Wayne Jesel only meant to help a friend prepare his cars for an auction — he didn’t intend to buy one of those cars, but that’s exactly what happened.
“I bought it at the Mecum auction in January 2020,” said Jesel of his “Big T” T-bucket roadster.
“My friend, Don Wallace, had agreed to sell some of the special cars from his collection as a main feature during the Kissimmee auction, and he asked if I’d come down to help with prepping the 1974 ‘Grumpy’s Toy XI’ Chevrolet Vega. I’d been involved in the restoration process of the car, and Don wanted me there to help with the process of preparing the Grumpy Jenkins pro-stock Vega for the auction."
“Don had several vehicles staged and going through the auction,” Jesel continued. “The T-bucket pulls up and the bidding starts; for whatever reason, the bidding starts slow. I then realize there’s an opportunity to own the ‘Big T’ roadster. Acting on impulse, I decide to go for it and make an offer. I raise my hand and the auctioneer yells out, ‘Going once, twice,’ and bam!, the hammer comes down and it’s mine. Later, Don Wallace walks up to me and says, ‘I’m glad you ended up with the car.’”
Building the ‘Big T’ roadsters
The “Big T” roadster that Jesel purchased is one of two replicas of a hot rod originally built by custom car designer and builder Darryl Starbird from a scale model that inspired a generation of hobbyists.
In the early ’60s, Starbird partnered with Monogram to create a series of scale model kits of unique hot rods and customs. His first effort was a 1/8th-scale 1923 Model T Ford roadster pickup known as “Big T.” The model was very well detailed, and the parts were so authentically fashioned that, for many youngsters (and more than a few adults), it felt as though they were assembling a real car.
Starbird built an actual “Big T,” of course, and it was a major presence on the show circuit. After several years, the original “Big T” was awarded to a lucky model contest winner, who supposedly resided in southern California. The owner and car rode off into the sunset, never to be seen again.
Decades later, Starbird coordinated with Chad Vogele and the staff of Predator Performance in Dubois, Pa., to build replicas of his “Big T” roadster. These recreations are based on Total Performance chassis and fiberglass bodies by Spirit Industries (the original used a real steel Ford body). All the details of the original are there, from the dark-red paint and hand-applied white pinstriping to the white carriage-style high tops, the “baby moon” hubcaps, the antennas frenched into the cowl and the vintage Model T running lamps.
The red-and-white vinyl interiors are exact recreations of the original down to the wooden-rim Model T steering wheels. Monogram even built the skull shift knobs for the projects using the original tooling. Out front, there are correct 1957 Chevrolet 283-cid V-8 engines with period finned valve covers, triple Stromberg carbs and chromed side-dump headers connected to Ford four-speed Top-Loader transmissions.
The tubular dropped front axles are fitted with tube shocks and reproduction Wilson Welding Lincoln drum brakes, while the Ford rear ends are finished with polished quick-change center sections and drum brakes. Total Performance steering boxes and steel reproduction Ford wheels from Wheel Vintiques shod with Firestone big-’n’-little whitewalls (with slicks in back) round out the rolling stock.
Gone but not forgotten
After years of searching and wishing he could have back his original “Big T,” Starbird had the pair of exact replicas built. He planned to keep one of the “Big T” clones to display in his museum, the National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Fame Museum in Afton, Okla. The museum features many of Starbird’s cars, as well as other notable examples from the history of custom car and hot rod culture. The other replica was to be given away in a Tulsa-based radio promotion.
Influenced by the Norm Grabowski and Tommy Ivo T-buckets made famous by TV appearances, Starbird’s original car ran a simple ladder frame, but the replicas’ Total Performance chassis is similar.
In addition, the original “Big T” roadster used a Model A pickup bed that was shortened 8 inches, and so do the recreations. The rear sections, like the front cowl, are flanked with vintage Model T running lamps, just like the original “Big T.” After researching the old “Big T,” exact copies of the red-and-white vinyl interior were made by Chris Trout. The tall, matching top gives each T that classic “bucket” look.
Jesel’s “Big T” roadster, with its classic old-school hot rod look, is an award-winning and eye-catching recreation of the original. Even the white pinstriping, by Dave Simmons of Neon Exposure in Reynoldsville, Pa., artfully replicates the carefully applied lines on the original car. For all the kids and adults who built Monogram “Big T” models, this exact replica brings back fond memories. Expertly built, it’s a very close copy of the long-lost original, and it’s been authenticated by Darryl Starbird himself. It’s a full-scale head-turner.
In 2021, Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Neb., and Darryl Starbird’s National Rod & Custom Car Hall of Fame merged. Darryl Starbird’s “Big T” roadster can currently be seen at the Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed. The whereabouts of the original and its owner still remain a mystery.
Getting ‘Big T’ in front of the lens
Last fall, I had the opportunity to photograph “Jenny the Camaro,” a one-family-owned 1967 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS owned by Zach and Brenda Straits. After its restoration, the Camaro was successfully unveiled at the 2022 Muscle Car and Corvette Nationals and appeared in the Dec. 15 issue of Old Cars.
Zach and I had been in communication for nearly a year as his ’67 Camaro’s restoration progressed. When it was done, I would travel to Staunton, Va., to photograph the car at a private location prior to its MCACN unveiling.
When I received a phone call from Zach saying, “Jenny’s ready,” we met up for the photo shoot. The location was Creative Works Farm, home to the non-profit organization Camp Light, which was established to provide services for individuals with medical, physical and behavioral needs. Zach and Brenda were instrumental in the creation of Camp Life back in 2012. During a tour of the location, I was blown away by the spacious grounds and its downtown setting, which includes a vintage gas station. Everything there was built by Scott Balsley, a home builder and highly skilled carpenter.
Camp Light opened its doors in 2014 and continues to evolve with support from Zach and Brenda, Scott and an incredibly talented team of individuals driven by passion to make it a success.
While walking the grounds at Camp Light, I was mesmerized by the golden stalks of its cornfield and colorful surrounding fall background. I told Zach we could stop looking for a backdrop, because we found the perfect place for “Jenny’s” photo shoot. As we walked back to Zach’s pickup, we came upon an enclosed car trailer and Zach said,
“You might want to see what we have in here, it’s pretty cool.” He opened the trailer doors to reveal what appeared to be the “Big T” roadster. Zach said, “This is one of the ‘Big T’ roadsters that custom hot rod builder Darryl Starbird recreated and built for Monogram. This belongs to my good friend, Wayne Jesel. He bought it in January 2020. Scott made him a cool display and we took it to the Darryl Starbird show in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 2020. After the Tulsa show, Wayne allowed us to take it to Camp Light and we’ve had it on display in and around the gas station when the weather cooperates. We’re planning to deliver it to a museum where it will be on display for a while.”
Caught off guard by this opportunity, I asked Zach if we could work it into the photo shoot schedule. He contacted Wayne Jesel and was given approval to allow me to shoot it.
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