Hello? Custom Rodder Forums?

So far I really like the car the way it handles, power and everything. I learned to paint when I was about 10. My great grandDad, GrandDad and Uncle had a dealership in town. They actually had the first dealership in Salem, Ohio and sold Essix, then went to Hudson and Indian Motorcycles. They had a guy who was super with paint and he taught me the basics, then my uncle taught me somemore on standard paint jobs but the custom stuff I learned from a guy that used to work at Eddie Pauls in Calf.. He moved back here with his family and moved in beside the garage we were doing the cars. He couldn't help himself from coming over and helping out. He was retired by this time and was bored. So he showed me all the custom tricks he knew and that was a lot and from there I just try and keep up with the new stuff. Some thru the years was crap but a lot was a good move ahead on durability and gloss without a ton of buffing. I think I still enjoy doing it as much now as I ever did. It is so cool to take something about to be scrapped and make a beauty of it. I have seen so many go to the bone yard and crushed and I like antique stuff cars,furnature or whatever because it is a part of what I think made America what it is today. I am not a purest on restoration of a car but I think anything to save one is time well spent, even if you only do it to sell for the money.  

Wow thats a really cool skill to have, I wish i would have done something like that or learned something like that.Do youhave any pics of your work?  

Yes I do Have some pics of my work. I'm sorry I have not been on for a few days but my Mother lost her battle with cancer last Thursday. My Dad has been needing some extra attention so my sister and I have been trying to help. My parents were married for 62 1/2 years, a long time to be with someone. I hope to be able to have things going again this weekend, so maybe I'll be able to paint the Comet, we'll see because everytime I go to finish prepping something seems to happen. Thank God nothing as bad as this.
To learn how to do the stuff if you have time stop at a couple of the shops that do some custome things and most generally for the free help they will teach you the all you need to do it yourself at home. The guys around here that work Saturdays seem to like to show how they do things on the weekend when they are not so pushed on time.  

Wow i am extremely sorry about your Mother. My prayers will be with you and your family. I hope your Dad is hanging in there.



maybe ill go check out a few shops  

I really think it would be good for you. You seem to have a genuine interest in the auto world. Painting is something that takes some practice but I enjoy seeing the transiton from primer to finish. It also may help you along the way in the magazine part of things too. I don't know if you plan to stay in the mag profession but if so every little thing you learn would have to be a plus.
Dad is adjusting  

Yea, i really wanted to take auto body back in high school but it always seemed to fill up before i could ever get in! i was always so mad haha.


Im glad to hear he is adjusting. I am sure it is hard... send him my wishes.  

My son had a question for you. What all do you do on the mags you work for? Was it hard to get a job with them?
My boy didn't tell me why he wanted to know but I'm sure some wheels are turning about something to do with that sort of job.
My son does just about have the photo gallery ready for me to send. He has to hurry though school starts on Sept. 4. I'm sure he is going to be buried in homework if it is anything like last year.  

I pretty much manage the websites for the 5 mags that i work for. I constantly update, maintain and keep the websites running smoothly and make sure there is always new content on them. No one likes a plain boring website... its my job to make sure there is something new and fresh on the pages when you go to them .


It wasn't that hard for me, i had a friend who sells ad's for the company and he referred me to the head web guy because he was looking for an assistant. Out of the few people that applied i was the one with the most knowledge of computers


My boss moved on to do something else within the company and me being his young apprentice i guess you could say took his place.

I cant wait to see the photos!  

That is so cool. It sounds as though knowing what you where doing and being at the right place right time paid off. I really am glad to hear something like that because it is hard for a young person to get started most of the time. I hope you have many happy years at doing this if this is what you want. I found out from a friend last night where there is a '33 tudor, it an old 60s custome. Never had the top chopped though which is neat. I'm going tonight to look at it. It has been in storage for the past 20 years or so and I am told it does not have any substantial rust. The guy is asking 4,000 for it and that's a supper price even if it is a little more moth eaten then I have been told. I can hardly wait until tonight. I will let you know tomoeeow how it is.  

yea it pretty much paid off. Its been great though. I have been here for almost 3 years and i love it.

yea i cant wait to hear about it. It sounds like that would be one heck of a deal!  

Well it was better than I expected. This thing is really solid. I took my bondo meter and only found a couple of spots and those were dents not rust repair. The interior is out so I could see all around inside the body. It has a poncho 421 with a 4 speed. The car has not run for a long time so I would have to pull the engine down and check it all out, but I was planning on doing a complete do over on it anyway. The roof has been filled in with a top off of a van and who ever did it did a great job. Mice have done a job on all the wires and the headliner.I will have to find some seats for it and a steering wheel. The glass is in supper shape except for the passenger rear that has a crack across it. The guy told me that there was someone else coming to look at it also. I took it that he was telling the truth so I gave him a few bucks to hold it until tonight when I come back with the cash,gave the full asking price which is unusual for me but the cost was already good enough and I did not want to take the chance and loose it. I was really shocked when he said he even had the title for it. It comes home Saturday, can wait.  

Wow it sounds like you have your work cut out for you! It sounds like a great find.You better keep me posted on it! How do you plan to toggle the comet and your new toy!


your going to be really busy!  

Well the Comet is almost done except for a few nit pick items after it's painted. The big thing will be shuffling the truck and tudor and then the '54 is needing a little attention, so as you said I'll be busy this winter. Thank goodness for the wife and son to help. My son is even excited but I already told him not to get any ideas, but I have a feeling he may change his mind and want the tudor to drive rather than the truck because I know he has always liked the '30's style of rods. The wife already told me that one will have to go next spring. That is going to be a tough decision I gues the truck would be my 1st choice unless my son wants the truck and then I don't know which will go. Maybe by spring I can find a place to stash one for a while, we'll see.  

OH NO! one has to go? Well you could be a sport and donate one to your favorite custom rodder web guy haha

That would be a tough decision though. If i were your son i think i would chose the Tudor as well  

I know it will be very hard. Usually I have one I just build to sell but this time I like them all. It may be that I'll put two for sale and the first one I can get the money for. If you lived a little closer I would probably be tempted to give you a good deal on one. If you would want to pay the frieght I still would make you a good deal because believe it or not I am more interested in them finding a good home and I'll bend a lot of times on the selling price. I have even had guys that bought one from me come back and want another and even take the one they bought before in on trade. There has been a couple of cases when I have owned and sold a car three times. I bought a couple back after they met with an accident and rebuilt them and off they go again. I really like working on the older stuff could you tell.