I was starting to feel a bit down at the 68th Grand National Roadster Show last month not seeing hardly any T-Bucket hot rods. But then I walked into another of the many buildings and, wow! There it was: the T-Bucket tilt body hot rod of my dreams! And I’m not kidding. I’d gotten hooked … Read more
It’s finally time to get down to Dave Melling‘s T-Bucket engine transmission installation phase of the project. This is a very significant step in building a T-Bucket. Other big accomplishments along the way include completing the roller chassis and the first drive. But having everything open to view and bright and shiny make the completed T-Bucket … Read more
If you’re like most people and building a T-Bucket on a budget, you’ll find it necessary to do some (hopefully minor) engine rebuild. In Dave Melling‘s case he wasn’t going for all out performance. He just wanted to freshen things up for dependable, long life. Here are some of the steps he took in his … Read more
Beautifying that old donor engine was the next step in Dave Melling‘s do-it-yourself T-Bucket. You’ll discover that Dave’s T-Bucket engine paint first choice didn’t work out at planned and that’s not really unusual. The key to T-Bucket engine paint success is preparation and a clean engine block is the first step. I’m no paint expert, … Read more
In building a T-Bucket on a budget, the only way to go is with an inexpensive donor engine that, hopefully, is in good running condition and not leaking fluids. Unfortunately, in Dave Melling‘s case the Rover (Buick) aluminum V8 he got for almost nothing with his donor car buy was a little worse for wear. … Read more
Get ready to watch a silk purse be crafted from a sow’s ear as our next series of installations cover the transformation of the Rover V8 T-Bucket donor engine Dave Melling acquired for almost nothing. While Dave’s U.K. build is based on the Rover V8, if you’re lucky enough to find an early Buick aluminum … Read more
Some of the most experienced fabricators, welders and car builders shudder at the thought of T-Bucket wiring. Even though Chester Greenhalgh shows how to do your own T-Bucket wiring in his “How to Build a T-Bucket” ebook, many builders will opt for the simplicity and lack of confusion offered by the Speedway Motors Economy 12-Circuit … Read more
When building your own T-Bucket, paint application can be kind of scary. If you do it yourself, it might be a learning experience that produces a good “ten foot paint job”. But if you have the budget and you really want eyes to pop up close then it might be worth following what Dave Melling … Read more