eBay Motors usually has a couple dozen T-Buckets for sale - opens in new window or tab.. The foundation of those cars were produced nearly a century ago. Yet, the T-Bucket continues to capture the imagination of new generations of car enthusiasts. What's the history?
Production of the Ford Model T, built from 1908 through 1927, put 18 million cars on to American streets. After motorists moved on to the Model A and other new vehicles, the Model T became more affordable to young people. The growing ranks of hot-rodders could get the cars to go faster by throwing off weight.
Hoods, fenders, and bumpers got tossed. Roofs and doors were chopped. The remaining body panels resembled a bucket. Hence the name, T-Bucket—or similar variations like Fad-T, Bucket-T, and Fab-T.
When Ford rolled out the 1932 flathead V-8, racers had a readily available engine that could be modified for more power. Soon other power plants were squeezed between the rails of the T-Bucket, turning country roads and back alleys throughout America into ad hoc speed competitions.
The T-Bucket Goes Mainstream
Extended 1923 T-Bucket Fiberglass Body
After World War Two, there was plenty of old iron available for sale and lots of Americans yearning for high-speed hijinks. Since Model Ts were starting to show their age—after about four decades—many aftermarket replacement bodies - opens in new window or tab., some in lightweight fiberglass, began to appear. Big wheels in the back and little ones up front contributed to the official look: an aggressive, forward-leaning rake.
The T-Bucket fad became a lasting automotive legacy due to Norm Grabowski and his T-Bucket named Lightning Bug. In 1952, Grabowski built his T-Bucket using a 1922 Model T touring car melded with a Model A pickup truck. He added a Cadillac engine, and off he went.
The Kookie Kar sold for $484,000. (Photo: Mecum Auctions)
Like other hot-rod models, the T-Bucket evolved over the years—taking on a meaner stance and often a blue paint job with flames. It can be seen in that form in many movies and car-buff magazine covers. Grabowski was well-known by movie and television studios in California and even acted in scores of films. When he loaned his T-Bucket in 1958 to a new television detective show called 77 Sunset Strip, the T-Bucket known as the Kookie Kar became a superstar.
The lead characters of that show were too suave to drive a T-Bucket. That was left to car-lot attendant “Kookie” Kookson, who often helped the detectives.
The Kookie Kar was sold in 1959 to Jim “Street” Skonzakes in Ohio. Skonzakes changed the car over the years and took it on tour across the country. After he died in 2018, Mecum Auctions sold it for $484,000 - opens in new window or tab.. The new owner took it to Roy Brizio, another iconic T-Bucket builder, located in South San Francisco, Calif. That where it was restored to its Kookie glory days. It showed up to rave reviews at this year’s Grand National Roadster Show - opens in new window or tab..
T-Buckets For Sale or Build One Yourself
If a six-figure one-of-kind example is too rich for your blood, you might shop for one of the many T-Buckets for sale on eBay - opens in new window or tab.<. (The Kookie Kar is available in a 1:24 diecast model - opens in new window or tab. form as well.)
If you have basic car skills, you should try your hand at building one. These days, the cost of a home-built T Bucket is well within reach. eBay offers a wide selection of T-Bucket starter packages and interior kits. - opens in new window or tab.
Slap in a used engine, a transmission, and some spare parts—and presto, you have a T-Bucket. Of course, it won’t have air conditioning, a navigation system, or even electric windows, but T-Buckets don’t require those luxuries. What the T-Bucket does offer is a thrilling ride with the wind in your hair and a big smile on your face.
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This article is meant to provide general guidance only. Automotive maintenance, repair, upgrade, and installation may depend on vehicle-specifics such as make and model. Always consult your owner's manual, repair guide for specific information for your particular vehicle and consider a licensed auto-care professional's help as well, particularly for advance repairs.