At the heart of “Resilience”

About a year ago at the Grand National Roadster Show in Pomona, I met with Tim Strange and the Hansens, Erik and Paul, to discuss a project that we had been kicking around. I was absolutely floored by the way we all just meshed with ideas… the creativity that morning just flowed, and there was an incredible amount of collaboration. It foreshadowed the great time we’ve all had on the project… Tim’s incredibly long days and nights notwithstanding.

In any event, the big Buick project began moving forward, and true to its name, “Resilience”, it’s shaping up to be one amazing custom car, with a ton of classic and modern touches that reflect not only the golden age of the craft, but the personalities of everyone involved. I’m stoked about this car like none before it, and can’t say enough good about the way it has progressed from paper to steel, and hope you’ll enjoy it, too when it hits the floor at the Grand National Roadster Show.

You may recognize Tim’s name from, well, everywhere… and the Hansens from their 2005 AMBR-winning “Sedeuced”. While I can’t give away too much here, I did want to thank some of the great and talented folks involved so far in making the car come to reality, and share a sneak peek at the killer induction…

A Caddy mill for a Buick custom...

Thanks to Carrie Strange (keep sneaking the Rockstars in Tim’s soup!), Dave Neal, Shawn Ray, Jim Decrane, Chuck Heerde, Dan & Betty Strange, Jesse Greening (and his crew at Greening Auto Works), Mark Rolen, John Loveridge, Tucci Hot Rods, AutoRon’s, Classic Instruments, Air Ride Technologies, BF Goodrich, Dynamat, Flowmaster, Hot Hues by DuPont, Iwata Spray Guns, Kicker Car Audio, Motorhead Design House, Pearlcraft, Advanced Plating, and supportive families, significant others, and energy drink and coffee suppliers from IL to AZ to CA…

I’m in a BOOK!!

Go figure…

The Hot Rod Art Book: Masters of Chicken Scratch

As a wide-eyed kid, I’d flip open the latest car magazines and drool over the works of my hot rod design heroes… Guys like Charlie Smith, Thom Taylor and Steve Stanford were (and still are!) the guys I looked up to, hoping to one day at least meet these giants among men. They, and other artists like them were my inspiration to head out and do what I love. Never did I dream that I’d be able to make a career of it, but the world works in an odd way… That, along with long days and longer nights paid off in allowing me to do something I love for a living.

Along the way, I have been beyond fortunate to have made great friends, and meet guys I read about in books as a kid, and all have played a great role in making those Math class dreams a reality. One such friend has been the immensely talented Dwayne Vance, a guy who cranks out work that continually makes my head spin, and who has contributed hours of enlightening and entertaining conversation over the years. When Dwayne called and asked for some samples of my work for a book project, I was floored… When he mentioned the names to appear in it, I was speechless… He rounded up Randy Ricklefs, John Bell, James Owens, Eric Brockmeyer, Michael Miernik, Max Grundy, Jimmy Smith, Justin Chin, Thom Taylor, Larry Wood and Steve Stanford! A veritable Who’s Who in our industry… and he had asked me to be a part of this… Amazing. Just amazing! To walk amongst giants like this, well… I still have no idea what to say, except “thank you, man”. Absolutely priceless.

A peek inside!

…and speaking of priceless, the book will be packaged with an instructional CD by Dwayne to accompany the outstanding look into how he does what he does! Hopefully it finds a spot on bookshelves all over the world, and becomes just what it should be: A valuable resource for countless wide-eyed kids drawing hot rods on folders in classrooms everywhere, gearing up for the day when we “old timers” can read THEIR incredible books.

The book is available for pre-order HERE, and after the official release, you may also order it on my site, as well as a number of other retail sites and stores… Thanks for checking it out.

A Rocket Ride….

…and a trade that rocked the world.

Twenty years ago this week, the Edmonton Oilers traded Wayne “The Great One” Gretzky to the LA Kings, marking the day that Hockey stood still. August 9, 1988 is a date that still elicits a response in any Hockey fan, and for good reason. I’ll throw in another date: December 12, 2000, the day that GM announced that they were pulling the plug on Oldsmobile. Two very different events with very different outcomes… yet, they share a few key things in common, and a valuable lesson that a carmaker could have learned from a Hockey player.

