Henrik Forss' Bucket T

The bucket as it appeared when Hank bought it. "It looked like a tractor." Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Hank started the build by lowering the car. The chassis was radically kicked up in the rear. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Hank painting the engine gold. The body is masked up and ready for paint as well. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

The previous owner had built a track nose for the bucket, that Hank modified. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

A rear end shot of the first version og Hank's bucket. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Hank's Model T at the 2001 Gearfest. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Hank racing the first version of the bucket at the 2001 A-Bombers Old Style Weekend in Uddevalla, Sweden. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

After the summer-season of 2001, Hank tore the car down in order to turn it into a show rod. The show rod version received a Gold metalflake paint job. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

The show rod version of Hank's bucket made it's debut at an indoor car show in Fryshallarna during the Winter of 2001-2002. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Hank hand-formed the entire rear end of the car in steel. The rear end resembled a narrowed 1959 Chevrolet Impala, and it featured fogged plastic taillights, tuck and roll and pinstriping by Ola Thorslund. Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

The interior was upholstered in White "Angel Hair." Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Photo courtesy of Henrik Forss.

Fiberglass Ford Model T roadster owned and built by Henrik "Hank" Forss of Stockholm, Sweden. Hank bought the bucket as a stranded project in 2001. It was a fellow from Eksilstuna that had started the build; "It looked like a tractor. It was very high, the body was widened, and it ran mud-type tires. The driveline came from a 1954 Ford F-100 truck." Hank built the bucket at a bodyshop in Lidingö, where he also worked full time during the day. When Hank built the car, he lived 8 months a year in a body shop in Stanton, California. The summers were spent in Sweden. The build was started by lowering the suspension. Hank then threw away the exhaust-system along with the ugly headlights it came with. The previous owner had started building a track nose, that Hank modified before the body received a fake patina paint job with simple gold scallops. The inline-six engine from the 1954 Ford received a gold paint job as well. New headlights and a 2 meter high gear shifter were then installed before Hank took the car to the first Power Hot Rod Reunion in Björkvik. The same summer, Hank also raced the bucket in the hillclimb at the A-Bombers Old Style Weekend. Hank installed a pair of old California license plates on the car, and it became his daily driver for the Summer.

After the summer-season of 2001, Hank tore the bucket down in order to turn it into a show rod; "I wanted to have it done in time for a car show held in Fryshallarna. I worked day and night the week before the show in order to complete the build. Ola Thorslund helped out, giving me ideas and advices, and my good friend Andreas Nygren came up from the Southern parts of Sweden to dedicate a week of hard work and hard drinking with out basically any sleep, all necessary to get the bucket T sanded, prepped and painted for the show." Hank hand-formed the entire rear end body of the car in steel. The rear end resembled a narrowed 1959 Chevrolet Impala, and it featured fogged plastic taillights lenses. The body was painted Gold metalflake, while the firewall and engine were painted white; "After laying 20 layers of metalflake, I needed 10 liters of clear paint to make it flow." The engine ran short chromed exhaust stacks and three carburetors. The upholstery consisted of White angel hair, an enormous gear shifter and a cut down steering wheel. Ola Thorslund pinstriped the car for Hank. The build was completed the night before the show, and Ola helped Hank trailering the car over to the show. Hank arrived at the show with a bottle of wine in the afternoon, completely shot! At the show, Hank's show rod won a special price from Olle Thorslund. The award was to have the entire front end chromed. The chromed front end was assembled and mounted, but Hank sold the car to Finland before he got it back on the road. The car has been in stored away since it came to Finland.