NTBA member number one. That's Jerry Chenot's club member number. Jerry "Lugnut" Chenot, or "Luggy" as he's fondly referred to in the NTBA, has been a member since the very foundation of the club. "I'm number ONE in the NTBA, and I'm quite proud of that fact".

"I think it was in October of 1998" says Jerry. "I was one of the 12 original members who thought up the idea of a national T-bucket organization. It was on the deck (at the home) of a former member where we put our heads together and came up with the original by-laws and membership packages. We all thought this to be a pipe dream, and then we put it into action and gave ourselves a name: The National T-Bucket Association".

But Jerry's interest in cars dates well beyond the formation of this organization. He says he's been interested in cars since he started crawling. "What young boy isn't crazy about cars? I have pictures of trucks and cars that I drew as a very young child. I still have those pictures. Soon to be framed and hung out in my shop... to remind me of my roots."

Jerry still remembers his first time behind the wheel of a car. "It was my neighborhood pal's Mom's car. He lived about three houses away and before the county widened the road out in front of our houses the driveways were kind of long. Well to a 12 year old kid they were long. The car I think was a '52 Plymouth 4-dr sedan... GREEN in color I think. Hmmm, so GREEN was with me all along. Anyway, we'd back the car down almost to the edge of the road and put it in first gear. We never made it to second gear, but we had fun trying. Was his Mom home during all this? No way!"

"The first car I ever owned was a 1965 Ford Fairlane, 2-dr sedan. It had a small block V-8 with an automatic tranny. Not only was the color GREEN already instilled in me, my first car was a F-O-R-D! This was purely by chance. I was stationed from 1969 - 1971 with the NATO Band in Naples, Italy. A friend of mine was getting transferred and I bought the car for $200.00! I drove that car for the two years I was there. I ended up selling it or giving it away. The car was in wonderful condition and I loved challenging the Italians with their little 500 and 600 Fiats. Especially going down a very narrow street... specifically designed for their cars. I would NEVER back down. I'd just keep inching the BIG FORD towards them and eventually after all the hand gestures (from both sides!) and yelling, the Italian drivers would back down and allows the BIG FORD to pass through!"

Jerry was first exposed to hot rods and custom cars when he was seven. "My Father had a 1951 Ford Custom Convertible. Dad nosed and decked the body. He purchased a '54 or '55 Pontiac rear bumper license plate bracket... you know the upside down U shaped bracket. He removed the wheel covers and painted the edges of the wheels red. The Ford had wide whites as did many cars back then, and Smitty Glass Packs. Ohhh, how I loved that sound! Whenever we'd go out as a family for a ride, I'd ask Dad to put the top down.

His response was always, 'it's going to rain!'. Eventually after enough prodding, he would put the top down." Jerry really appreciated his dad's Ford. "I loved that car as a child and wanted him to keep it for me so I could drive it in school. He never did... he later traded it in for a new 1960 Falcon 4-dr. I 'had' to drive in school. No Smitty glasspacks there, but I did manage to rip the muffler off the car one afternoon...made the car soooo much better." Jerry recalls, laughing out loud.

My next exposure to a real hot rod was going to car shows, but the real exposure was stopping by a friend's house in St. Louis and watching him build a t-bucket. Jim 'Top Hat' Diehl now owns that bucket. That was it...I was hooked and HAD to have a bucket."

The first hot rod Jerry owned was a T he purchased in 1996. "I bought it sight unseen through my friend Bob Flemming from St. Louis. He's the fella that was building the bucket that got me interested in t-buckets in the first place. He had a friend in Mountain Home, Arkansas who said he had too many toys and the bucket had to go. Interestingly, we ALL went to the same High School, just graduated at different years."

Jerry made some changes to his first T during the three years he owned it and has very fond memories of the car. "In fact Lisa and I drove round trip from Greenleaf, Wisconsin in that bucket, pulling a trailer to the very FIRST National T-Bucket Association Nationals in Branson, Missouri in July of 1999. Later in that same year we began building what is now known as the LGSM."

He prefers a T to other hot rods because of it's simplicity of design. "I chose it for its simplicity and looks. It IS the 'original' hot rod. In no other style hot rod do you get the looks while you're kroozin' or the attention when the car is sitting still. It's like a huge magnet at car shows. Especially to those who've never seen a bucket before. It's even more impressive when the folks notice that I have F-O-R-D in my FORD. The T is extremely easy to work on because everything is so exposed."