Consider the impact that Gretzky had on the game (if not a community): 1851 points… 200+ points in each of four seasons… 92 goals in ONE season! (hell, being a Sabres fan, I have to point out that Alexander Mogilny came close once… at 70) Take a moment to fathom that, then, consider that his record has stood since being set in the ’81-’82 season. The man’s photo should appear in the dictionary under the word “Hockey”. I could spout off stats here, but you can find those easily enough… Suffice to say, he dominated the game on the ice. Yet, what he did OFF of the ice would forever change the game as well.

In 1988, the Great One was traded to the LA Kings.

The deal was monstrous to begin with, but the terms were astounding in their own right: The Oilers gave up the league’s reigning superstar for $15 million, three number one draft picks, Krushelnyski, McSorley, and negotiating rights to minor league defensemen, along with LA’s Jimmy Carson (a recent pick who just put up 55 goals).

Take a second to drink in that trade.

Not only was that big money in ’88, but it broke up a team that had “dynasty” written all over it… If you’re a Hockey fan, then you know all about the Oilers of that era, with Grant Fuhr, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier… Man, I remember collecting cards and stickers of those guys like they were gold (in some cases, they were… Remember the gold foil stickers?). To take Gretzky to LA?! What were they thinking?

Granted, number 99 in Los Angeles wasn’t the ticket to a cup victory (or a dynasty) on ice… But what the deal did for the sport itself?! Far-reaching and dynamic are two words that scratch the surface… Barely. Here was an uber-talent, wrapped in a marketing dream. Great personality, incredible with words, and a look that could move product. His assimilation into US pop culture was the stuff of legend. Consider: If, like me, you grew up in the ‘80’s, you knew Gretzky (even if not from Hockey) from ads for Campbell’s, Coke, Ford, American Express, an action figure, hell… the guy even had a Saturday morning cartoon with Bo Jackson and Michael Jordan! (remember “Pro Stars”?) Add to his clout an ambassador status, bringing the game to numerous new fans… A fact to ponder: When Gretzky hit US soil as a player, there were 15 franchises of the NHL in the US. Today, there are 24. Talk about opening a market!

Back to Oldsmobile for a spell here… Consider that in 1897, the carmaker was forging ahead, pushing design and technical innovation to create a dynamic new car. It was to become GM’s shining star, the brand that pushed innovation for the corporation. Being GM’s “innovation brand” meant that other carmakers would often study their products, and attempt to mimic them. Not only was Oldsmobile the first mass-produced car (the 1901-1904 Curved Dash), but was the first with an automatic transmission (1940 – the Hydromatic), the first overhead valve V8 (’49 – also leading the way with a hardtop and wrap-around windshield that year!), the first turbocharged engine in an American car (’62!), the first front wheel drive car in America (the ’66 Toronado), and so on… Ponder this: in the 50’s and ‘60’s, makers like Mercedes would buy and dissect Oldsmobiles (and other GM cars) to see what made them tick. At the time, there was truly no substitute for an American car.

Oldsmobiles were the choice of the techie crowd… they had the advanced features, and appealed to the more technologically hip consumer. Olds and GM capitalized on this for a bit, but then lost the vision somewhere along the way. Rather than build on a success (see Gretzky above), GM stuttered, and down-graded the brand to compete with foreign cars on their own level. Rather than push the envelope, and allow Oldsmobile to bloom into the leader in technology and design for GM, they pulled funding from the coffers for projects like Saturn, among other things. (don’t get me wrong here— Saturn is a fine make, and having worked for Saturn, I am grateful for the food and shelter my career there provided… just still suffering the “WHY??!!” over pushing Saturn into Oldsmobile territory, and giving the little plastic-clad cars all of the cool advancements) GM dropped the ball, and took what should have been a bright Oldsmobile future, with great new cars that would have rivaled Lexus, BMW and their ilk, and let it slip into the old folks home of the corporation. One notable exception was the Aurora (I have a very soft spot for the first-generation units… Remember the first time you saw the ‘95’s… Man were those cool when new!), which led the way in innovation, and sat at the crossroads for a trek back to greatness… yet, sadly, it seems that the higher-ups were too busy looking into overpriced, oversized SUV’s to haul fat-ass suburbanites around the mini malls. By the time that last Alero rolled off the line on April 4, 2004, the fire was definitely gone. The rocket was more of a lawn dart, sadly…

Adding insult to injury, GM decided to kill off more jobs and cars with potential to concentrate on… Trucks.

