T Buckets in 2020

[spike]

OK Gerry, here's what I think: If you look at the youth of today in America, I think the only T buckets in year 2020 will be the ones that we built. To them a Hot Rod is a foreign car with a 4" muffler that sounds like a vaccuum cleaner with a piece of carpet stuck in the agitater brush, a rear wing that resembles a dental flosser & a fancy air cleaner under the hood. These cars remind me of the "slot cars" we raced as kids. In the late 60's my brother & I couldn't glue together a model without burning off the fenders with our wood burning iron, cutting a hole in the hood for a scoop & jacking up the rear end! The attached photo is a picture of my older brothers 69' Road Runner ( I think I'm the dork to his left). By the time he was finished modifying, the car was jacked up so high that you felt like you were in an airplane that was about to nose dive into the ground! I fear that in the year 2020 todays youth will going to Home Depot for their "how to work a screwdriver" seminar! Perhaps a better topic title would be "your vision of T buckets in 2020 if we are still building them".

 

[Hot Rod Todd]

Well by 20-20 I will be turning 60, gas will be pretty expensive compared to today and Im hoping I will still be driving my blown big block bucket around.

Im guessing the biggest change will e that the bucket drivers will be, on average, just under 10 years older than we are now. If we look at changes to hot rodding in the past 10 years, we see that fuel efficiency doesnt have to mean 4 pot engines. Maybe we will use that Chrysler 5.7 Hemi 8to4 cylinder technology, maybe we will use fuel injection that looks like a carb, maybe we will embrace overdrive transmissions. We will figure a way to keep on driving our buckets.

The one change I will predict is that manufacturers will keep making their bucket bodies a little bit bigger each time they rebuild their molds. And doors will become more commonplace in our buckets.

But I could be wrong of course.

 

[B.C.]

Well by 20-20 I will be turning 60, gas will be pretty expensive compared to today and Im hoping I will still be driving my blown big block bucket around.

Im guessing the biggest change will e that the bucket drivers will be, on average, just under 10 years older than we are now. If we look at changes to hot rodding in the past 10 years, we see that fuel efficiency doesnt have to mean 4 pot engines. Maybe we will use that Chrysler 5.7 Hemi 8to4 cylinder technology, maybe we will use fuel injection that looks like a carb, maybe we will embrace overdrive transmissions. We will figure a way to keep on driving our buckets.

The one change I will predict is that manufacturers will keep making their bucket bodies a little bit bigger each time they rebuild their molds. And doors will become more commonplace in our buckets.

But I could be wrong of course.

A bigger bucket is in the works for the next mold. Doors are here to stay most of the bodies we sell have doors. I do see the average age getting younger. I don't know if this will catch on but I do want to build an electric bucket.

 

[deckofficer]

This is my vision for 2020. We as fuel consumers will do as the military, one fuel for all DIESEL. Below is the specs on the Audi 4.2 l diesel that by the way is over 100 lbs lighter than my sbc.


Diesel Do Nicely
Why Americans should fall in love with the diesel

Published Jan 18, 2006

Audi A8 4.2 TDI quattro Audi A8 4.2 quattro
Engine 326 - horsepower V8
Torque
(lb-ft) 479
0-100 km/h
(0-62 mph) 5.9
Top speed
(mpg) 155 155
Average consumption (mpg) 30.0 Range
(miles) 594
Emissions (CO2 g/km) 253
Consider those for a moment. The diesel-powered Audi A8 4.2 TDI is not only more economical than the gasoline-powered A8 4.2, it also produces fewer greenhouse gases and, most importantly for readers of this Web site, it's also significantly quicker.

 

[72442conv]

I only hope that I am long gone before I see a T bucket with a rod knocker engine or God forbid an electric T bucket. May god strike me from the earth well before that happens :rofl:
One of the main reasons I drive my bucket is for the sound of the exhaust, mingled with the blower whine, and the top loader whine. The mechanical music is something else. :hooray: :rockn:
An electric bucket?? reminds me of that VW commercial asking the guy how his electric/hybrid Prius abomination sounds, and the guy going AHHHHH like an air sound, not very exciting.
Diesels are a bit better, but as far as I am concerned they still sound like crap.

 

[deckofficer]

But consider this with diesels.........that much torque at such a low RPM means 1800 rpm burnouts at 60 mph in top gear. Not to mention "short shifting" at the same low RPM, beating the guy in the other lane who is screaming his engine to 6000+. That my friend is a total put down when you blow by with an engine just 1000 rpms above idle. The other guy has to think "how bad would he have spanked me if he really tried?" Of course 50+ mpg on trips is not too bad either. I have a request into a auto graveyard in the UK for that engine. I hope that just because I put this togeather, you don't kick the bucket as your post states. lol.

