Thread: T-Buckets or Not T-Buckets?

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Hi all, I'm new to this forum/web site so excuse me if I screw up with either the techno stuff or the rules. I'm going to get on my "soap box" about T-Buckets. T-Buckets seem to always be looked down upon and, as an owner of a late 60's early 70's fad T, it sometimes really ticks me off. If any of the members of my car club are reading this, please realize, it has nothing to do with any particular person. I think that our club is great and anyone would do anything for anyone else, but.....I simply like my T-bucket. I grew up building Tom Daniel models and, living in Modesto Calif., saw all the bizarre stuff at the Oakland Roadster show and especially on the streets of Modesto and surrounding towns. I think the coolest site is to turn a corner and see a T with skinny, skinny front wheels and the fattest meats on the back, with hundreds of pounds of chrome coming at you...I always told myself that someday I'd have one. Many times I overhear people say, "Those aren't really hot rods..." or "God Ralph, how'd you like to ride 100 miles in that piece of ____." Well, although we can't cruise 500 miles in air conditioned comfort and rain means headin' for cover, T-buckets are one of the most, if not the most important category of rods...Ok, enough of the soap box crap. Just wanted to let everyone know that I'm a hardcore T-bucket lover and will always be....Thanks for listening...

I don't mind "T"s for short hops and I even think many of them look really cool.

[rant] The ONLY thing that bugs me about "T"s is when some idiot puts a suicide front end on one and then hauls off down the street. Those just aren't safe, I'm not worried about the goofball who put that style front end on his car I'm worried about the person he hits after something bumps one of his tie rods. [/rant]

Welcome to the club Tommy. I hope that you find your time here enjoyable.

Abe

Hey Tommy we have a 23 T 327 bored 30 over 671 weiand supercharger dual holley 4160 carbs.I Love cars but T 's are the true hot rods.Ignore those that don't know. YOUR T BUCKET FRIEND ,T DOG [

Well webster says....

Main Entry: hot rod
Function: noun
Date: 1945
: an automobile rebuilt or modified for high speed and fast acceleration
- hot-rod /'hät-'räd/ verb
- hot-rod·der /'hät-"rä-d&r/ noun

As for my t, 450hp, 1600lbs, 1/4 - 9.42@140mph, I'd say that qualifys as a "Hot Rod" , their just jealous of ya Tommy, I've NEVER heard anyone spout that about t's, give'em a ride then ask again

Not being a straight axle guy, I shouldn't even get involved, but why is front steer unsafe??? I've built a couple
T's with front steer and didn't consider them unsafe, are you saying that I'm wrong???
Any car can hurt someone else, it's the guy driving that determines safe operation to a far greater extent than what type of steering the car has. T buckets probably aren't the safest hot rod built, but in the hands of a competent driver they certainly do belong on the streets.
T's were the start of hot rodding as we know it today and most certainly have their place on the street.

Originally posted by Dave Severson
Not being a straight axle guy, I shouldn't even get involved, but why is front steer unsafe???

Pretty simple really. If any stray object (dog, cat, shredded tire, etc) hits the tie rod the car goes totally out of control and damages other peoples property. There's a perfectly good reason the old schoolers called it a suicide front end.

I think T's are cool when built properly. It's just that I'm morally opposed to an unprotected front steer setup.

Abe

Are we calling a suicide front end a car with a steering rod on the front or a car with a suicide perch in front of the cross member. Suicide front ends aren't only in front of T's. Several fenderless cars use them. As for being unsafe, I don't think so. A guy in our club hit a dog with a full fendered 32 chev vicky with Jag front end. The dog tore off the passenger suspension and fender. I don't think it steered all that well after that either. I think the point we are getting at here is don't hit something. Old cars, and I don't care what year, aren't meant to be hit. They con't have crush zones and collapseable sheetmetal. As long as the car has safe construction , suicide suspension or not, it shouldn't be a problem. I would be more worried about a car coming down the road in a whiz bang car if he did all his own welding on his chassis for the first time, than a bolt together suicide front end.

Safe (and cool) at any speed

I have a 2000 prowler and according to that logic, i have a suicide front-end also. Thats on a recent new car , so it can't be that bad. When you drive cars like that you just have to be careful. It's the moose i have to watch for and it dosen't matter what front-end i have with those beasts.

Attaboys to Streets and Diamond. I usually avoid objects in the road myself, but you guys say it so much better!! Friend of mine was hunting last weekend and killed a fairly good sized buck, problem is he was hunting with the front end of his Lincoln. Doesn't look like crush zones, bumpers, or anything else would have saved the front of the car.

OK you guys win......until something hits that UNPROTECTED tie rod

Abe