At the start of a new environmental awareness, the good General concentrated on big old SUV’s, targeted at vacuous housewives who have no clue how to drive them. Another well thought out plan. Rather than attack the future and hold an upper hand, doing some good for the entire brand, they concentrated on one small niche, which ironically, has become the proverbial Achille’s heel of a car-making giant. Presently, they have no true marquee in brand that does what Olds once could. Who’s to say that Oldsmobile may have been the leverage point for GM in the escalating hybrid wars? I’d like to entertain that notion. Had they stayed on path, who knows? We may have seen George Clooney cruising a Cutlass versus a Prius.

Consider the effects of the Gretzky trade, when applied to the Oldsmobile (and subsequent GM) debacle: While Edmonton sacrificed a pillar of their team, they still managed winning seasons and a Cup victory, and gained a fairly stable ground (player-wise, not so much owner-wise) to build on. Bigger than that, Hockey itself won, big time. By allowing a great talent to continue down a road that he himself forged, great things happened all around. Had number 99 stayed in Edmonton, I have no doubts that we’d have seen a number of Oilers Stanley Cup years… it’s a given. Yet, what that trade accomplished for the future of the sport was incredible. Am I suggesting that had GM invested resources into allowing Oldsmobile to progress on the brand’s original course that it may have had a similar effect on the corporation at large? You bet your ass I am.

All told, I’ll bet that there will be a moment of silence this week as Edmonton fans and residents recall the day the Great One left the Great White North… and that, at the same time, a few tears will be shed by GM shareholders as they look back on the rocket ride that could have been…

Need more insight and opinion? Just want to look at cool pictures and hot rod designs? Head on over to PCK Studio at www.problemchildkustoms.com.

The Supper Car Club

…and yes, you read that right. “Supper Car” Club.

Why “supper”? Simply put, supper is the term usually used by my kids when refering to dinner-time here, and weekday dinners (or “supper”) are usually nothing over-the-top or spectacular, just a fill-you-up on good food moment in the day. A necessary part of the day, without a lot of fluff. Kind of fitting as you’ll see when we get to the cars that would be in this club.

I had stumbled across the supercar club idea back in 2000, and thought “novel idea”… but then dismissed it, and went back at my day job. This past week, the thought popped back in my head while parking at the Post Office to ship out some designs, and I parked next to a perfectly preserved Gremlin. (I know!! Bitchin’!!) How long has it been since you’ve seen one of those? Apparently, the three other folks checking it out had the same thought. (note to the owner of said ride: What I wrote on my card is serious. I want your car.)

If you’re into exotics, you no doubt know of organizations like Group 20’s incredible Super Car Club, or P1 Prestige and Performance Car Club, or a few others. The basic idea is a shared-access plan, wherein members have access to a number of exotics and luxury cars for about the same cost as owning ONE. Pretty slick, and not unlike shared-access plans for yachts, jets, beach mansions, islands and so-on. So, for like $30k per year, plus a $5-10k membership fee, you’re driving a number of cool cars throughout the year, insurance included. Nifty if you’re of the persuasion that can afford it. Me? Nope. I fall more in line with my nifty idea: The Supper Car Club.

Regular folks cruising regular (and occasionally rare!) cars. We’ll round up a group of investors, and purchase a fleet of hand-picked, basic transportation cars from the past and present (if you can get ‘em from the future, well, we’d like a word with you, too!). We’ll set up a membership fee based on the value of the cars, say $75.00 to join, plus like $300.00/year, and base it all on a points system, allowing everyone access to the cars. You may buy extra points, or trade points for allowing off-use days for cars, etc. Naturally, cruising the Cavalier rag top in June would be double he points of the Cimmaron with the broken A/C, but hey, this is about exclusivity.

