Custom or not to customize

I gotta chime in and agree that its a shame to cut up a rare classic. Beyond that, the sky is the limit. Do what makes you happy.
I have no problems seeing a nice wagon dropped onto a 4X4 truck frame, either.
I wouldn't mind having one myself.

 

Tbird, that's the way I feel about my Squire. Enough upgrades to make it more useful and responsive, as well as comfy and convenient for travel.

I had my dragster days, but I love the hobby.

 

Considering the manner in which I grew up driving my wagon its not such a shabby idea. I'm not talking big @$$ truck, either. Just optimizing performance for terrain.

 

I never had any respect for the guy, I think he was an azzhole as was his head guy in the garage. I hated that show and I am glad its finally over, be it he had to die for it to end. He put on a great "nice guy" act for the public, but was such a cry baby when it came to behind the eye of the public but still on camera. Its no wonder Foose went his own way and became a great sucess, Chip has more talent in one finger then Boyd did in his entire career. Besides, it was not Boyd building the cars, he just sat in his office and barked orders at everyone, then took all the cedit.

 

Bruce, I'm 54 and have been in this game all my life as a hobby and profession.

Mikey

 

Mikey...

Only got about 4 onya'...
I could tell by your style, you wern't no youngn'...Too much taste!!!
Ever been around Jupiter, Fl.?
We had a guy there in the late '70s and early '80 that do stuff with a paintbrush, that would make anyone envious. 20-50 bucks could get you about anything you wanted or whatever hit HIS fancy. He had an airbruch guy learning from him, but he kinda dropped off the map.
Used to go to Corvette functions and make a killing just sitting in his milk cartons and painting away. Musta had 100 cans of paint with him, but almost everything he would custom mix, and give the peeps a little bottle of touch up when he was done.
Nice talkin' atcha...
Bruce

 

Bruce,

Never been to Jupiter, but when my Dad was wrestling back in the 50's/60's we lived in Jacksonville for a while. My bro, one of 12 (I'm oldest) was born there in '59. However, I've been all over the rest of this country striping at shows and for private clients since 1981 when I realized that if you want to live the country life like I do you have to travel to feed the kids. I quit the big time traveling in '02 and just keep business close by. And I got tired of the cops hassling me for my crazy custom cars.

Yes you can make the bucks striping but in order to make the really big $$ you gotta either be fast or charge more. Ain't no $50 stripes job now. It's $250 and up.

Mikey

 

Mikey...

You gotta remember in the 70's and 80's, the min. wage was around $3.25 an hour(or less). The guys with the corvettes had more than a min. wage job, but most wern't wealthy. 5 cars in 1 hour and that could put more than a C note in your pocket, tax free(dontchaknow). At the conventions, the good ones were booked up from 7 til 7, and then some. Most was just a little something on the hood doors and rear, didn't take long, just a good steady 'freehand'.
Anyway, where did you live in J'ville? We were on the southside around Beach and Parental Home Rd.. In fact our class is having the 40th reunion on the 12th.. I'll be making a trip back next week, still have lots of family there.
Take Care,
Bruce

 

Bruce,
I remember all too well those prices and doing volume. When I started in late 70's, I charged $20 a car for individuals and $10 for dealers when a few big name guys in Houston were getting $100-150 and they could do 15-20 a day.

One striper taught me about speed/accurancy and that if I wanted to make the really big bucks doing custom pinstriping, you go fast and do good. When I started shadowing him, (he was a freind of the fam since I was born) he showed me how to could make $3500 - $10k a day in some cases. My Dad worked with him at the Houston autoram back in the 80's onnce and said he did nearly $40k in 3 days.

Those prices and volume for dealers when many vehicles were shipped to Saudi Arabia. He had all the dealers in Houston, a really fancy studio for striping, complete with ac, wetbar, pics of stars, etc.

So, I copied him and from the early 80's thru late 90's I was doing sometimes 40 cars a day, dealers and individuals- but got burned out. 30+ car shows/rod runs a year and had em lined up 10 deep all day. That got old so now it's just private clients, (no dealers) and a few shows.

Not sure where we lived in Jacksonville, I was just a kid but my aunt transferred some film of that time in our life to dvd. Kinda cool seeing me as a kid doing the hoola-hoop. I know we lived in a trailer park I think near a zoo. Dad drove a 34 chevy coupe with 292 jimmy. He did striping and punched louvers and carried his louver press with him to races to punch hoods. That's how he got those big arms. My Mom said the race tracks and drive-in theaters back then would set up wrestling matches so he would do that too. Seems like those days were a good life but inreality now is the best time for me. As long as we got our wagons, hot rods and other crazy rides, we are living the dream.

Mikey

 

Blackfoot,

I knew Boyd personally. I had lunch with him in Houston a few times when he was there visiting one of my customers and spoke with him at many Goodguys events. Always asked how biz was and what the kids are up to. He was very quiet when we were with a group. He did pay compliments to one of my Caprice wagons but when I drove the '82 Blazer that was slammed and done right, he really perked up.

Not sure the personality act on American Hot Rod was real. If anything Dewayne was the a--hole. I have heard from people who knew him personally say that's what Boyd had to do for ratings like many actors do. Actors' real life isn't anything like that on the screen.

We have to give him credit though as he and Lil' John Buttera (just 2 of many) changed the industry- style of rods, wheels, billet for example. They were very talented and people like Foose really do owe their careers to these innovative forerunners. Just my opi.

Mikey

 

Mikey,
I'd have to say i agree with you on many points. I'm very close with the Ring Brothers-Mike and Jim, as well as the rest of the guys down there. We do all their tire work. Amazing creations out of a town of 1500 people or less......some people love em, some hate em, but the bottom line is it's the choice of the OWNER....good, bad, or otherwise.

I've already been chastised for my plans for my '70 Vista that's currently torn apart in the back corner of the shop......shaved emblems, shaved door handles, shaved drip rails, taillights shaved and recessed back into the body to smooth the rear end out and proportion it better and make the lines flow, lowered a significant amount (haven't fully decided on air ride or springs...both have their merits and drawbacks) custom designed and installed stereo, dakota digital gauges, 18", 20" or a combination of the two in regards to wheels (had 18's on it but they looked a tad small vs. the proportions of the car, so may go 20's all around)

Bottom line is....I bought the car, I'm working on the car, and I'll modify it to suit MY tastes, whether anyone else likes it is irrelevant. With that being said, I generally WOULDN'T do the same thing to an extremely rare car (such as a Hurst Olds, W-30, or other rare model) UNLESS the modifications were reversable, and the original parts retained....otherwise I'd simply build a clone, and modify that, rather than destroying an extremely rare original piece of automotive history.

Just my .02 cents

 

On a rare cherry wagon, I like to leave them stock except maybe for the engine and tranny but retain the originals. To each his own. The Ring boys do some interesting stuff but play to a different audience. I just don't want to see wagons disappearing. Yours is going to be nice...I've seen it. And it's not like there aren't a few of those around. Talk to you soon.