1924 Ford T-Bucket

Description

Recent sales show that the venerable T-bucket is as popular today as ever. Maybe it's a wave of nostalgia for retro-rods or maybe it's because they're just plain cool, but I strongly suspect that this 1924 T-bucket won't sit in the showroom for very long.

It's hard to date a T-bucket simply because the design is retro and hasn't changed all that much over the decades (if you changed it, it wouldn't be a T-bucket, now would it?). This one has a timeless old-school look, and I'm sure many of you guys of a certain age probably remember seeing cars just like this at the Auto-O-Rama each year. This one gets a lot of things right, including the stance, the rake of the body, and those way too cool rear fenders which are removable if you want a totally traditional T. Paint and finish work are quite good for being a few years old and the color works whether you look at it from a '70s point of view or today, so no worries about it looking dated, now or in the future. Other traditional T-bucket details include the upholstered rear deck, the period taillights, and a moto-meter atop the radiator up front. All the chrome and brass has been recently polished to really make it shine, and the exposed areas of the front frame were just repainted.

Minimalism is the word when you get into a T-bucket, and this one does it right with diamond-tufted upholstery that's period-perfect. The nearly vertical steering column is also a big part of the T-bucket experience and it's topped with an authentic brass and wood steering wheel that probably dates from 100 years ago. A full array of period Stewart-Warner gauges are laid out along an oak dashboard and joined by a modern AM/FM/CD stereo head unit in the corner. In true Model T fashion, there's only one door on the passenger's side, but if you remove the top, hopping in is extremely easy from any angle. A 2-piece windshield has a neat rake and folds for even more of an open-air experience and the radically peaked convertible top adds to the car's wild look.

Small block Chevy power always works well in a T-bucket because of the interesting exhaust port configuration, and this one is an old-school 327. There's a mild cam inside to make it cackle through those side pipes but not so radical that it becomes difficult to drive and someone recently invested a lot of time and money getting the mechanicals into top condition. There's an Edelbrock 4-barrel under that scoop and the intake manifold was recently painted so it looks great out there in the open. The entire ignition system was serviced including new plugs and wires, the block and transmission case were repainted, and fresh chrome covers for the timing chain and distributor were installed, so it's ready to rock. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission is probably overkill for something this light with small block power, but you'll probably never break it, and all the brakes were completely serviced, including fresh rotors, lines, and friction materials. It's finished with a set of traditional big-n-little wire wheels and right-sized tires for the ideal T-bucket look.

It's not hard to understand the appeal of a T- bucket: lots of power in a lightweight package. This one has a wonderful early look and for fans of the golden years of hot rodding, it's a great choice. Call today!