I can hear it now– “Why would anyone want to drive a car like a Citation, or a Fairmont sedan, or an ‘80 El Camino with a broken tailgate?” NOSTALGIA. Unless you were some spoiled brat as a teenager, chances are that through college (or beyond if you draw cars for a living and have kids), you’ve driven some questionable-looking, as well as performing cars. And what always comes up in converations about those times past (or present… it happens)? “Man, I hated that car, but I miss it!” Admit it. That ‘79 Delta 88 with the door skins flapping in the breeze was pretty cool. You had FUN with it. I sure as hell did. And my friends still remember that car… even the ones I bump into so many years later… And think about it: If you’re into cars like I am, you check everyhing out. Like the afforementioned Gremlin. I was drawn to that like flies on… oh wait, bad comparison… but you get the idea. A car that hits home will draw as much, if not more attention than some exotic ride. (consider Playboy’s Farmer’s Daughters specials— I read it for the article on cobbler — was that a fluke? The girl next-door is always more approachable, and often more realistic. I bet they sold millions. Cars are the same way, I’ve found.)

Admit it: You had this poster right next to that one with the white Lamborghini.

We’ll offer typical high school and college-year cars, and even a few hot rod-style versions… Maybe ‘78 Malibu with a severe rake, N-50’s and Jensen 6×9’s on the package tray, or even a hand-me-down LTD in powder blue… The kind of stuff you had back then. Imagine pulling up to your reunion in a Camaro with a dented fender, a Moroso decal and sheepskin seat covers, just like you had back in school? Talk about keeping it real. No rental Caddy for you. Just bringing back memories, much like your mullet and parachute pants. And for those who were in all of the musicals, or had weird parents, we’ll round up some used Volvos, VW’s, and the cream of the crop:

…it’s tres chic

(I’m showing the smaller cars so that we get the “green” folks on board. Fret not, my fellow size 34 EEE carbon-footprint friend, I’ll be battling you for points on the Granada with the bad valve seals and cracked rings. We’ll have a little something for everyone. AMC Eagle? We’ll have THREE.) All told, I think that once the trendies see Justin Timberlake pull up at the ESPY’s in the Monaco with the Keystone mags, bad paint and bubbling tint on the windows, this club will be hotter than some crystal and gold-leaf decoupaged Von Dutch hat in an LA boutique after seeing it on a video awards show. If you’re in, hit me up… This will be huge, and a total blast. I have a line already on a Volare’ wagon and a cherry Grand Prix…

More insight/design/lunacy over at www.problemchildkustoms.com.

If they made you feel safe…

…well then, by golly, they wouldn’t have been as fun, now would they?

A lot like the Millenium Falcon: Not much to look at, but had it where it counted. I am a nerd.

