Comments on: U.S. Speed Sport “Instant T” T-Bucket History

By: John at TBucketPlans.com

John at TBucketPlans.com — Sat, 21 Jul 2018 18:30:52 +0000

In reply to Dean Jones. Thanks, Dean for the nice comment and your question. Actually, Cal Automotive was founded by Curt Hamilton and Bud Lang. Tex Collins started with his Ford Duplicators fiberglass body business and later bought Cal Automotive. The Cal Automotive T-Bucket bodies didn't have the so-called "duck tails" because Curt and Bud didn't like them and enlisted aluminum fabrication guru, Bob Carroll, to make a nice aluminum rolled panel at the bottom rear of the body — a custom touch copied by virtually every other fiberglass T-Bucket body manufacturer from that point on, as noted in our two-part Cal Automotive history. As to your body and its duck tails, Kellison made them back in 1964 Almquist Engineering also produced such a body in 1965 as you'll note in the ad below. And around the same time, in 1966, Speedway Motors produced a similar duck-tailed T-Bucket body. Even Honest Charley was offering the ducktail style T-Bucket body in 1966. Hope this is helpful. Thanks again, Dean. John

By: Dean Jones

Dean Jones — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 03:35:08 +0000

Interesting story as always. Wasn’t Tex Collins company or one of them Cal Auto? The body of my old Roadster was bought at A speed shop here in Pasadena Texas in 1969. It is hand laid up but has the short duck tails in the lower rear like a steel body. They sold it as Cal Auto but is it? Who made a body with the duck tails? I also own another modern body which is weird because it has a duck tail all the way across the lower rear. I’ve seen others at swaps but no one knew who made them. Any clue? It’s a white gel chopper gun job with full firewall. There is a bit of fall through on the edges and tail end beads.

By: John at TBucketPlans.com

John at TBucketPlans.com — Sun, 24 Jan 2016 13:30:32 +0000

In reply to Ehon Watts. Yep, Ehon, everybody's got a favorite car and most everybody likes a whole bunch of different cars. It's to each his own and we should respect others' likes even though they may be different from ours. That's what makes it a fun sport. Thanks again for weighing in :)