I received an incredible honor…

…and I’m just about speechless.

I have had the incredible fortune of making some fantastic friends while doing what I love for a living. No doubt about it, I’m blessed to stumble across some great people, and able to make friends, thanks to my ability to sketch a car… Anyway, I had started to sketch up some ideas for another client-turned-friend and his ‘33 Ford project a while back, and we’ve been approaching the car at a leisurely pace while he finishes his latest tour of duty in Afghanistan.

As friends of the Studio know, I hold the utmost respect for our men and women serving this country, and am always eager to assist with their projects… There’s a great tie between hot rodding and the armed forces, and these are the folks who make it possible for me to do what I love for a living. In any event, my friend Brian (what a coincidence!) flies helicopters in search of the bad guys, and is just a great guy to converse with… and is plotting one hell of a clean street rod project, and I jumped into this with a serious amount of energy. After all, creating something to stir this guy’s sense of excitement will be a challenge and a half. Suffice to say, it’s another of those grand moments in the Studio when friendship springs from talking cars. Again, good fortune in finding some great people.

To make a long story short, Brian and the brave souls of the 159th CAB Task Force Tunder flew a flag in my (and the Studio’s!) honor in a combat mission on December 21, 2008.

I opened a box we received last week to find this:

The flag, certificate and shield decal

Words, quite honestly, fail to describe the the thanks, pride and absolute shock we all share here for this… Truly, this is beyond anything I’ve been lucky enough to be granted before, and will definitely share an honored space in the Studio for generations to come…

I hope that you’ll take a moment to think a good thought, say a prayer, or find some way to thank the people serving and protecting our country, rights and freedoms. In an age of apathy, non-patriotic attitudes, and flat-out belligerence and greed, it’s inspiring to know that there are truly some outstanding individuals working together to retain all that our forefathers fought to gain for us… Thank you, all who currently serve, or have in the past, and thank you, my friend for this amazing honor.

Thanks for indulging me in this amazing moment…

60th GNRS Hall of Fame Video!

I was fortunate to have been invited to the Hall of Fame Luncheon at the 60th Grand National Roadster Show, thanks to my friends and clients Paul and his son Erik Hansen (for whom I designed their ‘52 Buick “Resilience”).

Check out Dave Bell’s artwork, created in honor of this momentous occasion:

Dave Bell's amazing 60th GNRS tribute poster, signed by the master!

What’s incredible about this event, beyond the amazing group of hot rodding and custom car legends that attend, is the history that these people share, and the many stories they tell. It’s this insight to the history of our industry, the GNRS and the cars that makes this a must-see-at-least-once-in-your-lifetime event (and well worth all of those hyphens!).

I shot a few videos between conversation at our table, feasting on some chow, and just generally looking around the room for cool autograph opportunities, and wanted to share a few of them here.

The legendary Blackie Gejeian is well-known for his marathon speeches, and this day was no exception! It was amazing to hear him relay tales of the earliest days of the show, and to compare those times with the current state of the GNRS. He told a heart-wrenching story about Al Slonaker (founder of the show), and shared the podium with the late Al’s wife, Mary, who was honored during the luncheon. Blackie also shared a great tale of the first show car to use a mirror in its display (and insight as to WHERE that mirror came from…).

60th GNRS Hall of Fame Luncheon ticket

Custom car legend Dick Bertolucci took the podium, and shared some stories, as well…. Most notably about the master of metalwork, Harry Westergard. (I was fortunate to share a distant connection with this legend, having been commissioned to draw a Westergard-customized Cadillac, when Kurt McCormick restored the car a couple of years back) It was an absolutely fantastic time listening to these stories, and just sitting in a room with legends… hell, with the very heroes I grew up reading about. I can’t say “thanks” enough to have had this opportunity, and to have been able to make a living doing what I love, sharing the same passion as these greats. On that note, it was truly an honor to witness Thom Taylor’s induction to the GNRS Hall of Fame (in the same weekend that The Hot Rod Art Book debuted, in which I am fortunate to share some pages with him!), as his work was instrumental in my decision to pursue hot rod and custom car design as a career. A very cool moment indeed.

