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My Project Inspiration...........

Zack

Member
Well, since i am pretty much aggravated with my car at the moment i figured i would share my inspiration and the reason i am here with this project. My dad started building this 23T in 1975 and completed it in 1978. Now, i have to tell you all, this car was my entire life as a kid. I lived and breathed every freaking second of this car being built. My dad is a hot rodder from the word go. Me, being a carbon copy of him put me right in the middle of the hot rod scene. This car was the most beautiful thing i had ever seen. Even when it was in bare metal, primer and all that, i was mesmerized watching it come together. Dad hand (scratch) built EVERY piece of this car. Back then there were no Speedway's or other mail order T-Bucket outlets as you all know. I would sit out in the garage like a hawk in a tree and watch him use a hand file for hours and hours until every piece was perfect. He put a 12 bolt posi from a Monte Carlo in, 350HP 350 corvette engine with Offenhauser cross-ram and two Holley 660's as i recall. He painted it a 1976 Cadillac Firethorn red and it was awesome! My uncle (dad's brother) was an master upholster and he did a cotton packed diamond tuft interior. Dad won first place for interior at the Jackson, Ms World of Wheels in 1979. Shortly after the WOW's show my parents bought some land out in the country and the roads were typical country roads that were full of pot holes, bumps and dips. So dad sold the car much to my heartbreak. That devastated me when "my car" was gone. I know we should not attach ourselves to material things as i did but i have spent my whole life missing that damned car!, LOL. I have also spent the last 4-5 years desperately searching for the car back in my old hometown of Jackson, Ms. According to some old friends back there, the car has been seen running the roads in the Jackson area on occasion but no one seems to be able to locate it for me.

So, there it is in a nutshell, the reason i am here and now with a bucket. I am still somewhat dissatisfied in my car because it will never match up to his and that was my original plan. I planned to duplicate his car EXACTLY and somehow i wandered of course and i'm not sure why. Here are the only few pics i could find of the car. Yes, that is my in the car as a hot rod obsessed snot nosed kid, LOL.

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What an awesome way to get to grow up. Your father did a great job, it's understandable why you want to recreate it. I find it fascinating that the T-Bucket is really the only hot rod that is timeless. The design and looks are the same today as they were back then and that is why I fell in love with them. I hope you locate you fathers T-bucket but to be honest I think yours is just as good as his. I guess the difference is we can now buy the parts we need rather than build every part by hand like he did.
 
Now that's a beautiful story!

I get the feeling your Dad is no longer with you, but you can feel his presence every time you're are working on your TBucket.
 
Now that's a beautiful story!

I get the feeling your Dad is no longer with you, but you can feel his presence every time you're are working on your TBucket.

Thanks guys. I should have clarified. Dad is still here and he is who helped me build my bucket. He has been right there beside me all the way with the turn of every wrench. He is always the calm one when things don't go right he is the one who always tried to keep me calm, LOL. It wouldn't be the same without him.
 
Dads are that way, I wish I could get my sons interested in building a car but they are not. My oldest son is 50 so I don't think he will ever be interested.
 
Great read.
Francis, either it is in your blood or not. It has always been my passion, don't really know why but it is, my Dad has no interest in cars other that a car is used to go from point A to B, thats all. His passion is boats and I just can't see that at all. To each their own. I really admire Father son teams though. Look at the cool stuff that comes out of Don's garage, all of which is a love of collaboration between family members, you can just see it in the art work being produced.
 

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