Bob
=+

 

[Gerry]

Hey
Thats interesting and a good start.
My buddies son has always been into the Rice rockets and draging them, BUT he loves my bucket and drove my Topolino Altered the day after he became a qualified driver (17)... so maybe there will be kids who love Ts and the way they sound, ride and look.

Everything must move on and Ts are no different. I look back to roughly hewn brackets and home made rough cast rocker cover. Things have become more refined. Materials give us the flexability to do thing we could never do before. Fenders on my T will be carbon fibre and probably wont break every 500 miles like the old metal or Galss ones did.

Diesel.. why not!!!!

Electric. I would go for one but the motor would have to whine like a jet engine.

Looks. Now this is the big question. How far can we push the looks side of Ts without loosing that certain 'everyting on show and shiny, thing.

Ts for me has always been a meld or combination of

ART & ENGINEERING

Long live development
Gerry

 

[RPM]

I only hope that I am long gone before I see a T bucket with a rod knocker engine or God forbid an electric T bucket. May god strike me from the earth well before that happens :rofl:
One of the main reasons I drive my bucket is for the sound of the exhaust, mingled with the blower whine, and the top loader whine. The mechanical music is something else. :hooray: :rockn:
An electric bucket?? reminds me of that VW commercial asking the guy how his electric/hybrid Prius abomination sounds, and the guy going AHHHHH like an air sound, not very exciting.
Diesels are a bit better, but as far as I am concerned they still sound like crap.

I sure hope you weren't serious, here are links to one of each. they are out there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23748789@N02/4043275079/
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2172531490014445812oUBiBp

 

[72442conv]

I sure hope you weren't serious, here are links to one of each. they are out there.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23748789@N02/4043275079/
http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2172531490014445812oUBiBp

After looking at the electric bucket I rest my case :spank:
The other one doesn't look that bad, but the owner put it's slow on the description, which is against all a T bucket stands for.

 

[GizmoJoe]

To each their own.
And to further that.. MY own is no soot-throwing, rod-knocking, stink-pukin diesel!
I got messed up years ago doing bodywork for a contractor. He didn't mind the smell of the fuel and didn't vent the shop well. It really rattled my lungs when he'd run a rig in and out. Ya.. the CO2 is low but the rest ain't so great.
The soot from those things is bad for ya (not that gas is the best).
Plus.. who the heck can tell when the engine has a knock?? Sheesh!

I won't "kick" yours if you have one though. I just won't have one and sure don't want to be near on running.

Electric? Neat idea but a T is supposed to have the side pipes! What good are side pipes with an atom-pusher? I would consider electric with a full hood and fenders for the fun of technology.

But I guess I'm with 72442conv.

:spank:

 

[akitagandy]

I think I would have at least put one of those mock-up plastic engines in it

 

[Northstar T]

I guess I'd weigh in to somewhere in the middle of this argument :spank: . No diesel OR electric will ever reside in my garage, but I do believe in progression,.... therefore I give you the Northstar powered T. 4 valves per cylinder, 4 overhead cams, ITB injection, 300+ HP and 300+ ft lb torque with 28+ MPG AND it has a deep V8 sound like no other. Only difference for me is that I'm actually building it now. as Tim Taylor would say " Awwhhh awwwhhh awwwhhh".

Russ

 

[72442conv]

I guess I'd weigh in to somewhere in the middle of this argument :rofl: . No diesel OR electric will ever reside in my garage, but I do believe in progression,.... therefore I give you the Northstar powered T. 4 valves per cylinder, 4 overhead cams, ITB injection, 300+ HP and 300+ ft lb torque with 28+ MPG AND it has a deep V8 sound like no other. Only difference for me is that I'm actually building it now. as Tim Taylor would say " Awwhhh awwwhhh awwwhhh".

Russ

Now there is a good idea. If I had the time I would like to build one with a modern LSX engine, be it based on an LS1, LS6, LS7 etc... With an 8-71 blower electronic fuel injection, and a 6 speed :spank:

 

[Northstar T]

Now there is a good idea. If I had the time I would like to build one with a modern LSX engine, be it based on an LS1, LS6, LS7 etc... With an 8-71 blower electronic fuel injection, and a 6 speed

If I had had an LSX sitting in the shop unused, as was the Northstar, I would certainly use it for sure. Lots more support for the LSX and the engine management is vastly easier than the N* as well.

Cheers,
Russ

 

[Gerry]

There we go
At least we got a response.. good bad of just in the middle. Who cares as long as we get something going.

The point here is that T buckets are an expression of yourself, so why do we have ton make everthing about what we want. LET LIVE and see what may be around the corner.

You never know you might like it|!!!!

I have seen some designed from Eddie Wimble (if you dont know the name then shame on you) They blow your mind even if they are not the standard T.


By the way You are 100% correct about the emmission from a diesel. Thats why I will NEVER have one.
Electric are even worse when it comes to the pollutants from the metals in the batteries. Never belive a coprerte they lie
Gerry