Pickles to auction award-winning T Bucket hot rod
One of Australia’s most individual hot rods is going to auction. The show-stopping, jaw-dropping 1923 Ford T Bucket created by Elie Hannoun will be auctioned by Pickles at their National Classic Cars & Motoring Collectables Auction later this month.
Variously known as ’23 T’ and ‘Warlord’ during its time on the show circuit, Hannoun’s T Bucket broke with hot rod convention in many areas. One of the most obvious is the abundant use of gold plating. This started with the custom radiator and its surround, and included the valve covers and pulleys on the supercharged V8, plus the ‘crowns’ on the air filters. Gold plating was also applied to the steering, suspension (a mix of conventional leaf springs and airbags), diff and even the undercarriage. Inside, the steering wheel and column, pedals and shifter also got the golden touch.
To complement all that gold, selected components were painted gloss black, while the chassis and T Bucket body were finished in a rich Candy Apple Red. A marbled effect was applied to the chassis and airbrushed murals later added to the body.
In contrast to the plating and painting used elsewhere, the bespoke firewall and interior trim was left in bare aluminium, with a ‘quilted’ finish added to certain sections, along with an abundance of gold rivets.
Wheels and tyres are another area where this creation deviated from T Bucket tradition. The deep-dish wheels are custom-built Forgiato units - 21-inch at the front and 24-inch at the rear - accented with gold and wrapped in liquorice-strap Pirelli P-Zero Nero performance tyres in 255/35/21 and 405/25/24 sizes. Drilled and ventilated disc brakes were fitted all round, while TEI Racing calipers included custom brackets and a dual caliper set-up at the rear.
Powering this unique creation is a 350 Small Block Chev, topped with a Holley Performance inlet manifold and supercharger from The Blower Shop. The stainless-steel exhaust system was custom built, ending in ‘python head’ outlets on each side that reportedly took 20 hours of work alone. Matched to an automatic transmission, this built V8 produced a claimed 670hp (500kW) at the crank and 615hp (458kW) at the wheels when new, supported by dyno papers. It was also on full NSW registration at this time.
Another remarkable thing about 23 T is that key functions could be operated remotely, either via a removable tablet in the vehicle, or with a smartphone. This included engine stop/start, lights, stereo and ride height adjustment of the Airide airbags. In another very modern touch, a 12-inch MoTeC C1212 digital motorsport dash was fitted, along with a premium sound system.
Following its debut at the 2019 NSW Hot Rod and Custom Auto Expo (where it won a first place trophy in the Show Car class), this T Bucket did the rounds of other major events in 2020 and 2021, including Summernats 33, where it made the Elite Top 60 and picked up a Best Custom Interior award. It also graced the front cover of JUST CARS and received a multi-page feature inside.
To match the T Bucket, a lowrider bicycle was built and displayed alongside the car at most events. This was finished in complementary red and gold, with candy twist handlebars, forks, brackets and sissy bar, a plush red velour seat and multi-spoke gold wheels with whitewall tyres. When this car was first offered for sale in mid-2020, a bespoke rack for the bike had been added, consisting of ‘skeleton arms’ made from stainless-steel and reportedly taking 40 hours to build. The airbrushed murals had been added to 23 T’s body by this stage, too.
In total, 23 T is alleged to have cost $480,000 to build, with tens of thousands sunk into the gold plating alone, thousands more spent on the bespoke features, plus $7,000 for the MoTeC dash. Today, this car remains largely as it was built, with only a few changes from its show-winning specification, along with some minor signs of wear and age on selected components.
Built to make a statement, this T Bucket continues to do so today. Nothing like it has been produced in Australia since! For more details on this 1-of-1 vehicle, click HERE.
With more than 2,400 views on the Pickles auction site a time of writing, this unique hot rod is expected to attract a lot more interest by the time it goes under the hammer at the National Classic Cars & Motoring Collectables Auction.
The bidding will start at $1.00 from midday on Friday, 17 October, 2025, concluding at 8:00pm (AEDT) on Tuesday, 21 October, 2025. For more details, contact Pickles on 1300 052 392 or visit www.pickles.com.au
