ISKY Tribute Roadster Unveiled at SEMA Show 2023
The build videos don’t do full-justice to how amazing this one-of-a-kind T-Bucket really is.
If you’re reading the JordoMotive blog and you don’t know who Dennis Taylor is, you’re doing yourself a disservice. Dennis isn’t just a hot rod builder, he’s one of the most artistically talented fabricators I’ve ever seen. I’m also lucky enough to call him a friend. It’s not just Dennis who performs amazing feats of automotive achievements, his wife Debbie is an integral part of operating the family businesses—Hot Rods by Dennis Taylor and Dennis Taylor Racing—managing day-to-day operations, keeping all the necessary parts and materials in stock, and lending a much-needed hand on various projects wherever possible. Their oldest daughter, Alex, is a force to be reckoned with in the automotive media space and a talented builder and driver (and my former coworker, of sorts, she co-hosts HOT ROD Garage on MotorTrend+). The youngest of the Taylor clan, Megan, can’t be left out—she manages the family’s social media presences and is a talented do-it-all media producer (you’ll often find her behind the camera following Alex and Dennis on all their automotive adventures).
Enough general acclaim for the Taylor family, it’s time to focus on their most recent accomplishment—the unveiling the of the ISKY Racing Cams Tribute Roadster at the 2023 SEMA Show. 75 years ago, Ed Iskenderian founded the company that bears his name (he’s still around, 103 years-young and counting), and in 1948 his personal Ford Model T Roadster was featured on the cover of HOT ROD Magazine (also celebrating it’s 75th anniversary in 2023). Ed was an innovator in the automotive world, building his T-Bucket at the age of 17 with all the latest-and-greatest parts, and catching the eye of the entire industry with its unique details. The original Iskenderian Roadster is currently on display in Speedway Motors Museum of American Speed in Lincoln, Nebraska.
To celebrate 75 years of ISKY Racing Cams, Nolan Jamora—COO of ISKY—asked his favorite hot-rodding family if they would be interested in recreating Ed’s iconic Roadster by building the modern version. Enter Dennis Taylor and his ability to build insanely fast cars on extremely compacted timelines (read about Alex’s 212 mph, six-second 1955 Chevy 210 built in only four months, here). Exactly one year ago (at the time of this writing), Jamora and the Taylors committed to the plan of building a tribute to Ed and his T-Bucket, to be unveiled at the 2023 SEMA Show, and in just three-and-a-half months the running and driving Roadster was completed. Anyone who’s familiar with SEMA builds knows that is an impossible accomplishment.
Starting with a real steel 1923 Model T Roadster, Dennis (with the help of Nick Taylor and friends) built the Godzilla-powered hot rod you see here. The original Model T body needed everything. After 100 years of life, the body was Swiss cheesed with rust on literally every panel. To stay true to Iskenderian’s original vision, Dennis refurbished the original wire wheels and drum brakes that came on the donor car, then set about custom-fabricating nearly every single part that adorns the ISKY Tribute Roadster.
Cramming a 430 hp, 7.3-liter Godzilla V8 between the custom frame rails was a feat on its own, but the pieces of eye-candy that adorn Ford’s new big-block are the most impressive details. Individual throttle bodies with trumpet stacks were imperative in recreating the look of Ed’s Model T, and Australian manufacturer InnoV8 Race Engines provided the perfect set to pair with the Holley EFI. Stainless steel headers with the signature swoop of the original Iskenderian Roadster don’t come off the shelf at Summit Racing, Dennis had to order the bends from an aircraft manufacturer and Gregg Petersen helped notch and weld the collectors and side pipes. The pieces-de-resistance are absolutely the hand-cast aluminum valve covers—properly adorned with Ed’s signature, of course—and the Auburn-style gauge plate. Nick Taylor modeled and 3D-printed plastic versions of the parts, from which Dennis made molds then hand-poured the molten aluminum. Even the foundry used to melt said aluminum was hand-made from an old air compressor at the Taylor compound! You can see most of the build on Alex Taylor’s YouTube channel, Riding with Alex Taylor, and on Dennis’ Instagram, @dennistaylor522.