If you have lots of gray hair, before it turns all white, we suggest you see Darryl Starbird's National Rod & Custom Hall of Fame Museum. Have trouble remembering what dinner was last night? You'll very likely remember every famous vehicle in this amazing collection. What ever happened to the wild and crazy, goofy, zany, insane show cars from the '50s and '60s? Most of those show cars never ran, but we remember them anyway, and they now reside in the Starbird Museum.
We recently visited show car heaven, where many of these creations survive and are on display -- a good number restored to their original condition. Some have even evolved to never-before-seen versions. For many of us who have stacks of old car magazines in storage, you'll see these featured vehicles are on the cover of those '50s and '60s periodicals - hundreds of which you'll see hanging on the Starbird Museum's walls.
Darryl Starbird is singularly responsible for this wonderful attraction and could arguably be considered the father of the scratch-built, wild-'n'-wooly show car, especially considering the fact that he built a large percentage of the vehicles in his museum. Well-known for his bubble-topped creations, and later for his premium quality indoor shows, the man has never been far from the world of custom cars. He even has several currently in-process in his shop, and, yes, one of them has a bubble top.
Starbird is one handy man, building the museum, his shop, and his home on his Afton, Oklahoma, estate.
Space doesn't allow one magazine to cover even a small percentage of the Starbird saga, much less describe his incredible museum. Since CCT is a truck magazine, we'll show you a few of the trucks -- well, sorta trucks -- you may visit. Reason figures that if you love old trucks, you'll also love old show cars. Next time you're on the road in Oklahoma, schedule a stop at the museum. It's well worth the drive, and it's quite a trip down memory lane. Be sure to check the website for current hours.
You never know what you might see at Starbird's place. The collection is partially on-loan and constantly changing. How about this apparently four-wheel-drive '75 Pacer pickup? It's a one-off concept vehicle from American Motors' stylists that luckily escaped the crusher. Do you think a 4WD Pacer would've been a sales success? | 
This radical '50 Chevy sedan delivery belongs to Ken Schaapveld, of Oklahoma City. It has a 4-inch chop and a matching 4-inch section, not to mention some very wild paint and flames. Notice the unique front fender wheel opening. | 
We mentioned wild and crazy show cars. Now you know where they rest in peace. This is the Boot Hill Express. Currently owned by Steve and Colette Estrin, it was built by Ray Farhner in 1966 and features a Hemi behind the seat. For the education of those under 50, this type of vehicle was not at all uncommon at the big custom car shows of the cheap-fuel decades. |
Here's the ultimate custom classic truck. You're looking at Cecil the Diesel, a whimsical cartoon of a big rig. This is another ground-up construction by Starbird and features a Mercedes diesel engine, a Tall T-inspired cab, saddle tanks, air horns, clearance lights, and a stake bed with a fifth wheel hitch. Forward visibility was excellent. | 
The radically lowered Phase II is Dave Puhl's '66 design vision of a future pickup. The body is scratch-built steel, restored by Starbird. If you like the chrome cargo strips in the bed, you're sure to like the exhaust system as well. Examine the chrome strips closely. | 
This gorgeous red El Camino was built in 1960 (a new car at the time) by Starbird and belongs to Phil Koerner of Wellington, Kansas. It's powered by the popular 409ci V-8, and the open radius wheelwells are indicative of the '60s. |
Upon entering the museum, you're greeted by an octagonal display room filled with bubble-topped show cars, a chromed chassis hanging from the bubble-topped roof, and a small theater which projects the Starbird Story. The walls are covered with photos of cars with plaques identifying the owners and other relative information. For a small donation, you can have yours installed, too. | 
A look into one of the wings reveals a display of current customs by contemporary builders. Primarily last year's big show winners, they'll be on loan for perhaps a year. At the far end of the room, you can see the door to a full-scale, well-detailed mock-up of Starbird's vintage shop, including a '48 Cadillac Darryl built at the time. All the vintage tools and equipment are part of the display. | 
The famous custom cars struggle to compete for your attention with the thousands of pictures covering every wall in the museum. Many famous builders from years past have a framed-off wall section with their own displays. You might see every item after about a week's time. |