Extended wheelbase T bucket

[JohnHancock]

Im a new guy here so this will be a fun project. I got hung up on Front engine dragsters has in the early ‘70s and never outgrew it! I built my first bucket in ‘72 (my avatar). My newest effort will be another, longer, louder, faster bucket. It will have a 454 Chevy with a 671 blower and an original Pete’s Engineering Co. drive. I have mocked up the frame from the firewall forward in pvc to figure out my new tube notcher.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

Nice.

 

[Grumpy]

I love the mickey Thompson valve covers,
I had a duplicate set of those on my 496 BBC 1968 corvette!
your pictured T-bucket components look like it has a great deal of potential!
be sure , you have at least 4" -5' minimum, of ground too oil pan and transmission oil pan to pavement clearance.
with you, sitting in the car with a friend in the pass seat,
you need to check with the car full of gas, and set up as it would be set up to drive , and check the suspension travel, bounce the car, fail to check and your chances of having a drive way entrance, a pot-hole, speed bump,or raised man-hole cover ripping through vital under the car components is almost an accident waiting to happen looking for the place and opportunity too cost you a great deal of time money and grief,the cars suspension, this will frequently require careful measurement,
and getting that required clearance under the car, frequently requires mods to the suspension and as large a diameter tires as you can easily find and fit too the car.
the reason I bring this up, is I recently had a friend fail to think things through carefully and on his t-bucket with a 392 hemi.
he has basically an un-driveable car as he has less than 2" of under the car oil pan to pavement clearance ,
he will need to make several changes that at this point will be very expensive (several thousand dollars minimum,)
that could have been avoided if he had thought things through and measured more carefully.

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...mps-and-driveway-enterances.10516/#post-44486

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/t-bucket-frame-id.12498/#post-63009

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-big-block-powered-t-bucket.11251/#post-50811

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/dana-60-all-the-same.12306/#post-60532

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ifferentials-available.1282/page-2#post-56082

 

[JohnHancock]

Wow! Quick reply’s! I was not happy with the frame picture so I went out and made another. I know about high centering the pan. I drug a couple of times with the old car. I have 5” now but may go up a little. Getting up from that low may be a challenge!

 

[JohnHancock]

Rick you asked about the front end width. I haven’t decided yet. I want to get both sides built and look at them with the rack, but I think it’s going to be about 13”. Been thinking about running the steering shaft through the top frame rail. What do you guys think?

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

I have Never Built a T-Bucket though I think It would be fun.
Grew up around Musclecars found in the 1980's & 2nd Gen F-body they were everywhere.

Draw a Chalkline on the Concrete floor.
Every Great Racecar starts there.
Its What I do with my bud Crazy Ed.

Maybe building scaled down idea models in Toothpicks & Balsa wood will help you.
Then build your ideas in steel full scale.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

Depends what you want also.
Full Retro back in the day.
Or a modern drag race chassis with medium soft soft suspension to drive on the street .
Guys are favoring often Ladder Bars over 4-link.
4-link is supposed to be superior.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

The Main Frame rails I say have to be real strong for a Supercharged Big Block Chevy.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

A Pontiac - Olds 9.3 Gasser Rear diff be 100 % correct for Retro.
Still plenty strong for modern High Torque & HP.

The Weak Link I have found 1st hand is the Stock Wedding Band axle shaft bearing retainer.
Rick Had one axle shaft come out almost on his Ford 9 inch equipped T-bucket a few years back.
I did too too on my 1963 Pontiac Gp with its 9.3.
Happened to both of us within a 1 week period here I recall.
Just Super scary.

I installed Mint NOS New Departure Axle shaft Big Bearings & Mark Williams Lock Rings special made for a Pontiac 9.3.

 

[JohnHancock]

I’m to old to build on the floor! I have plywood on saw horses to get it tacked up and a 4x4x1/4” angle iron table I can tie it to for final welding to keep it straight. Rear will be 9” Ford with 4 link.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

I’m to old to build on the floor! I have plywood on saw horses to get it tacked up and a 4x4x1/4” angle iron table I can tie it to for final welding to keep it straight. Rear will be 9” Ford with 4 link.

I can understand.
I am 48.
I have been working my tail off the last 2-3 weeks.
Yesterday my knees were aching till I got moving around for 1 hour at work.

Be sure to discard those stock Ford 9 inch retainers too.
I forgot what Rick bought for Wedding Band Lock Ring Retainers for his T.
I went right for the Very Best after my own mishap....MARK WILLIAMS.

 

[JohnHancock]

Went to the big house for a quick look at the frame mock-up. I can’t get a full on profile but you get an idea of the look.

 

[Indycars]

Is that top rail going to turn perpendicular to the fire wall, at the firewall ?

Looking good, its's going to be one of kind !

 

[JohnHancock]

It will be straight. It will weld to a 1 1/2x 3” tube tied to the 1 1/2 x 3” tubing that will be the rear of the frame. I could not use a space tube frame as I will have doors to make it easier to get my old cripple butt in the car!

 

[JohnHancock]

Got out in the shop today and made a little progress. Found it is easier to notch rectangular tube with a flap wheel than my tube notcher. Got them fitting pretty good. Easy to weld if you don’t have a big gap. Still waiting for my new helmet.
I need to get taper on frame to get the angle for the torsion tube as I can’t get it into the notcher once I weld the tubes together.
Found out my planned alternator bracket will not fit. Need to find or build one to fit between the frame rails that are 23”.

 

[JohnHancock]

Oh I forgot to add the front frame rails at this point are 10” apart and 8’ back are 26 1/2” wide at firewall.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

I have never seen a T-bucket Frame & car built from the ground up.
Something New to me.

 

[Maniacmechanic1]

Used to cars like a Mustang, Camaro, Trans Am, Corvette, & GM G body where you work around what the manufacture gave you.

 

[JohnHancock]

Buckets are more fun if you have the skills and
Equipment. You end up with challenges you just don’t get working around something that existed already. Hang on this is going to be fun!

 

[Indycars]

Found it is easier to notch rectangular tube with a flap wheel than my tube notcher.

Are you referring to the front only or for all your notches?

Oh I forgot to add the front frame rails at this point are 10” apart and 8’ back are 26 1/2” wide at firewall.

Wow, you were able to take another 3 inches out of the front width compared to the drawing. Did this
effect the 31 inch width at the back?