The Daily Grind

I have been putting some time in at a Classic car body shop here in Kansas City. It keep me on my toes! I'm working on a 1963 Chevy station wagon doing a lot of rot repair that might scare off most guys but after spending most of my life in the rusty north east fixing this stuff and cutting out a floor pan is a bag of shells.





I deleted the A/C stuff off the fire wall and made up new panels with factory looking ribs so it will have that Mod smooth look. I braced up the body before I cut the floor out just to be on the safe side. there was no way the one piece floor was going in as "One piece" so I took it apart and put it in a piece at a time. You can see the cross braces in place. I'll have the pans welded in soon.

More Progress!

I finished filming my next dvd, "HOW TO BUILD FIBERGLASS BODIES AT HOME" this week! I still need to sit down and edit 9 hours of film but it will be avabile in a few months.

The "Baja Bandeeto" is going to be one hot show rod. I am using a yellow tinted bubble for this car between that & the crazy paint it will burn your eyes out!

Steering Committee

I got a little work done setting up the crazy steering linkage on the Bandeeto last night. I'm trying to get it as close to the inner body as I can so my foot wont hit the shaft when I hit the gas pedal.

Back in the garage

Its been a while since I last posted, I guess I just got side tracked with life.

My wife Carrol's Surgery went well, The Cancer did not spread and she is going through a few chemo treatments to make sure they have gotten & killed all the little SOB's She is doing well!

I did a few bike paint jobs, did some rot repair of my neighbors pick up truck, Bought five 1959 chevy El Camino's (I don't know why I did that) but I did get my new show rod the "Baja Bandeeto" back into the garage.





I have the body off and am gluing front body mounts in under the nose with fiberglass. I'll do another set up where the split wishbones meet the body then I can move onto working on all the things that make a car a CAR! (Steering pedals, etc.)



In other news Famed Magazine (C.K. Deluxe & 'Ol Skool Rodz) cool guy Alan Mayes was kind enough to include me in his new book "HOT RODS" My clone of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's "Outlaw" made the pages as well as my restoration on Roth's "Mega Cycle" an Honer indeed! You can get a copy of the book online at Amazon.com It would make a great stocking stuffer ya know!



My first DVD is done with great fan fare ;) "How to paint your motorcycle at home" or anything else for that matter. 3 1/2 hours of me painting 2 sets of motorcycle tins. you'll see candy paint, fogs, gold leaf work, etc! Watch your favorite magazines for a review. It isn't just motorcycles all the info is the same no matter what you happen to be banging on kids! You can check out what the guys over at Sideburns magazine by clicking here.

Thanks for reading and I'll see ya around the paint booth!

- Fritz

Some good news, some bad

Well I guess the good news is we have made some great progress on the "Baja Bandeetoo." The body is in fiberglass, off it plaster buck and ready for some serious work.



We had Tom Strongman from the "Kansas City Star" Newspaper stop by to interview me and check out my latest project & the "Roswell Rod" We ploped the body back on her frame for a photo Op and I figured I would share these spy pics with everyone!

My Panhead Chopper is in the latest Issue of Car Kulture Deluxe Magazine! be sure to stop at the news stand and pic up a copy and check it out!





Also in magazine news (we don't have a copy yet) but we hear that Cody Wents (thats Daryl Starbirds grandson) custom pick up truck is in the new issue of classic trucks magazine! I had gone to Daryl Starbirds place to Help Cody lay out the graphic art work on his way cool little chevy pick up So from he tells us Him and I are in the pages!

Now the bad news is On June 23rd we found out that My Wife Carrol has breast Cancer. She is still going through some tests and such but it will be a few miles of bad dirt road we have to travel together the next few months. Keep your fingers crossed and keep a welding torch lit for us. lets hope They get this on the first shot! So far they think they can go after one lump then some radiation and be done with it. She wants me to keep building in the garage during all this, Thats why she's the best!

I've been keeping my hands busy keeps my mind from thinking bad things.

SO........here are some pics to enjoy, I hope everyone is building something fun!

- FRITZ

Bubble Top Update!

I didn't get to work on the Bubble top as much as I would have liked, Been bailing out my basement twice in the last week. We have had nothing but flooding rain here in Kansas City for a while. I did get in some plaster time and have a little something to update. I bulked up the nose and added my 58 Ford hood trim & got more done on the tail area. I got the drivers side body line pretty good, I love the way that fender just hangs over the M/T slick!

Remember Kids, Keep America beautiful, Restore an old car!

- FRITZ

Henry High Rise and Me!

All I can say is WOW! I never thought I'd see the day when I would wind up in a Dave Bell cartoon in the back of "Street Rodder" magazine. (Aug/2010) A real True Honor! I used to get busted by my parents all the time 'cause in junior high school, I'd sit in science class and draw those rad little rides! I remember a 57' Chevy Nomad with a straight front axle, with boxes hanging out the back, I think it was in the letters to the editor section. that was a big favorite. They tell me you have really made it in the scene when Dave pens yer face! Thanks Mr Bell. you have truly made me a Happy Camper!

- FRITZ

All new bubble top show rod!

Thats right kids, I teamed up with super famous illustrator Jimmy Smith. I am building one of his fantastic drawings that caught my eye. Its a radical show rod with a VW drive line, super bell axle out front, a '50 Merc steering box, and a bunch of other cast off junkyard parts. Its being built in the timeless Ed Roth tradition of plaster spit wads & hand rolled fiberglass! We'll keep you posted as the plaster hardens! now get back out to the garage and build something!

- FRITZ

Bikes I've been painting

Spring is in the air and Motorcycle guys always seem to find me to spritz some candy and drag some lines on their Motorcycle tin! I figured I'd share a few of the bike I Just finished. The Triumph stuff is for a Flat track race bike for my good friend Greaser Mike in New York City. I know, I know. No one Paints a race bike that nice 'cause they get trashed but look at it like this win or lose you look COOL!






The other is an old set of Sportster tin My Dad had laying around I figured it would make a nice set of display tin at the local Harley dealer.





If you have a bike and you'd like it tricked out, I do stuff by mail!

Hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for a safe & fun spring & summer

See ya!
- Fritz

We Won the House of Kolor Paint Award!

Hey go figure! I won the House Of Kolor Prestigious Painter award! Thats 2 years in a row! Last year for the "Astrosled" and this year for the "Roswell Rod" I just wanted to share, now get back in the garage and build something!

- FRITZ

Astrosled

Roswell Rod