And they certainly wouldn’t have been hot rods.
I got to thinking the other day while cruising across the Valley to work on a project, about what makes a hot rod so damn much fun. Granted, this isn’t the kind of thing that should involve any thought to begin with (for cryin’ out loud, they’re freakin’ HOT RODS. What more needs to be said?!), but it brought to mind my teenage years, and the siren-like lure of hot rods and street machines in general. 
In my circle of friends, we didn’t have the biggest budgets for cars, and we made due with what we had and could barter for or get our hands on with our relatively tiny paychecks. And looking back on it, it made for some interesting, if not terrifying rides. Sure, none of us had what the sticklers today would call a “traditional” rod or custom, but, if you stop and consider it, how much more traditional can a car get than when you stuff waaaaaayyyy too much power into a car that really shouldn’t have that much? Sounds pretty grass-roots to me.
I could sit here and tell the tales of a Pontiac-powered ‘83 Thunderbird (well, it needed an engine, and wouldn’t you know it, that Pontiac slid in on a combination of Ford frame mounts and Poncho block-side mounts. Sounded good to us!), a big block Chevy-powered ‘68 Firebird (where’d ya think that Pontiac mill came from?), a series of super-quick Mustangs and G-Body Cutlass and Monte Carlo’s… or even Bullitt-style jaunts to work, leaving late, but managing to arrive just on time. But the point here is that feeling you get when you slide into a car that’s got a bit too much under the hood, and maybe wasn’t ever meant to have it.
I recall my buddy’s ‘78 Firebird, with a healthy small block and 4-speed, tearing up the streets after school… Always just on that ragged edge, where you want to dig your fingers into the dash pad, but you can’t seem to stop laughing enough to reach forward, especially on that clutch-less shift to third… Or maybe you were too occupied with holding parts on the car. White-knuckle rides in a certain cranberry-colored ‘73 Cutlass etched some scenes into my brain, and probably a few stains in the underwear of the hapless folks occupying the next lane. Or holding on for dear life in another friend’s Sebring with a super-stout 440. Yeah, my Chevelle was fun, but had slightly more civility, having been more carefully watched over during construction by the fine folks who not only gave me life, but a garage to park and work in. My ‘72 Monte, however, was put together quickly in the driveway and always had that “recipe for disaster” feel to it, and just begged to be driven as such (nothing beats brake lines held together with a half-dozen unions, one seatbelt, and an uncanny ability to vapoirize tires with a mash of the go-pedal). It remains one of my all-time favorites, and I only owned it for a short period.
My parents had a ‘55 Chevy for a bit that fell into this category… with a primered body, sitting tall on black steelies and dog-dish caps, with that high-winding 283 (with killer M/T valve covers, too!), a Muncie, and 4.11’s, it was dangerously quick, and made you feel guilty just standing near it… and you know what? I loved that.
I’m not talking about some half-assed “rat rod” turd bucket that’s deliberately thrown together with reckless abandon, or some poorly engineered (on purpose) “hey, dig me!” fairgrounds dumpster… Nor am I glorfying the utterly retarded things we did as kids… but more to the point, I’m finally at terms with what got me so deep into cars in every respect:
The whole feeling of riding that edge, whether you were screwing around on some back road, or just idling through the local cruise night parking lot. You felt like all hell might break loose at any second, and by golly, you were racing toward that moment. Fortunately, we seemed to, for the most part anyway, escape certain doom and live on into our 30’s and ’40’s… pretty well adjusted at that. Except that burning urge to throw that old small block into the wife’s mini van, of course… but that seems natural…

Taking CAB’s Coupe for a spin…

…halfway around the globe, and finding a new home in Europe! 

Some time ago, I was fortunate to have befriended skateboarding legend, artist, and all-around good guy Steve Caballero. Like all of my artist and hot rod friends, his work and cars are inspirational, and it all kind of becomes like family. You grow attached to the paintings, cars and whatnot, and when a ride or canvas gets sold, you feel a slight twinge of sadness, and hope that the new owner will take good care of it (kinda like my old Chevelle… it’s comforting to know it’s being enjoyed and cared for!).

 

You have to imagine my joy, then, when CAB’s coupe was sold once more, and wound up, in all places, in the garage of a friend across the ocean! Geert (aka Von Skip), is a talented artist, and we hit off our friendship through our work, sharing a mutual admiration for one another’s style and technique. What this guy does on canvas is amazing (<a href=”http://www.vonskip.com/custom_car_art.html”>dig it here!</a>). He’s owned a number of outstanding cars, and when he saw the opportunity to grab CAB’s coupe, well… I became stoked on a number of levels. After all, what are the odds? Two talented artsists (and great people) as owners of the same great car? Two separate continents… and each sharing the same incredible car culture. (and you thought the Dutch were only into wooden shoes and windmills. Shame on you. They like hot rods and customs, too… so there.) 

The world really is a small place, and lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that all things happen for reason. Thankfully, for whatever reason, I made the connection with two incredible people, and one fantastic car, and I get to see how it all plays out in the grand scheme of things. 

…and, as if creating great art, collecting killer cars and just being an all-around cool cat weren’t enough, on June 2nd, Geert and Nanouk welcomed their beautiful baby girl, Moenza into the world! 

Congrats again, Geert!! Enjoy the ride, man…

While the cars are great…

…it’s the people that make this such a great racket. Case in point: last weekend Craig (fromMyRideIsMe.com) was rounding up hands to help in stripping his ‘63 Falcon wagon in preparation for a full-on makeover. And by golly, when the local boys call for help, I’m there. Occasionally, it’s good to put down the pens and stylus and turn a wrench or two… it keeps you grounded in the real stuff… the stuff that got you into this business to begin with.

