled using the Brassworks replica T radiator. Lots more horsepower than a T engine, but more efficient too.

[Norman Kling]

The door would make me believe it was fiberglass. A 23 should have an operational right door. Also the windshield is earlier than a 23. The 23 would have a lower slant windshield. Anyway, I have no problem with that rod. In fact it looks very good. I don't like anyone using a good T body to make a rod.
Norm

[MWalker]

Most "T-buckets" are fiberglass, probably 95% of them or more. The first T-bucket was built by Norm Grabowski in the mid-50's, using a '23 T cutoff Touring Car body with a much-shortened pickup bed. Nearly all of the fiberglass ones are like that, with the bed usually housing the gas tank. They are all "23's". Norm's car was featured in Life Magazine in 1957. That's Norm at the wheel.

[John Codman]

Virtually all T-buckets that have been built in the last 25 years are fiberglass. It's too hard to find a good T body. and fixing up a tired one is more time-consuming and expensive then just purchasing a new 'glass body.

[Corey Walker]

I had to stop and look at this. I was informed it was not for sale and it was the owner’s grandfather’s car that he (the owner) had built for his nephew or something like that. Lake Palestine, Texas.

[thom]

Looks like a fatality waiting to happen.

I hope at least the nephew is an organ donor.

[Susanne]

That would be one uncomfortable beast to ride. Looks like it's a VW trike - nothing inherantly unsafe in those - and there's enough weight on the front of it to keep it stable.

[John kuehn]

As for BucketT’s or as some say T Bucket’s even in my younger hot rod days they just didn’t appeal to me. But the early V8 Fords did. Wished I would have bought one in those days. Saw several for less than a thousand but wound up with a 56 Ford for $175.00.
I still think about the 34 Ford V8 Coupe that was at the first Swap meet I went to in the late 60’s for 1200.00 but couldn’t come up with the cash. It sold the next day.