Motion Pictures Hey Santa: Get Me Monogram's Big T!

Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post:

Hey Santa: Get Me Monogram's Big T!

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I scored one for sheep at a yard sale a few weeks back. Partially built. Sold it to @Royalshifter as I would never build it...

 

I found a couple mostly complete built but basket cases at an estate sale.
they came with quite a few display items, stanchions for rope barriers, tools, jack stands, trophy etc.
detail is very good, I was surprised to see the '37 Buick Roadmaster transmission with Olds tail shaft and the chrome tie rod end four link front suspension with '37 Ford V8 60 front axle is too cool.

 

Santa Clause left me a Big T model for Christmas in 1962, I had just recently discovered Hot Rod magazine and I was obsessed with hot rods.

Nothing has changed after 75 years, Happy Holidays. HRP

 

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I love these 1/8 scale kits. So fun to build, but a pain to store!

 

Darryl with his 1:1 Big 'T'



CAR CRAFT - October 1962​

NOTE: The car now resides in Lincoln, Nebraska . . . after the acquired it in its merger with the Darryl Starbird Museum:

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As a kid, I really wanted the Big T but due to my limited funds, had to settle for being in the presence of my brother's Little T model which was a smaller version of the Big T. When I finally bought a Big T, I was very disappointed because Monogram "updated" it and eliminated the wide whitewalls. I really wanted the whitewalls.

 

Got my eye on one on my local Marketplace, hoping I can swing it

 

When I was a kid I preferred the T kit by Lindberg it had an electric motor in the Y block, and many gears, shafts and batteries in the gas tank.
"The Big Red Rod" or "Tall T" or "Bobtail T" and "Hot canary T" that one had a track nose.

 

In 1963 when I was 5 years old a kid in my kindergarten cl*** brought a Big T model for show n' tell. I think his dad had built it. Stuck with me all these years.

 

@Moriarity does anyone know where the original give away Big T is?

 

There's one in AACA Museum's hotrod display right now. Not positive when it was built.

 

I got one for Christmas one year unfortunately it got away from me.

 

here is my version , a copy of the roadster that a car club raffeled off in '92.

 

That "Big T" model headed my life in a different direction. When I was around 12 years old, I had saved my pennies to buy this model, but was persuaded by my brother to buy one of those "50 projects in 1" electronic kits. I bought the electronic set, and was hooked. I ended up in the electrical trade for nearly 50 years, and still at it. Luckily we both also had old cars and motorbikes on the farm to work on at the time, which has kept us busy right up to today.
I kept building the occasional model, but this one always brings back the "What would I have done in my life if I had bought this Big T?" memory!

 

Gotta share the 1960 Gumby episode "Hot Rod Granny" - it's pretty great, using a bunch of Big T clones - are they Lindbergs?

 

Got to say that brought back childhood memories...awesome.

 

The big T was cool no doubt, I always liked the Black Widow more!

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didn't we all save for a Big Duce and the T". plus, all the models we already had put together. Good memories for sure.

 

hoe about the visible V-8?

 

Still have mine from Christmas 60+ yrs, ago. Most everything is there along with the box, maybe it's time for a rebuild! Another gift at about the same time frame was the Slant 6 model, Pop doubted my ability on that one! Yep, still have that, too

 

I still have the one I built in 1963. I traded my best friend a Cox Thimble Drome Prop Rod Tether Car for his unopened kit. I have kept it in the same dry aquarium with a gl*** top that I put it in 62 years ago. It is one of the 3 things left from my childhood that my mother didn't throw/give away when I was in Viet Nam

 

Yep, Lindbergs.....

 

You can still buy those new from Revell but no electric motor.....