My bucket build

[raidmagic]

I'll try to keep all my updates to this thread, I've noticed that I've been bouncing around a little with project updates.

Anyway, I have had this gauge set laying around the garage just waiting for something cool to put it in but it never occured to me untill today to put it in the bucket. The only thing it didn't have was an oil gauge so I added that and it fits the cluster pretty nicely in my opinion. I'm going to smooth it out and paint it black. It's going to sit in a molded fiberglass housing something along the lines of the cardboard mock up pictured below. I also am adding 4" to the bottom of the body so that it doesn't look so chopped off.

This is just roughed in an shot black so I could get an idea if I liked it or not. Still lots of body work to do.

 

[rooster57]

I like that old gauge set i would bet you can test the gauges with a old reostat like for dimming the car dash lights use a small 9 volt battery and connect the neg to the case or neg post and run the pos in series through the reostat to the gauge sender input and turn the knob up and down to simulate the sender. Sweet

 

[putz]

Nice equipment to start with the gauge cluster will look cool. Nice battery placement.

 

[raidmagic]

. Nice battery placement.

Yea, that's custom too.
I'm hoping to relocate it to the bed but I have to get a bed and gas tank first.

 

[Youngster]

look for the guage bezzel from a '55-6-7 chevy pick up. you can use the car guage plate and it dosen't have the column drop.

Ron

 

[raidmagic]

OK so I had some more time today. In the last few days I've cleaned up the gauges and painted them. I have come up with another mounting idea, I'll probably go through 3 or 4 more before I decide then I pulled the body and motor so I can clean up the frame and rear end and paint them. Once that's done the new motor will go in.
Here are some pics.

 

[raidmagic]

Frame is painted and the new motor is installed.
I put the motor and trans in a week or so ago but I finally had the chance to get out there and put the headers and radiator in the car. The bottom hose won't fit so I'll have to get another but all in all it looks pretty good in there I think,

 

[VegasBruce]

sweet

 

[raidmagic]

OK so these updates will be a little out of sync as I haven't been keeping up with it but it should offer a decent overview of what all I have done and I'll try better to keep it up to date.

When I got this car the seats were really high above the back of the car and I didn't really like the look so the first thing I did was to remove the tracks and set them on the floor. That required me to cut down and reweld the steering shaft. After that was done I still just didn't like that looks of them so I took the upholstry off the backs and cut 4" out of them and rewelded the frames then cut and reinstalled the upholstry. I am going to get some seat covers from the local parts store to make them look nicer.
Before It's hard to tell from the pic but the first line in the seat is the top of the bucket

This is with the tracks removed and the steering shaft lowered

And this is after cutting the seatback frames:

And here is a comparison pic of one frame cut and one not

 

[raidmagic]

Wheels and tires were purchased in July of 2010

I finally pulled the trigger on wheels and tires for my Tbucket. I stole the wheels Summit was closing them out! The tires not so much, them wide ones are pricey.:laughing:
Anyway everyone likes pics so here ya go. I'll get them mounted up tomorrow.

I couldn't wait

Before

After...or during:laughing:

And here they are.

A before shot

 

[butch27]

Wow-What a change. It looks good. What were the seats out of?

 

[Ted Brown]

Yes wheels and tires make one heck of an improvement... Now try and keep the backs of the seats real thin, this will give you more leg room, even an inch or two makes a huge difference... and keep the fronts of the seats 3 inches higher than the rear of the seats, this makes things a lot more comfortable to drive... Lookin good

 

[raidmagic]

Wow-What a change. It looks good. What were the seats out of?

I have no idea they were in it when I bought it.