T-Bucket Body Kit - Feel Like A King

Design, engineering, and innovation are all hallmarks of the automotive industry. Look how it's progressed over the past 100 years. Cars now have almost Jetson-like capabilities, including telling drivers how to get to their destinations. Though automotive designers are always looking to the future, they incorporate the best elements from past designs into current projects. Recent vehicle rebirths like the Mini, Ford Mustang, and upcoming Dodge Challenger are perfect examples. Iconic automobiles like the '32 Ford, Shelby Cobra, or Porsche Speedster will always be in style. Collectors will find and restore originals, and aftermarket kit suppliers will enable more enthusiasts to build and own their dreams. In the right hands, the past's iconic automotive styling cues have a way of evolving into something even better.

With Total Performance Inc., the world's oldest and most groundbreaking T-bucket manufacturer, celebrating its 35th year in business, owner Mickey Lauria thought it would be the perfect time to unveil something totally new that would give builders a chance to flash back once again to hot rodding's heyday. Working with top concept designers, Mickey has brought a brand-new body style to the market that blends the classic cowl of a '23 T with the flowing lines of a '26-27 Ford roadster and its graceful turtle deck rear. The combination of the body along with a full three-piece hood and track nose very reminiscent of the award-winning Flint roadster make this car look like it's ready to head to Bonneville to attend speed trials. But the innovation doesn't stop there. Underneath, there is a brand-new rectangular steel chassis that gives the roadster the rake it deserves, making it look like it's hunkered down and ready to strike at any time.

This new kit offering's overall package is very impressive considering the body and chassis combination is being offered at only $6,995. The rock-solid backbone of any hot rod is its chassis, and the craftsmen at Total Performance make sure it's a base that can take plenty of punishment. Starting with 1 1/2x3x.120-inch-wall rectangular tubing, it is fully welded in Total Performance's exacting jig to perfect specifications, with all related mounting brackets in place and all necessary holes precision-drilled.

The chassis is set up for a small-block Chevy linked to a turbo 350 transmission, including engine mounts and crossmembers; however, there will also be accommodations for four-cylinder engines soon. A complete front suspension includes a 5-inch dropped tube axle with a four-leaf spring, friction shocks, radius rods with clevises and rod ends, tie rod, and Total Performance spindles. Out back there are more goods to be had, including a Currie 8-inch Ford rearend housing perfectly matched up with a combination of coilover shocks, panhard bar, and four-link suspension. To navigate the car, Total incorporates a complete steering system that includes upper and lower steering arms, drag link, pitman arm, steering box, steering shaft, steering column, and Grant steering wheel. To give the car plenty of whoa, they also add in a dual master cylinder, brake pedal, pad, and pushrod.

As with all of Total Performance's kits, the body is constructed from the finest hand-laid fiberglass. The King T kit incorporates the floor and trunk area as well as a fully molded dash. The track nose receives the same painstaking quality to match the body, while the finely crafted grille insert is like a jewel waiting to be placed into its setting. Add in a three-piece hood and you pretty much have everything you need to bring this fresh blank canvas to life. As with all hot rods, they are as distinct to their owner as a fingerprint. You could get nostalgic like Mickey has with this first production car, or you could take it into the future using a wild blown four-banger with a quick-change rear and decadent pearl-based paints. Check it out. Give Total a call, and get busy designing your own new King T!

Facts Box
Total Performance, Inc.
Wallingford, Connecticut
MODEL: 23ish, Ford, King T