Owners: Kirk and Andi Cross.
Occupations: Both in sales.
Ages: 50 and 54.
Ride: 1923 Ford T-bucket roadster replica.
Nickname: T ZER.
Back story: Kirk wanted a T-bucket so badly that he began constructing a toy model in 2003. "I'll never be able to buy one, so I'll build a model," he figured.
At the same time, a friend mentioned that he knew a guy who had a T-bucket — a hot rod based on the Model T Ford — that had been collecting dust in a garage for almost 14 years.
"It almost made me cry," he said.
It was destiny, Kirk figured. He persuaded the owner to sell him the car for $8,000 — though it wasn't in optimum condition. Kirk "ripped into it," replacing the tires, belts and hoses. With the help of friends, he learned how to redo the car's interior and polish its metal.
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Now, T ZER is street-legal and ready to rock on the roads, which Kirk hits without haste. "He finds reasons to use it all weekend," Andi said.
Top speed: The fastest Kirk's taken T ZER is 104 mph. "It'll go faster, I just chickened out," he said.
Upon start-up: The 350-cubic-inch engine, from a 1979 Chevy Caprice, emits a deafening roar. "This is old-school," Kirk said.
The experience: The feeling when you're barreling downhill on a roller coaster is akin to accelerating in the T-bucket: The back of your head is cemented to the seat.
The old-time suspension wasn't created to handle speed humps, so the ride can be bumpy at times. "It doesn't quite ride like a Lexus," Kirk said.
The horn, which makes an old-time "ahh-oooh-ga" sound, is accessible from underneath the driver's seat.
There are also no doors, so passengers must climb into the comfortable car, which has a body that actually looks like a bucket.
Vouch: Kirk said he got a lot of help from the people at Jack Furrier's Western Tire and Auto Care, 7486 N. Oracle Road, for his tires and wheels, and for everything else, at Don's Hot Rod Shop, 2811 N. Stone Ave., and a custom shop in Gilbert.
Ride pride: Kirk said his major sense of pride comes from the reactions he receives when people get enjoyment out of seeing the car, knowing that "you've done a lot of the work yourself."
"It's a hoot," he said.
– Kevin W. Smith
• 15-by-29-inch rear tires.
• Black, fuzzy dice with flaming red peppers on them.
• ZZ Top key chain.
• No hood to hide engine.
Tell us why your ride is totally awesome
Show off your ride. We don't care if you own the biggest rust bucket on the planet or the sleekest, most tricked-out Mitsubishi — if you're proud of it, tell us why. E-mail your entries and pictures (if possible) to kmith@azstarnet.com.