I hope you enjoy the videos as much as I enjoyed the good fortune of attending this event…

Dial 3 for…

…3D, I guess.

Having always been a fan of classic movies, and even more, an Alfred Hitchcock fanatic, I took a rare couple of hours last week to sit and watch a film. The day’s selection? “Dial M For Murder”, Frederick Knott’s great play-turned film. If you’ve never seen the movie, do yourself a favor, and scare up a copy. It’s typical Hitchcock visionary cinema, and is so far ahead of its time, presentation-wise, that it boggles the mind. What’s really slick about the film (beyond the incredibly intimate camera angles) is the use of very limited sets. The majority of the film takes place in an apartment, by the the story makes you forget that.

Anyway, why bring up this film? The movie was filmed and subsequently released in 3D back in 1954, coincidentally, the year that the fictional scene depicted in the image with this post takes place (…it always ties together, doesn’t it?). What’s great about this film in particular is that it wasn’t the typically hokey 3D spectacle… It used the effect brilliantly and subtly. Granted, in ‘54, there were a ton of 3D movies, and most of them bad, thus, “Dial M for Murder”, shown in 3D, didn’t fare so well, which is a shame, because, as we’ve touched on before, it was done superbly and subtly.

If you’ve got a pair of the old red and blue 3D glasses laying around, dig on the picture that accompanies this post…

Break out the red and blue 3D glasses... and step on in!

I’m a fan of subtlety, always opting to take the “less is more” route, and playing with a design to harness some serious visual impact from a well-placed modification. Perhaps that’s why Hitchcock’s films appeal to me: they are well-crafted, and sort of sneak up on you, making you re-examine a scene, study the details a bit more carefully, and pay closer attention. In the last issue of Rod and Custom, I was fortunate to have had another piece featured as their “Dream Car of the Month”, that being the ‘53 Ford moonshine runner, which illustrates this subtle approach perfectly. There’s a lot going on with this car, but it’s presented in a very subtle way (on the car itself, anyway… Racing through the woods in a custom car isn’t precisely “subtle” by any means…). It’s got many layers to dig through, and the narrative behind the image is pure fun… But it’s what was on my mind when creating it that makes this so damn cool.

When I began drawing the car, the scene was already set in my mind: there would be a dark, moonlit night in 1954 (ahhh…. it’s all tying together!), a bed of red clay, a police car in pursuit, and some moody lighting. But what made this piece unique in my portfolio was that I kept seeing this thing in 3D… stereoscopically. I set out to create multiple versions of the piece, and there had to be one that used 3D glasses. No two ways about it, that’s what my mind kept going back to, and I was determined to reach into my bag of tricks, pull out a clever technique, and apply it to this piece.

It was fun to make the trees “pop” out and recede, to make the lights gain some depth and “flicker”, and to work to make the features of the car visually sit in their rightful places in space. It’s a lot of work to get things “right” (working a drawing into 3D isn’t as easy as working from a couple of photographs, and requires a TON of planning and work… but the results are just damn cool), and when they fall into place, the results are stunning. I’ve been experimenting with a number of my older pieces using this technique, and we’ll have prints available soon…

In any event, what this all boils down to is that I’m happy to be having fun with it all again, and after applying some inspiration from a great cinematic experience, I’ve embarked on a new path with my work… It’s getting to the point where I can invite you to reach into my work, and see it in a whole new way… and how cool is THAT?!

Look for more soon…

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.

“If life were fair…”

…Johnny Carson once said, “…Elvis would be alive and all the impersonators would be dead.”

