The versatile T-Bucket chassis can be used with a wide variety of hot rod bodies that are not Model T based. Notable examples are the Model A as well as the diminutive Austin Bantam roadster and the American Austin Bantam Coupe. One notable example is the cool Chevy-powered American Austin Bantam Coupe built by Art Tardiville in Northern California.
In case you’re not familiar with this particular body style, the American Austin Car Company was founded in 1929, and produced cars under a licensing agreement with the British Austin Motor Company from 1930 through 1934, when it filed for bankruptcy.
The American Austin Bantam Coupe was marketed as America’s first economy car and the ideal second car, which in itself was a strange concept at the beginning of the Great Depression.
The Austin was 16-inches narrower and 28-inches shorter than any other American automobile. With its 75 inch wheelbase, it was so small, in fact, that it became a prop in comedy movies of the era. It was put to use by stars like Buster Keaton in the photo above, as well as Laurel and Hardy in the clip below.
Its equally tiny 45 cubic inch, 15 horsepower engine was guaranteed to get 40 miles per gallon of gasoline.
Austin’s ads claimed that the Bantam coupe would run 1000 miles for $7.40 (gas, oil and tires), while the cost for the same distance with a full size car was $25.20. But with its list price of $445 being almost the same as for a Ford Model A, few people were willing to pay that for the economy and cramped quarters. Only about 20,000 American Austin Bantam coupes were ever produced.
Thirty years later, hot rodders like Chicagoan Gabby Bleeker recognized the light weight and compactness of the American Austin Bantam coupe. Gabby’s was one of the most successful fuel altereds of the 1960s.
They also were popular choices in the Competition Coupe classes, where the abbreviated body was draped over a dragster chassis.
Which brings us to retired pipe fitter/welder Art Tardiville finding a rather complete 1932 American Austin Bantam coupe on eBay.
Having seen a street rodded Bantam coupe as a youngster in the Oakland area, Art had kept his eyes open for one but with so few produced and the remainder scrapped or converted to drag car bodies they were as scarce as the proverbial hens’ teeth. Once he got the Bantam home his first order of business was to separate the body from the frame.
For a car whose payload limit (passengers and luggage) was only 500 pounds that skimpy, short chassis just would not do for what he had planned.
So after assigning the old chassis to the scrap pile Art did some basic mocking up and concluded that a T-Bucket chassis would do the job.
When it came to building the T-Bucket chassis for his Bantam coupe Art relied on his many years experience as a welding professional. And he also took advantage of the opportunity to compare and contrast T-Bucket plans in order to put together the chassis that he felt best suited his objectives.
It might be observed that using a rectangular front crossmember, rather than the more conventional tubing, was similar to Chester Greenhalgh’s T-Bucket plans.
Art didn’t skimp on crossmembers, and at the rear of the chassis he fashioned one that served double duty as a rear nerf bar as well as location for a trailer hitch.
Along the way, the ’32 Bantam body was also getting whipped into shape.
And a lot of late nights were spent in Art’s garage that shared space with his two-wheel hobby.
The custom chassis Art built was a thing of beauty, with it’s front suspension following that laid out in the CCR T-Bucket chassis plans. Art used other inspiration as well for his very nicely executed rear coil-over-shocks with 4 bar links.
With the chassis complete, it was well-prepared to handle the 420+ horsepower of the Summit 383 stroker motor and dual quad tunnel ram intake.
The small block feeds into a TH350 with TCI torque converter, controlled by a B&M pro ratchet shifter and feeding into a Ford 9 inch rear with 4.11 gears.
In the light of day, it all came together to Art’s liking.
The Bantam body was nicely channeled over the T chassis and Art decided to fabricate a visor to make the Austin’s roof line less abrupt and to enhance its now sinister look.
After completing the interior with fiberglass buckets and Stewart Warner gauges, Art’s T-Bucket chassis based Bantam coupe is a true one-of-a-kind on the street.
Hats off to Art for pursuing his dream and fulfilling it so nicely with a hot rod that so aptly demonstrates the versatility of the T-Bucket chassis.
TBucketPlans.com originated in 2005 as a personal blog extolling the virtues of T-Buckets. In 2009 I blogged about Chester Greenhalgh, the "how to" genius who wrote the legendary, out-of-print “How to Build a T-Bucket Roadster for Under $3000”. That led to a friendship with Chester and our partnership in marketing the updated eBook version of his T-Bucket building bible. The T-Bucket fire burns stronger and stronger.
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Oh my gosh, Art! It’s so sad to hear you lost just about everything in the Camp Fire. I’m glad to hear you’re OK and you’re coming back. I know there’s lots to do, but if you give us a clue on what your hot rod plans might be we’ll see what kind of support we can rally here. All the best, John.
Hi John … This is Art Tardiville…I don’t if you know…. I lost my 32 Bantam in the Northern Calif. Camp Fire back on Nov.8th 2018 ….All I had left to do on it was the Drive Shaft n Back Disc Brakes to get it on the street… Lost my house n Garage / Shop where the Bantam was kept along with my 2 Harley Davidson FatBoys n my Custom 55 Chevy BelAir 2 Dr Hrdtp…..A big loss For Sure but we are going Bigger n Better…. Thanks for the great Article John… ???♀️?⚒
Hi Art,
My name is Adam Lipsky. I’m sorry to read about the loss of everything from the fire.
I would like to talk to you about the Bantam chassis you built & also the Bantam from the Oakland area. I hope this finds you.