T-Bucket John
My grandparents subscribed to Life Magazine and I would look through each new weekly issue when I visited them. In the Spring of 1957, my 8 year old eyes were transfixed on a full page photo of Southern California rod builder Norm Grabowski chowing down on a car hop-delivered cheeseburger while seated with a buddy in the coolest car I had ever seen! The flames were awesome and the Cadillac engine hanging out there for all to see was mind-boggling.
Contrary to popular misconception, the photo of Norm in what would shortly become known as the “Kookie Kar” was not on the cover. Rather, it was part of a Photographic Essay titled, “The drag racing rage: hot rodders grow in numbers but the road to respectability is a rough one.” Wow! A radically cool looking car that’s also part of an outlaw movement — I was hooked.
About a year later, I was able to feed my appetite for more of this fascinating rod that started what would later become known as the T-bucket movement. Warner Brothers introduced the detective TV drama, 77 Sunset Strip, which ran for six seasons and featured car valet Edd “Kookie” Byrnes whose personal car in the show was Norm’s hot rod that had been rented out to the producers for $50 per day. Unfortunately, it wasn’t in every episode, but I became an avid fan always hoping to catch a glimpse.
The T-Bucket fire still burns strong.
Ever see a “Pro Street” C-Cab T-Bucket?
I don’t normally blog about T-Buckets that are for sale unless I find them particularly interesting either from a historical point of view or because of the creativity and/or workmanship they embody. This C-Cab qualifies for some of its creative elements.
T-Bucket Buyer Beware!
Thanks to the Internet, if you’re looking for a T-Bucket for sale, it couldn’t be easier. Depending on how far you’re willing to go for your dream bucket, the choices are almost limitless. But with so many T-Buckets for sale today, you still have to be very careful.
The Tucson T-Bucket Raffle, Part 2
Talk about a great looking raffle prize! Check out this T-Bucket built for the Tucson Police Officers Association Foundation by Hot Rods in the Desert. With tickets only …
“Styline Customs Chuck Miller” Book Review
You’ll learn how Chuck built his first T-Bucket, drove it all Summer and on the day after Thanksgiving applied his creative talents to convert it in 8 weeks into the Ridler Award winning Fire Truck at the 1968 Detroit Autorama.
What Do You Know About Mike’s Unrestored Survivor T-Bucket Built in 1968?
I enjoyed looking at this handsome T-Bucket in the video and something kept nagging at me that it looked vaguely familiar. A few days later, I picked up my all-time favorite issue of Rod & Custom magazine …
Baron and Tucker Hot Rods’ New T-Bucket Kits
I was unfamiliar with this new name in the world of T-Bucket kit building and decided that when the opportunity presented itself I would try to learn more. So, I recently had a brief meeting with Baron and Tucker proprietor …
Tweedy Pie T-Bucket Sells for About Half What it Did Four Years Ago
This historic T-Bucket was originally sold by it’s builder, Bob Johnston, to Ed “Big Daddy” Roth for $1150. By early 2007, when stupid money was bidding up every hot rod of any significance, it sold for $335,500. Last Friday, it sold for …
The “Lively Set” T-Bucket Sold for a Fraction Asking Price
This T-Bucket with history just sold at the RM Auctions January, 2011 Arizona event for just slightly more than a quarter of its asking price 60 days ago. How come?
The Two “Low Blow” T-Buckets
Little did Scott Ellis know when he started laying out the original Low Blow T-Bucket on his Fresno garage floor in the 1970s that a decade later and 5,000 miles away another hot rodder would be so inspired …
The Bumpkin Pumpkin T-Bucket was For Sale — Again
If you’ve always wanted to be the star of the Halloween Parade, scare small children, incite chasing dogs and draw gape-mouthed stares at every car show and cruise …
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