It’s a pretty deep thought. It’s a fitting one, too, as originality seems to be a dying art at times. I fell into a creative funk recently, and began to look at a late crop of cars, and thought “wow… another car on a set of aftermarket rims. How progresssive.” (keep in mind that the cars in question were presented as some “Hot, new!” and “ground-breaking!” rides, and a few were flowing from my pen, seemingly keeping the envelope flat and tidy — no pushing allowed!) It appeared, during that spell, that true automotive personalization was dead… That, just maybe, we had gotten to a stagnant point in the hobby where every car had to adhere to some set of rules to be “cool”… it was high school all over again, oh no! And just when I thought it was, along came a brilliantly conceived idea, and I’m honored to take part in the design process. Suffice to say, a client approached me with his genius take on a truck, and it’s lit a fire, so to speak… In fact, that fire spread quickly to a new piece for a magazine, that I knocked out in record time… (not a truck, but an over-looked car that suddenly hit me like a ton of bricks).

The drive was back, and with a fury… My eyes were opened to a whole new set of possibilities… it was like re-discovering cars. I dug through my notebooks and sketchbooks, and began reviewing them with a newfound purpose. I have set out on a journey, the road paved with unique cars, and seemingly endless possibilities.
 
Talk about timing, too… I needed a creative “goose. Going back a ways, it was about a year ago that we took in the “Curves of Steel” exhibition at the Phoenix Art Museum, which, despite its small size, packed an unexpected punch. It was a great time, just taking in some design work from true masters. Classic forms, many mixed with function light years ahead of their time, all leading to one thought in my mind: I love what I do. I create, literally, passion on paper. It’s not a job, it’s creation of passion. It’s taking an idea and running with it. It’s not something you wake up one day and say “I’m going to design custom cars.” It chooses you, and while it makes you work at it endlessly, it gives back a million times over in satisfaction. Add to that a love for design itself, be it print, sculpture, architecture, whatever… I LOVE it.

Simply put:

When I am approached to design a hot rod, custom, pro-touring ride, whatever, I want to bring out every aspect of the car’s potential, and tie it with the owner’s personality, not just create another ho-hum car that wears the right “uniform” for its genre. Granted, certain ideas work well, and have an established following… an early generation Mustang or Chevelle, for example, on 18’s and 19’s and sitting low looks good, it’s a given. However, simply adhering to one look closes so many doors, creatively speaking, that you rob yourself of exploring the car’s full potential. It’s far too easy to just plug in a formula to achieve a certain look… Of course, there are always budget constraints and whatnot, but this is where careful, creative planning in the earliest stages can make any car into a unique, personal statement.
 
Obviously, if you like a style of car, you should go for it… I’d never suggest change for the sake of change. Don’t just plop a heap of “different”" on top of an over-used motif just to stand out… To stretch the metaphor, if a singing impersonator is good, a fire-eating, sword-swallowing, contorsionist skydiving crooner may not always breed better results. Break the formula where you can, and stretch your imagination, but keep good taste in mind. What my funk and subsequent anger about these recent cars boils down to is that I am SICK (all caps… I’m yelling because it pisses me off to see this) of seeing third-rate work and “design” being celebrated, causing, essentially, the public at large to settle for third-rate as being the “state of the art”. Awesome. Let’s just cut our feet off here, and call this the pinnacle of the hobby/industry, and quit now.

I say “no f-ing way”. I know that there are some talented designers and builders out there pushing forward every day, who feel the same as I do about this, and by golly, we’re not drinking the Kool Aid.

All it really boils down to is that if all cars were built using the “formula method”, every car would simply mimic another, and, in effect, be just another Elvis impersonator.

And that’s just not fair to anyone, much less your clients…

Check out my work and design approach at PCK Studios.

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…

Memorial Day weekend…

…and we’re not heading too far from the Studio, what with gas prices going haywire, work on the boards and so on… But I wanted to wish everyone a happy and safe holiday, and take a moment to thank all of our servicemen and women, both past and present for their service, sacrifice and dedication, and take a moment to honor those who have fallen, protecting this great country, and making it possible for us to enjoy this hobby so much more each day.

If you’re currently enlisted, or have been in the past, and are looking to pick up a shirt or print before June 1st, hit us up HERE for a coupon code prior to placing an order, and we’ll make sure you get free shipping, as well as something extra thrown in… It doesn’t compare to what you give each day, but I thought we’d try to express our thanks in some way. Thanks again, and have a great Memorial Day weekend…