How to Build a T-Bucket Hot Rod Roadster

Marty Hollmann’s Hugely Influential T-Bucket

| April 3, 2010 | Comments (4)

Martin Hollmann is without a doubt the most underrated T-bucket builder of the 50′s and 60′s.

Martin Hollmann's 1915 T-Bucket
Martin Hollmann’s 1915 T-Bucket

The T-Bucket Hat Trick

How so, you say? Sure, Grabowski and Ivo built awesome buckets that have inspired generations that followed. But, what other 19-year-old (born in Berlin, Germany, no less) creates such a unique, beautifully proportional T-bucket that it achieves the hat trick of hot rodding: the covers of Hot Rod, Car Craft, and Rod & Custom — all within a 15 month period!

Martin Hollmann T-Bucket

I first saw Marty’s T-bucket on the cover of the January 1961 Car Craft and was fascinated by it. At the time, I was only 12 and didn’t truly understand the beauty of symmetry, but I knew I loved this T-bucket. The T grille shell was sized and positioned to allow the finned Weiand valve covers to be perfectly visible above its angular sides. And that ’49 Olds V8 appeared massive — it was as wide as the bucket’s firewall!
The profile photos showed a T-bucket that appeared more rakish than those of Grabowski and Ivo. Only later did I learn that there was a significant difference between Marty’s 1915 T body and the later models used by Norm and TV Tommy.
When Marty’s T appeared on the cover of the March 1961 Hot Rod, it was paired with Norm’s T touring. Coincidentally, Marty & Norm Grabowski were friends. Norm was member #10 and Marty was member #11 of the L.A. Roadsters club. I’m sure the friendship also helped when Marty’s T appeared, less windshield, in the 15th episode of the 4th season of 77 Sunset Strip as the “Chrome Coffin”. As further proof of this bucket’s mass appeal, it was used in such movies as “Bikini Beach” and “Son of Flubber” and other TV shows like Dobie Gilles and Westinghouse Playhouse.

Marty’s bucket was the car that the Lindberg “Bobtail T” model was based upon. Maybe not officially — but it most certainly was a dead-nuts knockoff. This was a huge 1/8 scale model that even came with a small DC motor to power it. Lindberg still makes the “Bobtail T” (now with a list price of $99). It’s been such a venerable model kit that Lindberg even cloned it in another color and offers it as the “Big Red Rod”. I learned from Marty that he never received a cent in model car royalties. It seems Big Daddy Roth was one of the few lucky enough to have a licensing agreement with a model car company.

Just in case you might have any lingering doubts about how cool Marty’s T-bucket was, here are a couple of other facts to note: Chassis guru, Kent Fuller, helped Marty in the construction and the shiny black finish was applied by an up and coming young painter named Don Prudhomme.

My Marty Hollmann T-Bucket Video

Today, Martin operates one of the world’s leading independent aircraft design and engineering firms, Aircraft Designs, Inc. I’m such an admirer of Marty and his influential T-Bucket that I put together a short video so that you’ll have an opportunity to also become a fan!

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Category: T-Bucket History, T-Buckets of the 1950's

  • Tim

    G’day tbucketplans website
    Just been having a look at your page on the Marty Hollmann T-Bucket and went on to look at your YouTube video of the T-Bucket. I live in Australia and have been planning a T-Bucket build for a while and love the proportions of this rod and the brass petrol tank on the back rather than the pickup box that is the norm over here.
    I am emailing to ask pretty please with sugar on top whether you could send me the pictures from your video and any other pictures you have of Marty’s T-Bucket as I am fairly computer dumb and don’t know if I can get the pictures off YouTube or not. My plan would be to build a fairly similar T-Bucket to this but with the steering wheel on the right side of the car where it’s suppose to be. Also another question is Marty Hollmann’s T-Bucket chassis flat judging from the video on You Tube it looks like it is.
    Thank you in advance if this deed is possible
    Tim (from Australia)

  • admin

    Hi Tim,

    Thank you for the nice comment. You have great taste because I believe Marty’s “bobtail” T-Bucket is one of the greatest looking ever.
    I hope you find these pics helpful and wish you success in your build. Always great to hear from T-Bucket builders down under. Hope you’ll spread the word about our site to your mates.

    Thanks,
    John

    P.S. Yes, Marty’s chassis would be considered “flat” vs. a tubular frame. However, I believe it was actually a Model A channel steel type frame.
    Side view showing frame of Marty Hollmann's T-Bucket

  • Tim

    G’day John
    My question on whether the chassis was flat was referring to whether or not it was kicked up at the back (a z-chassis might have been a better term for me to use). But anyway, with the pictures I’m not sure if I gave the wrong email address or not, I can only see the one picture in your reply on the site (sorry was hoping for other shots).
    Getting back to the T-Bucket though again, yes really good looking even the old knee action shocks just add appeal, where modern gas shocks wouldn’t have the same effect, just brilliant wish I lived in that time (to see that car with the expectations of the day would have been mind blowing).

    Thanks again if possible
    Tim (Australia)

  • admin

    Hi Tim,

    I’m pretty sure Marty’s chassis was not kicked up at the rear.
    Rather, it looks like it has a Model A-type rear crossmember that creates a channel about 3-4″ above the flat frame rails that the rear spring is mounted in.
    Model A chassis
    By now, you’ve probably also received the link to the photos via your corrected email address.

    Thanks again,
    John