350 sb bucket project

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2nd gear

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 1, 2012
Messages
55
Location
FLINT,MI!!aka WARZONE!!
This is a project I picked up in a trade for an 1983 shovelhead. (HD). It has a sb 350,edelbrock carb,isky cam,weiland intake,gear drives,roller rockers,4 link rear with coil over in the front,walker radiator,alumnium vlv crvs,glass tub(widened and stretched) ot new head lights ,new wiring harness,350 trans,weld wheels(4.5s and 10s out back!) not sure on the frame yet (it has a partial pan in it under the wood floor) disc and drums. so what do ya think??? truck cab and short bed?? ???? love some input,got about 5 maybe 55 into her??? good?? bad???
 

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You did great. How's the suspension on it? You are at a great point, the major work is done you get to finish it and personalize it. Have fun!
 
With what you can see in the pics, (looks like you didn't include front suspension) it looks great!
But back to that front susp.! What's going on there, is it independent or what?
One thing to keep in mind is glass T-buckets don't really sell that well when finished! So just keep that in mind as building!
If you can get that frontend streightened out without too much cost, I'd say money wise you're in good shape, as long as the engine runs good!!
All in all this could be a very fun rod to drive!!
I LIKE IT!!![cl[cl
 
The rear susp. is 4 link( ford 9in i believe),the front is independent with coil over shocks,i WAS hoping it had a dropped spring axel in front when i went to look at it!!!(not that lucky) I know alot of guys dont like independent susp. on the front of a bucket,but im not trying to fool myself that this will be a TRADITIONAL bucket. I kinda like to think of it as a hot rod roadster!! lol
 
Thanks it did come with ALOT of parts ,new headlights with mounts,proportioning vlv,risidule vlvs,custom front shock mounts(to lose that ugly bar) radius frame corners for the front,wiring harnesses,thru frame brake lines,switches,need to get the body off and post pics of frame for identification,soon,very very soon!!!lol
 
Nice Score

Nice find.Looks good with the bucket body it has now.But like the man said,it will sell better with steel body.
Back in middle 1970`s one of my cousins built 2 T buckets at once.His buddy was supplying all the parts and my cousin was doing the fab work.
He had already built a T bucket back in 1969 and it was a great driving car.He even won some trophy`s with it at Columbus County Drag Strip.
Anyway,he built the 2 buckets and traded his bucket to one of his brothers who finished it out with a beautiful Blue metalflake paint job.It had a 327 with turbo 350.1957 Chevy rear axle.And tube front axle with chevy spindles.Also had the Beer Keg gas tank.
We used to cruise Ocean Blvd in Myrtle Beach on friday and saturday nights and later do some racing down hwy 707.It was a low traffic road back then.
His brother got married a year or so later and sold that bucket for $1500.00:eek:
That was a fair price back then.
We have never found out where that bucket went to.Was in Conway about 30 years ago,but we lost touch after that.
He did find the one that was never put on road a few months ago.He went to look at it last weekend.He said both axles had been removed and frame was sitting flat on ground.All that was left was the frame and fiberglass body.The front axle was there but it had been stood with one spindle down in soil and threads were rusted off spindle.He brought the front axle home as a keepsake I guess ,and left the rest.:(
My hotrod roots were put down in that little bucket.I was never interested in muscle cars much after that.That little bucket would fly.I have been into rods ever since.My next car was a 1948 pontiac.
I will never forget the little blue T bucket.:)
 
My main concern with the frontend was not that it was independent, it was that as far as we can tell in the pics, it doesn't look strong enough!!
It really doesn;t look like there is any support for the coil overs!! But the pics aren't real clear as to the set up!
 
Very cool story! Thats the kinda stuff I came to this site to hear.This will be my first real rod build of this magnitude. Ive always played with cars and bikes,now its time to turn it up a notch!
 
My main concern with the frontend was not that it was independent, it was that as far as we can tell in the pics, it doesn't look strong enough!!
It really doesn;t look like there is any support for the coil overs!! But the pics aren't real clear as to the set up!

Im posting a bunch of pics that are better of the front end. And YES it shurley needs some more suport for the coil overs!!![S in the pics thers is a pic with some diffrent brackets set in place(they would be connected together strongly!!). Im leaning this way. but all ideas would be greatly apprieciated. OR do I get stupid ,cut the front end of the frame off! weld a straight frame up (with out the front rise) and run a spring behind set up???if so can I find spindles to run the brakes and front wheels??? soooo many options! BUT I LIKE THE CHEAP ONES! TRYN NOT TO BREAK THE BANK! HELP ANYONE???LOL [S[S[S
 
Thanks for the input ,alomst considering a steel truck cab and shorty bed combo!tryn to wrangle $900.00 into the budget for a 53 ford but im in negoations with the little woman!!! LOL
 
More pics without the bucket! Input?

TRYN TO START IDENTIFYING THIS THING A LITTLE.Got the tub off and this is what I found.I appears to be solidly built!!(except top coil over mounts!!) I know it needs motor mounts...ect. But i think its gonna be a fairly good start! HOPE ya enjoy the pics! more to come![ddd
 

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it's an old drag car chassis. they cut the front loop off (toward the rear), excluding the shock mt. point.. cut the front end off and put a straight axle .
 
Looks like im gonna have to research some more ,wanna tri to use these tires and rims if possible! but a straight axle would move the fronts forward,giving exhaust more room,I could slam the front at the same timeand it sure looks better(I think.)so it help several ways,think the front half is worth anything? If so, it may buy some steel...ect and fuel this build..for a second anyway!!!lol
 
What Chuckles said!!

I suspected as much from those first pics!! Looks pretty well buit, you definately have something you can work with!!
 
So in my pics, on the front coil overs there are brackets(some what mocked up) with holes in them to use for top shock mounts. If these were welded to the backside of the frame(and to each other) Would something like this do the job? anyone ever seen this type of mount.Ive seen top shock mounts somewhat like this on dropped axel setups,but the leaf spring carrys alot more of the weight up front! I wanna be safe !!! Anyone have ideas,im still in the planning process,so just about anything is possible!
 

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