1923 Ford Model T

Roadster

350 V-8

Automatic

Clear

Gasoline

1923 Ford T-Bucket Street Rod Probably one of the nicest T-Buckets you'll ever see. The car is fitted and finished with the following: Chevy 350 V-8 (C1500 series, 1980 model year) Edelbrock Performance RPM Cam and Lifters to make it rumble 2-450cfm Holly Carbs installed on a polished Tunnel Ram High Rise Maniford Mallory Breakerless Ignition, Painless wiring, and Genie cables Turbo 350 Transmission with a Lokar shifter Halibrand Quick-Change Rearend (chrome) with 3:48 / 4:11 gear ratio 2-1/4" Chrome I-Beam front Axel with Magnum Ford spindles Billet Disc Brake calipers, Polished Aluminum Corvair Steering box, and lots of other chrome Walker radiator, Chrome Headlights, Nostalgic Roadster Headers with glass pack extensions Polished Rear Coil Overs, Ribbed Aluminum Water Pump, Electric Fuel Pump Custom Interior, SW Digital Gauges, Chrome/Wood Steering Wheel The car is Chrome from Front to Back, and as clean on the Bottom as it is on Top Front Tires = Nanking 145 R-15 78S Rear Tires = Mickey Thompson Sportsman 29x12.5 15LT Award Winning Custom Airbrushed Paint Job by Bob Kovacs, in Metalic Tangerine over Silver Wins Awards at most every Car Event it is entered in. Registered in California as a 1923 Ford Roadster, not a kit car. Back in the day, this was a true 1923 Ford Model T, and it was customized long ago into a T-Bucket and fitted with a Chevy V-8. It has a clean and clear California title, registered as a 1923 Ford Roadster. From 1912 till 1926 the VIN was stamped on the boss over the water outlet on the right hand side of the original 4cyl engine. It was not on the frame as one might expect. The old steel Model T body didn't have a VIN on it either, they didn't do that back then. Since almost all Model T's had the engine replaced at least once during it's lifetime, with the engine number lost with the replacement, it meant California had to issue a new VIN to most T's. During the re-build the VIN number on the California title and registration was stamped onto the new frame, then it went to paint. In California to have a car that's registered as a 1923 is huge. We can't register kit cars without jumping thru huge hoops, and kit cars are then registered as "Custom Built". Those cars fall under the smog regulations, which usually depending on the engine year. By that I mean, if the kit car had a newer engine the car would be required to have all the smog gear it had according to that model year. Since this T-Bucket was originally registered in California as a 1923 Ford Roadster, it is perfectly legal as it sits today. The car underwent a complete frame off reconstruction from 1999 to 2003. A new "Stage 11" steel frame started the project, and the old steel body was replaced with a new fiberglass replacement. Since fiberglass bodies don't have doors, this body was totally reinforced, and a passenger door was custom made and installed. When everything was dry fit, and the car was ready for paint, there was only one guy to do the job, Bob Kovacs. Serious car customizers know who Bob is. He is a true insider — a “master” at graphics on cars, trucks, helmets, motorcycles, hot rods, mini-trucks, sport compact racers, dragsters, funny cars — just about everything you can imagine – and he’s been doing it for over 50-years. His work is considered to be an American treasure – museum quality stuff that is quickly becoming more valuable than the vehicles they’re painted on. To say Kovacs has been part of the American customization scene would be an understatement. His work has been featured in just about every major auto, truck and cycle magazine. He’s customized mega-famous Hollywood cars for “The Monkees”, “The Munsters” “Dragula” and yes, even Batman’s “Bat-mobile”. He’s painted for Disney, (ever notice all the custom work around Disneyland -- that’s his...) and the personal cars and motorcycles of big-time movie stars. He’s even still got a guitar-shaped check signed by Elvis Presley himself for custom work. And the Hell’s Angels — probably the most notorious biker club on earth — well, Kovacs helps custom-paint literally dozens of their Harleys. Talk about pressure. Think about having some 280-pound biker hovering over you while you paint on his most beloved possession. Anyway, Bob went crazy on this T-Bucket. 24 karat Gold flames go all the way down the frame rails, and growing in size as the flames leaped up on the body. He added his fantastic airbrush work in the form of an Indian on one side, and a Wolf on the other, ending with an awesome Southwest scene on the tailgate. If you look closely you'll even see his hand painted "Raiders" insignia on the front frame rail, just below his signature dated 2003. The firewall has a large custom "T", again with a lot of 24 karat Gold pinstriping. When the car was finally re-assembled in late 2003, it was just breathtakingly awesome! The car is as nice now, as it was when Bob finished it 9 years ago. I can't tell you what Bob's work cost, but I can tell you that back in 2002 when he started the job, he was only taking on jobs from very special people. To get Bob to do a job for you would have been almost impossible. Well, here we are, and you now have the opportunity to buy a one-of-a-kind custom created piece of Bob Kovacs art, and have the opportunity to win your own awards, and have the time of your life crusing the local strip, or anywhere else for that matter. The car has been kept in a climate controlled carpeted garage, and has never seen water. It is not a trailer queen, I drive it to every Car Show, and it just a blast to drive.