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Anybody Know about T-buckets?


Geeto67

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Buddy of mine is looking to trade me some motorcycle stuff for a T-bucket project. It's an uncompleted kit, I think it is either a total Performance or a speedway (after they bought total performance) kit. I haven't seen it yet and he's working on getting me pics.

 

Couple of questions off the bat:

 

- Will I even fit in it? Depending on the Dr's office I am between 6'3.5 and 6'5", but short in the legs for my height (32-34 inch inseam). I imagine a lot of a t-bucket position is how upright your steering column is and how far back the seat it. I imagine I am basically going to be driving this thing off a cushion on the floor.

 

- How big is the engine bay? It is coming sans drivetrian and I have an old Pontiac OHC-6 and a turbine 300 trans I would like to use for this setup (yeah I know, Auto-LOL). Will the big six actually fit? most t buckets I have seen have the v8 almost up against the radiator so it doesn't look like there is room but every once in a while I see one with a chevy six in it and they are about the same size as my Pontiac so...I guess it is possible?

 

- Title? I think he has an MSO for it. What's the process? do I have to complete it and then have it inspected or can I just drag the roller to a police station and have it inspected and a title issued?

 

- Title, part II? Assuming I have to have a new frame made to lengthen the engine bay to fit the pontiac, I don't imagine I am going to get an MSO for that so....what's the process for doing it without an MSO?

 

- What are the most important pieces? This is a kit car and as far as I know I am just getting a frame and body. Some things seem less critical to me like interior pieces (they are all wood aren't they?) and right now I feel like it must have at least a front suspension, but what else? Steering column? rear end setup?

 

- any local shops familiar with these cars? I am not in a place setup to weld, and it would be nice to know if there are local resources that I could go to and pick the brain of or have some minor work done if I get stuck. Not looking for a high end shop but may need someone to fabricate the engine mounts that mate the pontiac 6 block mounts to a chevy frame mount.

 

 

or just tell me it's a bad idea so I can move on.

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It's a bad idea so I can move on.

 

+1. :(

 

Sorry, dood...want to support you on this, but at best, get some pics, trade the bike parts, and try to sell the kit. I have space and a welder you can use, but we're going to run out of nice weather in the next few months, and I know all you and I have in extra space is driveway...

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+1. :(

 

Sorry, dood...want to support you on this, but at best, get some pics, trade the bike parts, and try to sell the kit. I have space and a welder you can use, but we're going to run out of nice weather in the next few months, and I know all you and I have in extra space is driveway...

 

Some of the stuff he wants would clear up enough space in my garage to possibly fit the car (a bike plus tanks, etc). But your point is not lost.

 

Also not having enough time to work on stuff is a big factor....how long have we been trying to do the center console on my jeep? months now?

 

Still if someone has some insight on the other items I would still like to consider this on other merits (so I don't end up shopping T-bucket kits online for the next 6 months).

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Since you're not sure if you can fit in it and it doesn't seem like you have the time or space to build it and then make modifications if necessary to fit in it, I would say it sounds like a bad idea.
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Finally got a hold of the guy to get more details and it's a worse idea than I thought:

 

It's a steel original 1927 model T body (with turtle deck) on a homemade frame. No suspension mounts but he has assembled front and rear speedway suspension setups for it, just no brackets tacked in. He was building a "Beer keg" rat rod - one of those bob tail buckets that uses a beer keg for a fuel tank. No paperwork on it at all since the frame is home made and the body has no vin (not that any did back then) so it would probably have to be titled/registered like a kit car. It did have a lot of nice parts with it, but it's too much of a project for me at the moment.

 

 

I still would like to know if there is a local shop that does hot rods? I saw Dale Turner's Buick Superliner at Good guys this year and that turned me on to Garret's Hot Rod shop here in Cbus, but that place looks kind of high end for the sort of thing I'm talking about. Not that they don't do amazing work, they do, it just looks expensive.

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