What's a T-bucket?

[Bill Cleveland]

Brian Brennan from Street Rodder tackles the question . . .

[Zandoz]

I've given up trying to find the appropriate label for my project.

Most non T hot rod folks want to label what I'm doing as a T-bucket. My wife insists on it. To be honest, initially I did to. After all, the original inspiration was Tweedy Pie...to my mind one of the most famous T-buckets of all time. Hey, many of the mags from back in the '50s and '60s that introduced me to Tweedy described it as a T-bucket.

Well, the first hot rod guy I talked to about what I wanted to build promptly informed be that Tweedy was not a T-bucket...It is a Bobtail-T. OK...given Tweedy's short wheelbase that makes sense...so I started using the Bobtail-T label.

One day when describing how the Bobtail-T Tweedy Pie is my inspiration, but I want to build it lower and without the exaggerated rake. Then I'm told that without the rake it's not a Bobtail...with the exposed tank out back. "That's a T-Modified".

No no no...no hood so it can't be a Modified...it's a T-bucket. ERROR...Conflicting input!

Then it gets more confusing.

Along the way I acquired the actual body I'm going to use...a stretched and widened '23. Then I'm informed that since the proportions are all wrong, it can't be a T anything.

While I was on a roll, I decided I wanted to do something different from the usual T or chopped '32 radiator shell. I found an excellent 1920 Hupmobile shell of just the right proportions..."So you're building a rat rod".

AAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!

Since then I decided to change Directions a bit. I'm keeping the short wheelbase exposed gas tank configuration of Tweedy, but building it in somewhat the style of a track roadster. Lower with less rake, track roadster nose, hood, and brooklands windscreens.

I'm not even going to try to label it.

[Bill Cleveland]

Think you've got a problem, what do you call this . . . ???

[Zandoz]

Think you've got a problem, what do you call this . . . ???

Well...ummmmmm...Unique?

[bigfoot21075]

I am in kind of the same boat. I really never thought much about what is what, I have ALWAYS loved the cool traditional T-Bucket, but being on shall we say a "different scale" than most normal sized people there are few rods I fit in. So, while yes, my base idea is a model T truck ,the actual hot rod itself will be low slung, with the driver and passenger sitting down in the body as opposed to on it. Also, it will be such you can drive it comfortably on I-95 at 80 mph with no issues.

Maybe it is my limited real world exposure to Buckets, but the name to me conjures up some amazing Barris creations or rail jobs with insane horsepower and even crazier drivers. I like it

[Zandoz]

I am in kind of the same boat. I really never thought much about what is what, I have ALWAYS loved the cool traditional T-Bucket, but being on shall we say a "different scale" than most normal sized people there are few rods I fit in. So, while yes, my base idea is a model T truck ,the actual hot rod itself will be low slung, with the driver and passenger sitting down in the body as opposed to on it. Also, it will be such you can drive it comfortably on I-95 at 80 mph with no issues.

Maybe it is my limited real world exposure to Buckets, but the name to me conjures up some amazing Barris creations or rail jobs with insane horsepower and even crazier drivers. I like it

I hear ya...I'm on a different scale to...seriously so. Also, I'm planning to accommodate serious mobility issues. But I am aiming a little lower on the interstate scale...I'll be happy with comfortable cruising at 70 mph. I guess I'm to the point in life where my racing days are long in the past, and I don't feel like hurrying unless absolutely necessary.

I'm building with a '23 T style body, and a T-bucket style ladder frame...so in my mind I'm building a T-bucket. So far along the way I've encountered a lot of really cool T-bucket folks, and I can't say enough about how much I appreciate them and how I've been treated...even though what I'm building doesn't meet their standards.

[Bill Cleveland]

what I'm building doesn't meet their standards

Sez who ??????? The only standard that matters is that you can drive it and have fun! There's always gonna be guys who can build (or pay for) killer-looking machines, and then there's the rest of us, whose vehicle's are "10's" as in "looks pretty good 10 yards away!"

[Uncle Larry]

Hey Spanky, I saw that editorial by Brian in Street Rodders mag and thought it was very interesting. I was going to post it today but glad you beat me to it. Can't say I agree with all the definitions but it is thought provoking. As far as the purple and yellow thing, it kinda looks like T-Odd's Bkt before he made it RUSTY.

[Zandoz]

what I'm building doesn't meet their standards

Sez who ??????? The only standard that matters is that you can drive it and have fun! There's always gonna be guys who can build (or pay for) killer-looking machines, and then there's the rest of us, whose vehicle's are "10's" as in "looks pretty good 10 yards away!"

I'm just saying that the folks here and elsewhere on T-bucket sites have been very gracious even though what I'm building wouldn't really qualify as a T-bucket based on what most folks would consider as one.

Unfortunately from 10 yards away mine still looks like a pile of parts, and the way my health is going that may be all it ever is

[bigfoot21075]

what I'm building doesn't meet their standards

Sez who ??????? The only standard that matters is that you can drive it and have fun! There's always gonna be guys who can build (or pay for) killer-looking machines, and then there's the rest of us, whose vehicle's are "10's" as in "looks pretty good 10 yards away!"

I'm just saying that the folks here and elsewhere on T-bucket sites have been very gracious even though what I'm building wouldn't really qualify as a T-bucket based on what most folks would consider as one.

Unfortunately from 10 yards away mine still looks like a pile of parts, and the way my health is going that may be all it ever is

I thought the same thing about my hot rod futures. With my past injuries I thought my fun time might be over. I asked a few people I knew then before I knew it I had a bunch of people who wanted to help. That got me to where I could hire out some work ( I am not rich by any means) and complete what I wanted. it can be done!