Clean Fresh Build, Prof Built 383 Stroker V8, Auto, Great Paint, Fun Ride!

The Ford T-bucket is one of the most enduring and endearing styles in all of hot rodding. The idea has always been that the T-bucket was built from scavenged parts, with a focus on unbridled horsepower, low curb weight, very little comfort and even less aesthetics. But many of them, such as this bright red roadster, are just too cleanly finished and detailed to be considered junkyard dogs anymore. If huge power and easy comfort is what you're looking for in a T-Bucket, then your search is over.

Finished only 22 miles ago and based on a quality fiberglass body from Total Performance in CT, the shape is archetypal T-bucket, with the tall, vertical windshield and stubby pickup truck-like bed out back. Nobody's really sure how this exact iteration came to be the standard, since Ford pickups never looked like this, but today it's the accepted style of the T-bucket and it just looks right. Every inch of this one was properly prepped, eliminating any waves or distortions in the bodywork, and because someone was sweating the details in the beginning, the fiberglass will be in great shape for years to come. The paint is vivid red, which is a nice change from either the primer black that has recently come back into fashion, or the excessively metallic or pearl hues that characterized T-buckets of the '60s and '70s. The red finish is contrasted by the beautifully finished wood in the exposed dash and rear 'bed', along with all the chrome and polished bits along the frame and most of the suspension. There's more chrome and polished bits that add further contrast, including a Model T style radiator shell, the straight-pipe exhaust, the taillight surrounds and license plate frame, and King Bee-style headlights that all work together to give this streetrod a traditionally cool look.

In their back-to-basics style, many T-buckets had bare interiors with nothing more than a blanket for upholstery and if you were lucky, maybe an oil pressure gauge. Not so here, where there's cushy Empress gray cloth upholstery and a full array of AutoMeter white-face gauges keeping an eye on the small block up front. Stitched up in traditional pleated fashion, the wrap-around bench seat and interior panels are nicely done, and this one even features a neatly-tailored carpet set below that helps insulate the open-air cabin a bit. The 'doors', of course, are simply for show, because no true T-bucket driver does anything other than hop over the sides and hit the road. The classic wooden steering wheel is a fat wooden-rimmed unit mounted in traditional, nearly horizontal, T-bucket fashion on the chrome column and it's joined by an 8-ball topped shifter and set of sporty pedals below. They even put the pickup bed to work holding the fuel cell while the battery is hidden under the seat. Nice!

The engine is a beefed-up 383 cubic inch Stroker V8 that's been built up to the tune of $10k along with the rest of the drivetrain and accessories. It's got a lot of extra pop thanks to the Liberty Performance stroker kit atop the 4-bolt main, and it features long-tube headers for that high-performance sound, along with Dart aluminum heads, ARP bolts, a Comp roller cam, Lunati lifters, polished stainless rocker arms, and a billet timing kit just to name a few highlights. The block is fed and breathes easy through dual Holley 4-barrel carbs atop a Weiand high-rise intake, and it sparks to life thanks to a full MSD ignition system and coil. Dress up gear includes brightly chromed air cleaners and matching Chevrolet valve covers up top, while below you'll find finned pans for both the engine and transmission, and those aforementioned headers are exactly what every T-bucket wears: long-tubes blowing through massive side pipes. This one is happy to run all day on pump gas and stays cool thanks to a custom aluminum radiator and electric water pump. The chassis is nicely finished, with most of the details out in the open for easy examination, polished up for a little added pop. The front clip is a custom set-up that includes a zero-drop straight axle with a 'spring-behind' leaf spring stack, while out back there's an 8-inch rear end atop a 4-link custom set-up with adjustable coilovers. In between, you'll find a quick-shifting TH350 3-speed automatic transmission with a Stage II shift kit that helps manage the shift points. The only rolling stock you can put on a T-bucket are skinnies up front (in this case Michelins) and massive meats out back-in this case, they're gigantic 31x16.5-15 Mickey Thompsons on shiny Summit aluminum wheels.

Remarkably, it seems that T-buckets are as popular today as they ever were, and their combination of outrageous looks and potent performance makes them a real party to drive, with this one being nicer and more affordable than most. Call today!