Love T-buckets
- Thread starter Spanky
- Start date
RodStRace
Active Member
Tommy Ivo T-bucket
Check Out Drag Racer and television star Tommy Ivo, he has his famous t-bucket featured as a Street Rodder Magazine milestone car.
Figured it out and now we have a separate section just for sharing our love of these fun cars.
Should be easier now than having one super long post containing all the pics & articles.
guilld
Active Member
According to AI
Key Characteristics:
Key Characteristics:
- Origin: Based on the early 20th-century Ford Model T roadster body.
- Name: Comes from the "bucket" shape of the Model T body shell.
- Style: An "old-school" hot rod look, often with no fenders, no hood, and a very short bed.
- Performance: Features large, powerful engines (like Chevy small-block V8s) for high speed.
- Appearance: Characterized by massive rear tires, narrow front wheels, and sometimes extremely loud, upswept exhaust pipes.
- Iconic Status: Gained massive fame from TV shows like 77 Sunset Strip, leading to kits and replicas being built.
Neshkoro
Well-Known Member
The interesting thing about these t buckets is that a few changes from the traditional bucket look can change the whole “year look” thing. I build mine in the mid 80’s. Along the way the chrome headers were installed to replace the original home made black painted ones. The front wheels and tires were upgraded. The interior was redone and a new radiator and shell was installed. It’s still the same 80’s bucket. Just a few upgrades. And then the things like a new alternator, water pump, top, no top, etc! So, what year is it? 80’s, 90’s, Y2K, or beyond?? It’s still registered as a 1923! I like the idea of the decade look of the pictures. In some of he pictures you can really tell the differences. Maybe not the actual years but the actual changes!
RodStRace
Active Member
Thanks, Spanky. It's one of those polarizing things.
Well, if you like simple, I don't have the carriage lights, tach or windshield support rods, although I plan on the last!
Also hope to have paint at some point, although I figure color over primer isn't 'simple'.
Well, if you like simple, I don't have the carriage lights, tach or windshield support rods, although I plan on the last!
Also hope to have paint at some point, although I figure color over primer isn't 'simple'.
Last edited:
RodStRace
Active Member
Some call it brokeback, but I think that is more appropriate to the ones that have the frame and body at different angle, or a frame that has been angled at the firewall. This is almost all driveline at one plane, the chassis and body simply raked. If you look at purpose built drag cars, the fairly straight line thru crank to diff is common.
So is the body actually raked off the frame too?? How is this stance accomplished?
LongJohn
Active Member
I have been in love with T buckets most of my life. I just turned 81 and build my first bucket in 1970. At the time i had just got out of the Air Force and looking for excitement! Ran intro a guy named Pete Robinson that had a Ford SOHC powered Top Fuel dragster and needed a donk to sweep the shop and drive the push car to get the dragster going! I'm your man! I started building and of course the front engine dragster influence led me to a completely different direction! Pete died in a crash in Pomona before I finished the car but his influence is very evident. Pete built the blower and helped me set up the motor combination. I had never seen a bucket outside of a magazine so most of the stuff I had to figure out. I drove the car for12 years and put almost 100,000 miles on it. Well the back tires went that far, not sure the fronts did! I love to tell my grandson stories and hope to finish my current build to show him how much fun they can be! This is getting long so I'll end it now.
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