…and there we were, a small group that would grow to over a dozen before night’s end, attacking the car with near-Overhaulin’ precision, save for the most stubborn windshield on planet Earth (more on my glass nemesis later). What was to be a simple transmission swap was quickly escalted to a “while we’re at it…” sort of project.. which means “look for some concept art soon”. 

That Craig sure knows how to pick friends, huh? From “Falcon Master” Mike (a walking encyclopaedia of all things Falcon and Comet-based) to Racin’ Dave (runner-up in Super Street this year at Fontana (and 0.054 seconds from a Wally!!), to the always handy and knowledgeable Rob (who brought his killer bobber truck over and aired it out, as if that thing needed any more attitude!), you’d think we had all bases covered.

Hardly. 

Dave and his charming wife popped in before heading to a graduation party to offer moral support, and before we knew it, there was Joe and Joel and Devin grabbing tools and jumping in. I mention all of these folks because it’s what makes this hobby so great: The people. All of us are from different backgrounds, lives, careers… Yet we share the common car bond. It’s that great equalizer, that certain “something” that brings people togteher and gets everyone reaching for a common goal. 

When Doug (of Squeeg’s Rod and Kustom) popped in (with Sammy and Moose from the shop in tow, following a trek to Southern California to pick up a Woody), all of that “car guy” stuff became clear. Here’s a pro builder of the highest degree, wrenching on a local car. No glory in this, just stripping away what needed to go, and getting the ball rolling. It’s just that whole “you’re building a car? I’m THERE!” mentality that happens to come across between car people. It’s the late nights spent in a garage, covered in grease and bondo dust that creates memories, and makes it all so damn cool to be a part of… 

Anyway, this is where it sits for now… Look or more on this project as we build steam, and get the old girl rolling once more…

A pun-tastic romp through TrannyLand.

I’m browsing a couple weeks ago, and came across this video:

A field FULL of transmissions. Man, it’s a veritable shitload of transmissions. Is this collection still growing? Is this a mounting problem?

Perhaps this guy’s just really in synch with his collection… or maybe he blew a gasket, but that’s just my input. Seems to be an almost sealed case… But, if his family banded together, mounted an effort, and pumped some energy behind it, perhaps their pressure would result in a clutch situation, and things would run smoothly, almost fluid, if you will…

I mean, what his yard needs is something more than a quick pickup… any dipstick can see that. Unloading that collection would really get his financial wheels in motion, and convert his neighbors to happy campers, versus being so tourqued-off, and switching their pitch to a more pleasant output… before someone throttles him, or chokes him with a length of cable, and winds up in the joint. I know it has me geared up.

I was going to remain neutral about this guy’s crop of transmissions, and not get on his case, but after seeing the video again, and all of those cores parked there, I’m reversing my position. I can’t imagine his neighbors adapting to the situation… they’re probably thinking “Hey Jack, we’re not taking this anymore. We’ve put our cause into overdrive, and calling the housing committee… so don’t get all shifty with us. Property values are slipping! We shudder to think of where they’ll be in a year!” Foaming at the mouth, they’ll drive him out of the community before things get too low, I’d imagine…. just a matter of pushing his buttons, and getting the county to seal his fate. They’ll have to hire a toploader to get those things over to the rock crusher, and that’ll be a lot of manual labor.

Hey… this stuff won’t happen automatically, you know.

The good old days…

…sure look awesome when looking over old magazines and photos, don’t they? All of the killer cars, shiny paint, classic locations, impeccably dressed people and so-on. It makes it all the more interesting when you either stumble across (or are handed!) an old snapshot that captures real life… an actual hot-rodding moment, frozen on Instamatic or Polaroid paper… In this instance, we have such a subject; one that makes you say “D’oh!”:

 

