For Jack Anderson, the desire to own a 1923 Ford T-Bucket came in about 1980. That is when the movie “The Hollywood Knights”, starring Tony Danza and Michelle Pfieffer, was released. The movie was about a bunch of guys in a car club called The Hollywood Knights, and took place on Halloween night in 1965. At the very end of the movie, one of the Knights, Simpson, brings out his T-Bucket to street race a 427 Cobra. The T-Bucket won the race, and so began Jack’s passion....which many years later turned into a quest for his own T-Bucket!

Fast forward to 2003, and after lots of searching on the internet and looking at a number of T’s in person, Jack realized that none of them were exactly what he had envisioned. While searching, he ran across a club called the National T-Bucket Alliance. One of the members suggested finding and building a stretched body. Jack found a builder with a project for sale, and in early January of 2004 he saw what was to become “The Smokin T”. The car had a nicely chromed out 350 Chevy engine, but when Jack asked the builder if he could put a blower on it, the builder told him no because the compression was too high. Jack’s response was, “Well that’s got to go then!”.

They struck up a deal and the build began. The builder and his crew worked on the chassis, while Jack spent time on the National T-Bucket website looking through hundreds of pictures deciding what colors the body and interior would be, flames or no flames, tire and rim choices, and top or no top. Jack chose blue for the body and tan for the interior. For tires and rims, he went with the old “Fuel Altered“ look of slots in the back and spokes in the front. The rims are from ET, with 15x14 inch Fuelers in the back and 15x4 inch Gassers in the front. The original Hoosier tires have since been changed to Micky Thompson Sportsman S/R Radials, measuring 31x18 inches out back, and 24x5 inches in the front.

The body is stretched 6 inches, widened 3 inches, and has a functioning passenger door (which made Jack’s wife very happy). It was painted 2003 Corvette Electron Blue pearl metallic, and the flames were airbrushed. Jack’s original idea was silver ghost flames, but the artist said he had a different idea and if Jack didn’t like it he would start over and do the silver ghosts flames. Needless to say, Jack was extremely happy with his creativity and the results.

The interior was done in tan Ultra Leather, with custom diamond tuft stitching. Stitched flames beside the seat also go with the flamed theme, which inside includes a polsihed billet aluminum gauge cluster with flamed ends, and a flamed billet steering wheel. The top, which isn’t on very often, is covered in tan BMW cloth. When the interior was finished, the car was brought home on August 31st, 2004.

Now to the center of attention; the blown 350 Chevy engine. After some time of trying to get the original engine to behave, Redline Automotive in Davie, Florida was contacted to rework the motor. The fully balanced and blueprinted 350 Chevy Block was bored .060 over to 360 cubic inches. Internals include a Lunati crank, Eagle rods, Wiseco blower pistons, and a Comp Cams full roller valve train. The heads are Dart Iron Eagles, which have been ported, polished and o-ringed. On top of everything you’ll find a polished Littlefield 6-71 blower, which is 6% underdriven, sucks air through a chromed “shotgun” style scoop, and delivers 10 pounds of boost through the pair of Demon 650 blower carbs. Sanderson Zoomie headers route the spent gasses, and power is transfered through a polished Turbo 350 automatic with a 3,400 stall torque converter, and ultimately the Chevy 10 bolt posi rear end with 3.73:1 gears and Mosier axles. The car has been dynoed with 500 horsepower and 625 ft./lbs. of torque at the rear wheels.

The “Smokin T” name obviously came about due to the flame theme that is carried over into all aspects. That includes the paint, valve covers, steering wheel, Zoomie pipe accents, on the frame by the front end, many interior items, license plate frame that housese the SMOKN T personalized plate, and many more items.

Jack told us that in addition to driving the car, some of the most fun over the last 8 years has been going to car shows, making new friends and seeing old friends. With a high power to low weight ratio, Jack told us the most asked question of course is, “How fast is it?”. Well, you can go to YouTube and search “Smokin T at the races” and see for yourself. CN