1923 Ford T-Bucket – 305 V8, AUTO, FRONT DISC BRAKES

Vehicle Location: Fort Worth, TX
Auction Type: Reserve
Mileage: 10687
Engine: 305 V8
Transmission: 3 Speed Automatic
Exterior: Bronze Metallic
Interior: Black
VIN: 1S9ST181745251428
Party: Dealer

Ford T-buckets are all about wretched excess, and this recently completed 1923 roadster pulls no punches. With stout small block power, a competent suspension, and a cool bronze-on-black color combination, it’s over-the-top in a very measured yet exciting way. This is the T-bucket to own if you’re seeking the spotlight.

Visibility is the T-bucket’s claim to fame, and with that in mind this vintage ‘bucket got a nice Bronze Metallic paint job that lives up to the standards set by similar machines from the ’70s. You’d almost have to be legally blind to miss this hotrod banging down the thoroughfare, even at night thanks to the bright wheels and exposed SBC engine. There’s not a lot of surface area, but the fiberglass body that exists on this minimalist T-Bucket was nicely prepped and finished a recent 10,687 miles ago. And because of the low miles logged, it’s still looking good, with a nice driver-grade presentation that shows only minor imperfections.

But you can’t argue with the T’s one-of-a-kind curb appeal, and a weekend spent buffing and waxing this rod would easily kick it back up a notch. The overall look suggests that just because it was originally designed to be inexpensive doesn’t mean you have to build it on the cheap, as every square inch was built with aesthetic and function in mind. All of the visible bodywork has been painted, upholstered, or polished, including the gas tank housing back, which was aerodynamically sculpted to flow with the overall design.

An upright windshield was installed up front, and we love that it’s not one of these overtly tall units that feels like it could fall over at higher speeds, and other old-school ingredients like King Bee-style headlights, bright chrome side mirrors, and blue-dot taillights were incorporated into the build as well. The frame, grille, and even the exhaust system was all coated with thick black paint – the perfect complement to the Bronze finish. This T just looks mean!

In their typical 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 a set of custom vinyl bucket seats adorned with alligator-skin inserts, and a full array of AutoMeter black-faced gauges keeping an eye on the small block up front.

Beautifully stitched and presented to a level much higher that you’d expect in a T, the low-back buckets anchor a surprisingly high-end interior that also features black vinyl that lines the interior panels and a slick patterned carpet that lines the floors.

Despite the open-air set-up, the cab actually feels well-insulated, and a set of heavy-duty floor mats help preserve that awesome carpet. 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 3-spoke steering wheel is a fat-rimmed unit mounted in traditional, nearly horizontal, T-bucket fashion, and it’s joined by an 8-ball topped automatic shifter jutting out from the floor and a 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 305 cubic inch SBC V8 that was rebuilt 10,687 miles ago and is running strong. It’s got plenty of pop and pulls this lightweight T-Bucket with ease, and with those long-tube headers leading into the barely baffled side pipes, the soundtrack is amazing. The block is fed and breathes easy through a big Edelbrock 4-barrel carburetor atop a matching Edelbrock Performer high-rise intake, and it sparks to life thanks to a full HEI ignition system.

Dress up gear includes a sinister-looking black finned air cleaner and matching valve covers up top, a blacked-out engine block and components, and contrasting bright red spark plug wires that add a little flash. This one is happy to run all day on pump gas and stays cool thanks to a Griffin aluminum radiator and electric fans. The chassis is nicely finished, with most of the details out in the open for easy examination, blacked-out with fresh paint 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 a 10-bolt posi-traction 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 that can easily handle all that power and manages crisp shift points. The only rolling stock you can put on a T-bucket are skinnies up front (165/R16) and massive meats out back-in this case, they’re gigantic 31×12.5-15 Hoosiers on shiny Cragar S/S chrome wheels.

There’s nothing more radical than the T-bucket, and this one shows a lot of care and thought in the build, and is a fast, fun little car as a result.