1923 Ford T-Bucket Roadster

Description

A lot of folks thought the day of the T-bucket was over, but recent strong sales (we've sold several in the past few months) suggest that everything old is new again. This particular 1923 Ford T-bucket nails the look and the feel, combining the classic truncated Model T pickup body with a smooth-running Chevy V8 powerplant up front.

If you're doing a T-bucket, you need to go full retro with it. That means eyeball-popping paint, plenty of chrome, and a top that looks like it was penned by the Ratfink himself. All the T-buckets are fiberglass these days, and this is no exception, and it absolutely nails that modified Model T look. Finish quality is quite nice, and you really can't tell it's fantastic plastic until you knock your knuckles on it, and it captures all the detailing that the Model T offered, from the framed "tailgate" to the outline of a door on each side of the cab (there is only one door, of course). The bright red paint is perhaps the most striking element of the entire car, and there are no graphics or even any pinstripes to distract from the very impressive workmanship. Delicate little billet taillights, a painted Model T radiator shell, and King Bee headlights with crystal clear lenses are all pieces of the formula, but each car still seems to look different from the others, including this one. It's a fresh build and it shows.

The interior is simple, but you'll probably appreciate the black vinyl upholstery when you're out for a cruise, because A/C is not available in a T-bucket. Strictly a 2-seater, the interior is neatly finished with pleated upholstery in a snug-fitting bucket seat built for two. Somehow they managed to give this one a steering column angle that's comfortable, not city bus weird, and bright white-faced Ford Motorsports gauges are spread across the dash. That tall black canvas convertible top is removable, creating the open-air T-bucket look, and the shrunken "bed" out back houses the gas tank. There's no radio, no heater, and, well, nothing but engine and the barest of minimums to operate it, and that's entirely the point.

The engine is a chromed 350 cubic inch Chevy small block that's as much as styling element as powerplant. Built by Total Performance, it features aluminum heads, a pair of Edelbrock 4-barrel carbs and those outrageous velocity stacks with K&N filters on top, and the look is instantly identifiable. The sucker runs extremely well and it's fully sorted, so it starts easily, idles well, and is happy to trundle through traffic without overheating thanks to a beefy radiator stuffed into that cut-down radiator shell. It's backed by a TH350 3-speed automatic transmission and a Ford 9-inch rear end, which hangs from a set of hairpins, coil-overs and a Panhard rod to keep it aligned. Up front, the traditional dropped axle on hairpins is one of the coolest features, since you can watch it working from the driver's seat. There are also front disc brakes grafted onto the tubular front axle and another set of discs out back, so it has impressive stopping power. And since the whole point of the T-bucket is to push the limits of tire, this one wears hugely staggered 24x5.00R15 front and 33x21.50R15 Hoosier tires on traditional Cragar mags.

Is the T-bucket back? Given how easily they sell, there's clearly a large group of guys out there who still think they're cool. If you're one of them, give us a call today!