1920 Ford Model T Hot Rod

   Built in the 1960’s by Larry Kruse of Lincoln, NE, this car has great Nebraska history. A regular at Speedway Motors in the 1960’s, Larry would source many of his parts from Speedway's 1719 N Street location. At the time, Larry was a part-time firefighter for the city of Lincoln and would later join the Speedway Motors team to supplement his income as a firefighter. 

• Kruse built this T-bucket hot rod from one of Speedway's early fiberglass bodies modeled after Norm Grabowski’s ever-popular Kookie Kar, it made the perfect start to Larry’s own hot rod you see here.
• The Kookie Kar craze started in 1952 when Norm Grabowski built his first steel t-bucket from a touring car body. Car builder Tommy Ivo copied his T-bucket straight from Grabowski but Tommy’s car was actually more popular after cruising in California and setting records at Lions drag strip and San Fernando in the top eliminator category.

• The motor is a 1956 Chevrolet 265 V-8.​
• Larry used  a rare Offenhauser intake manifold bought at Speedway Motors. It has six Stromberg 97 carburetors.
• Rare for a T-bucket, it has a four-speed Muncie transmission topped off with an ever popular Hurst shifter to get it through the gears.
• The Kruse car rides on American Racing Torque Thrust rims with Goodyear 4.50-15 tires up front and Mickey Thompson Dragmaster 11.00-15 slicks on the back.
• Putting the power to the pavement is a purpose-built Ford nine-inch rear end that is supported by a four bar trailing arm set up and single leaf spring out back.
• The brakes are simple, with drum brakes at the rear and a single master cylinder under the floor pan of the bucket to help it stop when running it light to light.
• Kruse had to make the fenders by hand, because his T-bucket was much too short for the touring style fenders he found on regular cars.
• The frame is built from scratch to accept Larry’s four bar setup with single leaf spring and Chevrolet 265 V-8.