I can’t stand T-Buckets. It’s a bone of contention between Brian and I in fact, since he loves them. BUT…this is one I would own. You have to check this thing out. It’s for sale in Brownsburg Indiana, and could be yours. We’ve run lots and lots of turbine powered stuff over the past few years, but this Turbine Powered “23 Ford T-Bucket is definitely one of the coolest.
The writeup from Craigslist is excellent, so I’m going to let the seller do the talking. Check it out, along with the photos, below. If you want to buy this bad boy, click the link to the original Craigslist ad at the bottom of the page.
Our favorite thing in the listing is the Top Speed. Read the last line of the listing below.
Boeing Turbine / Jet Engine Powered ’23 Ford T-Bucket Street Rod
Tired of showing up at the cruise night and someone having the same type of car as yours? THAT WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN! This is a one of a kind, custom ’23 Ford T-Bucket powered by a Boeing 502 Turbojet engine. This isn’t some hack job that someone built in their backyard, this is a well engineered, thought out, aircraft quality built vehicle. As you can see, everything is well laid out and engineered with much thought to the end vehicle. Everything is either polished or chrome including a chrome rear end, front axle, springs, suspension links, tie rods, etc.
The power plant in this vehicle is a Boeing 502 Turbojet engine. This engine was designed by the Boeing company in Washington state to be used in many different applications. They have been used in everything from powering fire trucks, Kenworth road tractors/semis, large Navy minesweeper generator systems, and even powering the prop on small aircraft. It has tremendous amounts of torque, so much as a transmission is not even needed. All that is needed is forward and reverse and nothing else.
Everything for the engine is well laid out, including all stainless steel braided lines for the fuel system, aircraft quality wiring, relays, solenoids, and fuse blocks. One of the attention-grabbing qualities of this T-bucket is the exhaust system, which diverts the heat to both sides of the vehicle. To really impress everyone at cruise night, it also has a fire system designed to shoot fire out of both sides of the exhaust!
It has a deep, black finish in perfect condition. A black leather interior sets it off. Huge amount of gauges covering all aspects of the engine and vehicle performance. Vehicle has rear brakes operated by foot pedal and also a power turbine brake operated by a T-handle in the center of the console. Engine is operated by hand throttle in the console, just like an aircraft. Easy to start and drive.
It also has a funny car style Deist parachute to set off the rear end of the car.
Also included are a complete spare Boeing Turbine engine, custom car cover, a custom charger for the battery system, complete service and parts manual, and a copy of the original Navy film showing service, maintenance, and operating instructions for the engine.
This is the kind of vehicle you would expect to see at a museum, a famous comedian’s garage, a Barrett Jackson or Meccum Auto auction.
Note: The vehicle is not titled for street use, we just drove at car shows, cruise nights, etc. Ebay requires that something is entered on title status. There is not a title for this vehicle at the present time. There are many companies out there that will be able to help with acquiring for a custom built vehicle such as this, we never pursued it ourselves. You may be able to easily acquire a title in your state on your own, as you know, each state is different. If you have any questions about this, please contact us before bidding.
Body: California Custom Roadsters
Engine: Boeing 502-6 Gas Turbine
17,000 rpm @ idle
37,000 rpm @ 100%
Fuel: Jet A
Afterburners / Fire Show: Jet A injection @ 40-60 psi, Twin ignitors
EGT: 500 degree C @ idle – 700 degrees C w afterburner
Transmission: Forward and Reverse
Rear End: Ford Mustang
Parachutes: 10′ Deist
Fuel Tanks: 16 gallons
Top Speed: Approximately 150 + MPH (with windshield down!)
A T-bucket seems like the perfect match for a turbine, the way it has the engine out there on display.
I use to have a neighbor that built a t-bucket that was powered exactly like this. He was a cousin of the Arfon’s — The Chevy rear end had to be flopped upside down because the turbines revolve counter-clockwise….. The exhausts on this unit look exactly like his…… He had a roofing business in Redlands CA that closed down in the early 90’s and he and the car moved to Northern Calif and I lost contact with him…..
The car was defiantly a hoot to go for a ride in…..