Yep, it’s harsh reality, there to smack you in the head, as it always seems to. The photo above came to my desk while hunting for source material to fuel my current background project, documenting East Coast customs and hot rods… My father gave me some surviving photos of old cars and car shows, and mixed in was the gem you see above. The car was his personal ride, a ‘57 Chevy 210 that he originally purchased with a six cylinder. The car received a nifty little 283, bored to 301ci, and backed with a 3-speed, 4.11:1’s, and exhaust he described only as “loud”. The car was respectable and quick for the times, running low 13’s. Not too shabby for a kid, and especially for a daily driver.
Anyhow, the moment above captures the aftermath of a floor shift install. Say what? OK, not the IMMEDIATE aftermath… You see, my dad had installed a floor shifter that fine day, and, like so mmany times that I’m sure we can all look back on and say “yup… done that!”, he rushed through to get to work on time (night shift!), and we all know how shifter installs seem to go… Something ALWAYS goes a little haywire. Needless to say, shifting from second to third resulted in, well, nothing.

Youthful thought offeered the option to just reach through the ample hole in the floorboard and grab the linkage, when the stars aligned to strengthjen the Chevy versus Ford battle, and the mighty Chevy plowed into a ‘63 Fairlane.

The car was fixed, using the remains of a t-boned Bel Air hardtop, with the same car supplying the interior for this same car a bit later. The car was sold when my father entered the service, and marked a three year span of ownership in his life. We’ll have to look at the ‘64 Impala and ‘66 Charger that followed at some point, too, all with somewhat better results! 

Granted, I’ve done worse myself (and with no shift linkage to blame!), and that’s not the point here… It’s just an interesting look back on a moment frozen in time… one of those images you don’t often see. It’s real life mixing with youth, hot rodding, and all of those experiences we try to teach our own young ‘uns with…

Over the course of twenty years…

…things are bound to change. Just about 20 years have passed (we’re about a month-and-a-half shy) since this photo was taken:

It’s my old Chevelle, and the pic was snapped as the car was being completed… this being roughly my Senior year in high school (note lack of tail pipes and trunk lock cylinder, among other important items). I bring this up on roughly the tenth anniversary of selling the car, after moving to CA in the late-90’s, and, surprisingly, after my father ran into the car once more in Pleasanton, the very grounds where the old girl was passsed to a new owner. In any event, it’s kind of funny to look back at the changes. I bought the car (with help from my parents… I had a very cool and supportive, hot rod-oriented mom… how killer is THAT?!) as a near basket case (here it is in progress)

…and with a ton of guidance and help from my father and a few close friends, brought it back to life (in the form of the lead photo). Fast-forward a few years, and things were shaping up on it, with some new wheels and aggressive rubber, all setting the tone of a late-’60’s/early ’70’s street machine (OK, with updated wheels… hindsight yells “shoulda kept the slotted mags!!”). The tall stance and big meats were part of it, as was the period cool crushed velvet interior:

It was a fun car… not the fastest, by any stretch, but respectable enough. It was a clean car that had a classic look, and looking back on it, was an amazing car for a late-teens/early twenties-age guy going to school.

It packed attitude, and that black paint was a constant source of pride (and time-swallowing detailing), and the monster even saw the first snow on one notable occasion. It was a reliable, almost comfortable car, considering the ride height…

Fast-forward ten years after selling the car to head back to school, and I get a phone call from my dad, at the Pleasanton Goodguy’s event. “You’ll never guess what I’m standing in front of,” he says. “The disembodied, floating head of Elvis?!” I ask, really wanting a picture… “No, you (expletive), your old Chevelle.” Very cool indeed… The old girl is alive and well. Granted, like any personal project, the new owner has taken the car and personalized it, as anyone might make something their own, creating a vision they can be proud of. The car has a new life, yet continues its rebirth, which is an awesome thing. See if you can spot the changes:

Rally stripes, new wheels, a front valance…

New seats up front (the rear remains!), updated gauges, speakers, and so on….

…but most amazingly, the black paint that was laid upon the car in ‘88 is still looking deep, shiny and straight… Seeing that work live on made my day. It’s testimony to spending time in the right places, and taking pride in anything you do… a lessson I’ve been trying to teach my kids in all they do, and was illustrated perfectly in a car none of the three are old enough to recall. In any event, long post, I know… But I thought it was cool to share a project that spans two decade, two owners and two very distinct styles, but shares the same basic foundation.

May all your first projects carry on as long…