T Body choices

[Pop]

I'm a newby here and a newbe to T buckets. My son gave me a Basket case T bucket for fathers day. Most parts are there but the body is pitiful.
So far I am looking at three firms for a body. Total Performance, CCR, and Spirit. Spirit by far has the best price point. including the floor, body insert, and upholstery insert.
I'd appreciate any comments, Pro or Con. If there are other companies I should research please let me know

Pop
Albuquerque NM

 

[tfeverfred]

Whose chassis are you using or is it homebuilt. I think that will have a lot to do with a good decision. My body is based on a CCR body.Not the same, but very close. I like it.

I have also heard nothing but good things about Total and Spirit. You're fortunate that all of your choices, and maybe some more, are well represented here.

 

[Pop]

It is a TP frame
Pop

 

[thomas]

Russ,

check out my photo gallery. It's a spirit body.

thomas

 

[MDANIELSON55]

first if it a metal body fix it if its fiberglass fix it. glass is so easy to work with. rubber surgical gloves keep it off ur hands and a thin cheepo paint brush spreads it a little or a lot of sanding and ur there mikr

 

[Bill Pedersen]

Tfeverfred,
What kind of body do you have and how close is it to a CCR?

 

[tfeverfred]

Tfeverfred,
What kind of body do you have and how close is it to a CCR?

I got it from a fellow off of the NTBA site, His name is Mikey and he mentioned that it was a K&S body. He said they basicly make them like CCR. I checked the CCR site and compared the pics to the K&S. They appear to be dead on duplicates of eachother, except the CCR has a wooden piece in the back panel for mounting the tail gate.. here's a link to the K&S website. I think Mikey may have installed the wood piece on mine.

http://www.knscustoms.com/

 

[RPM]

Spirit gets my vote. A great product at a good price. The best part is the people that own and run the business. Very good people to deal with.

 

[Pop]

Thanks everyone
I spoke to Spirit yesterday and was impressed with their genuine interest in my questions. I am leaning toward them. I am headed to California next week to look over the CCR body and facility.
I'll write a report on my return!

 

[Bill Pedersen]

POP,
How hard would it be to talk you into taking a lot of detailed pictures at the CCR shop?? I would be very interested in seeing them.
Bill

 

[Pop]

Bill consider it done

 

[engine24355]

Thanks for doing this for us. I have a CCR body along with many CCR parts on my 23T. I would also appreciate any pics and information you find out about their operation. They have been in the business for a while seem to have a good product. Thanks again!

 

[tfeverfred]

Yes, they do seem to have a great product and if I'm not mistaken, they have been making kits as long as or longer than Total. They just don't advertise as heavily. There stuff is higher priced, but it's great stuff.

I've also heard that Speedway makes a good, thick body. Thier kits didn't impress me, but they have a great parts selection. Anybody dealt with Speedway in regards to their bodies or kits?

 

[Youngster]

I used one of their bodies about 6years ago. It was the deluxe one with the opening door. The quality of the body was next to none. Very few flat spots in the gel coat and good thickness. I like to see some overlap between the body and the door, it just looks more finished. For the extra $$, I wouldn't use this body again. The next one I did was with the standard body. Again nice body, well built. Also put a door in that one. It required the same amount of work as the deluxe version,

As far as the chassis goes, it was also well constructed. It sat a little higher than my customer wanted, so I replaced the front cross member and relocated the coilover mounts from the top of the axle to a spot behind it. That also required new frame mounts for them. Not a big problem. Other wise everything else was a go. The end result was a really nice T.

 

[flatheadgary]

pop, unlimited products is about an hour or less from where your going if interested.
http://www.up22.com/t_bucket.htm

 

[SLR_65]

I just visited the K&S site, I noted that they are made from hand laid glass layers and not chopper guns. In the Manx dune buggy and power boat worlds hand laid glass is preferable to chopper gun because it's stronger. I dunno if that holds true with buckets or not, is the strength not a big issue since most builders glass in wood supports to the body?

 

[tfeverfred]

I just visited the K&S site, I noted that they are made from hand laid glass layers and not chopper guns. In the Manx dune buggy and power boat worlds hand laid glass is preferable to chopper gun because it's stronger. I dunno if that holds true with buckets or not, is the strength not a big issue since most builders glass in wood supports to the body?

My body seems to be a K&S or a CCR. Mikey can't seem to remember. They appear to be the same. It's laid glass and it is THICK. The floor is 1/4" and the rest is about 1/8". A little more in the corners and what not. CCR & K&S both claim thier bodies are strong enough that you don't need to wood it for strength. I believe it. In fact, when I go my interior panels this weekend, I'm going to apply the material to the backing and attach it with velcro similar to the way I did my back panel. Maybe one day I'll have enough money to get a nice interior done, but for now, it's the route I'm going.

I also talked with Mikey and he backed up CCR's claim as far as wood goes. He says their interior kit drops in and that's it. No reinforcement what so ever.

 

[Pop]

Well, the best laid plans go down the drain. I didn't get to make the visit to CCR as planned. Family came first. Oh well I am going to try again in a couple of weeks

 

[Bill Pedersen]

Keep us informed. Thanks

 

[rubicon]

I still haven't desided what body to buy. I've been looking at the CCR stretch body. Would this body fit on a TP frame? I like the idea of a fold down top. CCR top does not do this. I also want disc breaks in the rear. TP offers that.