The “Gumball Machine” T-Bucket


I could be accused by some as being taste-deficient, because I’m a sucker for the late 60s/early 70s psychedelic paint jobs, which incorporated panels, fogs, fades, bursts, lace, cobwebs, ribbons, stripes, murals, etc. in flakes, pearls and candies with the net result being sensory overload. While at the 2010 Buckethead Bash, sponsored by Spirit Industries in Mountain Home, Arkansas, I was immediately drawn to a yellow T-Bucket with a gumball-themed psychedelic paint job right out of the past and just had to capture it on video.
Gumball Machine T-Bucket
This is a very nicely constructed T-Bucket with lots of chrome and its coil spring rear suspension configuration would lead me to believe this bucket was probably built in the 70s — but has certainly been updated much more recently. The yellow-tinted windshield is yet another hot rod and drag racer design element from the era that adds nicely to the overall look.
Caliope 6 Deuces on T-Bucket
But, the sweet icing on this MacArthur Park cake is the unique six deuce treatment that uses two different height carb spacers to achieve a very dramatic tiered effect for the carbs, so that a front view looks a bit like a circus caliope.
Caliope 6 Deuces on T-Bucket<

John Morehead
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2 thoughts on “The “Gumball Machine” T-Bucket”

  1. Thank you, Gary. It was a pleasure seeing your T-Bucket at the Buckethead Bash and since posting the video and photos it has become a popular destination here with many visitors returning to it.

    What’s really cool is that it’s the kind of hot rod that makes you feel good just looking at it.

    We’d love to know more about it, how the build came about with all the unique elements, and what inspired you to the “gumball” theme. In fact, if you have more pics (including build or before and after pics) I’d love to do a little story on it. It would be a pleasure and if you like feel free to send me any additional details at info@TBucketPlans.com. I’m sure it would be even more popular here than it now is.

    Thanks again and Happy Thanksgiving,
    John

    Reply
  2. Someone told us about this video on the internet and we looked it up. That is pretty cool when you find your car on the internet.

    Reply

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