Thread: Low-budget/T-Bucket Pickup

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I grew up die hard Chevy, then I tried Fords which have never disappointed me. Now I have 2 Dodges, a Chevy, a Ford and a Hyundai on the yard. For reliability, all brands have treated me pretty well. For non critical parts falling off around me, GM takes first prize in that category.

I finished the welding on the rear axle brackets. I changed the king pins and all 4 wheel cylinders, painted both axles, and installed them.

I placed an order with McMaster Car, and got grade 8 bolts and nuts (metal locknuts) for everything on the suspension and steering.

I fired up the engine and made a bunch of noise for a couple of minutes!

I fiberglassed the floor in from the top and bottom, and made a metal bracket to stiffen the ride side of the body behind the door.

Today I’m working on wooding the body. I’m using 2x4’s, and doing plenty of cutting and grinding to get them to match the curves of the body. I’m going to use bondo to stick them in, and then fiberglass them. I like my seat back tilted more than most, and I’m willing to sacrifice a bit of leg room to get it that way. I built some shelves behind the seat to store some tools and such.

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I like watching these glass builds, it's a learning thing for me.

Originally Posted by 53 Chevy5

I like watching these glass builds, it's a learning thing for me.

This is the first time I’ve done any significant amount of fiberglass work. If you do some reading up about it first, it’s really not rocket science to learn how to do it.

Yesterday I finished all the itchy messy fiberglass work. Then I flipped it over and covered the fiberglass resin with truck bed liner.

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I get itchy just thinking about the glass work I've got to do sometime in the near future! Good to see some updates.

After changing my mind about a dozen times over the wheels and tires, I finally bought the fronts. I went with some US Wheels rat rod wheels, 15 x 5 inch. I got a pair of 165/80R15 Hankook tires from Wally Mart. These are made for 1960’s VW Beatles. Coker makes some great looking tires, but these things were only $52 each, and they’ll work just fine.

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Originally Posted by Driver50x

After changing my mind about a dozen times over the wheels and tires, I finally bought the fronts. I went with some US Wheels rat rod wheels, 15 x 5 inch. I got a pair of 165/80R15 Hankook tires from Wally Mart. These are made for 1960’s VW Beatles. Coker makes some great looking tires, but these things were only $52 each, and they’ll work just fine.

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Reminds me of 550/15's. I ran a few sets on the front of a 40 2dr sedan and a 36 5 window coupe.

One suggestion on tires. My T was very sensitive to front tire balance. If they got out of balance, the front would get a strange bounce at certain speeds. I also learned to jack the front up if it was not going to be used for a long period, like over the winter. Otherwise, the tires would flat spot and bounce like crazy. With almost no weight on the front, it was almost impossible to get enough heat in them to round them out again. I went through a couple of set of fronts before figuring that out.

Interesting. Did you have radials, or bias ply tires? The guy I bought the body from warned me about that also. He said that if I have any problems I should get the tires trued. He said that having round tires is every bit as important as having them in balance.

They were bias ply, that was in the 60's and the best set I had were Pirelli's that were on the 40 when I bought it. I drove both cars halfway across the country, the 40 from San Diego to Dayton, Ohio in 62 and the 36 from Dayton to Camp Pendleton in 64. One thing about driving a straight axle car or truck, you drive it, it doesn't drive you.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

One thing about driving a straight axle car or truck, you drive it, it doesn't drive you.

And if you found yourself on an asphalt roadway where the lanes were not packed exactly the same height, you had better be cold stone sober and up on your game. I wouldn't drive another straight axle car if you gave it to me. Take it from me, the "Good Old Days" weren't what they were cracked up to be in ALL areas of hot rodding and drag racing.
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Originally Posted by techinspector1

And if you found yourself on an asphalt roadway where the lanes were not packed exactly the same height, you had better be cold stone sober and up on your game. I wouldn't drive another straight axle car if you gave it to me. Take it from me, the "Good Old Days" weren't what they were cracked up to be in ALL areas of hot rodding and drag racing.
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Where's your sense of adventure? I f I had one I'd drive the hell out of it as long as the axle wasn't bent and the king pins worn out. If you put many of today's kids in a straight axle vehicle they'd probably put it in a ditch.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

If you put many of today's kids in a straight axle vehicle they'd probably put it in a ditch.

I know a fellow that had a really nice 32 coupe with a traditional straight front axle. He built it with help from his dad who was an experienced old time hot rodder, so it was right.

He ultimately sold the car because he just couldn't get used to the way the straight axle drove. He learned to drive in modern cars and the beam axle was just too different for him. He told me that he never felt confident that he was fully in control of the car.

His dad told me that it was very tight and you could drive it with one hand, but he grew up driving straight axles. The old man said the problem was that his son fought the car with white knuckles instead of relaxing, trusting the steering and suspension and just guiding it where he wanted it to go.

Now, if you want a miserable driving experience, find yourself an old twin I-beam Ford truck. After a few miles of wear, you didn't actually drive them, you kind of herded them between the ditches! Great farm trucks, but terrible on the highway.

Originally Posted by techinspector1

I wouldn't drive another straight axle car if you gave it to me.
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This is not helping my decision to keep my 48 Dodge stock lol