Welcome!

 Howdy folks and welcome to the opening salvo from the

Grey Goats

Rod & Custom

Home of the one, the only, the original

C Bucket

Roadster

First some house keeping:

This site is not associated or affiliated with, sponsored by, or connected with in any way any manufacturer mentioned within.  It in no way represents their opinions or ideals, nor does it have their endorsement.  This site records the process I used and methods I employed to build my car.  You are responsible for anything you build, and for the methods you use to build it.  I am not responsible for any injury you incur should you seek to duplicate things seen on these pages.  Some of the things I do and or ways I do them are dangerous and may result in serious injury or death.  You agree to assume all liability for trying anything you may see here.  If you do not agree to this go no further.  If you do continue viewing this site you will be considered to have assumed and accepted responsibility and or liability for any action you take. 

A shame we have to say things like that but the world is full of irresponsible people who seem to want to hold others responsible for their stupid decisions.

 

This site is not a blog in the traditional sense of posting each event as it happens.  In order to protect this idea while in development and allow time for my business and product names to be registered, I kept track of what went into the adventure of bringing a new street rod to the public.  Not just as a personal expression, but with the idea of producing a new body style that puts branches on a rather narrowly represented family tree.  This site is my effort to chronicle the trials and tribulations as well as the exciting days experienced in going from an idea in my head to a product available for others.  So what exactly did I have in mind?  What could possibly be left in the realm of reproduction bodies?

Since the earliest days of fiberglass reproduction bodies the Ford model T from the early to mid teens has reined supreme.  Even the Chrysler and Chevrolet faithful have put their favorite brands of engine and transmition on home made chassis and festooned these fiberglass Fords with brand related emblems in an effort to assuage their guilt.  To be honest I don’t blame them.  I almost did the same thing but just couldn’t reconcile my bow tie roots with a Ford body, even a fiberglass replica of one.   As I was growing up my family had several Chevrolet trucks with my earliest recollection being, a 53 five window.  I also recall a Corvair, a Chevy II Nova, 70s Chevy wagon, an 80s Malibu and a Vega wagon. My first car was a 76 Vega fastback that I intended to pro-street but never got around to.  My second car was a 73 impala with a 350 small block.  My first new vehicle was a 1985 Chevrolet S-10 followed by another S-10 a few months later when the first was totaled in a freak accident caused by a drunk driver.  My daughter’s first vehicle is a 2001 S-10 extra cab with non stock tires and some mild custom paint work.  By history alone I tend to be a bowtie guy

Now I realize that today there are a wide variety of bodies on the market and that there is still old steel out there for those dedicated enough to search it out, lucky enough to run across it and with deep enough pockets to take either route.  Of course unless you are building a rat rod you also have to be ready to repair the associated rust which can and often does more than double the cost of the body. 

After searching the market for months I realized that there was no alternative for someone who wanted an early Chevrolet bucket style roadster.  Sure there are later Chevrolet body styles (32 and later) being produced in steel or fiberglass but nothing simple light and fun that would carry the Chevy logo .

Thus was born the idea for the C-Bucke, a Chevy style body that allowed me to join the bucket brigade without leaving my bow tie at home. 

The C-Bucket is not a copy with a mold pulled from an early Chevy, but is a unique vehicle.  Designed to bring to mind a shortened 1928 Capitol AA Touring body style and is clearly different from its Ford counterparts.

A first glance reveals similarities of profile among most open touring vehicles of that era but there are a several notable differences.  To be fair I will compare the dimensions of the bucket I am building with its 1927 Ford counterpart rather than the 1917 to 1923 version which is certainly the most popular.  Were I to compare it to this earlier version the dimensional differences would be even greater.  First the cowl is 4 ¾ “ taller than its Ford counterpart lending more knee room beneath the dash and is 3 inches wider providing additional foot well room as well.  The C-Bucket is also an answer for those who want to sit in, not on their roadsters as the additional height and width in the cowl continues along the body resulting in greater depth and more hip room than what is available in a similar year ford. 

The distinct Sunburst design on the fire wall is the first thing most people notice.  Traveling back along the body the next difference you will see is the dual body trim line.  Beginning at the fire wall, splitting under the windshield and extending back around the body this dual line contrasts with the ford buckets single line.  Finally there is a difference in the top body edge, an additional detail found on the Chevrolet of the day but not present on Ford designs thus setting the C-Bucket apart from its peers. 

This project began with a search of all the common and some rather uncommon places as I searched for an early Chevrolet body.  I soon realized that the costs of buying a rusty original, getting it home, repairing the rust, re enforcing and straightening 85 year old sheet metal, modifying it, making a mold and then making the first body were ridiculously high.  So I began looking for an alternative.

I spent hours upon hours searching the net for good photos of the various early Chevrolet body styles and determining the scale for their measurements.  It didn’t take a rocket scientist to see the similarities of basic style shared by all the cars in the twenties.  Since the early Ford and Chevrolet body styles were similar I purchased an available 27 cowl and 23 body and let the fiberglass dust fly! 

My goal was to bring to market a new body style, one that will provide a fresh and original alternative to the Chevrolet faithful in search of the simple fun provided by a bucket style roadster.   What follows are accounts of the progress made on days off in my one car garage as I bring this first body to completion, pull a mold and produce a C-Bucket body that I hope others will like as much as I do. 

Just for fun here is a table comparing the dimensions of the traditional fiberglass 1913 - 23 T and the C-Bucket:

	“Standard” 1919 – 23 T		C-Bucket	Gained:
Body Length	49 ½ “		77 ½ “	28” of leg room
Width at Fire Wall	26 ½”		33 ½”	7” of width in the all important foot well
Height at Fire Wall	22 ½”		26 ¾”	4 ¼”
Dash to Fire Wall Depth	7 ½“		16 ½”	9” more depth for radio, heater, fuse panel etc
Height at Dash Top	25”		29”	4” more knee room
Body at widest	45”		51”	more hip room
Height at “door area”	21”		25”	4” more body depth
Height at Bustle	27”		31 ½”	4 ½”