Jerry explains the origins of his current T, the "LGSM": "I knew what I wanted, drew up the plans and funded it all. A couple friends of mine up here help me put the plan into action. Deke Goeltz got the stainless for the frame and tacked it up for me. Then I put Wally Wilinski on my payroll. The car took a little over 2 years and 9 months to build. Much of it was catalog bought and I'm betting just as much was fabricated up in one of two personal shops in the area."

Currently residing with his wife Lisa in Greenleaf, Wisconsin, Jerry spends as much time as possible driving his T. He explains "after the snow melts and the temps get above 32 degrees" he's behind the wheel. "We have about 6 months of decent driving weather up here. I have been known to go out on kroozes when it is about 39 degrees out. Now to some of you that may not seem too cold, but when you're scooting along at about 65 mph, let me tell you that the wind chill begins to factor in." he says, laughing out loud.

Last year Jerry and Lisa participated in the Hot Rod Power Tour, driving from Greenleaf, Wisconsin to Kissimmee, Florida. "Then we drove round trip to the Nats in Mountain Home, Arkansas. So we put on the most miles last year. I have been trying to get on about 2000 miles a season...never need a reason to go somewhere...just git in and go."

Fortunately Jerry has a bit more opportunity to drive his Bucket than some of us. "I'm retired twice. I joined the U.S. Navy in 1966 and retired from there in 1987. " Jerry was a U.S. Navy Musician with the Navy Music program. "My instrument? I played Bass Trombone. I've been all over the world as well as well as many places in the states."

Following his retirement from the Navy Jerry went to school and obtained an associates Degree in middle management. "Seeing that job situation was going no where, I applied for and took the U.S. Postal exam. I passed the test and became a carrier where I was living at the time, which was Waukegan, Illinois We transfered up to Green Bay in 1994. Lisa, my wife is originally from De Pere, Wisconsin so in essence she was finally coming home.

Jerry still plays his trombone. "I picked it up again about 4 years ago. When I moved up here to the Green Bay area a lady I worked with at the Post Office told me she had band rehearsal on the night we were going to have coffee. Anyway, I gave her my musical background and the rest is history. I play in three community concert bands and one community jazz band. On one Tuesday a month I play at Frank's Pizza Palace in Appleton in the big band. We play for pizza and beer!"

In July of 2004, after 14 years with the US Postal Service Jerry retired for the second time. "I retired in July of 2004 and in September of 2004 I received two new knees. Those of you who had seen me in the past prior to this last Nats can remember me walking with a cane and being in dire pain. Let me tell you, I'm glad to have my new knees. Best move I made in my life, besides buying a t-bucket."

Jerry stays active with the NTBA because he appreciates the camaraderie and friendships he's established over the years. "Being a part of the founding fathers, I feel this NTBA is my baby and I want to be able to watch it grow up and mature. I belong to a unique organization of hot rodders. An organization that has family values. An organization where everyone is meant to feel welcomed. An organization that cares for it's brothers and sisters. Where we all are ONE."

In 2000 Jerry volunteered to assemble the goody bags for the NTBA Nationals event in Branson, Missouri. "I thought they were unique. We had 'T-Buckets' for the goody bags. I went to Wal-mart and purchased 200 Blue Wash buckets and we stuck 6 inch high vinyl 'T's on both sides and filled them with goody bag type stuff. It was a huge hit!" Following his success in Branson, Jerry volunteered again for the 2001 event in Hannibal, Missouri. "I racked my brain trying to come up with another different idea and came up with the 'T Bag'. Of course it was metallic GREEN with a GOLD vinyl T on the front side."

In 2002 Jerry's efforts and dedication to the NTBA were recognized with a nomination to the Hall Of Fame. "I knew something was up by the way some folks were talking to me. Punkun and I talk almost every week and he was having a tough time not letting onto what he knew. Never once did I attempt to pry any information out of him. Besides it wouldn't have been as large a surprise as it was." At the 2002 Nationals event in Grapevine, Texas Jerry received his nomination, and at the event's awards ceremony he was officially inducted into the Hall Of Fame. Jerry was proud and honored to receive this award.

By the way, if you're wondering about Jerry's nickname Lugnut… "That handle was given to me by the past President/treasurer of the National T-Bucket Association. I told him that I drove my bucket from Green Bay, Wisconsin to the 'Back To The Fifties' show in St. Paul, Minnesota. He told me I must have had a few lug nuts loose to do that drive." and the name stuck.

Congratulations Jerry Chenot. Lugnut, NTBA founding father, member number 1 and honored inductee into the Hall Of Fame!